Who this thirty-year-old handsome guy was, and what he was doing, Li Qianfan naturally had no idea.
Out of basic courtesy, after a shared glance, the handsome guy continued westward into the fine drizzle.
Su Nanyin, sitting in the passenger seat, was about to step out of the car when her phone rang.
Li Qianfan had no choice but to wait where he was, habitually raising his head to survey the surroundings.
As the handsome guy strode westward, he paused slightly at the gate of Li Qianfan's west neighbor, his face turning towards the house number.
This was the very number he was looking for.
He also knew that behind this closed door was a superb young woman, exuding a milky fragrance, her skin as tender as silken tofu, full-figured but not plump.
As long as he could drag the woman into the bedroom, he would pounce on her like a mad dog, gnawing and biting.
He wouldn't be satisfied until he had tormented the woman to death.
But—
Just as this handsome guy, named Ye Qingfan, turned his face to look at the house number, he caught sight of Li Qianfan standing not far behind him, quietly watching him!
"Damn Ma Benyong, did he deliberately set a trap for me to fall into?"
"Otherwise, this little scumbag would never be here."
"No. Ma Benyong doesn't have the guts for that."
"Then why is Li Qianfan here?"
"Could it be that Ma Rongna contacted him in secret?"
Ye Qingfan's thoughts raced, but he continued to walk forward.
Whether the Ma family had betrayed the eldest lady or Li Qianfan's presence here was pure coincidence, Ye Qingfan would not be visiting the courtyard tonight to indulge in the milky-fragranced young woman.
He would only walk into the cold rain for a full three hundred meters before taking out a phone and dialing.
Soon.
An aged male voice answered, "Who is this?"
"It's Ye Qingfan."
Ye Qingfan's voice, like his refined and gentle appearance, easily earned him good impressions. "I have arrived at the address you provided."
Ma Benyong's voice on the other end of the phone became distinctly obsequious. "Mr. Ye, are you satisfied with Nana?"
Before the Ma family had suffered heavy losses from Li Qianfan, Ma Benyong had spoken with people from the island province with a calm demeanor.
But times had changed.
The Ma family had been severely hit, and the eldest lady was particularly displeased with him, greatly diminishing his confidence.
"I didn't go in."
Ye Qingfan immediately deduced from Ma Benyong's words that he didn't know Li Qianfan would be here.
He replied with a smile, "Because as soon as I reached the door, I spotted Li Qianfan. He's standing to the east of that courtyard right now."
"What?"
Ma Benyong was greatly startled. "How did that little scumbag get there?"
Ye Qingfan said, "You'd better ask yourself about this."
"Mr. Ye—"
Ma Benyong understood and quickly explained, "I can stake my life! I have absolutely no intention of betraying the eldest lady. Nana couldn't possibly have contacted Li Qianfan either. His appearance there tonight is definitely a coincidence. But please rest assured, Mr. Ye, I will investigate this matter as quickly as possible."
"Alright, I'll wait for your call."
Ye Qingfan then decisively ended the call.
A taxi slowly drove over and stopped not far in front of him.
The door opened, and someone alighted.
It was a family of three.
After getting out of the car, the husband opened an umbrella and held it over his wife.
The wife, cradling an infant, her face alight with sweet happiness, cooed at the baby in her arms, "Don't fret, baby, we're going home to eat now."
Eating, of course, meant feeding the baby.
Ye Qingfan, with his excellent hearing, heard this and his Adam's apple bobbed violently.
The rain continued to fall.
Swish swish swish—
Seven-thirty in the evening.
Li Qianfan, with his "female driver," finally stepped into his new home in Modu.
The courtyard was not large, but whether it was the architectural style or the plants and flowers, everything looked exquisite.
The main building was a two-story villa, with east and west wings.
Beyond the main gate, there was only a wall.
The east and west wings housed the laundry room, storage rooms, and four guest rooms.
The villa's ground floor had a kitchen, a dining room, and a guest room.
The second floor had three bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom and shower, and a study.
The rosewood furniture was luxurious yet understated.
All essential appliances were of the highest quality.
Even the paintings on the wall were original works by contemporary masters, costing several million each.
Yao Yao loved it here.
She solemnly declared—
The second bedroom was her palace in Modu, and anyone, including Her Majesty the Empress, who wished to enter it must obtain her permission, or she would turn hostile!
Of course.
The man who could bring Yao Yao great fortune could visit her bedroom anytime.
And even stay overnight openly!
Hearing this, Her Majesty the Empress was so angry her nose nearly twitched.
If it weren't for Li Qianfan's great affection for her, Su Nanyin would have grabbed a feather duster, rolled up her sleeves, and demanded Yao Yao to get ready for a spanking.
The master bedroom on the second floor was the largest.
Excluding the bathroom with the bathtub, the indoor area alone was estimated to be forty square meters.
The large dressing table was practically a desk.
The floor was covered with high-grade carpet that felt like walking on clouds.
The bed was so wide it was blushing; it would take two and a half somersaults to not fall off.
On the shoe rack by the door were two pairs of newly bought slippers.
