The middle-aged man wore a suit and had an imposing air.
This was Xiao Gang, Xiao Yufei's father and the chairman of Qingya Cosmetics.
The middle-aged woman looked remarkably similar to Xiao Yufei. A chiffon dress accentuated her perfect figure, and she looked so young she could pass for a friendly neighbor in her late twenties.
The woman wore a naturally gentle smile that made anyone who saw her feel an immediate sense of warmth.
This was Xiao Yufei's mother, Lan Yazhi.
Xiao Gang hurried to the bedside. Seeing that Xiao Wenyuan's complexion was good, he heaved a long sigh of relief and said,
"Dad, Yufei said your condition was critical. But looking at you now, I'd say you look even better than before."
Xiao Wenyuan pointed to Ye Feng beside him and said with a wide grin, "It's all thanks to my granddaughter's husband and his superb medical skills!"
Xiao Gang froze on the spot. 'What the hell? Where did this "granddaughter's husband" suddenly pop out from?'
'How come I didn't know about this?'
At that moment, Xiao Wenyuan looked at the dumbfounded Xiao Gang and said urgently, "Xiao Gang, you two are back just in time. Start the preparations right now. I want Yufei and Ye Feng to consummate their marriage tonight."
Xiao Gang staggered, nearly falling to the floor. 'Consummate the marriage? Just like that?'
He turned to look at Xiao Yufei, his expression one of utter exasperation.
Xiao Yufei was furious. She explained what had happened, then looked at Xiao Gang and exclaimed in frustration, "Dad, look at Grandpa!"
Xiao Gang glanced at Ye Feng, a flash of contempt in his eyes that he quickly concealed. He looked at Xiao Yufei and said calmly,
"Yufei, I understand the situation. I'll handle it."
He then turned to Xiao Wenyuan with a smile and said, "Dad, Yufei is stubborn. She can't accept Ye Feng's incompetence. If you force her, you'll just upset her terribly, and you'd feel bad about that, wouldn't you?"
Xiao Wenyuan stiffened his neck and retorted, "The disciple of that immortal master? How could he possibly be incompetent?"
Xiao Qiang quickly chimed in, "Exactly! That's what I was thinking, too. So let's give Ye Feng a chance to prove himself!
Our Qingya Cosmetics is facing a crisis, right? If Ye Feng can use his own abilities to get Qingya Cosmetics through this difficult time and back on track, then we'll acknowledge him. That way, Yufei can accept marrying him, and we can all accept it. What do you think?"
Xiao Wenyuan's eyes darted back and forth for a moment. Then, he chuckled and said, "I have absolute confidence in Ye Feng. Fine, I agree."
Hearing this, Xiao Yufei, who was standing nearby, frowned. She wanted nothing to do with this country bumpkin and was about to refuse.
But before she could speak, Xiao Gang pulled her outside and whispered in her ear, "Yufei, how could this country bumpkin possibly be worthy of you? I'm only agreeing to this bet as a stalling tactic.
He has no connections and no resources. How could he possibly get Qingya Cosmetics back on track? When he fails, we can just tell him to get lost.
In the meantime, we can have him cure your grandfather's illness as quickly as possible. Isn't this a plan to kill two birds with one stone?"
Xiao Yufei's eyes lit up, and she nodded emphatically. "Okay, I agree."
Lan Yazhi, who was nearby, overheard Xiao Gang and said with a frown,
"Xiao Gang, the man saved Father's life and is going to continue treating him. Isn't it wrong for you to scheme against him like this?"
Xiao Gang said coldly, "Once he cures Dad's illness, I have a hundred ways to thank him. But if he thinks I'll marry my daughter to him, he's not worthy."
Lan Yazhi sighed and said no more.
They spoke in low voices, but they had underestimated Ye Feng's hearing. He heard every single word of their conversation clearly.
The corners of Ye Feng's mouth curled up slightly. 'Scheme against me?'
'Heh, you're overthinking things. But this Lan Yazhi, she seems like a good person.'
Just then, Xiao Yufei came back in, looked at Ye Feng, and said, "Ye Feng, I agree to my dad's proposal. As long as you can do it, I'll agree to marry you."
Ye Feng's eyes narrowed. He spoke calmly, "There's no need for all this trouble. Just give me back the Jade Pendant. I can prescribe some medicine for the old master to stabilize his condition, and then I'll leave."
Hearing this, Xiao Wenyuan grew anxious. "Ye Feng! Your master said that I could only give you the Jade Pendant after you married my granddaughter! I can't break my promise!"
Dark lines formed on Ye Feng's forehead. 'Master even predicted this?!'
'Master,' he thought, 'you're ruthless.'
Xiao Gang, standing beside them, said with a smile, "Come on, Ye Feng, just agree. As long as you fulfill the terms of the bet, I guarantee I'll give you the Jade Pendant."
Hearing this, Ye Feng readily agreed. As long as he could get the Jade Pendant, he would do whatever it took.
He looked at Xiao Yufei and said, "Alright then, let's go check out the company. The sooner I can fulfill the bet, the better."
The sooner he fulfilled the bet, the sooner he could get the Jade Pendant and leave.
Xiao Yufei shot Ye Feng a disdainful look and muttered, "No matter how soon you try, you don't stand a chance."
With that, she turned and walked out.
Ye Feng smiled calmly, put his hands in his pockets, and followed her out.
Lan Yazhi, however, looked at Ye Feng and called out with a smile, "Ye Feng, come back early tonight! Auntie will make you some noodles to welcome you!"
Ye Feng smiled and nodded, then followed Xiao Yufei to the Maserati Quattroporte. He pulled open the car door, about to get in.
Xiao Yufei stopped him with a look of disgust and said bluntly, "The company's biggest problem right now is a cash flow shortage. The reason is that several clients have failed to pay for their goods for a long time.
The one that owes the most is Baihui Cosmetics. I'll give you their file. Go and collect this debt."
After speaking, she tossed a file folder to Ye Feng and pointed to a small electric scooter nearby. "It's not that far. You can ride that. The air is fresh, and it's convenient."
Then she got in her car and drove straight off.
As the car left the residential complex, the corners of Xiao Yufei's mouth curled up in a sneer. 'Once you get a taste of how harsh the real world is, you'll realize your own incompetence. You'll see that you're not worthy of me at all. Then, you'll quit on your own without me having to say a word!'
With that, she stomped on the gas and sped away, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake.
Ye Feng took the documents from the file, glanced at them, then got on the little electric scooter. He rode unhurriedly to Baihui Cosmetics, asked an employee for directions, and went straight up to the second floor. Arriving at the manager's office, he knocked and then pushed the door open.
The room was thick with smoke. Four people were playing mahjong. At the head of the table, a bald man had his arm around a scantily clad woman, groping her as he casually discarded a Two-Dot tile. "Chow."
The woman next to him draped herself over the bald man and giggled, "Oh, you're so naughty, Big Brother!"
The others all roared with laughter.
The men were shirtless, revealing various tattoos. One look and you could tell they were trouble.
Ye Feng instantly understood Xiao Yufei's purpose in sending him to collect the debt. 'She wants to use these guys to teach me a lesson!'
'Heh, she's overthinking things.'
He waved a hand to clear the smoke and looked at the four people. "Which one of you is Liu San?"