However, she was truly out of options. Gritting her teeth in silence for a moment, she finally said with vexation:
"My grandfather said to invite you over for dinner tomorrow. First, to celebrate his recovery, and second..."
Jiang Muwan paused, trailing off.
Ye Tianming raised an eyebrow. "And second what?"
"Second, to introduce you to some of my friends!" Jiang Muwan snapped.
"I'll think about it."
"You—"
Jiang Muwan felt dizzy with rage. Why was it that whenever she spoke to this fellow, she completely lost control of her temper?
She took a deep breath, silently telling herself to stay calm, and gritted out into the phone:
"My grandfather inviting you to dinner is an honor, and you have to think about it?"
On the other end, Ye Tianming chuckled. "You've got it wrong. Me coming to dinner is an honor for the Jiang Family! Ordinary people couldn't hire me if they tried, and I wouldn't necessarily give even the richest man in Longhai City this kind of face."
Jiang Muwan's face darkened. "Ye Tianming, besides bragging and being arrogant, what else can you do? You are utterly incorrigible and beyond help!"
"I'm not bragging..."
Before he could finish, Jiang Muwan hung up in a fury, her chest heaving violently.
She and this fellow were like fire and water—and they were supposed to get married?
Marry my foot! If they actually tied the knot, the world would blow up!
On the other end, listening to the dial tone, Ye Tianming curled his lips in speechlessness.
"It's the truth. Why won't you believe me when I tell you..."
As his voice trailed off, the phone rang again. Jiang Muwan's cold voice came through:
"Don't forget tomorrow noon! If you dare not show up, don't ever expect me to speak to you again. Besides, you better figure out how to earn that money you bet today. I want to see how you're going to back up your big talk."
Ye Tianming curled his lip. "A mere ten billion? As if nobody could earn that. Just wait, I'm going out to earn it right now! I'll easily bring in fifty million tonight."
"Fifty million? In your dreams!"
Ye Tianming sneered. "Don't believe me? Here's what we'll do: give me a bank account number, and I'll deposit fifty million into it tonight just to dazzle you."
Jiang Muwan laughed on the other end—a laugh dripping with utter derision. "Earn fifty million in a single night? Even our Six Great Influential Families couldn't do that."
"Care to make a bet?"
Jiang Muwan arched her delicate brows. "What kind of bet?"
Ye Tianming smiled mischievously. "If I earn fifty million tonight, I'll come see you, and you have to let me kiss you once without resisting."
Jiang Muwan frowned, a blush creeping across her face.
The next second, narrowing her beautiful eyes, she gave a cold smile.
"And if you don't earn it?"
"If I don't, you can do whatever you want with me. You can even make me run naked through the street barking like a dog."
Jiang Muwan let out a sudden snort of laughter, then quickly regained her serious composure.
"You said it yourself. What if you go back on your word?"
"There is no such phrase as 'go back on my word' in my dictionary. However, tonight you'll likely end up eating your words—and getting a big, hard kiss from me."
Jiang Muwan sneered. "You'll never kiss me in this lifetime! Just wait to run naked! I'll send you the card number, and I'll be watching to see how you dazzle me!"
Jiang Muwan hung up abruptly. Less than a minute later, Ye Tianming's phone chimed with a text message containing the bank account number she had sent.
A wicked smile appeared on his face. *Jiang Muwan, oh Jiang Muwan, just watch how I kiss the life out of you tonight, let's see you stay so aloof and give me the cold shoulder!*
Glancing back at the pitch-dark little courtyard, Ye Tianming slipped out on tiptoe.
Reaching the intersection, he rubbed his hands together and wondered how to make money.
Actually, he wasn't short on cash at all; the balance in his account could easily buy dozens of small islands for a small-to-medium nation.
He could simply have someone wire the money to Jiang Muwan, but that would be far too boring.
Besides, he didn't seem to have much to do back in Longhai, so he might as well find some amusement.
With that thought, Ye Tianming came up with an idea. Flicking away his cigarette ash, he stood by the roadside and waved down a taxi...
Half an hour later, Ye Tianming arrived at Longhai City's most bustling night market.
The night market was brilliantly lit and packed with a sea of people. Not only were there all kinds of shops, but the roadside was also lined with an endless stretch of street stalls.
Ye Tianming walked over, scanning the signs of the vendors. Quite a few were selling antiques, fortune-telling, and feng shui services.
An idea popped into his head. He found a vacant corner and picked up a spare sign.
On it, he wrote:
"Guaranteed to solve troubles—any trouble! If you can think it, I can do it!"
Throwing the sign down in front of him, Ye Tianming squatted on the ground with a cigarette dangling from his lips, looking completely leisurely.
As soon as the sign went up, many people nearby immediately looked over, their expressions changing slightly.