One for men, and a small pair for women.
Su Nanyin casually opened the wardrobe and nodded with satisfaction.
Inside were various clothes that Yao Yao and Su Xin had bought for her and Li Qianfan that afternoon.
There was even a black off-the-shoulder evening gown and a simple white cheongsam with a high slit.
Just no black fur mini-skirt—
And no fishnet stockings, of course.
"Ah, this feels like home. No matter how good a hotel is, it doesn't feel secure."
Su Nanyin sighed contentedly as she gently closed the wardrobe.
Downstairs in the living room.
Li Qianfan was sitting on the sofa with Gao Lingwang and others, drinking tea and chatting.
Su Xin, Yao Yao, Chu Yingying, and Shang Long'er, the four girls, were busy in the kitchen.
Su Xin would be staying in the sole guest room downstairs.
Chu Yingying, Shang Long'er, Gao Lingwang, Qin Zhou, Chen Dong, and Wang Zhe, the six of them, would be staying in the guest rooms of the east and west wings.
They naturally didn't feel at home here.
Their stay was solely to better protect Deputy Manager Su.
"This evening, I received some news," Gao Lingwang said, flicking ash into the ashtray. "Modu is currently hosting a martial arts tournament organized by several companies. It's called the Three-Region Arena Competition, involving the East Land, the Eastern Ocean, and Han City. In reality, contestants from countries like Southern Yue and Bangkok can participate. Of course, there are also contestants from the island province and Hong Kong."
Both Li Qianfan and the Dark Blade's group in Modu had their own clear objectives.
They were naturally uninterested in any arena competition.
This so-called Three-Region Arena Competition attracted Gao Lingwang's attention because of its incredibly generous prize money.
Winning just one match in the "preliminaries" would yield a bonus of 100,000 to 300,000 yuan (the final distribution of prize money depended on the excitement of the match).
If one could break into the top 32, each win would bring a million yuan.
Reaching the top eight guaranteed a prize of at least five million!
The format of the Three-Region Arena Competition differed significantly from the familiar arena competitions.
"If I make it to the top eight, I won't know who my quarter-final opponent will be," Gao Lingwang explained with a smile. "Because in the quarter-finals, opponents can be replaced by anyone at will. Similarly, if I feel I don't have a sure win, I can also substitute someone. And we don't have to inform the opponent who will be fighting beforehand."
Speaking of arena competitions, Chen Dong, who had participated in many matches back in Tianhu Province, became invigorated.
"Idiot." Li Qianfan scolded him, seeing his eagerness. "You're not thinking of participating in this tournament, are you? I'm warning you. The more these chaotic rule competitions are, the greater the risk. You're highly likely to encounter truly skilled opponents. In other words, your chances of being crippled are equally high. If you get crippled, won't An Ran blame me?"
Li Qianfan was right.
Chen Dong chuckled sheepishly. "Heh heh, Master. If I really make it to the top eight, you can take my place."
"Damn it." Li Qianfan kicked him. "What's my current worth? I can pocket billions with a casual word. Do you think I'd go on stage for a few million or tens of millions, disregard my image, and fight fiercely in front of everyone?"
Heh heh.
Chen Dong, kicked off the rosewood sofa, merely chuckled and didn't retort.
After all, everyone knew Li Qianfan wasn't bragging.
"Dinner is served, everyone! Please try this canned luncheon meat and canned yellow peaches, prepared by your humble wife."
Yao Yao, whose personality was becoming more lively, called out as she carried two plates out of the kitchen.
Chen Dong quickly said, "Mistress, please rest, I'll do it!"
"Flatterer." Wang Zhe said faintly, but he stepped forward before Chen Dong and took the plates from Yao Yao.
As for Qin Zhou, he was naturally attentive and considerate, rushing into the kitchen to help Chu Yingying.
This scene.
Su Nanyin, who had descended the stairs in her small slippers, observed it, nodded slightly, and then looked at a certain rascal.
Some men, regardless of their age, possessed an innate charisma that made them "leaders."
Gao Lingwang and more than ten other rising talents from first-tier noble families in the East Land had voluntarily given up their fortunes solely because of Li Qianfan.
"Even I, have I not been completely captured by him?"
Su Nanyin thought back to Li Qianfan's panicked expression at noon when he couldn't find her, and how he had held her in his arms, as if wanting to merge her into his heart.
It was precisely his "sincere outpouring of emotion" that finally made her unable to control herself, and under the guise of washing his hair, she had deliberately blinded him and let him taste the jelly.
Here, glasses were raised, and loud laughter filled the air.
In the neighboring west house, Luo Huayin, hearing the commotion from next door, became increasingly annoyed and impatient. She put down her teacup, muttered "uncultured," and got up to leave.
Ma Rongna, lying weakly on the bed, asked, "Auntie, where are you going?"
"I'm going to the east neighbor's to tell them to keep their voices down and not disturb others."
Luo Huayin said as she walked out briskly. "Don't worry, I won't abandon you. If that dangerous scoundrel dares to come, I'll make him disappear in seconds."