Chapter Twenty-Five: A Bold Idea

"A real expert," he remarked.

Ye Yan's hand, which was holding a cigarette, paused for a moment. He turned around, scrutinizing the bloodstained girl before him with renewed curiosity. That kick just now—an ordinary person wouldn't have recognized its intricacies. Only a professional, or someone frequently involved in such things, could have discerned it. Yet this young girl saw through it at a glance.

Interesting. Truly interesting.

Feng Baobao gazed at Ye Yan. "Your technique is impressive. Could you teach me? I can trade you the Eighteen Styles of Ah Wei, full set, no cuts..."

"Eighteen Styles of Ah Wei, full set, no cuts?" Ye Yan thought. What kind of bizarre name is that? He'd never heard of it before... It sounded suspiciously like some sort of not-so-wholesome act. Royal Caribbean Pirate or something? Either way, it didn't sound proper.

Still, he was intrigued. He asked, "Feng Baobao, you could see through the technique in my kick just now?"

"Yes!" Feng Baobao nodded earnestly. "You must have used a special method, a unique angle, striking a precise spot to induce unconsciousness..."

She spoke with utmost seriousness, her words occasionally flavored with the local Sichuan dialect.

"Impressive," Ye Yan admitted, a faint surprise flickering in his heart. For her to see through the 'One Time Kick' so readily, she was no ordinary person. No wonder Xu Si was so tense around her.

Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating.

He thought for a moment before asking, "You want to learn this move from me?"

"Yes, yes!" Feng Baobao nodded vigorously, her large eyes brimming with earnest desire.

Ye Yan's eyes glinted slyly. "But what if I agree to teach you, on the condition that you never see Zhang Chulan again? Would you still want to learn it?"

Beating children on a rainy day—what else is there to do when you’re bored? Since he had nothing better to do, he decided to tease this girl and pass the time.

"Then I won't learn it..."

"Truly?"

"Truly. I care about Zhang Chulan," she answered, her dialect thick.

Ye Yan shook his head, unable to hold back a laugh. Listening to a girl from Sichuan slip into her dialect was unexpectedly delightful.

"Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Just wait here patiently; you’ll see Zhang Chulan soon enough."

"Okay," Feng Baobao replied.

As the two chatted, the elevator doors opened once again. Ye Yan expected Feng Shayan, but instead, it was Feng Xingtong.

"Brother-in-law, you two..." Upon entering, he saw Ye Yan and Feng Baobao chatting and laughing together.

"Little Star, come and sit," Ye Yan called out with a smile, beckoning him over.

Feng Xingtong, however, didn’t move toward him. Instead, he glanced warily at Feng Baobao.

"It's you," Feng Baobao said, nodding as she spotted him at the elevator, "Those guys with you are fine. I didn't go too hard on them."

Feng Xingtong’s expression stiffened; he was genuinely intimidated by Feng Baobao. He said nothing, casting a pleading glance at Ye Yan.

"Come sit. This is Feng Baobao—not an enemy, half a friend of your sister’s," Ye Yan said, gesturing again.

"A friend?" Feng Xingtong's mouth twitched in confusion. What kind of friend beats people up on arrival? What kind of friend nearly treats the entire World Society like a game, clearing it stage by stage?

He really wanted to know where his sister had found such a monstrous friend. Her strength was almost absurd, exceeding all boundaries.

In his mind, the only people comparable to this terrifying girl were his father and perhaps Ye Yan himself.

Despite his fear, Feng Xingtong obediently sat beside Ye Yan. In his heart, Ye Yan was as trustworthy as his father, brother, and sister.

"Brother-in-law, are you sure everything’s alright?" he whispered anxiously.

Ye Yan offered a reassuring smile, which calmed Feng Xingtong considerably.

Then, his eyes landed on Jia Zhengyu, sprawled out on the floor like a dead dog, tongue lolling, limbs akimbo.

"Is that Master Jia?" Feng Xingtong rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"Yes," Ye Yan replied, cigarette dangling from his lips. "Master Jia just joined the World Society, not used to our fast-paced life. He’s a bit exhausted—let him rest."

Ye Yan lied without batting an eye.

"Really?" Little Star was simple-minded and, trusting Ye Yan unconditionally, didn't press further.

As they spoke, the elevator stopped on the twenty-seventh floor once again. This time, Feng Zhenghao, Feng Shayan, and Zhang Chulan stepped out.

Feng Zhenghao was dressed in a sharp suit, leaning on a black dragon-headed cane. His imposing presence was palpable—commanding respect without the need for anger.

As soon as Zhang Chulan appeared, Feng Baobao sprang up from the floor like a startled kitten, clutching the hem of her clothes nervously.

"Zhang Chulan..."

"Baobao..."

The moment he saw her, surprise flickered in Zhang Chulan’s eyes, along with a subtle, almost hidden joy. It was the kind of joy a lost puppy or kitten might feel when its owner finally finds it—a sense of something lost and now regained.

Awkwardness hung between them, neither knowing what to say, the atmosphere growing heavy once more.

Finally, Zhang Chulan summoned his courage. "Baobao, what are you doing here? Did you come all this way just to find me?"

"Yes... I came for you," her tone as impassive as ever, betraying little emotion.

"Zhang Chulan, come back with me."

"Well..." Zhang Chulan’s delight was barely concealed, but he remained stubborn. "You say go back and I must go? I’m not so easy..."

He tried to act aloof.

But Feng Baobao’s simple "I’m sorry" shattered his defenses completely.

"If I hurt you before, Zhang Chulan, I apologize," she said, her doll-like voice finally tinged with emotion.

"Damn... Am I hearing this right? Baobao—Baobao is apologizing to me?" Zhang Chulan trembled all over.

Such a simple admission of weakness struck him harder than anything else. In his entire life, this was probably the first time a girl had apologized to him so sincerely.

Seeing Feng Baobao’s bloodstained, battered appearance, Zhang Chulan’s heart softened further. A woman had braved the World Society alone for his sake, just to bring him home—he was deeply moved.

He wanted to agree, to leave with Feng Baobao, no matter where she took him.

But pride held him back. He remembered the bravado with which he’d left—if he went back so easily, Xu Si would never let him live it down.

He pictured Xu Si’s infuriating face and grew indignant. He couldn’t just leave with her so simply. At the very least, he had to set some conditions.

As he thought, a sly smile crept across Zhang Chulan’s face, and a bold idea began to take shape in his mind.