Solving any trouble?
What an utterly brazen boast!
Seeing Ye Tianming's posture, some of the stall owners wore unkind, mocking smiles.
They began whispering among themselves and pointing at him.
Ye Tianming's skin was as thick as a city wall; he didn't give these people a second thought. Seeing passersby, he raised his voice and shouted:
"Step right up and take a look! Any trouble solved! Guaranteed resolution! No fix, no fee!"
Many people walked by, but almost none stopped.
Just then, a black Range Rover slowly drove up from across the street, its window rolling down.
The man driving had a fierce gaze and an imposing aura—a tough guy at a single glance.
In the back sat a woman of exquisite and peerless beauty.
Her raven hair was coiled up and pinned with a silver hairpin. She wore a dark cyan cheongsam, her classical features as beautiful as a painting.
With the window open, the woman surveyed the surrounding street stalls, biting her red lips as if anxious, seemingly searching for something.
Many people in the night market caught sight of the woman, and at that moment, their gazes froze and they were rooted to the spot!
She was simply too beautiful!
So breathtakingly gorgeous she looked like a fairy descended to the mortal realm.
The male driver glanced in the rearview mirror and spoke to the woman in the back with utmost reverence:
"Miss, that matter is of vital importance. We probably won't find the person we want in a place like this. Shall we try somewhere else?"
The woman didn't speak. Her delicate brows were slightly furrowed as her lovely eyes scanned the group of vendors.
Her gaze fell upon Ye Tianming in the corner. Just as she was about to look away, she caught the slogan on the sign in front of him.
Her eyebrows twitched, and the corners of her red lips curved upward slightly.
"Wait, let's go ask that person."
The woman's voice was crisp and sweet, and at that moment, her slender, jade-like finger pointed at Ye Tianming.
Right at that moment, Ye Tianming also looked at the woman, locking eyes with her.
Seeing her peerless beauty and those autumn-water clear eyes, he involuntarily paused for a fraction of a second.
But it lasted only a second before the corners of his mouth curled into a grin.
Business has arrived!
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Shàngguān Qīngyuè
The imposing black Range Rover drove toward Ye Tianming.
The car stopped right in front of his stall, drawing the gaze of the crowd.
The door opened, revealing a snow-white, smooth leg in a high heel.
Ye Tianming let his gaze wander. The leg was encased in a thin layer of skin-toned silk stockings, making it look utterly flawless.
It was absolute perfection!
Then, a flawless beauty emerged.
The woman had raven hair, phoenix eyes, and a faint air of aristocratic, classical grace about her.
Ye Tianming's eyelids twitched. The woman's appearance was a match for Jiang Muwan's.
However, for a woman dressed so delicately to step out of a black Range Rover—a symbol of dominance and ruggedness—provided quite a contrast.
Sitting on his small stool, Ye Tianming puffed on his cigarette, crossed his legs, and narrowed his eyes.
His gaze roamed over the woman unblamelessly and without a shred of concealment.
The neighboring stall owners swallowed hard as they watched the woman, their eyes burning with heat.
Then, seeing Ye Tianming's roguish demeanor, they couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy and envy.
The woman simply looked at Ye Tianming calmly. Naturally, she noticed his aggressive gaze and furrowed her brow slightly.
The driver, who was also her bodyguard, stood beside her. Seeing the look in Ye Tianming's eyes, his expression turned instantly cold as he barked:
"Hey kid, watch your eyes! Look around like that again and I'll dig them out!"
Ye Tianming's eyes narrowed into the blade of a knife, a flash of cold light passing through the depths of his pupils. "Are you talking to me?"
The bodyguard rolled his neck and gave a ferocious grin. "Got a problem?"
Ye Tianming chuckled, suddenly standing up. He stretched lazily, pinched the cigarette butt between his fingertips, and took a deep drag.
A thick plume of smoke billowed out, obscuring his face.
The bodyguard frowned, looking at Ye Tianming through the smoke, and suddenly felt a chill run through his body!
He saw those gloomy, dark eyes behind the smoke, looking down at him like a giant dragon gazing at an ant!
In an instant, his body froze in place!
An incomparable terror welled up in his heart!
Before he could react, Ye Tianming lashed out with a kick as fast as lightning straight into his abdomen!
Bang!
The bodyguard's body doubled over like a boiled prawn and he instantly flew backward, crashing hard onto the ground.
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he clutched his stomach and wailed in agony, feeling as though his internal organs were shattering.
Flicking away his cigarette butt, Ye Tianming said coolly, "What are you barking for? If you want to act like a dog, you need to know your place. Your master hasn't even spoken yet, and you come strutting up to act tough in front of me. If I don't hit you, who do I hit?"
