Xia Qingcheng was already too shocked for words. Her fair hand clamped tightly over her mouth, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly. Her alluring, peach-blossom eyes were filled with shock and an almost unbelievable sense of happiness!
After a long while, she finally came to her senses and asked, "This... is this really for me?"
"It's yours."
Ye Chen nodded and said, "Three days from now is the day we first met... Wait for me for three days, and I will marry you openly and give you and Xiao Ningning the status you deserve."
"Okay!"
Holding back the tears of pure happiness, Xia Qingcheng smiled brightly.
Three days!
As soon as these words were spoken, the complexions of Xia Lingwei and Jiang Feichi instantly turned deathly pale.
Three days from now was also their wedding day!
Seeing this grand display by Ye Chen, they were terrified that their own wedding would be utterly overshadowed by the wedding of Ye Chen and Xia Qingcheng!!
"That bitch must have done this on purpose to humiliate me!" Xia Lingwei said, grinding her teeth.
"Weiwei, don't be afraid... This fellow is just riding the coattails of having a powerful disciple. I refuse to believe Shi Tianqi can keep bailing him out," Jiang Feichi said, his fury burning to the point of smoke coming out of his orifices as he forced down his rage.
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Shi Tianqi's gaze turned icy.
Who were these two dogs, daring to discuss his teacher and martial mother?
Just as he was about to make a move, he heard Ye Chen say indifferently, "Tianqi, stand down. Don't make trouble."
Causing a scene right now would only put Xia Qingcheng in an awkward position.
If not for considering Xia Qingcheng's feelings, Ye Chen would have already dealt with them before Shi Tianqi even arrived...!
"Yes!"
Shi Tianqi hurriedly bowed and said, "This disciple was unthoughtful. I beg Teacher and Martial Mother to forgive me."
Ye Chen gave a slight nod and said nothing more.
Xia Qingcheng, however, was filled with a head full of question marks, "???" How on earth did this Ye Chen manage to take Shi Tianqi as a disciple? Clearly, Ye Chen was a dozen or twenty years younger than Shi Tianqi!
And those other disciples from earlier didn't seem like ordinary people at all either!!
Before Xia Qingcheng could speak, another loud voice suddenly echoed from outside: "The betrothal gifts have arrived... The Jiang Family of Jinling has come to present betrothal gifts to the pearl of the Xia Family!"
As the words fell, a vulgar-looking middle-aged man walked proudly up to the entrance of the Xia Family residence and said, "Why hasn't anyone come out to receive the betrothal gifts yet? Our Jiang Family has prepared six hundred and sixty thousand in cash, along with gold and silver jewelry worth several hundred thousand..."
The members of the Xia Family fell silent, "..."
At this moment, everyone was feeling conflicted, unsure of what expression to put on!
Had it not been for Ye Chen's betrothal gifts, the Jiang Family's six hundred and sixty thousand in cash and hundreds of thousands worth of jewelry would have been extremely enviable!
However, compared to Ye Chen's eight million eight hundred thousand in cash, tens of millions worth of pure gold jewelry, and Emperor Green jade, the Jiang Family's gifts paled completely by comparison!!
Everything else looks clumsy after seeing a true masterpiece...!!
As everyone sighed inwardly, the vulgar middle-aged man looked puzzled and shouted angrily, "What are you all staring blankly for? I'm here representing the Jiang Family to deliver—"
"Second Uncle!!"
Before he could finish, Jiang Feichi hurriedly pulled the vulgar middle-aged man aside with a sheepish expression and laughed awkwardly, "Just have someone carry the betrothal gifts inside. There's no need to read out the gift list..."
"Why not?" the middle-aged man asked, looking completely baffled.
Why not?
What else could it possibly be?!
Because we've been utterly crushed by someone else, that's why!!
Jiang Feichi felt like he wanted to die. After shooting a meaningful glare at his middle-aged uncle, he hurriedly said, "Let's not talk about this anymore... The betrothal gifts have been delivered. Weiwei, three days from now, I will definitely come to take you home! Our new home will be at Soaring Dragon Villa!"
