VIP Volume, Chapter 110: Guan Ling Again

Hao Liuzhi turned his head to glance at the group of men in sunglasses following behind them and whispered to Ye Xiaoxuan, "Boss, are we really just going to follow them like this?"

Ye Xiaoxuan shrugged, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, looking completely nonchalant. "What else? They’re likely armed. Can you outrun a bullet?"

Yuan Caiyi walked alone at the back, her head bowed in silence. One of the men in sunglasses gave her a shove, which immediately drew her sharp rebuke: "Don't touch me! I can walk on my own!"

Ye Xiaoxuan stopped and turned to look at Yuan Caiyi. In his memory, this village beauty had always carried herself with an air of aloofness. They had once been classmates—elementary school classmates. However, they had never spoken a word; living in the same village, they were the two people who knew each other the least. It wasn't that they deliberately avoided one another; it was as if they existed in different worlds, moving along completely separate trajectories, which made them virtual strangers.

Their estrangement was merely a matter of perception, not a lack of identity. After all, living in the same village, one hears things. Yuan Caiyi knew Ye Xiaoxuan was her former classmate, a slacker who had failed at both his studies and martial arts. This earned him her disdain. She had initially felt a sliver of sympathy for him, but seeing him idle away his days in the village, that turned into contempt. She believed that while innate circumstances could be overcome with effort, self-abandonment was a personal failing. That was why she looked down on him; when Wen Xiaoyu openly admitted to being Ye Xiaoxuan’s girlfriend, Yuan Caiyi even felt it was a waste, likening it to a delicate flower planted in a pile of cow dung.

Ye Xiaoxuan’s impression of Yuan Caiyi was limited to her status as the village beauty and Chen Tianlei’s intended. She was competitive, a top student since grade school, and fiercely independent. Beyond that, he knew nothing and cared even less. His intervention today was purely out of local solidarity, triggered by the arrogance and lack of courtesy displayed by the Nine-Headed Snake. And, of course, there was the matter of Chen Tianlei. What was so precious about that purple bracelet that the Qitian Group would go to such lengths to recover it?

Ye Xiaoxuan wanted to understand more about what the Qitian Group was after, which was why he had agreed to follow them to the Qiyun Building. Once Yuan Caiyi caught up, Ye Xiaoxuan continued walking. His brothers naturally formed a protective circle around her. Observing this, Yuan Caiyi understood his intention, and her earlier irritation dissipated. Looking at Ye Xiaoxuan, she said, "Xiaoxuan, thank you regardless of what happens. I’ve dragged you into this. If there’s an opportunity, run—they won't dare open fire here!"

Ye Xiaoxuan smiled faintly, gesturing toward the men in sunglasses. "Do you think they’re idiots just because they don't have guns? Forget it. If they were that easy to shake off, you wouldn't have needed to look for an opening. Coming along was inevitable."

Yuan Caiyi paused, then said irritably, "Fine, suit yourselves!" She pouted and walked ahead. Ye Xiaoxuan stood stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. He didn't know why, but whenever he spoke to her, his words seemed to have thorns; it was no wonder she found them hard to swallow.

They reached the entrance of the Qiyun Building. While the men in sunglasses had followed, the Nine-Headed Snake had fallen behind. Ye Xiaoxuan looked back and found the scene amusing. Ten meters away, the Nine-Headed Snake’s car had been intercepted by a police officer—a beautiful young policewoman named Guan Ling.

"I am officially charging you with intentional injury and disturbing the public order! Get out of the car and submit to an investigation!" Guan Ling held onto the car door, pointing firmly at the driver. It seemed their reckless driving to reach their boss had destroyed several stalls, prompting the report.

The Nine-Headed Snake glared at Guan Ling with annoyance. Had she not been so beautiful, he would have lost his temper long ago. Not wanting to tangle with the police, he pulled a stack of cash from his pocket, leaned out the window, and shouted, "Who suffered losses? Come here and take the money!"

Guan Ling pointed past the driver at the Nine-Headed Snake, shouting, "You think money makes you invincible? Does having money mean you can drive recklessly through the streets? Get to the station and give a statement!"

Seeing Ye Xiaoxuan watching from the entrance of the Qiyun Building with an amused expression, the Nine-Headed Snake’s rage boiled over. He flung the stack of cash into the air, and bills scattered like snowflakes, falling everywhere. The villagers at the market rushed over, bending down to scramble for the money, creating total chaos. Guan Ling, caught off guard, stomped her feet and shouted, "Stop! Don't touch that money!"

Taking advantage of the confusion, the car sped off. The Nine-Headed Snake laughed, "If you want to catch me, come to the Qiyun Building! I'll be waiting for you all night!"

Guan Ling chased after him, but after a few steps, she saw two men running toward her. She recognized them, but before she could place them, a gust of wind roared from behind.

Oh no, there was another car! Guan Ling realized it instantly, but it was too late to dodge. A dark shadow flashed before her eyes; she felt as if she had been violently shoved, and she gasped as she fell into someone’s arms.

Ye Dajun caught Guan Ling, his eyes locked on what was behind her as he shouted, "Xiaosan!"

A figure was struck like a piece of wood, sent flying high into the air, crashing through the glass door of the lobby and landing on the floor with a thud. Guan Ling turned pale. These people were truly lawless—this was an attempt on a life! If she hadn't been shoved aside, she would have been killed. She looked at the person lying in the lobby, trembling, and asked Ye Dajun, "Is... is that Ye Xiaoxuan?"

Ye Dajun nodded grimly, steadied her, and strode into the lobby. He lifted Ye Xiaoxuan, who had his eyes tightly shut. After a moment, he stood up, scanned the room, spotted a large glass ashtray on a coffee table, and tucked it into his jacket.

Outside, the Nine-Headed Snake stepped out of his car and roared at the driver of the trailing vehicle, "Who the hell told you to kill him? I told you to keep him alive!"

The driver replied, aggrieved, "I didn't think he could move that fast! I wasn't even aiming at him!"

It was no wonder; a second ago, Ye Xiaoxuan had been at the entrance of the Qiyun Building, and in the blink of an eye, he had appeared beside the policewoman meters away. The speed of that displacement was so fast that all anyone had seen was a blur.

The Nine-Headed Snake started to curse again, but then he pointed in horror at the driver. "Watch out behind you!"

The driver, still shaken by Ye Xiaoxuan’s ghostly maneuver, turned around in confusion, only to see a large white object descending upon him. With a loud crash, it shattered against his head, sending his eyes rolling back as he collapsed, unconscious.