Chapter Fifteen: Jin Shao

Ye Feng quickly prepared three dishes and a porridge. As usual, the porridge was millet—it’s good for the stomach, and Xia Ling’s health was still rather frail. The three of them sat at the dining table, and Ye Feng could hardly conceal his joy. Man Yunyu’s stockings had ripped, so she simply took them off, her smooth, bare legs exposed. Ye Feng had wiped away all traces of last night, though the scratch marks on his neck would take some time to fade.

“This is the liveliest our home has been in years—two beauties dining with me,” Ye Feng declared, shoveling food into his mouth with satisfaction.

“Ling, was I terribly out of sorts last night?” Man Yunyu asked, addressing Ling as her little sister, since she was obviously younger.

“Out of sorts? Not at all. I’d say that was the real you—uninhibited and wild! Honestly, I never imagined my clothes could be torn to such shreds!” Ye Feng looked at her with a face full of admiration.

“Filthy scoundrel, I wasn’t asking you!” Man Yunyu shot back, then gazed hopefully at Xia Ling, wishing for her to contradict Ye Feng’s words. She prided herself on being a proper young woman—how could she have done the things Ye Feng claimed?

Xia Ling nodded gently.

“So it’s true?”

“See, I told you I wasn’t lying,” Ye Feng said smugly.

“Did he take advantage of me last night?” Man Yunyu had felt a strange sense of affinity for Xia Ling at first sight, perhaps due to her innocent appearance.

“I don’t know. All I know is he was in your room the whole night!” Xia Ling replied.

“You scoundrel! What did you do to me?” Man Yunyu slammed her chopsticks down and glared at Ye Feng in anger.

“Hey, that’s not fair! You were the one taking advantage of me all night! You’d taken medicine and kept taking your clothes off—I tried to stop you, but you wouldn’t let me. I just covered you with a quilt, but you grabbed hold of me, and I couldn’t even run away.” Ye Feng spoke with a touch of grievance, even making a show of wiping away a tear.

“You got off easy?” Man Yunyu rolled her eyes at him. Truth be told, she was grateful to Ye Feng. If not for him, she might truly have been ruined by that bastard Shen Yingjie. “Wait a moment!”

Her instincts as a police officer kicked in. “If Ling is your girlfriend, why would she let you stay in my room?”

“Well… I’m just good at training her, I suppose,” Ye Feng replied, chuckling awkwardly.

“Ling, is he your boyfriend?” Man Yunyu asked with curiosity.

“You’re so nosy,” Ye Feng interjected, not believing for a second that Xia Ling would ever admit to being his girlfriend.

“Him? He’s not worthy,” Xia Ling answered.

“I knew it! Ling is so beautiful—why would she choose someone as sleazy as you? Look at you, all skin and bones, and you don’t even have a decent figure! And worst of all, you have no shame—claiming Ling as your girlfriend!” Man Yunyu was getting more and more worked up as she spoke.

“Hey, is this how you treat your savior? Both of you are ungrateful wolves! Looks like I’ll have to tell you a story—the story’s called ‘The Farmer and the Snake’…”

“Shut up! Just eat your food!” Man Yunyu had no intention of listening to him.

“That’s why you’re not as sweet as Ling. She always listens patiently to that story.”

“Always? How many times have you told it?”

“Not many. She likes it!”

“She just can’t be bothered to argue with you,” Xia Ling said coldly.

“Ling, is it really safe living with such a sleazy guy?” Man Yunyu asked.

“He’s not capable of anything,” Xia Ling replied.

“Oh? So you’re not up to the task? Here I was, half-naked in front of you last night and you didn’t make a move—so that’s the reason…” Man Yunyu eyed Ye Feng oddly, her gaze drifting downward.

“Who says I’m not up to it? Do you want to try for yourself? What, were you disappointed I didn’t force myself on you? You’re the flirt!” Ye Feng retorted. He couldn’t stand being accused of impotence—every day he could raise his ‘little umbrella’ with no trouble at all.

“You’re the flirt! You’re not up to it!”

“You’re the flirt!”

“You’re not up to it!”

“You’re the flirt!”

And so it went on.

“What’s the plan now?” Ye Feng asked with concern.

“I’ll just keep going to work. Now that I know what sort of people they are, I’ll just avoid them from now on,” Man Yunyu sighed, resignation in her voice.

“Take down my phone number. If that bastard dares bother you again, call me—I’ll make sure he regrets it.” A cold gleam flashed in Ye Feng’s eyes.

Man Yunyu’s body trembled, moved by his words. At last, a man willing to stand up for her. Of course, there had been others before, but none who actually dared speak up when it mattered—especially not those so-called ‘good friends’ who had betrayed her last night. It was a bitter lesson in the world’s indifference.

“Or if you get frisky again, you can call me too. Next time, I won’t let you off so easily!” Ye Feng said, biting his lip as though determined to have his way with her.

The good impression Man Yunyu had just formed vanished in an instant.

“Ling, I heard there’s a new restaurant opening today. Let me treat you both to lunch!” Though Man Yunyu had been arguing with Ye Feng, she was truly grateful to him. This meal was her heartfelt thanks to her savior.

