The girls burst into laughter, having clearly enjoyed a few drinks and getting bolder.
âZhu Yeqing, arenât you supposed to protect me?â
âYoung Master, stop being so tense. Today, Iâm happy. Canât we just enjoy it?â
âHold on. You havenât even cut the birthday cake yet or made a wish.â
A cake was wheeled in. Zhu Yeqing gazed at the candles, pausing for a moment before blowing them out, making a silent wish.
Chen Fan stared at her, surprised.
âYoung Master, today, no stressing over things. No thinking about that annoying Ye Aotian either.â
âFine, today weâll just have fun.â
Zhu Yeqing nodded happily, and everyone spent the evening laughing and celebrating.
On the other side, Ye Aotian, now able to sit up straight, received fantastic news: Zheng Shaoyang had decided to join his side. Ye Aotian couldnât be happier.
âI also have another piece of newsâkind of a joke. Want to hear it?â
âWhatâs that?â
âPeople are saying ⦠Chen Fanâs a virgin.â
Ye Aotian burst into laughter. âThat guy? A virgin? So, Lin Qingyue lied to me? She was forced by him all along! Damn you, Chen Fan. Iâll make you pay for this!â
Nearby, Ling Yuyan shot Ye Aotian a look of disdain.
âMiss Yuyan, why are you looking at me like that?â
âWant to know why?â
âYes. I donât get why youâre always so against me. Iâve already agreed to cancel our engagement.â
Ling Yuyan replied, âLetâs be clear: you might look down on Chen Fan for being a virgin, but to women, that shows heâs honorable. At least he respects himself. Better than some people who sleep around like a stallion, chasing after every woman they see.â
Ling Xiaoyun coughed awkwardly. âWatch how you speak to Ye Aotian. Have you forgotten the familyâs instructions?â
âDoesnât matter. Goodbye, Iâm leaving. Iâd rather be at work.â
Ye Aotian turned to Ling Xiaoyun. âDo you think sheâs right?â
âI donât know. My job is to keep you safe. The rest is none of my concern.â
Despite his plans to party through the night, Chen Fan had overestimated his drinking ability. By the time evening rolled around, he was already too drunk to continue, so the group headed home. Zhu Yeqing, whoâd had more than a little herself, fell asleep leaning against Chen Fan in the car.
Anna, sitting in the front seat, turned and asked, âChen Fan, know anyone in real estate?â
âWhy donât you go to the Lin family? Thatâs their specialty.â
âGood point. I want to open a gym. Any tips?â
âGet some pretty trainers. Thanks.â
She burst out laughing. âHas anyone told you that youâre cute when youâre grumpy?â
âWhile you may be of noble blood, let me remind you that you represent the Dukeâs face in here. Iâd hate for you to embarrass him.â
âNo worries! The Duke introduced me to the woman he cares aboutâa hardworking girl I quite like. Weâre friends now.â
âOh really? Then do yourself a favor and stay away from Ye Aotian. The Duke despises him.â
âI wonât.â
âFine. You can deal with the Dukeâs anger yourself.â
âBleh.â
When they arrived at Chen Fanâs house, Anna parted ways with him, intent on finding her own place. Sheâd grown tired of simply spectating from the sidelines. Plus, it was obvious Chen Fan didnât really welcome her presence.
Back at home, Chen Fan gently laid Zhu Yeqing down, covering her with a blanket. She curled up next to him, holding onto his arm as if she were a cat. It wasnât a scene from the original plot, but he figured letting her stay close wouldnât disrupt things too much.
In the novel, his relationship with Zhu Yeqing wasnât fleshed out in much detailâjust a few rushed sentences. In the end, Zhu Yeqing fell in love with him and carried his body to a remote village to live in peace. During his repeated reincarnations, theyâd sometimes drink together, and after having too much, Zhu Yeqing would inevitably end up seeking his comfort, seeking protection and solace.
The tragic story of Zhu Yeqing served to make Ye Aotianâs takedown of the family even more satisfying.
Lost in thought, he heard a
sound and saw Tao Xiaoyao holding up her phone, snapping a picture.
âWhatâs your problem? Why are you taking pictures?â
âJust thought it was a beautiful moment. Mind if I ask you something?â
âGo ahead.â
âAll of Qincheng now knows youâre a virgin. Whatâs your plan?â
âAre you just trying to be annoying?â
âYes, very much so. Iâm bored and lonely. Why donât we ⦠I donât know ⦠make some noise? Just the two of us. Itâll be fun!â
âGet lost. Iâm not interested in old women.â
But Tao Xiaoyao quickly brushed it off.
âAlright, alright. Iâll keep my youthful spirit intact. Wrinkles are the last thing I need.â
âActually, Iâve been meaning to askâwhat exactly is âancient martial artsâ?â
âTheyâre still human, remember that. Thatâs all you need to know.â
Chen Fan was shaken. âWait, are you saying â¦?â
âYes. I may be old, but my skin and physique are better than anyone half my age. Iâm sure you understand what that means.â
âI do.â
âIâm only at the 3
rank, but thatâs more than enough to handle those old codgers. If you ever meet someone above the 1
rank, donât hesitateâjust surrender.â
âWhat about guns?â
âUseless. Even a cannon blast might only injure them; it wouldnât be enough to kill.â
âAnd what about lightweight techniques?â
âPeople donât fly, genius. What are you thinking?â
âIâm heading to my room. Spend some time with your little beauty, and donât hold back. Itâs better for your health to ârelax.ââ
Once Tao Xiaoyao left, Chen Fan checked his companyâs stock on his phone.