Chapter 7

Would he really not have to worry about a single thing from now on, then? The only thing he needed to do was properly play the groom! Everything else could be handled by his disciples. "This..." Ye Chen frowned slightly, unable to help lightly pressing his forehead. His own wedding was actually causing his disciples so much trouble and effort, wasting manpower and money?! This was not his style of doing things! "Master, you don't need to hesitate..." "If not for your guidance, how could disciple have achieved such sudden enlightenment?!" "That's right, Master... If not for you, disciple would not be where I am today!" "So, please leave your wedding to us to arrange!" "Yes, Master, please give your disciples a chance. Consider it a way for us to show our filial piety!"

Ultimately, Ye Chen had no choice but to agree to their request. Although the Cullinan diamond, the Sancy diamond, and the Youth-Preserving Pill were luxury items worth hundreds of millions... Which of Ye Chen's disciples was not a tycoon with hundreds of billions in assets? As for Ye Chen himself, hundreds of millions were even less worth mentioning! One had to know that besides cultivating, the ten thousand disciples of the Kunlun Sect would also go down the mountain to execute missions, and the rewards for these missions were extremely lucrative! Beyond that, the Kunlun Sect possessed a family fortune spanning thousands of years, having long accumulated an untold amount of priceless heavenly treasures. As the sect master of the Kunlun Sect, if Ye Chen wanted to use those priceless heavenly treasures, he could take them at any time!

"Since Master has agreed, we will go attend to the wedding preparations." Seeing Ye Chen nod, the disciples finally let out a sigh of relief. After bowing to Ye Chen once more, they left in an orderly fashion. "Master... This is the key to Youlong Villa, and these are the car keys. The car is parked right at the entrance of the hotel." Before leaving, Ma Huayun respectfully used both hands to present two sets of keys. Youlong Villa? Ye Chen was slightly stunned. He had been away from Jinling City for five years, and he had never heard of this place before. Still, he didn't pay it much mind. Accepting the keys, he said in a calm tone, "You put thought into this." "This disciple takes his leave!" Ma Huayun bowed deeply once more, and only after showing this respect did he depart.

"I don't need to worry about the wedding affairs anymore... Over these next few days, I will just properly accompany Qingyue and Ningning." Watching his disciples leave, a warm smile finally surfaced at the corner of Ye Chen's mouth. "Ningning, my daughter... My, Ye Chen's, daughter!!" "They always say a daughter is a father's little padded jacket... Heh, is this just a little padded jacket? She... she is my entire world!!" At the very thought of little Ningning's well-behaved and adorable appearance, Ye Chen felt as though his heart was about to melt.

Returning inside the room, he saw that the mother and daughter were still fast asleep. Not wanting to disturb them, Ye Chen simply pulled over a chair and quietly sat down at the side. Looking at little Ningning's mutton-fat-jade-like tender face, her long eyelashes, and her pink, chubby little mouth... several times, Ye Chen couldn't help but want to reach out and touch her. Yet, fearing that he might wake his daughter up, every time his hand reached halfway, he pulled it back.

Then there was Xia Qingyue, this peerlessly elegant woman once hailed as the number one goddess of Jinling City. Even though she had endured much hardship and her figure now appeared somewhat slender... yet every single expression and smile of hers remained just as charming. At this moment, Xia Qingyue was sleeping very peacefully. Her fair, pretty face, delicate facial features, and graceful figure... lying beside little Ningning right now, she looked just like a sleeping beauty. The only slight flaw was that the corners of her eyes held faint traces of wrinkles! Pain and sorrow were naturally prone to making people age, and Xia Qingyue had lived through a very difficult five years!

"Fortunately, Hua Yuntian sent three Youth-Preserving Pills..." "When you wake up, I will personally measure you for a wedding dress. And little Ningning too... both of you will look gorgeous." Ye Chen thought to himself murmuringly. He did not know how much time had passed when Xia Qingyue finally slowly opened her eyes, only to see Ye Chen sitting on the chair by the bedside, gazing at her with deep affection. "Ah?" Xia Qingyue was slightly startled, appearing somewhat shy. "You... have you been watching me the whole time?" "Mn." Ye Chen nodded gently. Hearing this, Xia Qingyue's pretty face flushed even brighter. "There's, there's nothing to look at! I was asleep..." "You're still pretty when you're asleep." Ye Chen chuckled softly. "Besides, I could look at you for a lifetime and never get enough." "Smooth talker~" Blushing, Xia Qingyue hurried to get up, only to be caught in an embrace by Ye Chen the moment she moved. "Don't move, I'm going to measure you for your wedding dress." "Mn." "I already know your height... Then, let's measure your waist first. Lift your arms..." "Oh—!" With a blushing face, Xia Qingyue raised her arms horizontally, and then felt Ye Chen's arm wrap around her waist. The soft soft-tape measure pressed against her waist, and from time to time she could feel Ye Chen's strong, powerful fingers brush past, causing Xia Qingyue's breathing to grow somewhat rapid. Ye Chen's movements were fast. After measuring her waist, it was her hip measurement, and then... In an instant, Xia Qingyue's pretty face turned even redder! Meanwhile, the corners of Ye Chen's mouth curled into a knowing smile. "I didn't expect you to be quite plump right here!" "You, you, you...!" Hearing those words, Xia Qingyue's face turned as red as a ripe apple, and she wished she could turn into an ostrich, bury her head straight into the sand, and never have to look at this mischievous Ye Chen again.

