"Xiao Se, my little brother, I really don't know what you've been eating these past two years. I remember when we first met, you barely reached my shoulders. Now you've completely surpassed me." Walking through the hallway on the second floor of the auction house, Ya Fei glanced softly at Xiao Se beside her and smiled as she spoke.
"Haha, and isn't Ya Fei getting more and more charming as well? By the way, I haven't congratulated you yet. I just overheard some guards mentioning that you've been appointed the Inspection Elder of the Miteer family. Congratulations!" Xiao Se teased.
Recalling the time two years ago in Wutan City when he had casually told Ya Fei, 'If you don't want to be controlled by the family, you need to control the family,' and seeing her shocked expression back then, Xiao Se couldn't help but smile. What was once a casual remark might now actually come true.
Upon hearing this, Ya Fei was momentarily stunned. She turned to quietly gaze at Xiao Se's slightly smiling face and said earnestly, "Thank you, Xiao Se."
"Why are you thanking me all of a sudden? This is your own hard work." Xiao Se's steps paused slightly at Ya Fei's unexpected gratitude. He shrugged indifferently and replied calmly.
Staring intently at the now mature and handsome young face, Ya Fei softly smiled and shook her head. "It's fine if you don't admit it, but I still want to thank you. What might seem trivial to you saved me from being used as a tool in a family marriage."
Xiao Se remained silent, only smiling. He had indeed mentioned a business prodigy from the Miteer family to Hai Bodong in Wutan City, but he hadn't specified who it was. Ya Fei must have impressed Hai Bodong on her own merits, even though his recommendation might have helped.
However, even if Hai Bodong valued Xiao Se, it wouldn't have meant much if Ya Fei didn't have real skills. Without her talents, she might have been elevated in the family but only as a figurehead with no real power.
At this moment, the two of them stood quietly in the empty hallway, gazing at each other as an ambiguous atmosphere slowly built between them.
Perhaps due to the inevitable pull of fate, an ill-timed voice suddenly broke the silence. "Ya Fei, this is a restricted area meant only for senior members of the family. As the family Inspection Elder, do you intend to break the rules?"
As the voice faded, a few figures emerged from around the corner of the hallway. Leading them was a young man in luxurious attire, his face pale as he lazily held a birdcage in his hand, walking with an air of arrogance. His pale complexion was an obvious sign of overindulgence.
The pale-faced young man's gaze was filled with undisguised lust as he ogled Ya Fei, eyeing her curvaceous figure. His breathing quickened slightly as he stared at her with unabashed desire.
Noticing the disgusting look in his eyes, Ya Fei frowned and looked coldly at the young man approaching her. Her beautiful eyes revealed undisguised disdain as she spoke in a frosty tone, "Lei Lei, you do remember I'm the Inspection Elder, right? How dare you speak to me like this? Are you trying to disrespect your superiors?"
"Hmph! Don't try to suppress me with your elder status. You only got lucky to become an elder, and who knows how long it'll last. Even if this goes to the Grand Elder, I'm still in the right," the young man named Lei Lei, catching Ya Fei's disdainful gaze, darkened his expression and replied coldly.
"That's not your concern. As long as I'm the Inspection Elder, even your grandfather can't interfere with my affairs. Now get lost!" Ya Fei, fed up with Lei Lei's arrogance due to his grandfather's status as a strong Dou Spirit and family elder, spoke with a sharp edge in her voice. She knew that even the patriarch had to show respect to Xiao Se, whom Hai Bodong highly valued. Yet, Lei Lei had the audacity to show off in front of them.
To Ya Fei, Lei Lei was nothing but laughable and ignorant.
"You..." Lei Lei, humiliated in front of his subordinates, gritted his teeth in frustration. Glancing at the calm Xiao Se beside Ya Fei, he sneered, "Well, Ya Fei, I finally see the real you. You always act so pure, but it turns out you're into little boys who haven't even grown up yet. If you need a man, this young master can definitely satisfy you!"
Hearing himself being called a little boy, Xiao Se shrugged helplessly and looked over at Ya Fei, remarking casually, "This brat is talking to you like this. Doesn't old man Hai know?"
Ya Fei sighed with a bitter smile, shaking her head. "The elders, especially his doting grandfather, rarely interfere in disputes among the younger generation. I can't trouble Hai Bodong over every little thing. For now, I have to endure it."
"Sorry, I can't endure it," Xiao Se replied with a shrug. His gaze suddenly shifted to the pale-faced young man, a sinister smile curling at his lips as he transformed into a streak of light, disappearing from his spot in an instant.
"Watch out! He's an eight-star Dou Shi!" Ya Fei instinctively tried to warn, but before she could finish, Xiao Se was already behind Lei Lei.
In the stunned eyes of Ya Fei and the guards, Xiao Se lifted his right foot, quickly slipped a metal guard onto his shoe, and aimed a sharp kick at Lei Lei's backside.
In the next moment, Lei Lei's long robe was ripped to shreds, a sharp cracking sound of bones echoed from his pelvis, followed by a blood-curdling scream.
"Ahhhhh!"
Lei Lei's scream pierced the air as Xiao Se's powerful kick sent him crashing into the ceiling, leaving a gaping hole in the wooden structure.
With his upper body stuck in the ceiling, his hands clutched his throbbing backside, his posture absurdly comical.
Watching Lei Lei's pitiful state, Xiao Se clapped his hands free of any dust and casually walked back to Ya Fei, smiling. "Let's go."
At this point, Ya Fei and the guards finally snapped out of their shock.
Seeing their young master's miserable state, the guards' expressions turned livid as they angrily rushed toward Xiao Se. However, after receiving a harsh glare from Ya Fei, they hesitated, fearfully retreating.
Under the watchful eyes of Xiao Se and Ya Fei, the guards carefully pulled Lei Lei out of the hole and carried him off in disgrace.
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