Chen Biao showed no fear. With his burly frame, he stepped forward, forming a stark contrast to Yun Yao’s slender figure.
"Don't worry, little sister. We brothers will take good care of you!"
Just as the others jeered and Chen Biao prepared to shove Yun Yao to the ground, a terrifying scene unfolded. Chen Biao’s body suddenly suspended in mid-air, as if time had frozen, unable to move a muscle. His drunken state was instantly replaced by panic. Chen Biao stared in horror at the ethereal, otherworldly woman before him.
A ghost! It was a ghost!
A realization dawned on him; he wanted to beg for mercy, but his lips only trembled, unable to produce a sound.
The four men behind him looked up to see Chen Biao hovering in the air, while an otherworldly, misty aura radiated from Yun Yao. At this moment, they all believed they had encountered a specter. Panic-stricken, they scrambled to flee, only to trip over the scattered clothing on the ground or become paralyzed by fear.
A foul odor filled the narrow space. Yun Yao frowned slightly, cast a cold glance at Chen Biao, and parted her lips.
"Still want to sleep with me?"
Snot and tears streaming down his face, Chen Biao shook his head frantically.
He wouldn't dare! He would never dare again!
Yun Yao’s icy gaze swept over the other four men on the ground.
"And you?"
As Yun Yao looked their way, two of them fainted on the spot. The remaining two couldn't even manage a coherent sentence.
"W-we wouldn't dare!"
How could Yun Yao let them off so easily? With a light flick of her hand, a series of "cracks" echoed as the limbs of all four men snapped simultaneously.
"Ah!"
A pig-like scream pierced through the alley.
"So noisy."
Yun Yao lifted her eyes, her cold, ruthless gaze seemingly etched with a curse. The next second, the men couldn't even make a sound anymore. They watched Yun Yao’s retreating figure in terror, feeling their memories growing hazy and their eyelids growing heavy. Once they fell asleep, they would never remember what had happened today.
Yun Yao walked out of the alley, having lost all interest in seeing Su Yuchen. She took out her phone and sent a message.
[Yun Yao: Another day spent missing my husband.]
Su Yuchen, who was working in his study, caught a glimpse of the message from the corner of his eye and felt an urge to smash his phone.
"Chen Biao!"
Outside the door, Chen Biao was dozing off. Jolted by the sound, he pushed the door open. "What is it, Young Master?"
Su Yuchen was enveloped in an aura of chilling murderous intent. "The matter I asked you to investigate—how is it going?"
Chen Biao answered honestly, "Currently, it seems the Young Mistress has no connection to the old family estate. Young Master, the Young Mistress was, after all, a puppet chosen by you personally. We conducted a thorough background check; there is nothing amiss. The only... the only thing that has spun out of control is that the Mistress has actually recovered."
At the mention of this, Su Yuchen grew particularly agitated. "Didn't you say she would never recover?"
Chen Biao lowered his voice. "I did! I brought in the most formidable ghost doctors from abroad, and they truly said the Young Mistress would never wake up. Young Master, those people at the old estate are terrified of your recovery and are trying every trick in the book to plant spies around you. If you ask me, even though the Mistress is hard to manage now, at least we’ve investigated her thoroughly and she has no ties to those people at the old estate. Besides, the Young Mistress is beautiful, and her personality is... quite generous! It’s not bad to have someone intimate by your side."
Chen Biao’s voice grew lower and lower, until finally, he didn't even dare to look at Su Yuchen’s expression.
"Get out!"
Just as Chen Biao was closing the door, he poked his head back in. "Oh, and Young Master, the Mistress has already reported to the archaeology department at Jingnan University. This shows she is still quite manageable."
"Get out!"
"Yes, sir!"
Once silence returned to the room, Su Yuchen sighed. He prided himself on being a strategist who controlled the big picture, yet in the end, he had been forced into marriage by Yun Yao. Regardless of whether she was friend or foe, the inhuman methods she had displayed were enough to make him wary.
"Chen Biao!"
Chen Biao, who had just closed his eyes at the door, wished he could plug his ears. "Young Master, what are your orders?"
"Find me a few masters well-versed in the arts of spirits and ghosts!"
Chen Biao: "..." *Has the Young Master lost his mind? Resorting to such tactics?*
Seeing Chen Biao still dazed, Su Yuchen shot him a look. "What are you staring at? Hurry up and go!"
Chen Biao felt a headache coming on, but he had no choice but to comply.
The next day, Chen Biao brought the two masters he had found to a cafe early in the morning.
"Young Master, as you ordered, I have brought them."
Su Yuchen was wearing a mask; his sharp gaze landed on the two men, a flicker of suppressed anger in his brows. Chen Biao, acting the part of an eager assistant, introduced them to Su Yuchen incessantly.
"Young Master, this is the renowned Master Shenbao from the Imperial Capital. He has countless seekers." Chen Biao pointed to the man in monk's robes, his tone filled with reverence. "And this other one is well-versed in the arts of the Eight Trigrams and possesses thousands of disciples. He is truly a master of his generation." Chen Biao pointed to the middle-aged man with the handlebar mustache, his tone firm.
In the past, Su Yuchen would never have believed in such things, but now, he had no choice!
Su Yuchen’s expression hardened, and he leaned forward slightly. "I ask you: are you capable of manipulating a person's behavior?" His gaze was deep as he scrutinized them.
The monk stepped forward, bowed first, and then said slowly, "Benefactor, all things in the world have their own path. To control a person's heart, for this old monk, is merely a matter of a single thought."
Before the monk could finish, the man with the handlebar mustache rushed forward, flattering Su Yuchen with a smile. "Sir, I am also adept at the art of controlling hearts. It is much like the ancient technique of acupoint pressing; it has its own methods."
Witnessing their confident demeanor, Su Yuchen felt a stir in his heart. Yun Yao might be possessed by a ghost, or perhaps she was someone deeply versed in these very arts.
"Gentlemen, to be honest, I have a friend who seems to have been tainted by something unclean. I’ve asked you both here to..."
"We understand! Leave it to us!" the two said in unison.
This was exactly what Su Yuchen had been waiting for. Right in front of them, he dialed Yun Yao’s number.
Yun Yao had just woken up and was in a fantastic mood upon receiving a call from Su Yuchen.
"Husband?"
"What made you think to call me?"
"Did you miss me?"
Su Yuchen suppressed the urge to smash his phone. "Yun Yao, come out and meet me. I’ve sent you the location."
Yun Yao laughed out loud. "Husband, are you... asking me on a date?"
Before Yun Yao could say more, the call was cut off.
"Tsk, has the sun risen in the west?"
"Has Su Yuchen finally come to his senses?"
Though Yun Yao couldn't figure out what Su Yuchen was up to, her body was already moving honestly toward the bathroom.
For her first official date with her husband, she had to look her absolute best!