Still, Ye Chen didn't dare to push his luck too far. Once he finished taking her measurements, he smoothly transitioned to the next topic. "I'll have someone custom-make the wedding dress as soon as possible. Once little Ningning wakes up, we're going to make a trip to the Xia Family." "Ah?" Xia Qingyue was taken aback. "So soon? But little Ningning's injuries..." "Little Ningning's injuries are already mostly healed!" Ye Chen explained patiently, "The main reason she fell unconscious was excessive blood loss; her heart meridians were not damaged! Besides, when I saved little Ningning, I also had her take a Meridian-Nourishing Pill!" "After taking the Meridian-Nourishing Pill, receiving so many blood transfusions, and undergoing Hua Yuntian's careful recuperation!" "Moreover, I just felt little Ningning's pulse myself. Judging from her pulse condition, she is already seventy to eighty percent recovered!"

The Meridian-Nourishing Pill was a supreme treasure of the Kunlun Sect, impossible to buy even with a heavy fortune!! Hua Yuntian was a world-renowned medical saint capable of bringing the dying back to life!! And Ye Chen's own abilities were even more unfathomable... Thus, little Ningning's minor injuries were simply nothing to worry about. "Ah?" Xia Qingyue didn't understand these matters and listened in a daze. "Ye Chen—where did you go these past few years? What Meridian-Nourishing Pill... And why do they all call you Master?! Your disciples all look like they're more formidable than the last!!" "For these past few years, I have been cultivating by my late master's side on the peak of Kunlun Mountain... Three years ago, my master passed away, and I became the Kunlun Sect Master." "As for Hua Yuntian and the rest, they are all my disciples. Over these years, as I preached the Dao, imparted industry, and resolved doubts, I indeed took on quite a few disciples... It's a long story, I'll introduce them to you slowly later!"

The peak of Kunlun Mountain?! Preaching the Dao, imparting industry, and resolving doubts?! And he took on quite a few disciples?! Xia Qingyue listened in complete bewilderment. No matter how she heard it, it sounded as if Ye Chen had gotten mixed up in some kind of pyramid scheme?! Vaguely, she felt that it wasn't very reliable!!

Catching the expression on Xia Qingyue's face, Ye Chen couldn't help but let out a wry smile. "It's indeed a bit hard to believe. In fact, even I feel that my life over these past five years has been somewhat... 'unpredictable' and 'extraordinarily thrilling'!" "Truth be told, throughout these five years, not a single moment passed that I didn't want to come back and find you... But after my master passed away, I had to observe three years of mourning on the peak of Kunlun Mountain!!" "Fortunately... I have finally returned!!" Saying this, Ye Chen once again wrapped his arm around Xia Qingyue's slender waist, speaking with deep affection and tenderness, "From now on, I will accompany you every single day... And best of all, give little Ningning a few younger brothers and sisters!" "You..." Xia Qingyue's pretty face flushed, and just as she was about to retort, her lips were already sealed by Ye Chen: "Mmph, mm-mm~"

Just as Ye Chen kissed Xia Qingyue, a soft, milky little voice sounded by his ear, "What are you two doing?" "Ah..." The two of them separated in a flurry, only to see that little Ningning had already opened her eyes on the bed and was staring blankly at them. Xia Qingyue's pretty face burned with heat as she cast a reproachful glare at Ye Chen. Ye Chen, however, looked completely unbothered, merely flashing a grin. "Mom got some sand in her eye, so Dad was helping her blow it out." "Oh!" Hearing this, little Ningning obediently nodded, showing no suspicion at all. At this moment, Xia Qingyue hurriedly asked, "Ningning, how are your wounds? Do they still hurt?" "They don't hurt anymore, it's just a little itchy," little Ningning said in her baby voice. "It's itching because the wound is healing..." Ye Chen explained.