“Now that’s more like it! Looks like my ‘Farmer and the Snake’ story wasn’t in vain after all!” Ye Feng was delighted at the prospect of a free meal.

“I never listened to that story! I’m inviting you for lunch out of the goodness of my heart,” Man Yunyu said, fixing her gaze on Xia Ling, as if waiting for her verdict. Ye Feng was certain to go—what man could refuse an invitation from a beauty like her?

“You two go. I’m not coming,” Xia Ling replied.

“Come on, please! I’d feel uneasy going alone with him. If he tried anything indecent, I wouldn’t have the strength to resist,” Man Yunyu pleaded.

Ye Feng was speechless. How could a man of his stature be so maligned by her tongue?

At last, after Man Yunyu’s persistent entreaties, Xia Ling relented.

“All right, I’m done eating. Let me guess—the dishes are my job too, aren’t they?” Man Yunyu batted her eyelids at Ye Feng, her gaze soft and affectionate.

“I cooked the meal and saved your life—can you really bear to treat me like this?”

“My head still hurts. I’m going to nap for a bit. We’ll go out for lunch at noon. Thank you!” With that, she returned to her room. A moment later, she stuck her head back out, “Your quilt is hideous!”

“Then don’t sleep!”

“Oh, fine. I suppose I’ll make do for now.” With a bang, the door shut.

“I’m full too!” Xia Ling turned and went back to the master bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

“You ungrateful wolves!” Ye Feng grumbled as he went to wash the dishes. “A grown man like me, reduced to doing chores…”

After a nap, Man Yunyu and Xia Ling both looked much more refreshed. After tidying up, they set out together. Fortunately, the restaurant Man Yunyu had in mind wasn’t too far away; otherwise, escorting two beauties onto a bus would have been rather undignified.

Shu Kingdom Chronicles!

“Oh, come on—who names a restaurant that? Are they making fun of me for not having read Romance of the Three Kingdoms?” Ye Feng frowned—he found the name truly atrocious.

It was the grand opening of Shu Kingdom Chronicles, and all purchases were half price. The place was packed. With two beauties in tow, Ye Feng attracted plenty of glances wherever he went—though he himself was largely ignored.

They were finally seated at a four-person table, and the server courteously handed them the menu. Since Man Yunyu was the host, she let Ye Feng and Xia Ling order first. Ye Feng seldom visited fancy restaurants and declined, while Xia Ling had no interest in choosing dishes. In the end, Man Yunyu picked a few herself.

The menu was expensive, but with the fifty percent discount, it was manageable. Despite the prices, Man Yunyu felt the meal was worth every penny. The place seemed to be aiming for four or five stars; it definitely wouldn’t be so cheap next time. To her, treating her savior, no matter the cost, was worthwhile.

Despite the crowds, the food arrived swiftly—another distinction between large and small restaurants. At small eateries, you could wait half an hour for a single dish, and sometimes people who arrived after you would finish and leave before your food even arrived, leaving you fuming before you’d even eaten. The prompt service here was a delight.

“Wow, this is delicious! Yesterday at the Golden Jade Grand Hotel, the food was amazing—it’s a shame you weren’t there. Today’s is fantastic too,” Ye Feng said as he stuffed his mouth.

At the mention of the Golden Jade Grand Hotel, Man Yunyu’s expression dimmed, a subtle change Ye Feng noticed at once.

“I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have brought it up.” For once, Ye Feng apologized. He wasn’t heartless; seeing a young woman betrayed by someone close would hurt anyone. She acted tough and carefree, but those who put on such a front were often the most fragile inside.

“It’s good, isn’t it, Ling?” Ye Feng said, placing a few pieces of meat on Xia Ling’s plate. To him, meat was the best part of any meal. He also placed a large piece on Man Yunyu’s plate. “You should eat too. Thank you for treating us.”

Watching Ye Feng eat ravenously, Man Yunyu didn’t find his manners unsightly; on the contrary, it made her feel at ease.

Xia Ling’s refined table manners were a stark contrast to Ye Feng’s. People at nearby tables occasionally stole glances at her.

“Ling, you’re so beautiful. If I were a man, I’d marry you!” Man Yunyu was captivated by Xia Ling’s grace.

“Aren’t you a man already? If it weren’t for those two ample chests, I might actually believe it,” Ye Feng replied, gesturing with his hands to indicate a generous size.

“Go to hell!”

“I can’t take Ling out to eat—everywhere we go, she’s the center of attention. She steals all my thunder,” Ye Feng complained.

“What thunder?”

At that moment, a stylishly dressed young man appeared, about Ye Feng’s age, accompanied by two or three others. As he entered, the servers greeted him respectfully, “Young Master Jin!”

“What kind of place is this? A roadside stall? They let just anyone in here,” Young Master Jin said disdainfully, casting a look at the crowd.

“Young Master Jin, the owner of this place relies on our Xin Corporation’s reputation, so he invited you to lend some prestige to the opening. Of course, it can’t compare with our Jin Corporation,” said one of his companions.

“Wait a minute!” As Young Master Jin scanned the rabble, his eyes fell upon Ye Feng and his companions. When he saw Xia Ling and Man Yunyu, his eyes lit up. “I think I’m in love again!”