Originally, Jiang Hao had planned to host a welcome banquet in the evening to apologize to Qin Qinghan, but she refused, citing needing to pick up her daughter from school.
So, Ye Fengwu and Jiang Hao agreed to meet the following evening for the banquet. Ye Fengwu wanted to learn more about the secrets of Haihua City; relying solely on Lin Qiang and the others wasn't enough to understand everything in detail.
Before executing the mission, he had to first remove the Qin family and the Xihu Black Wind from Haihua City. This was his compensation to Qin Qinghan for the eight years he had owed her.
The low-end Chevrolet drove through the spacious city streets, and Ye Fengwu could clearly hear the engine's aging sounds.
Since Qin Qinghan was still in a state of shock, Ye Fengwu took the initiative to drive.
He said, "You really should have accepted Xiao Hao's Ferrari. His car is worth at least five million."
Qin Qinghan's face remained pale as she gazed out of the window, her thoughts far away. Everything that had happened today felt like a nightmare, and she had nearly witnessed the deaths of seven people with her own eyes.
Upon hearing Ye Fengwu's words, Qin Qinghan replied faintly, "Thank you... for today."
Her simple "thank you" made Ye Fengwu grin, but then his expression quickly turned serious. "If you're thanking me just because I saved you, I hope I never hear those words again."
At this, Qin Qinghan turned her face to look at Ye Fengwu, wondering if he didn't want her to feel indebted.
Then Ye Fengwu spoke seriously again, "Don't ever put yourself in such danger again. If you get even the slightest injury, I... won't be able to bear it."
Qin Qinghan was stunned by his words, her beautiful eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and surprise.
She could clearly feel Ye Fengwu's concern for her. But why? Why did he care so much?
If he weren't a hardened criminal, a fugitive, perhaps what he had done for her and his words just now might have made her develop feelings for him.
"Promise me, okay?" Ye Fengwu suddenly reached for Qin Qinghan's hand resting on her lap.
However, at that moment, Qin Qinghan raised her hand to push back a strand of hair, and Ye Fengwu's large hand landed directly on her thigh.
Though separated by fabric, Ye Fengwu could still feel the softness and elasticity of her skin.
Qin Qinghan hadn't expected Ye Fengwu to make such an advance. In an instinctive reaction, she slapped his hand away.
Smack!
"Ah!"
However, her slap didn't hit the offending hand, but instead landed on her own thigh, causing her to wince in pain.
Ye Fengwu's reaction and speed were far beyond Qin Qinghan's, so as soon as her hand moved, he instinctively withdrew.
Seeing this, Ye Fengwu almost laughed, his hand still on the steering wheel as he apologized, "Sorry, sorry, that was just a reflex. Go ahead and try again; this time I won't dodge."
With that, Ye Fengwu shamelessly placed his hand back on Qin Qinghan's thigh.
Tears welled in Qin Qinghan's eyes—whether from the pain or from frustration, it was unclear. Yet, she didn't strike him again. Instead, she allowed his hand to rest on her leg.
"Do whatever you want, I accept it," Qin Qinghan murmured, turning her face toward the car window again.
Today, she had seen the infamous Eastern Dragon Overlord, a terrifying figure who controlled half of Haihua City. It turned out that this person was a subordinate of Ye Fengwu.
What could she expect now that she had fallen into his hands? She could only hope that after he tortured her, he wouldn't harm her family.
If Ye Fengwu knew what Qin Qinghan was thinking, he might just drive the Chevrolet off the road.
He was determined to win her over with sincerity and show her that he was a man of honor.
Thus, after lightly squeezing her thigh, Ye Fengwu pulled his hand back. "That was just a reflex, I swear," he muttered to himself.
"You don't want to know about my relationship with Jiang Hao?" Ye Fengwu suddenly asked.
Qin Qinghan's voice was cold as she replied, "Not interested."
Upon hearing this, Ye Fengwu's face turned awkward. He had been prepared to boast about how many women liked powerful and domineering men. Yet, Qin Qinghan was clearly different from the rest.
As for Jiang Hao, Ye Fengwu had been friends with him since childhood. The two had dropped out of school after middle school to run street fights and collect protection fees, and Ye Fengwu still gnawed his teeth in resentment over those years.
At eighteen, Ye Fengwu had already built a reputation in Haihua City's underground world and made many enemies.
He had saved Jiang Hao's life more than once, and from that moment on, Jiang Hao worshiped him and obeyed his every command.
Later, Ye Fengwu had been framed by the son of Xihu Black Wind, drugged and sent to prison under the false charge of being a rapist.
Throughout the drive, Qin Qinghan occasionally checked the time, growing more anxious. It was already 5:25 p.m., and school let out at 5:30 p.m. She feared they wouldn't arrive in time.
"Can you drive faster?" Qin Qinghan urged Ye Fengwu for the third time.
Ye Fengwu, his face a little weary, pointed ahead at the long line of cars. "Honey, there's a traffic jam."
Qin Qinghan bit her lip, her expression full of worry.
Ye Fengwu was puzzled, thinking it wasn't a big deal to be a little late in picking up her daughter. "Don't worry. Jing Si is very smart. She'll find a safe place to wait for us."
But Qin Qinghan's anxiety didn't ease. Her hands were pale from clutching her clothes.
This made Ye Fengwu more confused. What was she really worried about? Did Jing Si face some kind of trouble?
In an instant, Ye Fengwu slammed on the horn, trying to urge the traffic ahead to move faster.
After 15 minutes of bumper-to-bumper traffic, Ye Fengwu finally parked near the school gates, where a group of parents had already picked up their children.
As soon as the car stopped, Qin Qinghan pushed open the door and rushed out toward the school entrance.
Ye Fengwu quickly followed.
From a distance, Ye Fengwu noticed a crowd gathered outside the school. There were children around eight or nine years old, along with several parents.
From tens of meters away, he could hear mocking laughter.
"Qin Jing Si, little b*st*rd, your dad's a rapist, and your mom's a dirty woman."
"Qin Jing Si, little b*st*rd, your dad's a rapist, and your mom's a dirty woman."
…
In an instant, Ye Fengwu's face darkened to a terrifying degree, and he marched over, furious.
In the crowd, Jing Si stood with her schoolbag on, her uniform stained with saliva. Her delicate porcelain-like face was full of stubborn defiance and hurt.
Tears shimmered in her eyes, but she held them back. Who knew how many times she had endured such humiliation?
At least ten naughty children were mocking and bullying her, while their parents stood by, laughing as if they hadn't even realized their children's twisted behavior.
A small boy pointed to Jing Si and said, "Mom, this is Qin Jing Si. Her mom was r*p*d, and she doesn't even know who her real dad is."
The boy's mother, though only around 30, had yellowed skin, relying heavily on thick foundation to cover it. Her gaze toward Jing Si was filled with disdain as she looked at her son and said, "Don't play with kids like her at school. They're so dirty."
"Jing Si…"
At this moment, Qin Qinghan rushed over. When she saw her daughter's devastated face and tattered school uniform, her heart ached. But she held back her tears, instead pulling her daughter into an embrace and walking away from the crowd.
She no longer wanted to hear any more of their insults.
Qin Qinghan, dressed in a professional outfit that accentuated her perfect figure, especially her stunningly beautiful face, caught the attention of many of the male parents, who couldn't help but stare in awe. Even some of the female parents looked on with envy.