"Master, I really don't want to descend the mountain!"
On the peak of an unnamed mountain in Longxia, Xia Fei held a woman in her thirties, pleading bitterly.
Though over thirty, the woman possessed an extraordinary charm. Her features radiated an alluring sensuality, and her figure was nothing short of devilish.
Clad entirely in red, she was a complete siren!
"Liner, you are already twenty. It is indeed time to descend the mountain!"
"Besides, I've already arranged a fiancée for you outside. She will be here to pick you up shortly, and she is far more prettier than those idols you're always watching!" Li Hongshang persuaded with a helpless expression.
"Master, what kind of person do you take me for?"
"In my heart, you are the most beautiful of all. No one can ever take your place!"
"I'm begging you, I really don't want to leave. Just let me stay!"
Pleading pitifully, Xia Fei rubbed his head against Li Hongshang's body!
Naturally, Li Hongshang could tell he was doing it on purpose, but instead of getting angry, her face blossomed with doting affection.
"Liner, listen to me and go down the mountain right now. And make sure you keep everything that your other masters and I gave you properly tucked away!"
Li Hongshang's expression turned serious.
"But Master, I really can't bear to part with you!"
Xia Fei rubbed against her even harder.
Right at that moment, a woman walked up. She was in her early twenties and dressed entirely in white.
Moreover, her looks were in no way inferior to the red-clad young woman, and her aura was like a snow lotus on a high mountain, giving off a vibe that was both pure and utterly alluring!
"Liner, that is your fiancée. Are you certain you won't go with her?"
Li Hongshang gave Xia Fei a meaningful look.
Curious, Xia Fei cast a glance over and was instantly struck dumb by her beauty!
"Senior, is your disciple ready?"
Xia Bingyu asked the red-clad young woman with a hint of respect after walking up the mountain.
"Sigh, I've done my absolute best to persuade him, but this disciple of mine simply refuses to go down the mountain. You'll have to talk to him yourself..."
Before Li Hongshang could finish, she suddenly froze.
She realized that Xia Fei had vanished into thin air!
At that very moment, Xia Fei stepped out of the thatched cottage nearby with his travel pack already shouldered. "Master, I'm ready to descend the mountain!"
Li Hongshang's expression turned dark. "Didn't you just say you didn't want to go?"
"Did I? Master, you must be misremembering."
"Master, I'm already grown up and can take good care of myself. I'll be heading down now, but I'll come visit you whenever I get the chance!"
Xia Fei looked at Li Hongshang with an affectionate gaze!
"Get lost! Scram right now!"
Li Hongshang squeezed the words out from between her teeth!
"Young lady, let's hurry and go!"
Xia Fei marched right up to Xia Bingyu.
"Aren't you going to say anything more to your master?"
Xia Bingyu glanced at Li Hongshang's grim expression.
"No need. My master isn't one for sappy goodbyes. Let's get moving!"
Impatient, Xia Fei grabbed Xia Bingyu's hand and pulled her down the mountain!
Watching Xia Fei's retreating figure fade into the distance, Li Hongshang's expression gradually returned to normal. Her deep, captivating eyes held a profound look as she murmured, "Liner, who knows when we will meet again after today? I hope you can unravel your destiny."
"Don't blame the rest of us either. Everything we did was for your own good."
Further down the mountain, Xia Fei followed Xia Bingyu to a Mercedes-Benz parked at the foot of the slope.
Just as they were about to get in, a car suddenly pulled up beside them.
The doors flew open, and a group of menacing men tumbled out. Each of them wielded a machete, and their leader was bald!
"Who are you people?"
Xia Bingyu grew vigilant as she looked at them.
"Miss Xia, it seems we arrived right on time. My apologies, but someone paid a pretty penny to ensure you never make it back to the Zhang Family!"
The bald man smiled with a sinister air.
"Are you men sent by Xia Guodong?"
Xia Bingyu fixed a piercing glare on the bald man!
"What good is knowing any more than that? No one is going to save you here today!"
Unwilling to waste breath, the bald man gestured to his underlings, signaling them to make their move.
Instantly, the crowd of men closed in on Xia Bingyu with machetes raised.
Xia Bingyu couldn't help but turn to glance at Xia Fei.
No matter what, he was a man; surely he would step up to help her?
"Who... who are you people? What do you want?"
Yet, to Xia Bingyu's utter astonishment, Xia Fei looked terrified, his voice trembling as he spoke.
Xia Bingyu shook her head in disappointment.
