In the quiet alley, Chen Fan and Feng Yanyan stood in an awkward silence. Feng Yanyan couldn't help but feel a twinge of embarrassment as she recalled her earlier outburst—the hug, the tears, and her panicked behavior. She stole a quick glance at Chen Fan but immediately looked away, pretending to study something else in the alley to avoid his gaze.
After a brief moment, she worked up the courage to peek at him again, only to find him staring at her with a faint, amused smile. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she dropped her gaze, her shyness written all over her face.
"Wh-what's wrong, Brother Chen?" Feng Yanyan stammered, forcing an awkward smile as she tried to ease the tension.
"Hm? Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Chen Fan replied with a teasing tone, his expression lighthearted.
"Huh?" Feng Yanyan tilted her head in confusion, but it didn't take long for her to realize what he meant.
"Ah, that—I wasn't following you!" she blurted, fumbling for an excuse. "I just—uh—needed to find a toilet! Yes, that's it. I got lost looking for a toilet."
Chen Fan raised an eyebrow, his skepticism evident as his grin widened. "I was only asking if you were feeling better," he said with a calm smile. "But now that you've brought it up... are you sure you weren't stalking me?"
"I told you! I was just looking for a toilet!" Feng Yanyan protested, her voice rising as her embarrassment grew.
"In a deserted alley, next to a garbage dump? I didn't know you had such… interesting preferences," Chen Fan quipped, his teasing grin becoming more mischievous.
"That's not it!" Feng Yanyan shot back, her face reddening as she realized he was only teasing her. She puffed out her cheeks in a pout and glared at him. "I hate you, Brother Chen!"
Chen Fan chuckled at her squirrel-like expression, which only seemed to make her pout even more.
"Okay, okay. I'll stop," he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender, though his grin remained.
"Hmph! You'd better!" Feng Yanyan muttered, crossing her arms but failing to hide her lingering embarrassment.
"Let's head back inside. I'm starting to get hungry," Chen Fan said, shifting the conversation.
"Hmph, I already ate. You can eat alone," Feng Yanyan replied, still sulking.
"Oh, right!" Chen Fan suddenly exclaimed, pulling out his phone. "Good thing it's still recording."
"Recording?" Feng Yanyan froze, her face draining of color. "What recording?"
"Well," Chen Fan began casually, "I figured our conversation might take an interesting turn, so I decided to record everything after I left the restaurant. You know, just in case."
Feng Yanyan's expression turned pale as she recalled all her embarrassing actions and words. Panic set in, and she lunged toward Chen Fan in an attempt to grab his phone. He dodged her effortlessly, leaving her hand resting against his stomach.
"What are you doing?" Chen Fan asked with an amused grin.
"Ah, you must be tired after that fight, right, Brother Chen? You must be starving!" Feng Yanyan said in a sweet, overly cheerful voice. She lightly patted his shoulder, trying to butter him up. Accepting her fate, she decided to switch tactics and appeal to his kindness.
"You have to try the restaurant's signature dish, Brother Chen. It's one of the best I've ever had!" she urged, walking a step ahead and glancing back to gauge his reaction.
"All right, I'll give it a try," Chen Fan said, smiling as he followed her. Feng Yanyan began excitedly describing the dish in detail, her earlier embarrassment seemingly forgotten. Chen Fan trailed behind, listening to her with an amused smile.
--
Back at the restaurant, Chen Fan savored his meal with genuine delight. Though cultivators at his level could easily go weeks without eating, he preferred to indulge in good food simply because he enjoyed it.
"How is it? Delicious, right?" Feng Yanyan asked, her tone carrying a hint of pride as she leaned forward eagerly.
Clearing her throat, she added with dramatic flair, "To tell you the truth…" She spread all ten fingers in front of him with a triumphant grin. "I've already visited exactly ten restaurants in this area!" Her voice brimmed with unconcealed pride.
"So, if you ever want to try something, just ask me. I'll know all the best spots!" she declared, her smug expression glowing with confidence.
Chen Fan couldn't help but smile, amused by her self-satisfaction. He was fairly certain that, even before venturing into the mountains, he had dined at twice or even three times as many places as she had. Still, recalling that Feng Yanyan's family likely had personal chefs at home, he realized that, for her, knowing this many restaurants was probably quite the accomplishment. The thought made him chuckle inwardly, finding her efforts entertaining.