Soaring Dragon Villa was the newest high-end residential development in Jinling City, and without a doubt, the most exclusive luxury villa complex in the entire city.
This project covered hundreds of acres, backed by mountains and surrounded by water. Situated right in the new urban district of Jinling City, stepping outside the villa gates brought you straight into the bustling metropolis!
One could say that whether in terms of location, grade, or landscaping, Soaring Dragon Villa was the premier luxury neighborhood in Jinling City, with even the cheapest villas starting at ten million.
Not to mention those prime king-of-the-hill locations.
"Soaring Dragon Villa..."
Xia Lingwei finally felt she had regained some face and said excitedly, "Thank you, darling! Heh heh... Xia Qingcheng, where is your new home, I wonder?"
"I..."
Xia Qingcheng froze, gently shook her head, and said, "I don't have a new home... I—I rent a place."
"Pfft!"
"Hahaha!"
"Looks like your man is useless after all, he has nothing at all... The car was borrowed, and even the betrothal gifts must have been borrowed!"
Feeling that she had finally won for once, Xia Lingwei laughed until her shoulders shook, "Favors always run out eventually. Three days from now, let's see what you have left to compare with me!"
At this moment, Xia Qingcheng's mother, Zhang Lan, finally couldn't help asking, "...Um, Ye Chen, do—do you really not have a house?"
Xia Qingcheng's parents had remained silent earlier because they wanted to test Ye Chen's capabilities.
If he truly had a car and a house, and decent connections—even if he couldn't match Jiang Feichi, it still would have been a good destination for Xia Qingcheng!
Now, hearing Xia Lingwei harp on the housing issue, Zhang Lan and her husband could finally hold back no longer.
"A house? I seem to have a villa estate... I just haven't been there yet," Ye Chen said, scratching his head lightly.
When Ma Huayun left, he had given Ye Chen two keys—one was the key to the Pagani supercar, and the other was said to be the key to Soaring Dragon Villa... Ye Chen hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.
A villa estate?
There is only one villa estate in our Jinling City...
That is Soaring Dragon Villa!
Soaring Dragon Villa was built in the very center of the Soaring Water district, symbolizing a soaring dragon amidst clear waters. However, ever since it was completed, Soaring Dragon Villa had never been put on the market... Because the value of this estate was simply too astronomical!
Even Shen, the richest man in Jinling, hadn't dared to buy it. Who else would dare spend so much money to purchase a villa estate worth hundreds of millions of yuan?!
Hearing Ye Chen's reply, everyone froze involuntarily.
Then, a terrifying thought popped into their minds... Could the villa estate Ye Chen mentioned possibly be Soaring Dragon Villa itself?!
If that were true... then wouldn't this young man soar straight to the heavens in a single bound?!
*Xia Qingcheng, oh Xia Qingcheng... What kind of man have you actually chosen?*
Once this thought surfaced, everyone's gazes snapped unanimously toward Xia Qingcheng!!!
Xia Qingcheng was equally bewildered, her pretty peach-blossom eyes looking at Ye Chen in confusion.
"Um, you have a villa estate... how large is the property?" Zhang Lan asked, suppressing her racing heart and pretending to remain calm.
"I don't know, I haven't been there yet," Ye Chen answered honestly.
As soon as these words were spoken, the members of the Xia Family all furrowed their brows in unison, convinced that Ye Chen was joking with them!
Who doesn't know how big their own home is?
Nor do they know their own address and the name of the property?
Please, even a three-year-old child knows these things, alright!
"Alright, that's enough!"
At this moment, Elder Xia laid down the law with a final verdict: "Since both weddings are three days from now, we'll let everything come to light in three days..."
Elder Xia was old and shrewd. Seeing how respectful Shi Tianqi was toward Ye Chen, not to mention the Pagani worth over a hundred million and the betrothal gifts worth tens of millions, he decided to take a gamble!!
The Xia Family simply could not afford to offend a person like Ye Chen...
Even if it turned out three days from now that Ye Chen was nothing more than a fraud who lived off a false reputation, it wouldn't matter! They could just chase him and Xia Qingcheng out of the Xia Family together then.
