As the master of the Kunlun Sect, Ye Chen had access to priceless, peerless treasures at any moment, should he ever have need of them.
"Since the Master has agreed, we disciples shall go and see to the wedding arrangements."
Seeing Ye Chen nod, the disciples collectively let out a sigh of relief. After bowing to him once more, they withdrew in orderly fashion.
"Master... these are the keys to Soaring Dragon Villa. These are the car keys; the vehicle is parked right at the entrance of the hotel."
Before leaving, Ma Huayun respectfully presented the keys with both hands.
Soaring Dragon Villa?
Ye Chen paused for a moment. He had been away from Jinling City for five years and had never heard of this place before. However, he didn't pay it much mind. He accepted the keys and said in a calm tone, "You have been thoughtful."
"Then this disciple shall take his leave!"
Ma Huayun bowed once more and departed.
"I won't have to worry about the wedding arrangements now... these next few days, I should just focus on being with Qingyue and Xiao Ningning."
Watching his disciples leave, a warm smile finally touched the corners of Ye Chen's lips. "Xiao Ningning, my daughter... my own daughter!!"
"Oh, they say a daughter is a father's 'little cotton-padded jacket'... Heh, this isn't just a little jacket; she is my entire world!"
Thinking of Xiao Ningning's sweet and adorable demeanor, Ye Chen felt his heart melting.
Back inside the room, he found the mother and daughter still fast asleep. Ye Chen didn't want to disturb them; he simply pulled up a chair and sat quietly by their side.
He looked at Xiao Ningning's tender, jade-like face, her long eyelashes, and her pouty little mouth. Several times, he felt the urge to reach out and touch her, but fearing he might wake her, he pulled his hand back each time, halfway there.
And then there was Xia Qingyue, that peerless woman, once hailed as the greatest goddess of Jinling City. Even now, having suffered so much, she looked a bit thin, yet her every expression remained breathtaking.
At this moment, Xia Qingyue was sleeping soundly. With her fair, exquisite features and graceful silhouette, she looked like a sleeping beauty curled up beside Xiao Ningning. The only flaw was the faint trace of fine lines at the corners of her eyes. Pain and sorrow aged a person prematurely, and Xia Qingyue had lived through five very difficult years.
"It's a good thing Hua Yuntian brought those three Beauty-Preserving Pills..."
"When you wake up, I'll measure you for your wedding dress myself. And Xiao Ningning... you'll both look absolutely stunning."
Ye Chen murmured to himself. He didn't know how much time had passed when Xia Qingyue finally opened her eyes slowly, only to see Ye Chen sitting in the chair by the bed, gazing at her with deep, tender affection.
"Ah?"
Xia Qingyue was slightly startled, appearing somewhat shy. "You... have you been watching me this whole time?"
"Yes." Ye Chen nodded gently.
Hearing this, Xia Qingyue's face flushed even redder. "What... what is there to look at? I was just sleeping..."
"You look beautiful even when you're sleeping." Ye Chen chuckled. "Besides, I could watch you for a lifetime and never grow tired of it."
"You silver-tongued devil~"
Xia Qingyue rose to her feet, blushing, but was immediately pulled into a hug by Ye Chen. "Don't move, I'm measuring you for your wedding dress."
"Okay."
"I know your height... let's start with your waist. Raise your arms..."
"Oh~!"
Xia Qingyue raised her arms horizontally, her face burning, and felt Ye Chen's arm wrap around her waist. The soft measuring tape pressed against her skin, and every time his strong, steady fingers brushed past her, her breathing grew slightly quickened.
Ye Chen worked quickly. After measuring her waist, he moved to her hips, and then...
In an instant, Xia Qingyue’s face turned deep crimson! But the corner of Ye Chen's mouth curled into a knowing smile. "I didn't expect you to be quite so plump here!"
"You, you, you...!"
Hearing this, Xia Qingyue’s face turned as red as a ripe apple. She wished she could be an ostrich and bury her head in the sand; she didn't want to look at this wicked Ye Chen ever again.
Ye Chen didn't dare push his luck. After finishing the measurements, he moved on to the next topic. "I’ll have someone custom-make the dress as soon as possible. Once Xiao Ningning wakes up, we'll head back to the Xia Family."
