Chapter 17

"Old Ye, there are so many people downstairs, are you just going to stand here like a pancake? I've already dealt with several groups of customers for you, and your parents keep asking me where you are. I can't keep up with them."

Cheng Mo was dressed in a pure black bespoke suit, his tall and slender figure as elegant and upright as bamboo. He had also styled his hair specially, revealing a smooth and clean forehead, making him appear exquisitely refined and noble. Although his smile was roguish, it was the confidence that came from the influence of his powerful family.

Ye Feng turned around and accepted the champagne offered by the other party. The white suit suited him well, giving him a kind of dormant and gloomy purity. His hair was not specially styled by anyone, and its soft and fine strands partially covered his delicate face. His amber eyes were illuminated by the light and showed a bit of warmth, but when he looked up and smiled, that insignificant warmth disappeared.

The setting sun painted the roses on the balcony red, and Ye Feng casually picked one. "Thanks, I'll wait for you."

Cheng Mo leaned on the balcony with him, gazing into the distance. The vast estate stretched out before them. "If you really wanted to invite someone, you should have sent them an invitation. Without an invitation, who could enter the gates of your Yu family? The military checkpoints are making things difficult for Teacher Braid."

"Wasn't she here to get my leave slip? She can't even get in the door, how is she supposed to get it?" Ye Feng tossed the rose into his glass, watching the flower sway in the wine. "How is my brother now?"

"Don't worry, Xiao Di has a sweet tongue. She calls that doctor 'Dad,' and treats him well with good food and drink. He's already too happy to leave. You guys focus on eliminating the traitors."

"Dad? Interesting."

"Is Grandma Ye feeling better?"

"It's nothing serious, I'm just a little worried about Xiaodi."

"That's good. Let's go. Feng Xiao won't be able to hold on much longer. Don't slack off. This is clearly your birthday party."

Ye Feng finished his glass of champagne infused with flower petals and went downstairs with Cheng Mo to greet the guests. The lavish banquet hall was bustling with people, all of whom were wealthy and influential. Even those who were already quite wealthy dressed up meticulously to attend the banquet hosted by the Yu family of Xinshi.

As evening fell, the manor was brightly lit and dazzling, accompanied by a quiet and cheerful live band performance. It was truly a banquet for the upper class, exuding elegance amidst its nobility.

Ye Feng disliked crowds, and even when he stood among them, he exuded a somber aura. Many flattered him, but even more feared him. His indifferent stance made the two busy young masters beside him seem more like the hosts of the banquet.

"Young Master, the security guard stopped a car. The man said he was your homeroom teacher and wanted to come for a home visit. But tonight is your birthday banquet. Should I send him away or not?"

Ye Feng raised his eyes, a fleeting glint in his cold, light-colored eyes, and looked at the old butler who had served him diligently for over a decade. "Let him in. I invited him."

"Yes, young master." The butler replied and withdrew.

Feng Xiao teased, "Oh, they really came."

Cheng Mo looked at the New Territories figures chatting amongst themselves with forced smiles and said, "No wonder you waited for me. Teacher Braid is much more interesting than these people I see a few times a year. It's always the same group of people, so boring."

Feng Xiao, dressed in a sky-blue suit, was also a handsome young man with red lips and white teeth. "That makes sense. Let's go and go out to greet them. This is the first time Brother Feng has invited an outsider. Let's see if our Teacher Xia is wearing a Magic Fishing Academy uniform to the banquet."

Cheng Mo: "Xiao Zi, are you curious about what Teacher with the braid is wearing? Is it because you're at the age to find a female companion? You should have said so earlier. Your mother would love to arrange three for you every day right now. When you reach marriageable age, you'll have a harem of three thousand."

Feng Xiao laughed and elbowed Cheng Mo, "Get lost, get lost, you have such a sharp tongue. Women are no match for our games."

Ye Feng glanced at the two of them indifferently. "She's a guest. Come on, greet her at the door."

The Yu family's estate wasn't in the city center; the city center couldn't accommodate such a large manor. Xin Ran drove, while Xun Jiang sat in the passenger seat talking to Chi Xia and Xiao Di in the back. With the master's permission, the car passed three heavily guarded checkpoints and entered a shady bamboo forest path.

