"Sob!"
Feeling a wave of suffocation, Xiao Ze patted Ya Fei's shoulder.
Catching her breath, Ya Fei blushed and straightened up.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to."
Seeing Xiao Ze's uncomfortable look after nearly suffocating, Ya Fei couldn't help but say.
Even though it looked like she was the one who had been taken advantage of.
After all, this was her savior, so Ya Fei didn't dwell on it too much.
Besides, she was the one who had thrown herself at him; who could she blame?
Therefore, Ya Fei offered a sincere apology.
"It's fine, it just came rather suddenly."
As Xiao Ze waved his hand dismissively, another figure quietly landed beside him.
"Brother, we've seen enough of the good show, and you've already gone up on stage to perform. Shouldn't we be heading back now?"
Xiao Xun'er's tone carried an ambiguous meaning.
When she had just seen Ya Fei embrace Xiao Ze, her fists had clenched so hard they ached.
"A good show?"
Ya Fei couldn't help being stunned. "Could it be that the two of you were watching from the sidelines the whole time?"
Seeing Xiao Xun'er expose them, Xiao Ze didn't mind.
He had never intended to hide his actions in the first place.
"We were also at Shengde Restaurant earlier, watching the whole thing unfold from the second floor. We figured that fellow wouldn't let it go easily..."
After finishing his explanation, Xiao Ze pulled Xiao Xun'er's little hand and leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"I didn't mean to do that just now. When she lunged forward, if I had dodged, she would have definitely hit the ground and ruined her face."
"Hmph—well, there must have been a better way to handle it, like catching her by the waist?"
Xiao Xun'er let out a soft hum. Still, taking Ya Fei's presence into account, Xun'er copied Xiao Ze and spoke in a low whisper close to him.
"Ahem, the situation was urgent..."
After hearing Xiao Ze's explanation, Ya Fei finally understood what they meant by watching a good show.
Now, seeing the two youths whispering to each other right in front of her, Ya Fei figured it out as well.
The young girl must have suddenly exposed them because of the intimate contact she had just shared with the young man, which had made the girl unhappy.Are they childhood sweethearts, or perhaps...
Taking advantage of the moment, Ya Fei stole a glance at Xiao Xun'er. Unlike Xiao Ze, Xiao Xun'er had not pulled up her hood, allowing her full face to be seen. From Ya Fei's perspective, she could only see the lower half of her face—a delicate chin and perfect lips. Ya Fei could easily imagine what a flawless face lay above, likely accompanied by a pair of sparkling, enchanting eyes hidden beneath that hood. They truly were a well-matched pair with the young man's handsome features.
Ya Fei’s thoughts flickered and vanished, and she immediately bowed deeply to express her gratitude to the two of them.
"So that is how it is. I, Ya Fei, thank you both for coming to watch my little drama."
This time, it was Xiao Xun'er's turn to be stunned. "You don't mind what we did?"
"If every time I encountered danger in my life, I could meet people like you two—who enjoy a good show but are also willing to step in and help—how lucky would I be!" Ya Fei said sincerely.
Xiao Ze nodded. Ya Fei did not dwell on the fact that they had been watching the spectacle; instead, she focused on the fact that they had saved her life. She clearly knew how to distinguish what was truly important.
"Very well. Since the matter is settled and everything has been said, we won't linger any longer," Xiao Ze said, pulling down the brim of his hood. "Miss Ya Fei, please return to the Midel Auction House as soon as possible to avoid any further trouble."
"Could you tell me your names so that I may visit and thank you properly?" Ya Fei asked hurriedly.
"No rush. We are both in Wutan City; we will have the chance to meet again. Besides... in truth, we have already met once before, Miss Ya Fei."
Xiao Ze waved his hand and led Xiao Xun'er away. Before they left, he did not forget to leave one final piece of advice."By the way, Miss Ya Fei, you are well aware of what happened tonight. We were forced to act, and we kindly ask that you do not expose our presence."
"Of course. I am not someone who repays kindness with ingratitude!"
Ya Fei immediately gave her assurance. With her intelligence, she could easily tell that they were reluctant to reveal their identities.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have withheld even their names.
After all, as a member of the Midel Clan, Ya Fei possessed a certain amount of influence, at least within Wutan City.
An ordinary person would never have let slip such an opportunity to gain leverage.
As for trying to find Xiao Ze in Wutan City based on his appearance? That would be no different from searching for a needle in a haystack.
After the two of them left, Ya Fei looked at the miserable scene in the alley, tidied up slightly, and hurried back to the main street.
Upon returning to the Midel Auction House, she immediately dispatched trusted subordinates to clean up that area.
The Ouba Family, one of the three major families in Wutan City?
She, Ya Fei, was not afraid of them!
However, to avoid trouble and prevent any possibility of the investigation leading back to her two saviors, Ya Fei chose to cover it up.
The next day, the Ouba Family issued a bounty that caused a sensation throughout the city.
The youngest son of the Ouba Family Patriarch had been killed in a secluded alley the previous night, along with a Dou Zhe guard. The crime scene was an absolute mess!
Not a single clue could be found.
Or rather, if the Patriarch of the Ouba Family had found any clues, they ultimately pointed to Miss Ya Fei, the chief auctioneer of the Midel Auction House!
Yet the Midel Auction House was not someone they could afford to provoke.
Ya Fei flatly denied everything, claiming that after shaking off Young Master Ouba's pursuit in that secluded alley the previous night, she had returned straight to the Midel Auction House.
She knew nothing of whatever Young Master Ouba did afterward.
Taking advantage of the situation, Ya Fei demanded compensation from the Ouba Patriarch, accusing Young Master Ouba of attempting to harm and defile her, and demanding an explanation from him!
Ya Fei's narrative was truly airtight.
After all, apart from Xiao Ze, Xiao Xun'er, and Ya Fei's trusted confidants, there were no other witnesses to the event.
Without any evidence to prove that Ya Fei was responsible, the Ouba Patriarch was genuinely in the wrong.
When it came to influence, the Ouba Family simply could not compare to the Midel Auction House.
Now, with no evidence, it was his son who had harassed Ya Fei, attempting to harm and defile her—a fact attested to by numerous witnesses!
The Ouba Patriarch had marched into the auction house full of fury, only to leave crestfallen and prepare to pay compensation.
This whole affair thoroughly sickened the Ouba Patriarch. Having already suffered the agony of losing a son, he now had to pay a heavy compensation because of that same worthless younger son.
Ultimately, with all leads completely cut off, the Ouba Family issued a bounty of one hundred thousand gold coins, creating a sensation throughout Wutan City.
It sparked a massive wave of searching!
Naturally, there were many opportunists who attempted to kill innocent people and falsely claim the reward.
However, all of them were swiftly seen through by the Ouba Patriarch with thunderous severity. He had them executed and their bodies hung at the gates as a warning to others!
In the end, this forced the officials of the Gama Empire to step in and warn the Patriarch of the Ouba Family not to make too much of a stir.
As the administrators of Wutan City, order and stability were what they wished to see.
If things got too out of hand, it would scare away merchants from coming to Wutan City to do business, which would directly harm their interests.
Besides, that fellow was a wrongdoer in his everyday life anyway; now that someone was willing to deal with him, the authorities were quite happy to see it happen.
In the end, this bounty storm ended in a fizzle.