Chapter 55

She glanced at Ye Fengyun with a complicated expression. When she noticed he was looking her way, she quickly pretended to be interested in something else.

Ye Fengyun said, “You must feel the difference now, don’t you?”

“Mm.” Lin Qinghuan nodded.

“Before, you must’ve felt burdened, but now, you should feel relieved, as if a weight has been lifted.”

“Mm.” Lin Qinghuan nodded again.

Ye Fengyun rolled his eyes. “Can you say anything besides ‘mm’?”

“Oh.”

Ye Fengyun leaned in, his curiosity piqued as he studied her. “Did a ghost possess you or something? Why the sudden change?”

His sudden approach startled Lin Qinghuan. She instinctively leaned back. “Wh-what are you doing, getting so close? Do you believe I won’t—”

“What are you going to do?” Ye Fengyun retorted.

Lin Qinghuan lowered her head, looking like someone thoroughly cowed.

She was the eldest daughter of the Lin family—who wouldn’t treat her with utmost respect and try to curry favor with her? But Ye Fengyun was the exception. Not only did he refuse to flatter her, he seemed to delight in contradicting everyone else. Lin Qinghuan was willful, but he was even more so. After a few rounds of this, Lin Qinghuan had no choice but to yield.

Just as Elder Yun had said: there is always someone who can keep another in check.

At this moment, the butler returned and addressed her respectfully, “Miss, the Old Madam wishes to see you.”

Lin Qinghuan immediately stood up, quickly composing herself. “Elder Yun, and you, come with me.”

“I don’t get a name?” Ye Fengyun sprawled on the sofa, making it clear he wasn’t getting up.

Lin Qinghuan was so infuriated by this scoundrel that she was at her wit’s end—she couldn’t scold him, and she couldn’t hit him. He had her completely in his grasp.

“Ye Fengyun, get up and let’s go!” Lin Qinghuan said irritably.

“You’ll have to call me in a way that makes me happy, or else I won’t budge,” Ye Fengyun replied, thoroughly enjoying teasing this proud young miss.

Lin Qinghuan’s cheeks flushed with frustration. When had she ever suffered such indignity?

“Brother Ye…”

Now it was Ye Fengyun’s turn to be stunned.

He’d only expected Lin Qinghuan to call him “Mr. Ye.” He hadn’t anticipated her to suddenly use such an intimate form of address.

“Are you satisfied now? You shameless rogue, ugly brute, scoundrel!”

Lin Qinghuan’s eyes turned red—whether from grievance, embarrassment, or sheer anger, it was hard to tell.

In truth, Lin Qinghuan had misunderstood, assuming Ye Fengyun was deliberately toying with her.

If Ye Fengyun knew what she was thinking, he would surely look up and cry out, “I’ve been wronged!”

“Little Ye, Miss Lin has never called anyone that before. If you keep this up, it’s really going too far,” Elder Yun hurried to mediate.

Having finally regained some dignity, Lin Qinghuan quickly nodded. “Exactly.”

Ye Fengyun decided not to tease her further; she was close to tears already.

“Take me with you,” Ye Fengyun said.

Lin Qinghuan turned to the butler. “Lead the way.”

The butler gave Ye Fengyun a long, meaningful look, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Then he turned and led them toward the Old Madam’s quarters.

He was sizing Ye Fengyun up, but Ye Fengyun was also sizing him up.

This butler was no ordinary man. His external martial arts were well practiced—he could be considered a first-rate expert. Of course, in Ye Fengyun’s eyes, he was still someone who could be dispatched with a single blow.

Ye Fengyun could see through the butler’s level of skill, but the butler couldn’t fathom Ye Fengyun’s abilities at all. That was the difference between them.

Soon enough, the four of them arrived at the Old Madam’s room.