Early spring, when all things were coming back to life.
The airport in S City was bustling with people coming and going.
A young woman leisurely strolled out of the terminal. The cold wind swept through the area, and passersby were bundled up in thick coats. She, however, wore nothing but a thin black hoodie, making her look somewhat out of place.
With both hands tucked into her pockets, she wore her hood pulled low, concealing her delicate features. Yet even that could not hide the natural rebelliousness and untamed arrogance that seemed to run through her very bones.
More and more people around her began casting curious glances in her direction.
Ye Yan lowered the brim of her hood and looked toward a black car parked by the roadside.
It had a license plate number she recognized.
Without rushing, she walked over, opened the car door, and got in.
“Miss, where would you like to go first?” Uncle Wang, the driver, asked respectfully as he glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
“The Ye residence.”
Uncle Wang understood, started the engine, and drove away.
Old Madam Ye was critically ill and had been rushed to the hospital. The Ye family members had gone there early that morning to look after her, so the villa was relatively quiet at the moment.
Ye Yan walked into the living room. The servants stopped what they were doing and stared at her with puzzled expressions.
“Who are you?”
Ye Yan had lived abroad for many years. Even when she occasionally returned to S City, she rarely visited the Ye residence. The household staff had changed several times over the years, so it was perfectly normal that they didn’t recognize her.
She tossed her backpack onto the sofa when a woman’s surprised voice sounded beside her, tinged with uncertainty.
“Ye Yan?”
Ye Yan turned her head toward the staircase. Standing there was an unfamiliar woman.
The woman wore a pearl-white skirt suit, with wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. Her beautiful features were well-maintained, and her eyes and brows carried an alluring, seductive charm.
Even more eye-catching was the necklace around her neck. The pigeon-blood ruby sparkled brilliantly under the lights, looking both luxurious and dazzling.
Ye Yan’s expression immediately darkened.
“Who gave you that necklace?”
Zhao Qing’s eyes flickered slightly. Pretending not to have heard the question, she approached Ye Yan and said, “Hello, Ye Yan. My name is Zhao Qing. I’m your father’s fiancée.”
Fiancée?
Ye Yan let out a mocking laugh.
“So?”
“What does that have to do with me?”
Zhao Qing had already heard from the Ye family that Ye Yan had a terrible temper. However, she had assumed that she was just a young girl and that there was nothing to be afraid of. She hadn’t expected Ye Yan to be so disrespectful during their very first meeting.
The smile on her face stiffened momentarily.
“Ye Yan, I know it might be difficult for you to accept me right away, but sooner or later, we’ll be one family. You…”
“Who said we’re family?” Ye Yan interrupted impatiently. “The necklace. Give it back to me.”
Zhao Qing raised a hand to cover the necklace.
“Old Madam gave this to me.”
Ye Yan glanced at her.
“It’s my mother’s possession. No one has the right to touch it. Even if the King of Heaven himself said otherwise, it wouldn’t count unless I agreed.”
Seeing how firm Ye Yan was, Zhao Qing was reluctant to hand over the necklace. She turned around, intending to slip away.
“Heh.”
Ye Yan let out a cold laugh. The corner of her eye caught sight of an antique sword displayed on the cabinet.
She moved.
The servants only saw a blur flash before their eyes. The next moment, Ye Yan had drawn the priceless antique sword and swung it toward Zhao Qing.
“Ah!”
The servants cried out in alarm.
Zhao Qing hadn’t even had time to react. She only felt a fierce gust of sword energy whistle past her ear. In the next instant, a thin, razor-sharp blade was held horizontally in front of her, its cold edge gleaming.
Her entire body froze. She stared at Ye Yan in terror.
“Y-Ye Yan, what are you trying to do?”
Ye Yan said coldly, “The necklace or your life. Take your pick.”
Zhao Qing gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand her ground.
“Killing someone is against the law! Besides, Old Madam gave me this necklace, and your father has no objections either.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the servants felt the temperature around them drop sharply.
Ye Yan couldn’t be bothered to waste her breath. She simply swept the tip of her sword across.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several strands of Zhao Qing’s curly hair drifted to the floor.