Right, how could she have ever pinned her hopes on some bumpkin from the mountains?
"Brat, who the hell are you? Why are you with Xia Bingyu?"
The bald man frowned as he looked at Xia Fei.
"We just met not long ago. I was just catching a ride with her—we're not close at all. Can you let me go?"
Xia Fei looked at the bald man with wide, sincere eyes.
Xia Bingyu was instantly filled with contempt for Xia Fei.
He didn't have an ounce of backbone. Was he even a man?
"Hahaha, kid, letting you go isn't out of the question. Just drop to your knees and kowtow three loud kowtows to me."
The bald man burst out in scornful laughter.
"No way. My master taught me that a man only kneels to heaven, earth, and his parents. No one else is worthy of my knees!"
Xia Fei shook his head with a serious expression.
"In that case, I'll just have to break your limbs and leave you up in these mountains to rot!"
A cruel smile played across the bald man's face.
"Aren't you guys just bullying an honest man!"
Xia Fei immediately looked indignant!
"Heh, we *are* bullying you. What are you going to do about it?"
The bald man puffed on his cigarette with extreme arrogance.
"If you keep bullying me, I'm going to hit you! It really hurts when I hit people!"
Xia Fei clenched his fists and issued a fierce threat.
"Hahaha! With your puny frame, you're going to hit *me*? Besides, even if I stood here and let you take a swing, would you even dare?"
Growing more arrogant by the second, the bald man shoved his face right up to Xia Fei. "Kid, if you've got the guts, go ahead and tr—"
*Slap!*
Before the bald man could finish, Xia Fei swung his hand across his face.
The sheer force sent him flying through the air to smash violently against the car they had just driven up in!
The car body instantly caved in and was completely totaled.
Flexing his wrists, Xia Fei looked down at the half-dead bald man. "This is my first time hearing such a cheap request, but since I'm kind-hearted, I suppose I had to grant it."
"Damn it! This brat dared hit our boss! Kill him!"
The surrounding thugs finally snapped out of their shock. Brandishing their machetes, they charged straight at Xia Fei!
"Looks like you guys want to bully me too. Since that's how it is, I won't hold back!"
Frowning in annoyance, Xia Fei strode forward and swatted them away one by one with a series of slaps, dispatching the entire group in no time!
Xia Bingyu stood frozen in utter disbelief, never expecting Xia Fei's combat skills to be so ferocious.
"Wife, I've taken care of all these people. We can go now."
With everything resolved, Xia Fei returned to Xia Bingyu's side, grabbed her hand, and marched her toward the car.
"What did you just call me?"
Xia Bingyu hadn't fully recovered her senses yet.
"Wife!"
"My master said the two of us are betrothed, which means we're a couple. It's totally reasonable for me to call you wife!"
Xia Fei said as if it were the most natural thing in the world!
"Fine."
Xia Bingyu didn't argue further, though a flash of powerlessness and resentment crossed her eyes.
Getting into the driver's seat, she started the engine and drove away.
On the way, she explained the situation to Xia Fei: "Those men back there were likely sent by my second uncle. He's always wanted to wrest the company away from me. Taking advantage of my father's critical illness and my trip out of town, he must have decided to get rid of me."
Hearing this, Xia Fei's eyes lit up instantly. "Wife, your family actually owns a company? That means you're loaded! This is fantastic! I can finally be a kept man living off a wealthy wife!"
"Ugh..."
Xia Bingyu gave up trying to communicate with Xia Fei, realizing they were simply not on the same wavelength!
Several hours later!
Xia Bingyu brought Xia Fei to Jiang City and drove straight to the civil affairs bureau.
"Wife, what are we doing here?"
Xia Fei scratched his head as he looked at the entrance of the bureau.
"Registering our marriage!"
Dropping those two words, Xia Bingyu grabbed Xia Fei and marched straight inside.
Twenty minutes later, Xia Fei and Xia Bingyu walked out each holding a little red booklet.
Staring at the marriage certificate in his hands, Xia Fei was somewhat dazed. He had actually gotten married just like that?
Wasn't this way too casual?
Finally, unable to hold back anymore, Xia Fei looked earnestly at Xia Bingyu. "Even though we've already registered, you definitely have to make it up to me with a wedding. I'm a man who cares about a sense of ritual!"
The corners of Xia Bingyu's mouth twitched as she watched his serious expression.
Harmless as this man looked, why did she suddenly feel such a strong urge to beat him up?
***
"What a coincidence, I actually *can* cure him!"