With that, Elder Xia walked up to Shi Tianqi respectfully and said, "The Jade King honoring us with his presence truly brings great glory to the Xia Family. If you don't mind, please stay for a cup of wine..."
Naturally, Shi Tianqi wouldn't give the Xia Family any face after they had treated Ye Chen so rudely. He refused coldly, "No need, I have other matters to attend to."
Having said that, he simply stood quietly behind Ye Chen without moving an inch.
Did he look anything like someone who had urgent business to attend to?
Seeing this, Elder Xia was so angry he felt like vomiting blood. Fortunately, Xia Qingcheng smartly chimed in, "Sister... Bro... Brother-in-law, it's almost time for lunch. Please stay and have a meal with us!"
Hearing these words, Xia Qingcheng's slender body trembled slightly as she looked expectantly at her parents and Elder Xia.
She had once been cast out of the Xia Family. Without Elder Xia's nod today, she wouldn't dare step foot through the Xia Family's main gates again.
Seeing this, Elder Xia's gaze darkened slightly as he said, "We're all family. Come inside and eat."
Ye Chen turned to look at Xia Qingcheng, and seeing that her alluring peach-blossom eyes were filled with anticipation, he finally nodded and said, "Alright!"
Seeing his teacher nod, Shi Tianqi followed closely behind Ye Chen inside.
Although the Xia Family was only a second-rate family, the place they lived in was still a standalone villa with a private courtyard worth seven to eight million!
The courtyard was quite large. Since it was merely an engagement banquet, the only attendees were the Xia Family members and Jiang Feichi's group... so the scale of the banquet wasn't very grand.
The banquet was held outdoors directly in the courtyard. At a massive table, Elder Xia sat in the host's seat, flanked by Xia Junyuan and his wife, Xia Tianqi, Xia Lingwei, and Jiang Feichi!
As for Xia Qingcheng's parents, because they were out of favor with Elder Xia, their seats were arranged rather off to the side.
Watching the main table fill up in no time, Xia Qingcheng didn't try to fight for a seat there, instead consciously choosing a side table and sitting down quietly.
"Mom, I want to meat-meat..."
Once seated, Xiao Ningning stared hungrily at the sweet-and-sour pork ribs and braised pork meatballs on the table.
"So ill-mannered!"
From her position at the main table, Xia Lingwei let out a cold snort. "The banquet hasn't even started yet, and Grandfather hasn't picked up his chopsticks either... Can't you keep this brat quiet for a moment!"
"The child is just a little greedy, besides Xiao Ningning hasn't even eaten anything yet," Xia Qingcheng retorted sharply.
After Xia Qingcheng took her seat, Xia Qingcheng sat right beside her—Ye Chen could tell that the bond between these two sisters ran very deep.
And indeed it did. Ever since Xia Qingcheng had been driven out of the Xia Family, Xia Qingcheng had secretly helped her sister all along. Over the past few years, any pocket money she managed to save was either slipped quietly to her sister or spent on various toys and snacks for Xiao Ningning!
Right at that moment, one of the companions who had accompanied Jiang Feichi suddenly spoke up, "Young Master Jiang, I just checked, and Soaring Dragon Villa still hasn't been sold!"
His name was Yang Rui, and his father happened to work as the sales manager at the Soaring Dragon Villa sales office.
Just moments ago, receiving a subtle hint from Jiang Feichi, Yang Rui had made a phone call to his father. After making inquiries, he learned that Soaring Dragon Villa had not been sold to this day!
"Heh heh heh, you don't even have to guess to know Soaring Dragon Villa definitely hasn't sold!! As for that villa estate in someone's mouth, I bet he's just bragging to puff himself up!!" Jiang Feichi sneered.
Just a moment ago when delivering betrothal gifts, the gift list from Ye Chen's side had thoroughly trampled and crushed his own gift list into the dirt.
Now that he found out Soaring Dragon Villa remained unsold, Jiang Feichi immediately launched a counterattack, asking, "I wonder what Mr. Ye's villa estate is called?"
"It seems... it's also called Soaring Dragon Villa." Ye Chen thought for a moment before answering indifferently.