In an instant, everyone nearby watching the commotion froze, their faces filled with terror.
Just how much strength did this bastard have?
That bodyguard stood one meter eighty-five and weighed at least two hundred pounds, yet Ye Tianming had casually kicked him flying with a single blow?
Beside them, the woman in the cheongsam wore a look of shock and paleness on her beautiful face.
Her bodyguard had been meticulously selected from Southeast Asia, with at least a dozen human lives on his hands—handling twenty opponents at once was child's play for him!
Yet just now... sent flying by a single kick?
She looked at Ye Tianming, a hint of wariness in her eyes. Suddenly, Ye Tianming looked back at her and grinned.
"Beauty, something you need?"
Shàngguān Qīngyuè shivered slightly. Faced with any man in the past, she had always been able to remain completely unfazed.
Yet at this very moment, a trace of nervousness gripped her for a split second.
"I..."
"Don't be nervous! I generally only resort to violence with impolite people. For a pretty and classy woman like you, I wouldn't even bear to touch a single hair."
A blush flashed across Shàngguān Qīngyuè's face. She bit her lip and said in a cool voice:
"I saw on your sign that you can resolve anything, so I came to ask you."
Ye Tianming smiled warmly. "Go ahead, what is it? Is it treating an illness, reading feng shui, or murder and arson?"
Shàngguān Qīngyuè frowned, her eyes filled with doubt. "You can do all of that?"
"There are plenty of things I can do."
Glancing down at the voluptuous, snow-white expanse on her chest, Ye Tianming smiled mischievously.
"My business is broad. Even if you want me to help recharge your batteries, that's entirely possible."
A look of confusion crossed Shàngguān Qīngyuè's pretty face.
"What do you mean by recharging batteries?"
Ye Tianming leaned close to her ear and murmured a few words in a low voice.
Shàngguān Qīngyuè's cheeks instantly flushed crimson. Gritting her teeth, she gave a cold smile.
"I couldn't tell you were such a scoundrel!"
"So what if I'm a scoundrel? A scoundrel who doesn't want to recharge is no good scoundrel!"
Dropping his mischievous smile, Ye Tianming finally turned serious. "Alright, no more teasing. Tell me, what's this really about?"
Shàngguān Qīngyuè knitted her pretty brows, looked Ye Tianming up and down, and finally said:
"There are some strange things happening at home, and I want to find someone to take a look. Do you understand this sort of thing?"
Ye Tianming looked up at Shàngguān Qīngyuè and assessed her once more.
A strange emotion crept into his eyes, and he said meaningfully:
"I couldn't tell at first glance, but now I know what kind of strange occurrences you're talking about."
Shàngguān Qīngyuè frowned, looking at him with growing skepticism:
"Why do you sound like a charlatan? What did you figure out?"
Clearing his throat, Ye Tianming said seriously, "Lately, you always wake up between three and four in the morning, right? Your heart races, you get short of breath, and your vision goes black with dizziness. What's more, if I'm not mistaken, your body has been acting up too. Not only has your period stopped for the past two months, but you've also caught several illnesses, big and small."
Shàngguān Qīngyuè's expression shifted drastically a thousand times over, and the way she looked at Ye Tianming changed completely!
Every single symptom she had was described by Ye Tianming with absolute precision!
There was no way Ye Tianming could have known about such intensely private matters in advance, nor could he have simply guessed them!
In that instant, she became entirely convinced that Ye Tianming possessed genuine skills!
Grabbing Ye Tianming's hand, Shàngguān Qīngyuè said with utmost agitation:
"Sir, please come with me! I beg you to help my family!"
"Helping out is easy to talk about, but..."
Ye Tianming smacked his lips. Shàngguān Qīngyuè instantly caught on and said:
"Sir, you don't need to worry about the compensation! Our Shàngguān Family is not short on money. As long as you can resolve this, name your price."
Ye Tianming grinned. "Name my price? Can your family afford fifty million?"
Shàngguān Qīngyuè was taken aback and bit her lip.
For her Shàngguān Family, fifty million wasn't an astronomical sum.
However, fifty million was still a hefty amount; parting with it all at once would inevitably sting a little.
Besides, she had originally expected Ye Tianming to ask for two or three million at most.
Now that it was more than ten times her expected budget, she couldn't help hesitating.
Seeing her hesitate, Ye Tianming said indifferently, "I only do business with sincere people. Since you're reluctant to part with the fifty million, then forget it. Beauty, step aside, I still have business to run."
Seeing Ye Tianming issue an eviction notice, Shàngguān Qīngyuè felt rather awkward.
She recalled how many people she had already hired for this matter, spending nearly ten million with zero results.
Finally, Shàngguān Qīngyuè stamped her foot and made a decisive choice. "Fifty million it is! Sir, please get in the car!"
