Chapter Seventy: A Little Temper

Ye Yan’s words sounded somewhat exaggerated, yet Xu San and Xu Si, standing beside him, seemed to agree without hesitation. This made Zhang Chulan wonder—could it be that Ye Yan wasn’t joking, that everything he said was actually true? If this man could even defeat people as powerful as Zhang Lingyu and Zhuge Qing in a single blow, Zhang Chulan found it hard to imagine just how strong he must be.

From his perspective, someone like Zhang Lingyu was already deserving of the title “strong,” and as for someone like Feng Baobao, she was a master among masters. So what about Ye Yan? What level was he on? At that moment, Zhang Chulan felt as though his entire understanding of the world of the strangers had been upended.

Perhaps seeing the doubt on Zhang Chulan’s face, Xu Si quickly tried to reassure him. “Alright, Chulan, don’t take him too seriously. This guy is even more outrageous than you think. You’ll understand once you’ve spent more time with him.”

Xu Si had known Ye Yan for many years. He had witnessed firsthand how Ye Yan had clawed his way up from an unknown nobody to his current position—not by relying on connections or background, but on his own abilities. Calling him a monster might sound light, but it encompassed everything about him.

“Mhm.” Zhang Chulan nodded, letting go of his doubts, and feeling somewhat relieved. He was glad Ye Yan was on his side. If Ye Yan were his enemy, the very thought would be enough to give him a headache. The more he thought about it, the more he felt a sense of happiness—having a powerful ally was truly a blessing.

…

The battle in the arena ended quickly. As expected, Zhuge Qing emerged victorious.

After watching the match, Xu San and Xu Si hurried off to the next event, gathering information on the other contestants. To ensure Zhang Chulan’s smooth advancement, these two had really put in a great deal of effort, darting between venues, even more exhausted than the competitors themselves.

“I’m going out for a stroll.” For Ye Yan, there was little point in watching a match between weaklings. He might as well go outside for a walk to clear his mind—it would at least lift his spirits.

“Go ahead,” Xu Si said, cigarette dangling from his lips. He didn’t try to stop Ye Yan or tie him down. Though he was technically Ye Yan’s superior, their relationship was mostly that of friends. Even when there was something to be done, they usually discussed it together; orders were rare. After all, there was a fundamental difference between Ye Yan and the other employees at Everywhere Communications. They had been recruited; he had been invited.

It was not the same.

After a brief word with Xu Si and the others, Ye Yan left the venue first. Wandering aimlessly after exiting the arena, he passed a stall selling skewered dumplings and bought two rainbow-colored sticks as a snack. The taste wasn’t great, nor was it particularly bad; there was just too much chili powder, making it unfriendly to anyone with a sweet tooth, and the price was a bit steep. Still, since the stall owner had gifted him a bottle of Fanta for free, Ye Yan decided not to mind.

After all, who doesn’t enjoy a freebie?

Though he was walking down a bustling commercial street, Ye Yan still felt like a wandering ghost—utterly out of place among the lively crowds. The world seemed so close, within arm’s reach, and yet oddly distant. It was a strange feeling.

For some reason, he found himself missing Xia He. Only when he was with that woman did he truly feel alive. That was why he liked her—at least he didn’t feel lonely.

He realized it had been days since he last chatted with Xia He. That bold, reckless woman would disappear for days on end without a care in the world. She could be so infuriating.

Ye Yan sighed, then pulled out his phone, found the contact saved as “Juicer Queen,” and, after a moment’s thought, sent her a video call request.

The ringtone barely started before it was instantly declined.

Almost immediately, she sent a sticker: “Dog man, get lost.”

Ye Yan frowned. “What’s with this woman? Why is she acting so strange again?”

Was she still mad? The last time he’d been blocked, she’d re-added him the very next day, but they hadn’t spoken since. He figured she was still angry.

He opened his favorites, found a sticker of a husky doing a handstand with the caption “I’m crawling,” and sent it to Xia He, hoping to ease her fury. But instead, she escalated.

Xia He: “Keep crawling, dog man.jpg”

Seeing that, Ye Yan thought, Well, now she’s really pushing it. So he sent another sticker: “Woman, your name is Greed.”

That did it—Xia He exploded.

“Oh, so that’s how it is, dog man. You’re getting bolder by the day. You still haven’t explained what happened with Chen Dui, and now you’re sneaking around with another woman behind my back?”

“Sneaking around with a woman?”

Ye Yan froze. “I didn’t! Don’t you go making things up, or I’ll sue you for slander.”

“Still denying it? I saw it with my own eyes—on Dragon Tiger Mountain, you and that former colleague of yours, all cuddly and sweet. Don’t tell me nothing’s going on.”

“No, I—” Ye Yan’s fingers paused mid-typing as realization dawned. If he guessed correctly, the “former colleague” Xia He was referring to must be Feng Shayan. But after leaving the Tianxia Society, the only time he was alone with Feng Shayan was on Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Which meant—she was on the mountain now as well?

Ye Yan quickly typed, “Are you on Dragon Tiger Mountain too?”

“That’s right, I’m here. What, got nothing to say now?” Xia He replied openly, not hiding it at all.

Oh, this is bad.

Ye Yan rubbed his forehead helplessly, sensing trouble brewing. Were these people planning to stir things up on Dragon Tiger Mountain? The thought made his stomach ache. Then again, if he remembered the original story correctly, something like this did happen, though he couldn’t recall the details. Still, it was this incident that caused the old master to leave the mountain—and after that, the entire world of the strangers was thrown into chaos.

“Where are you?” Ye Yan hurriedly asked.

“What for?” Xia He wouldn’t let up. “Explain yourself first, or you can forget about seeing me.”

“Hurry up and talk.”

“What’s with your attitude? You’re the one at fault here. Dog man, do you not love me anymore?”

“You—” Ye Yan was nearly speechless at her melodramatic antics. She’d clearly watched too many soap operas.

“Stop wasting time. Where are you?” When Ye Yan’s replies grew increasingly blunt, Xia He seemed to realize something was off. Normally, her little man would never speak to her like this—something must be wrong.

With that in mind, she quickly composed herself and dropped the theatrics. “I can’t show up right now. Later tonight, meet me in the grove behind the mountain.”