When Ma Huayun handed the keys to Ye Chen, he had indeed mentioned the four words "Soaring Dragon Villa," but Ye Chen had spent the last two days at the hotel accompanying his wife and daughter and hadn't bothered to go check out the estate!
"Hahahaha!!"
Hearing this, Jiang Feichi laughed even more triumphantly: "Have you no shame at all? My brother Yang Rui's father is the sales manager of Soaring Dragon Villa. He just checked, and Soaring Dragon Villa hasn't been sold to this day!!"
"Ah?"
"So we really overthought it!"
"Come to think of it, it didn't sound right anyway. This young man dresses so ordinarily, his entire outfit put together is probably only worth a few hundred bucks, right?"
"Ain't that the truth? Look at Young Master Jiang, now *that* is what a truly wealthy person looks like. That Patek Philippe on his wrist alone is worth six or seventy thousand!"
"Heh, Soaring Dragon Villa... Talk about a stubborn mouth!!"
The members of the Xia Family began chattering among themselves again. Compared to the mysteriously backgrounded Ye Chen, they felt it was much more practical to cozy up to the Jiang Family.
After all, Ye Chen's origins were unknown... while the Jiang Family was a genuine first-rate family with assets exceeding several billion!
Hearing the surrounding discussion, the smile on Jiang Feichi's face grew even smugger as he pressed Ye Chen further, "You said your villa estate is also called Soaring Dragon Villa?"
Ye Chen's gaze was indifferent as he replied coldly, "Soaring Dragon Villa. I've already said it three times. If there's nothing wrong with your ears, you should have understood by now."
"Hahaha!"
Hearing this, the Xia Family members burst into another wave of loud laughter.
"Xia Qingcheng, oh Xia Qingcheng, look at your man. The truth has been exposed, and he's still stubbornly refusing to admit defeat!" Xia Lingwei said with a face full of smug triumph.
"Tsk, what a fraud living off a false reputation. I suspect even this car and these betrothal gifts were swindled by him."
"I knew it. If he were actually rich, how could he dress so shabbily?"
Listening to these remarks, Xia Junyuan and Zhang Lan's expressions shifted. Deep down, they had harbored expectations for Ye Chen at the very beginning.
They had hoped their daughter could finally settle down and find a good match... but seeing things now, this young man's character was simply unacceptable!!
Even Elder Xia's expression darkened slightly, and he began to regret having invited Ye Chen and Xia Qingcheng inside in the first place!
"Fine, go ahead and keep up the front!"
Jiang Feichi sneered, "Anyway, three days from now, we'll both be getting married. Why don't we see whose wedding is more high-profile... Heh heh heh, Soaring Dragon Villa! The location of our new home happens to have a view of Soaring Dragon Villa!! I just wonder if we'll be able to see your place from there... Hahaha."
"Hahahaha!!"
With those words, uproarious laughter erupted once more.
The looks directed at Ye Chen and Xia Qingcheng by the crowd were filled with even greater mockery!
However, Ye Chen paid no mind to these jeers.
To Ye Chen, their provocations were no different from ants loudly boasting that they could trip an elephant!
Would a giant beast react to the clamoring of mere ants? Naturally not.
"Three days from now, everything will be revealed."
Ye Chen gently stroked the back of Xia Qingcheng's hand and said affectionately, "When that day arrives, I will make you the most dazzling bride in the entire world!"
"Mhm!"
Looking into those confident eyes, Xia Qingcheng nodded as if spellbound... She didn't doubt for a second that Ye Chen could pull it off!
...
When the engagement banquet concluded, Ye Chen left the Xia Family alone.
He needed to go prepare a surprise for Xia Qingcheng for their grand wedding day...
"Master!"
The moment Ye Chen stepped out of the Xia Family gates, dozens of Kunlun disciples clad in white robes bowed in unison to pay their respects.
"Mhm."
Ye Chen gave a slight nod. "Leave the Spiritual Qi formation to you. Three days from now, I want the entire city of Jinling to be in full bloom, adorned with a ten-mile canopy of red!"