Seeing little Ningning's rosy complexion and hearing how spirited her voice was, Xia Qingyue stopped worrying. "Since that's the case, we'll wait another two days and then return to the Xia Family... I just hope Mom and Dad can accept us." Being cast out of the family had always been a thorn in Xia Qingyue's heart. Now that little Ningning's biological father had returned, Xia Qingyue felt her parents ought to forgive her! At the same time, Ye Chen declared with absolute conviction, "They will definitely accept us."

By evening, Ye Chen dissolved a Youth-Preserving Pill into a cup of water and handed it to Xia Qingyue to drink. Without overthinking it, Xia Qingyue drank it right down... and immediately felt an indescribable, wonderful sense of comfort throughout her body. When she woke up the next morning, she felt as light as a swallow, as if she had grown several years younger overnight... When she washed up and looked in the mirror, Xia Qingyue was completely dumbfounded. "This... What is going on?!" Looking in the mirror, Xia Qingyue touched her face in disbelief. Her skin was fair and her complexion was dewy and tender. "I... Have I gotten prettier? Ye Chen, did you... did you do something to me last night?!" "Not at all!" Ye Chen smiled gently. "Maybe it's just that happy events bring a buoyant spirit!?" Though the efficacy of the Youth-Preserving Pill was extremely potent, it could not alter one's innate facial features. Therefore, Ye Chen didn't try to take credit, simply downplaying it by saying Xia Qingyue's condition had improved.

"Really?" Xia Qingyue remained doubtful, but since she couldn't explain how Ye Chen had managed it, she ultimately let the matter drop. Two days passed in a flash. Little Ningning was already able to get out of bed and walk on her own. Seeing this, Xia Qingyue finally let out a sigh of relief in her heart. "Ye Chen, let's go back to the Xia Family..." Having been away from the Xia Family for so long, Xia Qingyue deeply missed her parents and her younger sister! "Alright." Ye Chen nodded, picked up his daughter, and walked out of the hotel to look for the car Ma Huayun had left behind. "Ye Chen, what are you doing? If you're any slower... we're going to miss the bus..." Xia Qingyue urged. "I'm looking for the car..." Ye Chen took out the car keys and pressed them experimentally. Instantly, a black Pagani Huayra parked ten meters away lit up its headlights, chiming "biu~ biu~" twice, followed by its two striking doors slowly rising upward!

"A Pagani Huayra... Yazi?!" Seeing this car, Xia Qingyue was frozen in place. "This car costs over eighty million... Where, where did you get so much money?" "Over eighty million..." Ye Chen chuckled sheepishly. "I don't really know much about it. This is my disciple's car!" "Ah—!" Xia Qingyue had a sudden realization. She guessed that this must be a luxury car Ye Chen had borrowed from a disciple just to save face! A luxury car worth over eighty million! There was no way Ye Chen's disciple would just give it to him, right?! That would simply be too exaggerated! As for Ye Chen, he didn't give it much thought; money was nothing more than a string of numbers to both him and Ma Huayun.

Getting into the car, Ye Chen first felt around the steering wheel to refamiliarize himself with the controls. After all, he hadn't driven a car in five years... The process scared Xia Qingyue so much her heart nearly leaped out of her throat. "Ye Chen... Be careful, ah! There's a car in front... Don't scratch it, we can't afford to pay for a scratch on this car!!" Along the way, Xia Qingyue kept reminding Ye Chen, and even little Ningning in her arms couldn't help chiming in, "Daddy, maybe Mommy should drive..." "Daddy is about to get the hang of it, about to get the hang of it..." Ye Chen laughed wryly and helplessly. Five minutes later, Ye Chen finally grasped the performance of the car, then slammed hard on the accelerator... In a flash, the car transformed into a speeding black wind, racing toward the direction of the Xia Family estate.

Meanwhile, the Xia Family was holding a banquet. An engagement banquet! The host of the banquet was none other than the second young miss of the Xia Family, Xia Lingwei. And the one engaged to Xia Lingwei was Jiang Feichi, the third young master of the Jinling Jiang Family.

When Ye Chen and Xia Qingyue arrived at the Xia Family, the engagement banquet had not yet begun, but a crowd had already gathered around the entrance. Seeing this speeding Pagani Huayra, envy colored their faces one by one: "Weiwei, look at that car... A Pagani Huayra Yazi. Is this Young Master Jiang's new ride?" "Weiwei really is blessed, being able to get engaged to Young Master Jiang... The Jiang Family is a first-tier family in Jinling City, and this car is even a limited edition with only five in the entire world, priced at eighty million, with the landing cost exceeding one hundred million!" "A luxury car worth over a hundred million? Is that even real?!" "If Xia Qingyue were to see this scene, her intestines would probably turn green with regret, right? Hahaha!" The onlookers covered their mouths and sneered, gossiping—five years ago, the person Jiang Feichi had pursued was Xia Qingyue. At that time, Jiang Feichi had been infatuated with Xia Qingyue to a somewhat frantic degree, even bringing heavy gifts and personally visiting to propose marriage. The elder of the Jiang Family had even agreed to this union... As a result, Xia Qingyue had unexpectedly gotten pregnant out of wedlock, even giving birth to some bastard child whose father nobody knew! In the end, this incident caused the marriage alliance between the Xia Family and the Jiang Family to fall through! Old Master Xia had been so furious he didn't eat for three days, nearly winding up hospitalized!!