Xun Jiang: "Xiao Di, we're going home. Are you happy?"

"I'm happy, but I'll miss Dad Xun. I've saved your contact number, and I'll contact you often. I'll come visit you whenever I have time."

Xiao Di was clutching the toy Xun Jiang had bought for him tightly in his arms—a holographic doll, so lifelike it looked like a living thing; it was a cartoon character he had watched a few days ago.

Xun Jiang smiled and said, "Look how cute the child is. He understands how good you are to him."

Xin Ran smiled and said, "Then I'll forget about you tomorrow. If you like someone, hurry up and find someone to marry. You'll have to give back what belongs to someone else eventually."

Xun Jiang glanced at Chi Xia subconsciously. Today, Chi Xia was wearing a white shirt. The satin was soft and bright, which made her skin look like snow. She had taken off her braids and glasses, and her clean and refreshing wig was draped over her shoulders. She looked like a professional and intellectual woman.

Ye Feng's birthday banquet is held every year, and Xiao Di naturally remembered it. She reminded the others that Xun Jiang was wearing a suit and Xin Ran was wearing a white shirt with a strong sense of design. The openwork silk part of the shirt revealed his beautiful collarbone and firm abs.

"I wanted to too, but I couldn't catch up."

Xin Ran also glanced at Chi Xia, who had her eyes closed and seemed to be taking their conversation seriously.

"Is it inappropriate for us to come at this time, as it is Brother Xiaodi's birthday party?" Xun Jiang poked his head out, and music drifted from the depths of the bamboo forest.

Xin Ran: "Shouldn't we welcome them and treat them like honored guests when we bring their young master back to their home?"

Xiao Di laughed, "Yes, yes, I want Grandpa to give each of you a black card!"

Xun Jiang: "I'm so sorry, but Xiao Di, don't forget to tell her later."

Xin Ran sensed something and glanced at the person pretending to be asleep in the car mirror. She saw a fleeting smile on Chi Xia's lips. "Teacher Xia, open your eyes and look at the three students eagerly waiting for you at the door."

Chi Xia opened her eyes, lowered the car window, and sure enough, she saw three tall and handsome boys standing at the door talking. She immediately spotted the two most outstanding boys in the class.

"Brother!" Xiao Di shouted happily as soon as she saw her brother.

When Ye Feng looked up, his brows furrowed slightly. He hadn't expected these people to come together; he had only invited Chi Xia. But when he saw Xiao Di, he couldn't help but quickly walk over to her.

Xin Ran considerately parked the car. Chi Xia was just about to open the car door for Xiao Di to get out and get closer to her brother when Ye Feng quickly walked over, pressed the car door shut, glanced around and saw that no one else was passing by except for a few people. He quickly reached out and rubbed Xiao Di's head, and just as Xiao Di was about to shout, he covered her mouth.

"Quiet." Ye Feng leaned closer. "Drive the car into the basement. Xiao Di can't show up today."

Chi Xia nodded, Xin Ran rolled up the car window, and Ye Feng opened the car door and squeezed into the back seat. "I'll take you there."

Cheng Mo and Feng Xiao stood quietly in place, watching the car drive away on a detour, before returning to the banquet hall as if nothing had happened.

"Brother, I missed you so much!" Xiao Di hugged Ye Feng tightly and acted coquettishly.

Ye Feng put his arm around the man and rubbed the top of his head, "I didn't realize, stop acting."

Chi Xia: "You always knew where Xiao Di was?"

Ye Feng looked up at Chi Xia, "Of course, otherwise why would my Yu family invite you to their banquet?"

Chi Xia rolled her eyes. "You're really something, acting like you're the only one who'll miss out on a meal. Have you finished writing the leave request?"

Ye Feng stroked Xiao Di's chubby little face, while holding his younger brother's hand tightly with his other hand. "No."

Xiao Di raised his head, "Brother, how's Grandma?"

Ye Feng lowered his head, his tone softening slightly, "I'll take you to find her in a bit."