Ye Tianming burst out laughing. "Looks like you've got some sense after all. Just think about it—this fifty million not only solves your family's problem, but I'll also heal your body. Where else are you going to find such a good deal? You should count your blessings after taking advantage of me!"
Shàngguān Qīngyuè's face stiffened, and she felt an itch of annoyance in her teeth.
This fellow! Clearly, he was the one taking advantage of her, yet he acted as if he had suffered a massive loss!
This was fifty million!
Not fifty bucks!
With no other choice at the moment, she had him get into the back seat. The bodyguard who had previously been kicked away also stumbled over.
Still able to drive somehow, he climbed into the driver's seat, glared at Ye Tianming in the rearview mirror, and started the car with a belly full of grievance.
In the back seat, Shàngguān Qīngyuè, sitting next to Ye Tianming, suddenly produced a black blindfold and offered him an apologetic smile.
"Mr. Ye, please understand."
Ye Tianming glanced at the blindfold, said nothing, snatched it, and slapped it over his eyes, a disdainful smile crossing his mind.
Such parlor tricks were like children's play to him.
Over the past three years, he hadn't just studied various divine medical and feng shui arts; he had also mastered solo combat tactics and advanced special skills encompassing virtually every elite military force in the world.
These little tricks were truly uninteresting.
Even with his eyes closed, Ye Tianming could sense every intersection they passed and which roads they took.
About half an hour later, the car slowed down, and Ye Tianming perceived that they had driven into a courtyard.
The car stopped, and Shàngguān Qīngyuè personally removed the blindfold for Ye Tianming, a wisp of delicate fragrance drifting into his nose.
Her noble yet sweet voice sounded:
"Sir, we've arrived."
Ye Tianming opened his eyes and, upon seeing the scene before him, a look of surprise appeared on his face!
Chapter Twenty-Eight: My Legs!
This was a courtyard steeped in ancient charm.
The courtyard's layout was meticulously designed, shaded by flowers, trees, pavilions, and towers, creating an air of secluded tranquility.
At a single glance, Ye Tianming saw through the extraordinary nature of this place and turned his head to look.
Two stone lions stood at the entrance, and the courtyard even housed a dragon-saliva tree worth six or seven million!
His heart skipped a beat. Just as he had thought, this truly was a treasured ground!
Living here for a long time would not only benefit one's health but also prolong one's life. He couldn't help giving Shàngguān Qīngyuè another look.
It seemed this woman's background was far from ordinary either!
At that moment, Shàngguān Qīngyuè was observing Ye Tianming out of the corner of her eye, and her own heart skipped a beat.
Logically speaking, given Ye Tianming's shabby attire, his first reaction upon arriving here should have been nervousness, anxiety, and restraint.
Yet she saw none of those things in Ye Tianming; instead, what she saw was utter calmness and nonchalance.
A strange emotion crept into her gaze.
Her intuition told her that the man before her was far from simple!
Scanning Shàngguān Qīngyuè, Ye Tianming smiled faintly. "Can we talk about business now, beauty?"
Shàngguān Qīngyuè smiled slightly. "Don't be impatient, sir. Grandfather is waiting for you. Please follow me."
With that, Shàngguān Qīngyuè swayed her graceful waist, stepped in her high heels, and walked toward the villa within the courtyard.
Following close behind her, Ye Tianming admired her slender, alluring waist, her voluptuous buttocks, and her long, shapely legs.
He clicked his tongue inwardly—she really was top-tier.
Walking ahead, a clever, mischievous smile flashed in Shàngguān Qīngyuè's eyes.
How could she possibly not guess that Ye Tianming was eyeing her body?
Deliberately swaying her hips a bit more widely, a cold smile crossed her face. *Men, it seems they're all the same.*
Twisting them around her finger would be effortless.
Stopping before the villa's front doors, Shàngguān Qīngyuè turned her head to look at Ye Tianming, a sweet, seductive smile in her eyes as she said:
"Sir, Grandfather is waiting for you inside."
Ye Tianming grinned, casting a glance at Shàngguān Qīngyuè's heaving chest, and smiled playfully.
"Solving your family's problem costs fifty million. Shouldn't you also offer some compensation for fixing you up later?"
Shàngguān Qīngyuè's beautiful eyes shifted as she smiled lightly. "What kind of compensation does sir want?"
With an extremely aggressive gaze, Ye Tianming swept his eyes over a patch of snow-white skin on her chest.
Shàngguān Qīngyuè instantly understood, trembling slightly as a blush flushed her face, leaving a tingling numbness all over her body.
Ye Tianming gave a mischievous smile. "I'll tell you after it's done."
As his words fell, the villa's double doors slowly swung open, the scene inside making Ye Tianming instantly narrow his eyes!