"Don't mention that bitch to me!" Hearing Xia Qingyue's name, Xia Lingwei's expression turned icy as she said sternly, "She has already been driven out of the Xia Family... Now, I am the apple of the Xia Family's eye!! That Xia Qingyue is nothing more than a dirty rock in a stinky drainage ditch; what does she have to compare to me!?" Once upon a time, young masters coming to the Xia Family to propose marriage had been endless. Yet those young masters had all come for Xia Qingyue's sake, leaving her, Xia Lingwei, as nothing more than a foil... After waiting for so long, Xia Lingwei had finally turned the tables; she could finally step on Xia Qingyue's feet and lord it over her! "Xia Qingyue must be old and ugly by now... Comparing herself to me would only sully my looks!" "Alright, I won't chat with you all anymore, I'm going to welcome my husband~!" With that, Xia Lingwei swayed her sexy waist and walked step by step toward that black Pagani Huayra. As she walked, Xia Lingwei even fought to suppress the urge to jump for joy! This was eighty million... No, wait, a luxury sports car with a landing cost topping one hundred million!! "As expected of the Jiang Family, truly a first-tier family in Jinling City..." "Compared to them, the Xia Family is far too shabby!" Xia Lingwei kept muttering to herself, "Thank goodness I have good fortune and married into the Jiang Family... As for Xia Qingyue, you'll never get to sit in a luxury car like this in your entire life!"

At that moment, Ye Chen had already parked the car smoothly, and then the two doors slowly rose upward... To see Xia Qingyue holding little Ningning, stepping slowly out of the car. From the other door stepped out a tall, handsome young man with sword-like brows and starry eyes... The only flaw was that his attire was far too ordinary. "Why is it you?!" Upon seeing Xia Qingyue, Xia Lingwei's brows furrowed tightly. "Xia Qingyue, you've already been driven out of the Xia Family, what face do you have to come back?!" After scolding Xia Qingyue, she glared fiercely at little Ningning. "And you even brought this little bastard along!!... After you gave birth to this little bastard with some wild man, our Xia Family's face was completely thrown away by a cheap wretch like you!! Your appearance today is simply a massive blot on my engagement banquet!" "Mommy..." Seeing the aggressive and overbearing Xia Lingwei, little Ningning was frightened into hugging Xia Qingyue's neck tightly, saying pitifully, "Mommy, she's so fierce... Let's go, Ningning doesn't like it here." "Little bastard." Xia Lingwei stared at little Ningning, her tone harsh and cutting, "Look at that pitiful look of yours, just like your mother, you know how to fake distress! When you grow up, who knows how many men you'll trick into bed... A bastard is a bastard, cheap right down to the bone!" "Shut your mouth!!" Trembling with anger, Xia Qingyue gave Xia Lingwei a hard shove. Xia Lingwei had been prepared; she easily dodged and countered with a backhanded slap, lashing right back. "Stinking bitch, you still dare to throw punches? I'll teach you not to open that mouth of yours!" Xia Qingyue was holding little Ningning, and her movements were nowhere near as fast as Xia Lingwei's. Seeing that slap about to land squarely on her face... With a sharp *crack*, Xia Lingwei's wrist was caught in a tight, unyielding grip.

A pair of icy, piercing eyes locked firmly onto Xia Lingwei as Ye Chen spoke in a cold voice, "If you dare insult my wife and daughter by so much as half a word again, see if I don't—tear that tongue right out of your mouth!" Meeting those eyes, Xia Lingwei froze instantly. Icy, ferocious, carrying an air of absolute, overlooking dominance... It was a gaze Xia Lingwei had never witnessed in her entire life. In the next second, fear turned her legs to jelly.

*Rumble rumble rumble!* Right at that moment, a long motorcade came speeding rapidly toward the main gates of the Xia Family estate. Leading the way was a Lamborghini, followed successively by all sorts of sports cars—Maseratis, Porsches... every single one worth three to five million! "That red Lamborghini... That's Young Master Jiang's ride!" "Young Master Jiang is here!" Hearing those cries, Xia Lingwei's expression finally steadied somewhat. "My husband is here! If you know what's good for you, let go of me!"