Chapter Twenty-Two: Infiltrating the Home

"Ye Yan."

"Why are you running so fast?"

Feng Shayan had chased after Ye Yan, and by the time she caught up, he was already rounding the corner.

Hearing her voice, Ye Yan turned back, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"I wasn't running."

"You were running!"

Ye Yan fell silent.

Women—such unreasonable creatures.

With a cigarette dangling from his lips, he shrugged helplessly. "If you say I was running, then I was. You're the boss, whatever you say goes."

"That's more like it." Feng Shayan put her hands on her hips and nodded in satisfaction.

But after a moment, her gaze dimmed. "How many days do you have left?"

She asked so directly.

"Less than a week," Ye Yan answered honestly. Feng Shayan knew about the contract; he hadn’t hidden it from her.

"After you leave the World Society, where will you go?"

"Anywhere will do."

"You!" Feng Shayan sounded deflated.

Even without Ye Yan explaining, she knew why he could go anywhere. Disappointment clouded her heart.

But she quickly composed herself, took a couple of strides to stand beside Ye Yan, and slung an arm around his shoulder, speaking with exaggerated nonchalance.

"Come on, let me treat you to a meal."

"Is that necessary?"

"What, turning me down?"

Her elbow drove hard into Ye Yan’s abdomen, catching him off guard and making him double over.

"Hey, easy there! If you keep this up, you’ll never get married. Who’d dare take you home?"

"Who are you calling old?"

In an instant, the air turned icy; even the look in Feng Shayan’s eyes was cold and menacing, as if she might tear Ye Yan to shreds the next second.

Age—a forbidden subject.

"My mistake, elder sister."

Ye Yan coughed awkwardly, admitting his fault without resistance.

"That's better." Feng Shayan put on a quick face-change worthy of Sichuan opera.

"If I don't get married, so be it. I don't need your commentary." Feng Shayan jabbed him twice more with her elbow, trying to look fierce.

"Alright, alright, I talk too much," Ye Yan said, rolling his eyes in his signature dead-fish style.

"So where to?"

"You drive. Bring out your little van and give your sis a laugh…"

"Wow, getting a little cheeky, aren't you?"

"What was that?!"

A fist sliced through the air, but Ye Yan dodged deftly. He grinned. "But are you sure you can just leave like this? What about Zhang Chulan?"

"My dad’s still there, isn’t he?" Feng Shayan replied, utterly unconcerned.

Her father's task was only to bring Zhang Chulan back. The rest he hadn’t specified, so she could claim ignorance and slack off.

"Alright then."

Since Feng Shayan said so, Ye Yan let it go. After a moment, he asked, "Should we call Yaya and Little Star, too?"

"No need," Feng Shayan shook her head.

"Alright then…"

...

Tianjin!

Inside a barbecue restaurant.

Feng Shayan tossed a perfect slice of pork belly onto the grill, distractedly asking, "You're really just going to leave the World Society like this? Not going to reconsider?"

"No," Ye Yan replied, holding a glass of orange juice with a smile. "Nothing lasts forever. All feasts must come to an end."

"Can't you just stay?"

A trace of reluctance flickered in her eyes.

Ye Yan shook his head, his gaze steady.

Feng Shayan forced a smile. "Then, I wish you a bright future. Come back and visit when you can. Even if you leave, this will always be your home."

"Thank you."

Ye Yan felt a surge of emotion.

Their glasses clinked gently, but each harbored different thoughts.

After a long silence, Feng Shayan lifted her head and said slowly, "My father says the World Society will take part in this year’s Luo Tian Grand Assembly. It’s a rare event for young people. What do you think?"

"The Luo Tian Grand Assembly." Ye Yan set down his glass. "That's good. The World Society is in a period of rapid growth, and Uncle Feng has finally made it into the ranks of the Ten Elders. It's time to show some strength, or people will look down on you."

"Exactly," Feng Shayan agreed.

That was her father's thinking too. After all, the World Society was a rising force in the private sector, but still couldn't compare to age-old sects like Zhengyi or Quanzhen. They might be catching up, but there was a long road ahead.

"Will you participate?"

But what she really wanted to know was whether Ye Yan would join the competition.

"I probably will."

Ye Yan hesitated. "It's a rare event for the young. Might as well go and broaden my horizons. Besides, from what Wang Ye and Tang Wenlong said, they’ll probably go too…"

"Just to make up the numbers, huh."

"Tsk." Feng Shayan smirked. "Aren’t you embarrassed? You defeated someone as tough as Dingjima An, and now you’re going to bully kids?"

"If Master Lu heard you, he’d probably be furious."

"Can’t help that," Ye Yan shrugged, carefree. "It’s supposed to be for those under thirty, and I’m not that old. I’m not exactly exploiting a loophole. I’m sure the old man will understand…"

"You monster," Feng Shayan rolled her eyes. As she spoke, she flipped a few pieces of pork belly on the grill.

"Are you going because you want Master Lu’s Tongtian Scroll?"

"Not really," Ye Yan replied sincerely. "I just want to join the fun and keep an eye on Zhang Chulan…"

"What, are you interested in the Qi Origin Flow? Come on, you don’t really believe that rumor, do you? That guy’s so weak—how could he be connected to something so legendary?"

Feng Shayan was blunt.

Ever since she’d met Zhang Chulan, all her grand fantasies had been shattered.

She’d once been interested in the rumors about Zhang Xilin, but now, she couldn’t care less.

"So you have no real plan?"

"Not exactly," Ye Yan replied. "I just want to see what kind of waves this depth charge will make."

As a spectator, Ye Yan’s motives were simple and impartial.

He remained strictly neutral.

Whether it was the Qi Origin Flow or the Tongtian Scroll, he had no interest. He hadn’t even figured out his own Night Sovereign abilities, and had no time for anything else.

Ye Yan was still pondering when suddenly, Feng Shayan’s phone rang. She answered, exchanged a few words, and her expression changed dramatically.

She put down the phone and said, "There’s trouble at the World Society."

"What?"

Ye Yan was stunned.

Feng Shayan continued, "Little Star called. Someone broke into World Tower—an Outsider. Several of our officers have been taken down."

"He wants us to get back right away."

"But I haven’t finished eating," Ye Yan complained, eyeing the slightly charred meat on the table, his mood souring.

Feng Shayan shot him a fierce glare. "At a time like this, you’re thinking about food? Our home’s about to be robbed! Get a move on!"

With that, she grabbed her bag and, half dragging, half pushing, hauled Ye Yan out the door.