"I forgive you..."
Ye Chen, seemingly captivated, suddenly charged forward and tightly embraced the delicate, unblemished body of the young girl in front of everyone's astonished eyes, encircling her slender waist like a snake, and inhaling the fresh, virginal scent of the girl, so enchanting and attractive.
Such a woman could almost be called every man's dream lover.
He distinctly felt the girl stiffen in his arms for a moment.
At that moment, Yangg Jun's angry voice erupted, "Bastard, let go of Yi'er immediately."
Everyone was stunned, shocked by Ye Chen's sudden action of holding the small princess of the Yangg family so inappropriately in public, disappointing them greatly.
Outraged and embarrassed to be held so publicly, almost skin-to-skin, Yangg Yi felt the intense male heat radiating from him, which made her feel both mortified and disgusted. The power accumulating inside her was about to explode, and even if she harmed Ye Chen at that moment, the Ye Family would have nothing to say but to scold Ye Chen for his reckless audacity.
But just at that instant, Ye Chen suddenly let go of Yangg Yi without any reluctance, took two steps back, catching her off guard once again, her rosy lips slightly parted in surprise as she stared at him.
Ye Chen's lips curved into a hint of a sneer mixed with indifference, "Yangg Yi, may I ask, have you acted enough for today?"
His words left everyone puzzled. Yangg Yi felt uneasy and subconsciously asked, "Ye Chen, what do you mean by that?"
Ye Chen smiled faintly, a coldness in his smile that sent shivers, "Don't you understand what I mean? But here, I just want to sincerely advise you, don't go too far in life, know when to stop. Wanting to play the saint while being a sinner only makes you more despicable."
His mild laughter echoed throughout the hall, but his repeated words were shocking and drew attention.
"You—"
Coldness covered Yangg Yi's face, her fists clenched tightly as she glared at Ye Chen.
Everyone present was astonished by Ye Chen's audacious words, bluntly criticizing Yangg Yi for wanting to be both a sinner and a saint.
Yangg Jun, who had been pursuing Yangg Yi for a long time, could not tolerate someone else insulting her, especially Ye Chen, who suddenly stood up in fury and shouted, "Ye Chen, you scum, say that again."
"I said she wants to be both a sinner and a saint," Ye Chen replied.
"You—" Yangg Jun was furious and at a loss.
Ye Chen responded nonchalantly, "What's wrong with you, isn't it you who asked me to repeat it?"
Yangg Jun was speechless, not expecting Ye Chen, the rejected of the Ye family, to be so sharp and articulate, leaving him unable to retort.
Elder Yangg's expression turned utterly grim, "City Lord Ye, is this how your Ye Family treats guests?"
Ye Ao looked up, his eyes staring upward, "I didn't see anything."
Elder Yangg was furiously twisted by such paternal protection, too overprotective, perhaps. He huffed, wanting to threaten further, but feeling the icy gaze of City Lord Ye, he seemed doused in cold water from head to toe and dared not speak further.
"Ye Chen, what right do you have to say that about me?" Even as calculating as Yangg Yi was, she was still just a young girl not much older than eighteen, not an old creature who had lived for 60 years and seen much of the world. Her composure couldn't help but waver being talked to in such a manner.
"Did I say something wrong?"
Ye Chen calmly stated, his gaze steady and natural throughout, as serene as ever. He looked into Yangg Yi's eyes as if he could see all her secrets, making her involuntarily avert her gaze, slightly panicking, "What, what are you trying to do?"
"Heh, even facing a disqualified person like me you dare not meet my eyes, if that isn't a guilty conscience, what is?" Ye Chen chuckled, but to Yangg Yi, it sounded mocking as she frantically asked, "What do you mean by this?"
Ye Chen stated, "Yangg Yi, let's not beat around the bush. You approached me originally just to deceive me into trusting you, hoping I would steal the Spirit Clearing Pill from our Ye family for you. All of this had been within your calculations. Indeed, a Heavenly Pride Girl like you could never like a cultivational failure like me. Something abnormal is bound to have an occult cause. Initially, I was just too naïve to notice."
"But let's forget all that. I won't hold it against you anymore. What doesn't kill you makes you wiser. In some ways, I should actually thank you for your help, or else I would not have truly awakened. But don't think I'm still the naive young fool you fooled before. If you think to play those pointless little tricks now to gain my sympathy, isn't that just playing the saint while being a sinner?"
"I must say, you're really quite tiresome."
He taunted coldly, mocking Yangg Yi's ploys.
Silence!
Utter silence!
Yangg Yi raised her head, her rosy lips slightly parted in shock as she gazed at the face of the boy before her, so familiar yet so different. The once innocent and humble features of his face were replaced by a confidence and composure she had never seen before, which dazzled and somewhat dazed her.
She seemed to glimpse a peerlessly distinguished man emerging, commanding respect and awe.
These days, what had happened to this boy who used to revolve around her, giving her the impression he had completely changed, no longer humble, no longer timid, but confident, bold, and fearless.