"Ah?" Xia Qingyue was stunned. "So soon? But what about Xiao Ningning's injuries..."
"Xiao Ningning's injuries are nearly healed!" Ye Chen explained patiently. "The main reason she was unconscious was blood loss; her heart wasn't damaged. When I rescued her, I gave her a Foundation-Building Pill."
"After taking the pill, along with the blood transfusions and Hua Yuntian's meticulous care... plus, I checked her pulse just now, and she’s already seventy or eighty percent recovered!"
The Foundation-Building Pill was a supreme treasure of the Kunlun Sect, priceless and hard to obtain! Hua Yuntian was a world-renowned medical saint, capable of bringing the dead back to life! And Ye Chen's own skills were even more unfathomable. Xiao Ningning’s minor injuries were nothing to worry about.
"Ah?" Xia Qingyue didn't understand any of this and felt lost. "Ye Chen, where have you been these past few years? What is a Foundation-Building Pill... and why do they all call you 'Master'? Those disciples of yours seem more formidable than the last!"
"For the past few years, I’ve been practicing on the peaks of the Kunlun Mountains under my mentor. Three years ago, my mentor passed away, and I became the Kunlun Sect Master."
"As for Hua Yuntian and the others, they are my disciples. Over the years, as I taught, debated, and resolved doubts, I did take on quite a few... It's a long story; I'll introduce you to them properly later."
The Kunlun peaks!? Teaching and resolving doubts!? Taking on disciples!?
Xia Qingyue was bewildered. Why did it sound like Ye Chen was running a pyramid scheme? She had a vague feeling it wasn't very reliable.
Seeing her expression, Ye Chen couldn't help but smile bitterly. "It is indeed hard to fathom. Honestly, even I feel that my life over these five years has been... 'unpredictable' and 'extraordinary'."
"Actually, these past five years, not a moment went by that I didn't think of coming back to find you. But when my mentor passed away, I had to observe three years of mourning on the Kunlun peaks!"
"But thankfully... I’m finally back!"
Saying this, Ye Chen wrapped his arm around her waist again, his voice filled with tenderness. "From now on, I’ll stay with you every day... and it would be even better if we gave Xiao Ningning a few younger brothers and sisters!"
"You..." Xia Qingyue’s face flushed red. She was about to retort, but her mouth was already sealed by Ye Chen. "Mm, mm-hmm~"
***
"Mommy~, Daddy~"
Just as Ye Chen kissed Xia Qingyue, a soft, milky voice reached his ears. "What are you two doing?"
"Ah..."
The two scrambled apart to see Xiao Ningning already awake on the bed, staring at them blankly.
Xia Qingyue's face burned hot, and she shot Ye Chen a shy, indignant glare. Ye Chen, however, looked unbothered and grinned. "Mommy had sand in her eye, so Daddy was blowing it out for her."
"Oh!" Xiao Ningning nodded obediently, not doubting him for a second.
At this, Xia Qingyue asked urgently, "Ningning, how is your wound? Does it still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore, just a little itchy," the little girl said in her tiny voice.
"It's itchy because the wound is healing," Ye Chen explained.
Seeing Xiao Ningning’s rosy complexion and hearing her strong, clear voice, Xia Qingyue stopped worrying. "In that case, we'll head back to the Xia Family in two days... I hope Mom and Dad will accept us."
Being cast out of the family had always been a thorn in Xia Qingyue's side. Now that the father of her child had returned, she felt her parents would surely forgive her.
Ye Chen added with conviction, "They will certainly accept us."
That evening, Ye Chen dissolved a Beauty-Preserving Pill into a glass of water and had Xia Qingyue drink it. She didn't overthink it and drank it down, immediately feeling an indescribable sense of well-being throughout her body.
When she woke up the next morning, she felt light as a feather, as if she had turned back the clock several years. When she washed her face and looked in the mirror, she was stunned.
"This... what is happening!?"
Xia Qingyue touched her face in disbelief. Her skin was fair and her complexion was dewy. "I... I look more beautiful? Ye Chen, what did you do to me last night!?"
"Nothing at all!" Ye Chen smiled gently. "Maybe it's just that people are refreshed by happy events!"
While the effects of the pill were potent, they couldn't alter the fundamental structure of her features, so Ye Chen took no credit, merely claiming she was in better health.