"Full bloom across the city?"
Shi Tianqi was slightly stunned. It was only January right now... what plants were still blooming?
If anyone else had said such words, Shi Tianqi would have cursed them out for talking nonsense!
However, these words came from the mouth of Ye Chen! Therefore, not only did Shi Tianqi believe it, but he also eagerly anticipated what a city-wide blossom would look like three days from now!
Upon receiving their orders, the dozens of Kunlun disciples bowed to Ye Chen once more before swiftly departing.
...
Three days later, on the day of the wedding.
Before the sky had even grown bright, a seemingly endless stream of limited-edition luxury cars, each worth tens of millions, poured into Jinling City as if money was no object.
Meanwhile, the Xia Family was bustling with activity.
The makeup artist had arrived at Xia Lingwei's room early in the morning to begin washing, styling, and dressing her in the wedding gown...
Everyone else had also gotten up early, hanging lanterns and festooning every corner of the house to create an exceptionally festive atmosphere.
"Weiwei is truly blessed. Early this morning, Young Master Jiang already sent people over to do your makeup!"
"Unlike certain people... clearly getting married today as well, yet so utterly desolate! Not only is there no makeup artist, there isn't even a wedding gown!!"
"Heh, that wild man showed up for a second and then vanished!"
Xia Lingwei sneered, "Who knows if that guy will even show his face today? Certain people shouldn't keep daydreaming!"
"..."
Hearing these remarks, a trace of sorrow involuntarily surfaced in Xia Qingcheng's alluring peach-blossom eyes.
She bit her lip tightly, her ten fingers interlocked, gripping so hard that her fingertips had turned slightly pale.
"Weiwei, I heard that a huge number of luxury cars poured into our Jinling City last night—at least a hundred of them!"
"Could it be that Young Master Jiang hired over a hundred extra luxury cars just to make the wedding even more grand?... Oh my, I'm so looking forward to the Jiang Family's wedding procession arriving in a bit... I heard some of those luxury cars cost tens of millions!"
"Really? ...Weiwei is truly so blessed!"
The members of the Xia Family chimed in one after another, showering Xia Lingwei with endless praise.
"Sister!"
Seeing the melancholy in Xia Qingcheng's beautiful eyes, her younger sister Xia Qingcheng felt a pang of heartache and said, "That Ye Chen... will he come back?"
"He definitely will."
Xia Qingcheng nodded firmly and said, "No matter the scale of the wedding, he will show up... Actually, your sister never cared about some world-shaking wedding. As long as he comes to marry me openly and honorably... that's enough!"
As she spoke, Xia Qingcheng gently stroked Xiao Ningning's head. The child's hair was soft, and Xiao Ningning obediently lifted her little head, saying in a babyish voice, "Daddy will definitely come back to pick us up!"
"Heh heh heh, what touching words. What 'never cared about a world-shaking wedding'..." What 'marry you openly and honorably'! Heh heh heh!"
Xia Lingwei sneered, "Xia Qingcheng, stop trying to find an excuse for yourself. You're destined to live in the mud your whole life, so stop daydreaming about comparing yourself to me!"
"Xia Lingwei, why is your mouth so vicious!"
Hearing Xia Lingwei humiliate her sister, Xia Qingcheng retorted directly, "Does your boyfriend have uremia or something?! Your mouth is so filthy..."
"You...!"
Upon hearing this, Xia Lingwei was fit to burst with anger, itching to pounce on Xia Qingcheng and start a physical fight.
"Tsk tsk tsk, look at that shrewish behavior of yours. Better focus on your makeup, lest you have no face left to show anyone later..."
Xia Qingcheng wasn't afraid of her at all, continuing her barrage: "After all, your face doesn't measure up to me or my sister! Oh, today is your wedding day, remember to slap on an extra couple of layers of powder!!"
Among the three pearls of the Xia Family, Xia Qingcheng possessed a tall, voluptuous figure and a stunning, radiant visage, and had once been hailed as the reigning supreme goddess of Jinling City! Xia Qingcheng—
Whether in facial features or figure, she left Xia Lingwei trailing eighteen streets behind!