"Well then, I'll have to ask you for restaurant recommendations in the future. I really want to try a lot of different foods—like Western cuisine or exotic dishes," Chen Fan said casually.
"Ah?" Feng Yanyan blinked, surprised by his request. She only knew about restaurants that served similar dishes; none of the foods Chen Fan mentioned were on her radar. "O-of course! I can tell you the best places for those," she quickly added, trying to cover up her momentary panic.
Chen Fan chuckled inwardly but chose not to expose her.
"Then, shall we exchange contact information?" he asked, pulling out his phone.
"Alright, I'll send you the details later. I forgot the name of the place, but I'll check it out and send you the location," Feng Yanyan said, maintaining a flat expression, determined to keep up her persona as a food expert. She made a mental note to find out more about the cuisines Chen Fan had mentioned.
"Then I'll be counting on you," Chen Fan said with a smile, his eyes twinkling as he looked at her.
At that moment, a woman approached Feng Yanyan, her sudden arrival drawing the attention of both Chen Fan and Feng Yanyan.
"Sister Yu, what's wrong?" Feng Yanyan asked, turning to her bodyguard.
"Miss, the eldest lady has asked you to return home immediately," Sister Yu informed her, her tone calm yet firm.
----
Seated in her car outside the restaurant, Feng Xueying kept her gaze locked on the door, patiently waiting for her sister to appear. Earlier, she had received a report from her bodyguard that Feng Yanyan had encountered both Su Ming and Chen Fan. She had instructed her guards to inform her immediately if the two men ever crossed paths with her sister. Upon hearing the news, she had rushed to the restaurant, only to discover that Su Ming had already left. The false hope of uncovering more clues left her slightly irritated.
Ever since the engagement had been broken, Feng Xueying's mind had been plagued by questions. Protagonist, heroine, their future, Su Ming's peculiar behavior—those strange words and ideas had thrown her thoughts into a spiral of confusion. Why had Su Ming referred to them as a protagonist and heroine? Could he truly see the future? Were they merely characters in some story, or was it all part of some odd delusion of his?
These unanswered questions gnawed at Feng Xueying, leaving her irritable and restless. More than once, she had entertained the idea of confronting Su Ming directly to demand answers. Yet, she knew that doing so would only stir up more trouble. She had also considered sending spies to monitor Su Ming, but with his family's influence rivaling her own, such actions risked disastrous consequences if discovered. Similarly, she avoided meddling with Chen Fan. She was aware that Chen Fan's master was someone even her grandfather—a grandmaster—respected. This led her to conclude that Chen Fan must have extraordinary backing or abilities, making it unwise to provoke him.
Instead, she chose to focus on Feng Yanyan. Su Ming's earlier words hinted that her sister had become entangled with Chen Fan. Feng Xueying believed something significant might arise from their interactions, and she was determined to uncover it by keeping a close watch on her sister.
As her gaze lingered on Chen Fan, Feng Xueying felt a mix of emotions, though discomfort was the strongest. The idea that some unseen force was manipulating her life, steering it toward this man, made it hard for her to develop any favorable impression of him. Of course, she had no intention of taking drastic measures like harming him or making him an enemy. For now, she resolved to simply keep her distance.
Watching Chen Fan and Feng Yanyan chatting and laughing, Feng Xueying felt a surge of unease. It was as though some invisible hand was orchestrating their bond, and the thought unsettled her. She wanted to intervene, to pull her sister away from this inexplicable connection.
At last, she saw her sister exit the restaurant, flanked by her bodyguard, heading straight toward her car.
Feng Yanyan walked out of the restaurant, her face set in a pout. "Stinky man," she grumbled under her breath. Moments earlier, before parting ways with Chen Fan, she had tried asking about the recording, only to discover he had been teasing her the entire time. Feeling tricked and annoyed, she made her way toward the car, her disgruntled expression impossible to miss.
"Sister? What are you doing here?" Feng Yanyan asked, surprised to see her usually busy sister personally coming to pick her up.
"Get in the car," Feng Xueying said curtly. "It's been a while since we ate out together, hasn't it?"
"But I just finished eating!" Feng Yanyan protested, blinking in confusion.
"Just get in the car," Feng Xueying insisted, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"Hmph, grumpy sister," Feng Yanyan muttered, but she obediently climbed into the car and sat beside her sister.
Without delay, the car drove off into the distance.