As Su Mo walked, a heavily bundled man “accidentally” bumped toward him.
At the same time, the man’s hand shot toward the white jade ring with lightning speed—a seamless, flawless motion.
Yet, just as he thought he’d succeeded, his wrist was suddenly seized in an iron grip.
The man’s heart lurched in panic. He tried to flee, but the grip on his wrist was impossibly strong.
“Ow ow ow—!” The man howled in pain, drawing the attention of passersby.
“Talk. Who sent you?” Su Mo’s icy tone made the man too afraid to meet his eyes.
Just then, Ye Qingyi stepped forward. As the “boyfriend,” she couldn’t just stand by while her “girlfriend” was harassed. She grabbed the man by the collar, accidentally lifting him off the ground. “Spill it, or I’ll beat you up!”
“I was just trying to steal something! Nobody sent me!” The man nearly cried, legs flailing.
Little did he know, the white jade ring was no ordinary piece of jewelry—combined with what was inside, it was worth a fortune.
After exchanging a glance, Ye Qingyi dropped him with a stern warning: “Try that again, and I’ll break your legs.”
The man scrambled away like a crab, wishing he could run on all fours.
“Don’t be so paranoid. Just a common thief,” Ye Qingyi said, slinging an arm around Su Mo’s shoulders, seizing every chance to “cop a feel.”
Su Mo half-heartedly shrugged her off before giving up, frowning. “Better safe than sorry. Don’t forget the Hundred Immortals Sect has eyes everywhere. They might still come for us.”
Ye Qingyi nodded slightly in agreement.
Back at the villa that night, after much resistance, Su Mo finally managed to shoo Ye Qingyi out of his bedroom.
He sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his temples.
“What’s gotten into her? Why is she so obsessed with taking advantage of me?” he muttered to himself.
“She’s a girl! Why’s she acting like a total perv?”
“Is it the body’s influence? Do male bodies just come with built-in horndog settings?”
Su Mo found his logic sound—otherwise, things wouldn’t be this ridiculous.
Even someone as thick-skinned as him was blushing constantly now, hypersensitive to Ye Qingyi’s “harassment.”
“Maybe it’s just the honeymoon phase. Once the novelty wears off, she’ll calm down…” Comforting himself, Su Mo settled into meditation.
Meanwhile, next door.
Ye Qingyi writhed on her bed like an excited worm.
“Hahaha, he’s so cute! Teasing him is so fun!”
“Being a guy is awesome! No monthly cramps, and I can shamelessly flirt with my girlfriend!”
“Ahhh, I’m in love! Heehee~”
“La la la, la la la, I’m the little newsboy~”
……
One side brooded; the other bounced.
The night passed uneventfully.
Morning came.
The Ye family’s mountain, Ye Mountain, was one of the few elevated areas in the region. It had been their territory since the family’s rise, unchanging through the years.
Ye Qingyi followed Su Mo to the foot of the mountain, gazing up at the home that felt both familiar and foreign.
Su Mo took her hand, whispering reassuringly, “You’re not alone anymore. No one can bully you now.”
Ye Qingyi didn’t reply, but her grateful glance said enough.
“By the way, I’m Ye Qingyi right now. I won’t let them push me around. If anyone crosses the line, don’t blame me for going hard.”
“What, you’d actually hit a Ye family member on their own turf?” Ye Qingyi laughed despite herself.
“Hey, it’s just self-defense. Besides, aside from… certain uncles, who’d actually dare lay hands on me?”
Ye Qingyi pressed, “What if he does?”
Ah, the trap question.
That was her father, after all. Even in her body, Su Mo couldn’t actually fight him—not without damaging Ye Qingyi’s opinion of him.
With a radiant smile, Su Mo deflected: “That’s what you’re here for, right? You’ll protect me.”
Ye Qingyi hadn’t expected that answer. Softly, she echoed, “Right… Su Mo will protect me. Qingyi isn’t scared.”
They began their ascent.
The mountain guards moved to stop them—until recognizing the “Second Young Lady.”
“Second Young Lady! What brings you here?”
“Is it so strange to visit my own home?”
The guards exchanged glances. Did she swallow a firecracker today?
“N-Not at all! But, uh… please wait while we inform the Madam.”
Su Mo arched a brow. “Since when does the Madam call the shots in the Ye family?”
One guard grimaced. “The Madam’s orders. We’re just following them. Please don’t make this difficult.”
“Fine.” Su Mo relented.
Ten minutes later, a pink, cutesy luxury car screeched to a halt beside them.
The door flew open, and Ye Wei leaped out, beelining for Su Mo. “Qingyi! You’re finally here! I’ve missed you so much, little niece!”
She grabbed Su Mo’s hands, then paused at the sight of Ye Qingyi. “Aha! You said you weren’t dating! Who’s this?”
That’s your precious niece, obviously, Su Mo thought dryly.
“We weren’t together back then.”
“Ohhh, so he was chasing you?”
Su Mo straightened proudly. “No, I pursued him.” He shot Ye Qingyi a smug look.
Ye Qingyi facepalmed.
Ye Wei squealed in delight, dragging them both toward the car. “We’re taking them!” she announced to the guards, who could only smile nervously.
Ye Qingyi tactfully took the front seat, leaving the rear to the “aunt and niece”—or rather, sisters.
The original front-seat bodyguard politely exited, opting for the “Bus No. 11″—a highly mobile, all-terrain mode of transport (walking).
Ye Wei brought them straight to the back mountain, where the old patriarch resided.
Ye Huaimin sat fishing in the courtyard, his wife Li Ru serving him tea at the stone table.
“Dad! Mom! Look who’s here!”
“Qingyi?” Ye Huaimin didn’t rise, but his eyes lit up.
Su Mo greeted politely, “Grandfather.”
To Li Ru—though not Ye Zhongwen’s birth mother—he still offered a respectful “Grandmother.” According to Ye Qingyi, this step-grandmother had always treated her kindly.
Ye Huaimin remained seated until Li Ru chided, “Honestly! Your granddaughter brought a friend to see you, and you won’t even turn around? Which matters more—fish or family?”
Finally, the old man turned, beaming. “Of course my granddaughter matters more.”
But when his eyes landed on the boy beside her, his expression hardened, posture turning stern.
Is this brat Qingyi’s boyfriend?