The car reached the side and entered through the underground passage. Ye Feng directed the car to drive directly to the west side of the manor, which is not open to the public. Grandpa and Grandma live there, and Grandma is currently recuperating from her injuries.

Xin Ran: "As expected of the Yu family, even with such a big incident, the banquet will still be held."

Ye Feng: "If you can't even handle this small matter, what's the point of keeping so many people around?"

Chi Xia: "He is Teacher Xin, who came with me on this home visit today. Dr. Xun also brought Xiao Di back."

Ye Feng glanced at the two people in front of him, his gaze landing on Xin Ran. "Teacher Xin is indeed extraordinary. An ordinary person would have been ruined long ago if they had been tortured like that by Class 4."

Xin Ran laughed shamelessly, "You can't say that. I was coming to your house today because the cast on my leg was too unsightly, so I just had it removed. You see, I didn't even dare to go out without my attending physician with me, did I?"

Ye Feng sneered, too lazy to expose him, "We're here. Just park in the parking space ahead."

The car stopped, and Ye Feng led his men to the third floor in the elevator. As soon as they got off the elevator, Ye Feng patted Xiao Di's head and said, "Go find Grandma yourself."

Xiao Di turned around and hugged Xun Jiang, "Daddy Xun, see you another day."

Xun Jiang smiled, squatted down, and hugged Xiao Di. "Okay."

After Xiao Di ran to the room at the end of the corridor and disappeared completely, Ye Feng turned around, put his hands in his pockets, and looked at Xun Jiang coldly, "Xiao Di called you Dad?"

Xun Jiang: "The kids are just playing around. Besides, there are so many people searching the hospital. Who knows what their purpose is? It would be safer for us to pretend to be father and son, right?"

Ye Feng sneered, said nothing more, and looked at Chi Xia, his smile becoming even more pronounced, "Teacher Xia, shall we have a meal first before the home visit?"

Chi Xia: "There are too many guests outside, so we won't go over. If it's convenient, could you arrange a table for us by yourself, Ye?"

Ye Feng stared intently at Chi Xia, then laughed after hearing her story. Where did this female teacher come from? She always managed to surprise him; she was really bold. "Okay, I'll arrange it. Are you brave enough to eat it?"

Chi Xia: "It's not like it's my last meal before I'm executed, what's there to be afraid of eating?"

Xin Ran: "That's right, happy birthday, Ye!"

Ye Feng led the three to a guest room and instructed the servants to arrange a meal. "I'll go call Cheng Mo and the others over. By the way, since you know it's my birthday, Teacher Xia should have prepared a gift, right?"

Chi Xia took a small box out of her bag and handed it over, saying, "You're welcome, take it and play with it."

"Playing? You really treat me like a child."

Ye Feng took it and turned to leave.

Sitting in the manor's private vehicle, Ye Feng looked at the gift box in his hand and smiled. He was very curious about what gift the mysterious Teacher Xia would give him, so he quickly opened the gift.

Inside the wooden box lay a pendant shaped like a bullet casing. Ye Feng picked it up and examined it closely. It was made of platinum, engraved with the date and the initials of Ye Feng's name, and was attached to a thin platinum chain. It was quite unique.

"Ha, it really is a gift for a child."

Ye Feng put on the pendant, tucked it under his shirt, and casually placed the gift box on his car, seemingly not wanting anyone else to see it, especially his two close friends.

In the living room, Xin Ran ate two washed strawberries, wiped her fingers, and asked curiously, "What did you give him?"

Chi Xia: "I bought it with a shopping card given to me by Li Yao's father. The shop assistant recommended that I buy a pendant, saying that it was currently in fashion."

Xun Jiang stopped grabbing his drink, looking utterly shocked. "You're giving a boy a pendant? What's the difference between that and me giving you a bracelet?"

Chi Xia looked at Xun Jiang blankly, "If Dr. Xun likes it, I'll send you a stream later?"

Xun Jiang: "..."

Xin Ran raised her hand, "Give me one, and I'll go to the store with you another day so I can choose one myself."

Chi Xia: "Sure. Dr. Xun, want to come along?"

Xun Jiang: "..."