As for Zhi Huai’s sudden appearance, it wasn’t entirely unexpected to Ye Fei.
When she saw him for the second time at Nanhuang, she had a vague sense of foreboding.
It was like the sixth sense of a small animal encountering a predator—an instinctive, bone-chilling dread that rose from deep within.
It wasn’t fear of the man, but rather a pure, unsettling discomfort.
Moreover, if he really was Ker, his identity alone meant they were bound to be entangled.
Watching the man push her wheelchair toward the door without hesitation, Ye Fei spoke up in time to stop him.
“I’m not particularly fond of such occasions. If Young Master Zhi has something to discuss with me, why don’t we just talk here?”
Hearing her words, the man who had been holding the edge of the wheelchair turned and crouched down to face her directly.
His gaze met hers at eye level, his tone gentle.
“Really not going?”
There was a hint of skepticism in his question.
Ye Fei shook her head firmly. “No.”
Zhi Huai glanced at the seat opposite her, where Zhi Yuan had just been sitting. “I don’t particularly enjoy chatting in someone else’s territory.”
Ye Fei almost couldn’t resist the urge to hurl a teacup at him.
He showed up uninvited and still had so many demands.
In the end, the two moved from the private room to a nearby courtyard.
Amidst the winding streams and floating wine cups, the melody of a guzheng drifted softly, creating a uniquely poetic atmosphere.
This spot was on the side of Kun Garden. Unlike the partitioned private rooms, it was designed as a completely open courtyard.
The pavilions were spaced closely together, with waiters carrying trays as they navigated the pebble-paved paths between the pavilions and waterside terraces.
In the central pavilion, the starry sky outside glittered brilliantly, while the gauzy curtains hanging beneath the eaves fluttered gently in the breeze.
The two sitting face-to-face remained silent, the air between them eerily still.
When Jing Chu, who had been dragged away by Chi Yan, finally managed to struggle back, this was the scene he witnessed.
“I’d advise you not to go over there right now,” Chi Yan said, leaning against a vermilion pillar with his arms crossed, a light chuckle escaping his lips.
“What does he want?” Jing Chu’s eyes were fixed intently on the man sitting opposite Ye Fei.
Could it be that Number Thirty-Nine held a grudge against the boss over what happened last time and came specifically for revenge?
“Why worry so much, kid?” Chi Yan glanced at him dismissively.
Jing Chu fell silent but kept a wary eye on Zhi Huai across from Ye Fei.
Though the man had stepped down from the fighting ring, shedding his aura of bloodlust and brutality,
he still carried an air of unfathomable depth and mystery.
Like Jing Chu, Ye Fei also found him difficult to read.
Watching the waiter serve the final dish, Ye Fei raised a hand to press against her throbbing temples.
This entire table of dishes was exactly the same as the one she had shared with Zhi Yuan earlier!
Even the tea was identical.
What was this man trying to do?
“Aren’t these all your favorites?” Zhi Huai gestured for her to pick up her chopsticks.
After eating so much already, who could possibly have any appetite left?
“I don’t think this is quite appropriate,” she said, leaning back in her wheelchair as she looked at the man across from her.
Zhi Huai lifted his gaze, his expression calm as he waited for her to continue.
“Although your second brother and I were just having a simple meal, it was still technically a blind date. Now, sitting here with you—if word gets out, it might not sound very good.”
Hearing her words, Zhi Huai chuckled softly and leisurely picked up a piece of crab meat for her.
“Are you afraid?”
Hearing this rhetorical question, Ye Fei chuckled softly. She didn’t mind, but someone else did.
“Let’s not beat around the bush between us. Since we’re old acquaintances, I’ll ask directly.” Ye Fei leaned forward slightly, her eyes filled with seriousness. “How many layers of masks are you wearing on your face?”
The precious young master of the Zhi family, running off to Nanhuang to become a low-level underground fighter.
Once stepping into the ring, it becomes a life-or-death struggle, especially since he chose the lowest-level fighters as opponents.
Such people have nothing to lose and can only go all-in, showing even more ruthless fearlessness than established fighters.
What could he possibly gain from such deadly fights?
“Want to know?” Zhi Huai glanced at the food he had placed in her bowl.
Ye Fei instantly understood his meaning and took a sip of soup with her spoon.
“Why did you agree to have dinner with him?”
Ye Fei understood who he was referring to and replied indifferently, “I was bored.”
She had only come to Jiangcheng because she lost a bet. Although there were many restrictions here, she still had to finish what needed to be done.
Otherwise, if she just stayed here for six months recovering without doing anything, wouldn’t she die of boredom?
Only then did Ye Fei remember that Zhi Yuan was still around.
“Where is he?”
He had disappeared after Zhi Huai arrived, and this man had openly wheeled her out of the private room.
Without any regard for his own brother, she wasn’t foolish enough to think Zhi Yuan was still in the restroom.
“He left.”
Ye Fei paused for a moment before asking, “What did you do?”
The person across from her didn’t answer her question, instead continuing to pile a few more shrimp onto her plate.
Ye Fei stared at the delicious-looking food. It felt like she was eating a rather pointless meal.
Thinking this, she raised her hand and made a gesture. Jing Chu, who had been waiting, stepped forward and handed her a tablet.
“Let’s cut to the chase.” Ye Fei swiped her finger a few times before spreading the page open in front of him. “This is you, isn’t it?”
Zhi Huai glanced at the displayed emblem—it was Ker’s emblem, similar to the tattoo behind his ear.
“I know it’s you.” Ye Fei stated with certainty.
Receiving no denial from the person across from her, Ye Fei understood in her heart.
“You intentionally let me see your tattoo, didn’t you?”
She now understood the meaning behind his earlier words. This man was certain she would seek him out.
“So then, Miss Ye Fei, what price are you prepared to offer?” The man crossed his arms leisurely, looking at her.
Ye Fei confirmed the answer in her heart, sensing a premonition—and not a good one.
“I wonder what the ideal price is in Young Master Zhi Huai’s mind?” she retorted.
The smile in the eyes of the person across from her deepened, yet his obsidian-like pupils remained dark and unfathomable.
“I told you, even if you’re looking for a substitute, you shouldn’t blindly choose.”
Looking at the person across from her, an immature idea surfaced in Ye Fei’s mind.
“Don’t tell me you want to…”
The person across from her watched her leisurely, his pitch-black eyes filled with certainty.
Half an hour later, a black limousine picked up the girl in the wheelchair.
Jing Chu sat down opposite Ye Fei. Seeing his boss silent and lost in thought, he couldn’t help but speak up.
“Boss, what did Number Thirty-Nine say to you just now? Did he bully you?”
He had been watching so closely just now. Although this man hadn’t made any inappropriate moves, what if he verbally attacked the boss?
Ye Fei looked out the car window. The man standing in front of the blue sports car seemed to sense her gaze. As he turned his head, he lifted the corner of his mouth in a slight smile toward her.
As the car drove away, the figure at the entrance gradually shrank into a small black dot before disappearing from sight.
“Any news from Chu Xi?”
Hearing her voice, Jing Chu snapped back to attention. “Sister Xi’s flight arrives in Jiangcheng tomorrow.”
I’ll wait for you to come find me…
The warmth of the man’s breath against her ear seemed to linger.
Ye Fei couldn’t help but narrow her eyes. Could this be considered… a threat?