"Really?" Xia Qingyue was skeptical, but unable to explain how he’d done it, she eventually let it go.
Two days passed quickly. Xiao Ningning was already walking on her own, and seeing this, Xia Qingyue finally let out a long breath. "Ye Chen, let’s go back to the Xia Family..."
Having been away for so long, she missed her parents and her younger sister.
"Alright."
Ye Chen nodded, picked up his daughter, and walked out of the hotel to find the car Ma Huayun had left behind.
"Ye Chen, what are you doing? If we’re any slower... we’ll miss the bus," Xia Qingyue urged.
"I’m looking for the car..."
Ye Chen took out the keys and pressed the button. Suddenly, a black Pagani Huayra ten meters away flashed its lights and emitted a "biu-biu" sound, and the two sleek doors slowly swung upward.
"A Pagani Huayra... the 'Yazi' edition!?"
Xia Qingyue froze. "This car costs over eighty million... where did you get that kind of money?"
"Eighty million, is it?" Ye Chen laughed sheepishly. "I don't really know. This is my disciple's car!"
"Ah!" Xia Qingyue had a sudden realization. She assumed Ye Chen must have borrowed a luxury car from a disciple to save face. A car worth eighty million! It couldn't possibly have been a gift from a disciple—that would be far too extravagant!
As for Ye Chen, he didn't give it a second thought. Money was just a string of numbers to him and Ma Huayun.
Once inside, Ye Chen felt for the steering wheel to familiarize himself with the controls. He hadn't driven in five years, and the process made Xia Qingyue’s heart jump into her throat.
"Ye Chen... be careful! Oh! There’s a car in front... don't scrape it, we can't afford to pay for the damage if we hit it!!"
Throughout the trip, Xia Qingyue kept warning him, and even little Ningning chimed in, "Daddy, why don't you let Mommy drive..."
"Daddy will get the hang of it in a second, just a second..." Ye Chen replied with a helpless, bitter smile.
Five minutes later, Ye Chen finally grasped the car's performance, slammed down on the accelerator, and the vehicle turned into a black bolt of lightning, racing toward the Xia estate.
***
At that moment, the Xia Family was hosting a banquet. An engagement banquet.
The host was the second daughter of the Xia Family, Xia Lingwei. The man she was engaged to was Jiang Feichi, the third young master of the Jinling Jiang Family.
When Ye Chen and Xia Qingyue arrived at the Xia home, the banquet hadn't started, but a crowd had already gathered at the entrance. Seeing the Pagani Huayra tearing toward them, they were filled with envy.
"Weiwei, look at that car... a Pagani Huayra Yazi! Is that the young master's new ride?"
"Weiwei, you’re truly blessed to be engaged to him... the Jiang Family is a top-tier family in Jinling, and that car is a limited edition—only five in the world! It costs eighty million, and with taxes and fees, it’s over a hundred million!"
"A luxury car worth over a hundred million? That’s insane!"
"If Xia Qingyue saw this, she’d be green with regret, wouldn't she? Hahaha!"
The crowd whispered and giggled. Five years ago, Jiang Feichi had pursued Xia Qingyue. He had been obsessed to the point of madness, even bringing generous gifts to propose. The Elder of the Jiang Family had even agreed to the union... until Xia Qingyue unexpectedly became pregnant out of wedlock with a "bastard child" of unknown origin. The affair caused the marriage between the Xia and Jiang families to collapse, and Elder Xia had been so angry he hadn't eaten for three days, nearly ending up in the hospital.
"Don't speak to me of that bitch!"
Hearing the name Xia Qingyue, Xia Lingwei’s face turned cold. "She has been cast out of the Xia Family... now, I am the apple of the family's eye! That woman is nothing but a dirty stone in a sewer; how could she ever compare to me?"
Once, suitors had lined up at the Xia door, but they were all here for Xia Qingyue; Xia Lingwei had been nothing but a background character. After waiting so long, she had finally turned the tables and could now trample Xia Qingyue beneath her feet.
"Xia Qingyue must be old and ugly by now... compared to her, I would only be tarnishing my own beauty!"
"Alright, enough talking. I’m going to welcome my husband~!"
With that, Xia Lingwei swung her hips and walked toward the black Pagani Huayra. She held back her excitement—this was an eight-million-dollar machine... no, a hundred-million-dollar luxury supercar!