Though she looked down on Xia Fei as a mountain bumpkin, Xia Bingyu had no other options. After finishing the marriage registration, she brought him directly to the Xia Family villa!
Situated in a relatively prosperous district, the villa was sprawling and luxuriously decorated inside.
"Wow! Wife, is this our home? This is way too fancy!"
"I just wonder if the bed is big, soft, and sturdy enough to handle the two of us tossing and turning."
As Xia Fei marveled at the luxurious interior, he voiced his concerns.
With dark lines crisscrossing her forehead, Xia Bingyu couldn't help snapping, "Do me a favor and keep your mouth shut! Besides me, my dad and my second uncle are in this house!"
"It's just meeting the in-laws. Don't worry, I'll make sure they love me!"
Xia Fei offered a grinning guarantee.
Casting him aside, Xia Bingyu walked straight into the villa's spacious living room.
Seated on the sofa were a middle-aged man and a young man. Bearing a striking resemblance to each other, they were clearly father and son.
The two were deep in conversation, but their expressions darkened the moment they saw Xia Bingyu return.
"Bingyu, what were you up to today? Why are you only just getting back?"
The middle-aged man asked with hypocritical concern.
"Second Uncle, you must be pretty disappointed to see me come back alive, aren't you?"
Xia Bingyu asked with icy coldness.
"Bingyu, what kind of talk is that?"
"You're my niece, how could I possibly not want you to return!"
Xia Guodong put on a stern face.
Xia Bingyu couldn't be bothered to argue.
Though Xia Guodong was her second uncle in name, he had always wanted her gone or married off so that the entire Xia Group would fall into his hands.
Without even needing to think, Xia Bingyu knew that the bald man and his thugs today must have been dispatched by Xia Guodong to deal with her!
"Haha, Second Uncle, right? Nice to meet you, please take good care of me!"
At that moment, Xia Fei walked up to Xia Guodong with a broad grin and enthusiastically extended a hand.
"You bumpkin, where did you crawl out from? Don't dirty our floors, get the hell out!"
The young man was Xia Guodong's son, Xia Fei. Seeing Xia Fei's rustic attire, he immediately barked out a scolding.
"What did you just call me?"
Hearing the address, Xia Fei's smile faded as displeasure flickered across his face.
"I called you a bumpkin, what? Got a problem with it?"
Xia Fei strode forward, completely looking down on Xia Fei!
*Slap!*
With a crisp snap, Xia Fei delivered a heavy backhand that sent Xia Fei crashing to the floor.
"For someone from a big city, you sure lack manners. You're simply asking for a beating!"
Nearby, Xia Guodong froze in sheer shock.
His own son had merely called the guy a bumpkin, and the fellow had resorted to physical violence right on the spot.
Who the hell was the one lacking manners here?!
"Brat, who the hell do you think you are, daring to hit people in the Xia Family residence!"
Recovering his wits, Xia Guodong demanded with a dark face.
"I am Bingyu's husband!"
Realizing that Xia Guodong and his son were rotten to the core, Xia Fei dropped the friendly act and wrapped an arm possessively around Xia Bingyu's waist.
"What?!"
Both Xia Guodong and Xia Fei were stunned dumb.
Xia Bingyu had gone out on a trip and inexplicably returned with a husband?
"Bingyu, what is the meaning of this?"
Xia Guodong interrogated her with an ugly expression.
Held tightly by Xia Fei, Xia Bingyu felt a slight awkwardness, but she didn't push him away. With a blank expression, she answered, "Didn't Grandfather say while he was alive that he arranged a betrothal for me to fulfill when I turned twenty-four? Xia Fei is the one bound by that engagement, and we have already registered our marriage!"
Xia Guodong's eyes widened in furious disbelief. "Xia Bingyu, have you lost your mind?! To think you'd secretly marry some country bumpkin behind our backs!"
"Don't you know the young master of the Zhang Family has set his sights on you? Where do you expect the Zhang Family to put their face after this?!"
"I'm ordering you to go divorce him right now!"
Xia Bingyu let out a cold laugh. "This was arranged by Grandfather while he was still alive, and it's my personal affair. Why should I listen to you?"
Staring wide-eyed, Xia Guodong was too enraged to speak.
Clutching his throbbing cheek, Xia Fei scrambled to his feet and redirected his venom at Xia Fei. "You country bumpkin, how dare you hit me! Just wait, I'll make sure you pay for this!"
"Is that so?"