The entire living room fell deathly silent.
The servants stared at Ye Yan in utter shock.
Zhao Qing stood frozen in place, staring at the severed strands of hair on the floor. It took her a long time to recover from the shock.
“Ah! My hair!”
Her shrill, hysterical scream echoed throughout the living room, grating on everyone’s ears.
This girl wasn’t merely a troublemaker. She was a complete lunatic!
Ye Yan said flatly, “Shut up.”
Zhao Qing trembled with rage.
“Ye Yan! I’m your father’s fiancée! How dare you treat me like this?”
Ye Yan said nothing. Holding the sword by its hilt, she advanced toward her. Her icy gaze was enough to make anyone’s blood run cold.
Zhao Qing panicked. She turned toward the servants and shouted, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and pull her away!”
The servants stole a glance at the long sword in Ye Yan’s hand and silently pretended they hadn’t heard anything.
A sword had no eyes. They were merely ordinary employees trying to earn a living. They certainly didn’t want to risk their lives over this.
Seeing that no one was willing to help her, Zhao Qing was absolutely furious.
Her back eventually hit the cold wall. She had nowhere left to retreat.
“What on earth are you doing?”
An old yet powerful voice suddenly rang out.
Ye Yan looked toward the entrance and saw Old Master Ye and Ye Wenhai entering the living room one after the other.
Zhao Qing looked as though she had just spotted her savior. She immediately burst into tears and hurried toward Ye Wenhai.
“Wenhai, you’re finally back!”
Her deliberately weak and pitiful voice was enough to give anyone goosebumps.
Ye Wenhai frowned.
“What happened?”
Zhao Qing grabbed his arm and hurriedly hid behind him.
“Ye Yan wants to kill me!”
As if that weren’t enough, she pointed at the hair scattered across the floor, playing the victim.
“Look! She even cut off my hair! If I hadn’t dodged in time, that sword would have landed on my neck!”
Upon hearing this, both Old Master Ye and Ye Wenhai were stunned.
Ye Wenhai glanced at the hair on the floor, then at the long sword in Ye Yan’s hand. He tried his best to keep his voice gentle.
“Yan Yan, put the sword down. Don’t accidentally hurt someone in the family.”
“Someone in the family?”
Ye Yan glanced at Zhao Qing, the corners of her lips curling into a mocking smile.
“You mean her?”
It had been a long time since the father and daughter had seen each other. Ye Yan rarely returned home, and Ye Wenhai didn’t want their reunion to turn into an ugly confrontation.
He cleared his throat.
“This is Auntie Zhao. She and I will be registering our marriage soon.”
Zhao Qing lifted her chin proudly. Before she could even enjoy the moment, the girl’s mocking voice rang out.
“Looks like the older you get, the worse your taste becomes.”
“…”
An indescribably awkward silence settled over the room.
A flash of displeasure crossed Zhao Qing’s eyes. However, with Old Master Ye present, she didn’t dare say anything.
Surprisingly, Ye Wenhai wasn’t angry.
“All right, stop making a fuss. You’ve been on a plane for so long. You must be tired. Go upstairs and get some rest.”
Ye Yan ignored him. Her red lips parted, coldly uttering two words.
“The necklace.”
Following her gaze, Ye Wenhai noticed the necklace around Zhao Qing’s neck and immediately understood.
“Wenhai, Old Madam gave this to me,” Zhao Qing said quietly.
To her surprise, Ye Wenhai didn’t take her side.
“If Yan Yan wants it, then give it to her.”
Zhao Qing felt a pang of frustration. However, she was also afraid of ruining the gentle and generous image she had carefully cultivated, so she forced a smile.
“All right.”
Reluctantly, she took off the necklace and handed it over.
Ye Yan took back the necklace and immediately slipped it into her pocket.
Old Master Ye said sternly, “Hurry up and put my sword back where it belongs.”
“Oh.”
Ye Yan walked back to the cabinet and smoothly slid the sword into its scabbard.
Just as she slipped her hand back into her pocket, her gaze suddenly paused.
She abruptly turned toward the floor-to-ceiling window and looked outside.