"As expected of the Jiang Family, truly a top-tier family in Jinling..."
"Compared to them, the Xia Family is so shabby!"
Xia Lingwei kept muttering to herself: "Thank goodness I was lucky enough to marry into the Jiang Family... As for you, Xia Qingyue, you’ll never sit in a car like this in your life!"
At that moment, Ye Chen had parked the car steadily, and the two doors rose slowly.
***
Xia Lingwei walked to the car with high expectations, the word "Husband" almost on her lips, only to see Xia Qingyue step out of the car, carrying Xiao Ningning. On the other side, a young, handsome man stepped out, his features sharp and piercing... the only flaw being his very ordinary attire.
"Why is it you!?"
Seeing Xia Qingyue, Xia Lingwei frowned. "Xia Qingyue, you’ve already been kicked out of the family. What nerve do you have to come back here!?"
After cursing her sister, she glared fiercely at Xiao Ningning. "And you even brought this little bastard!! You gave birth to this child with some wild man, and your cheapness has shamed the Xia Family! Your appearance here today is a stain on my engagement banquet!!"
"Mommy..."
Seeing the aggressive Xia Lingwei, Xiao Ningning huddled into her mother's neck, looking pitiful. "Mommy, she’s so scary... let’s go, Ningning doesn't like it here."
"Little bastard."
Xia Lingwei stared at the child, her tone biting. "Look at that pathetic expression, just like your mother, acting the victim! Who knows how many men you'll trick into your bed when you grow up... a bastard is a bastard, cheap to the bone!"
"Shut your mouth!!"
Xia Qingyue was shaking with rage and gave Xia Lingwei a firm push. Xia Lingwei had been prepared; she dodged nimbly and swung a backhand slap. "You bitch, you dare lay a hand on me? See if I don't tear that mouth of yours apart!"
Xia Qingyue was holding Xiao Ningning and couldn't move as fast as Xia Lingwei. As the slap was about to land on her face, a "smack" echoed.
Ye Chen had caught Xia Lingwei’s wrist in a vice-like grip.
With eyes cold as ice, Ye Chen stared at her and said coldly, "If you dare to curse my wife and daughter even one more time, believe me—I will rip that tongue right out of your head!"
Seeing those eyes, Xia Lingwei froze. They were icy, savage, and carried a sense of absolute dominance... she had never seen such a gaze in her life. Her legs went weak with fear.
*Vroom, vroom, vroom!*
Just then, a long motorcade sped toward the entrance of the Xia residence. At the front was a Lamborghini, followed by various sports cars—Maseratis, Porsches... each worth millions.
"That red Lambo... that’s Young Master Jiang’s car!"
"Young Master Jiang is here!"
Hearing this, Xia Lingwei regained her composure. "My husband is here! If you know what's good for you, let me go! Otherwise, my husband will have you dead on the street in minutes!"
"Oh?" Ye Chen arched a brow. Was there really anyone in Jinling City who could have him "dead on the street"!?
Just as he was about to speak, Xia Qingyue grabbed his arm, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him pleadingly. "Ye Chen... don't cause trouble. I came back to ask for my parents' forgiveness..."
Looking at her alluring eyes, now clouded with tears, Ye Chen's heart softened. "Fine, I’ll do as you say."
"Hmph!" Xia Lingwei scoffed. "Cowardice is just cowardice. You’re clearly too afraid to provoke the Jiang Family, yet you try to make it sound romantic! Xia Qingyue, you and your wild man are quite the actors!"
With that, she sashayed toward the red Lamborghini. Jiang Feichi had already stepped out of the car, his gaze burning as he looked at Xia Qingyue. When he had parked, he had immediately noticed the Pagani Huayra Yazi parked at the entrance!
It was a luxury car worth over a hundred million! Even the Jiang Family didn't have the qualifications to buy such a car! Of course, even if they did... they wouldn't. The Jiang family had assets in the billions, but doing business and spending money were two different things. They might put a hundred million into business, but to spend it on a car? That would be insane!
After eyeing the car with envy for a few seconds, Jiang Feichi’s gaze fell on Xia Lingwei and Xia Qingyue.
It had been so long, yet Xia Qingyue was even more beautiful than before...