Casting a sidelong glance at Xia Fei, Xia Fei moved with lightning speed, appearing in front of the young man in a flash and unleashing another slap!
*Slap!*
This time, Xia Fei was sent spinning through the air, completing several rotations before slamming heavily onto the ground.
"What is wrong with you? Repeating that same slur over and over—did you eat dog shit or something? You're really asking for it!"
Dusting off his palms, Xia Fei curled his lip in disdain.
"Brat, you're courting death!"
Unable to stomach the blatant insolence any longer, Xia Guodong waved his hand and summoned the villa's security guards. "Break this punk's limbs and throw him out!"
"Damn it! Little Master here only gave your son a couple of slaps, and you want to break all four of my limbs? You old bastard are vicious as hell!"
Xia Fei cursed indignantly.
"Never mind breaking his limbs—kill him! Just kill him right now!"
Xia Guodong was shaking with rage, his finger trembling uncontrollably!
At his command, the security guards closed in around Xia Fei.
"Let's see who dares! Get the hell out of here, all of you!"
Xia Bingyu barked in a freezing tone!
Hesitation washed over the guards; caught in the middle, they looked toward Xia Guodong for cues.
"Don't forget, before Grandfather passed away, he entrusted the Xia Family to my father, and before my father fell critically ill, he handed the reins to me. I call the shots in the Xia Family now!"
"Get out!"
Xia Bingyu commanded once more, radiating an overwhelming aura of dominance!
Frightened into inaction, the security guards slowly backed out of the living room.
Xia Guodong's face turned terrifyingly dark. As the second-in-command of the Xia Family, his authority had just been thoroughly trampled by a junior!
It was utterly intolerable!
"Wife! You are so fiercely domineering! As expected of my woman—I love it!"
Seeing Xia Bingyu stand up for him so fiercely, Xia Fei planted a kiss straight onto her pretty cheek!
Because he put a bit too much force into it, a clear red mark was left behind!
Completely caught off guard by the bold gesture, Xia Bingyu froze in place.
Especially on her cheek, where a burning sensation flared up as if a fire were raging!
Right at that moment, Xia Fei seemed to sense something, furrowing his brow slightly. "Wife, why do I sense an aura of death? Is someone in your household about to kick the bucket?"
"Miss! Second Master! This is terrible!"
Just as Xia Fei's words fell, a frantic nanny rushed down from the second floor, her face pale with panic. "The Master's condition has suddenly worsened, and it looks like he's fading fast!"
"Dad!"
Hearing the news, Xia Bingyu's expression altered drastically as she sprinted toward the stairs.
Exchanging a glance, Xia Guodong and Xia Fei saw thick gleams of joy flash through each other's eyes. Leaving Xia Fei behind, they raced up to the second floor as well.
By then, Xia Fei had figured it out—the aura of death he had sensed belonged to his newly acquired father-in-law!
"So it's my father-in-law who's gravely ill. Well, since I'm here today, and for the sake of my pretty wife, I'll pull him back from the brink even if he's already stopped breathing!"
***
"You need to be gentle!"
Following Xia Bingyu into a second-floor bedroom, Xia Fei saw a middle-aged man lying motionlessly on the bed.
Various life-sign monitoring instruments were hooked up to his frail body.
Clearly having been bedridden for a long time, the man was deathly pale and completely skin-and-bones.
At the moment, a team of the Xia Family's private doctors were scurrying around, frantically trying to resuscitate him.
However, after a few moments, all of them ground to a halt.
An elderly man in a white lab coat approached Xia Bingyu with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Miss Xia, we've done all we could. You should start preparing for Mr. Xia's final arrangements."
"Dad!"
Hearing the verdict, hot tears welled up in Xia Bingyu's eyes, and she collapsed over the hospital bed, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Bingyu, please accept our condolences. We're heartbroken over Big Brother's passing too, but the priority right now is to handle his funeral."
Xia Guodong offered words of comfort, feigning a grieving posture while the corners of his mouth twitched in a smile he couldn't quite conceal.
Xia Fei even pulled out his phone. "I've already scoped out a cemetery plot. I'll contact them right now so we can cremate Big uncle tonight and get him buried!"
*Slap!*
Before Xia Fei could complete the call, Xia Fei delivered another harsh slap. "That's your own eldest uncle! He isn't even cold yet, and you're already plotting his cremation? Are you even human?!"
"You mountain bumpkin, I'm going to kill you!"
With bloodshot eyes, Xia Fei lunged blindly straight at Xia Fei!