Why Ye Feng Disagreed

The weakened Ye Feng looked up at Xiao Chen, his gaze making Xiao Chen feel a creeping chill in his bones. "Uh... Second Brother... I..." Ye Feng took Ye Qing'er by the hand and slowly walked toward Xiao Chen. Though Xiao Chen felt intimidated, he did not back away. Instead, he stiffened his neck and stared back at Ye Feng. That resolute look of facing death without flinching drew a quiet chuckle from Ye Qing'er. Her prior fear had long since vanished into thin air the moment Xiao Chen's aura had appeared. For some reason, Ye Qing'er's heart had settled completely, leaving no trace of dread. Xiao Chen, on the other hand, gulped repeatedly as Ye Feng approached step by step. "What are you doing..." "I... I was already as fast as I could be..." Paying no mind to what Xiao Chen was thinking, Ye Feng gently brought Ye Qing'er to his side. Ye Qing'er was also somewhat baffled, not knowing what Ye Feng intended to do. "Brother, Xiao Chen was the one who rescued me. Don't blame him." Ye Feng did not reply. Taking a deep breath, he fixed Xiao Chen with an intense, burning gaze. "Fourth." Xiao Chen started slightly, barely able to believe his ears. "Ah... Second Brother..." Xiao Chen rubbed his nose, momentarily flattered and overwhelmed. Ye Feng had always addressed him by his full name. "Do you like Qing'er?" Hearing this, Xiao Chen's expression turned solemn, and he answered in a deep, earnest voice, "I do!" Yet right after, his face fell slightly. "I don't know if this counts as liking someone or not. "In short... whenever I'm free, her face pops into my head. "Sometimes, when I'm away from home for a long time, the only thing on my mind is hurrying back to the Great Xia Sword Sect. "Because if I come back sooner, I'll get to see her. "As long as I can look at her and be with her, even sitting on a mountaintop daydreaming makes me happy." Ye Feng's eyes softened considerably. Looking at Xiao Chen, he finally spoke the words he had held in his heart for so long. "Do you know why I was always against Qing'er being with you before?" Ye Qing'er pressed her lips together, confusion in her eyes as well. From start to finish, Ye Feng had never seemed particularly fond of Xiao Chen. Yet... ever since Ye Feng had returned, she had felt that he no longer looked down on Xiao Chen as much. Xiao Chen looked at Ye Feng with an earnest expression. "I don't know. I thought it was just that you never liked me." Ye Feng shook his head and said softly, "That's true. I really didn't like you in the past. "You always struck me as a cynical, hedonistic playboy! "You came from a good family, lived in luxury from childhood without a care for food or clothes, and possessed exceptional talent as a Dao cultivation prodigy. "Before the Ancient Clan and the Ethereal Immortal Domain emerged, the Xiao clan was quite a prominent family. "If you hadn't been so dissolute, you wouldn't have chased after Sister-in-law everywhere back then." With Ye Feng bringing this up again, even Xiao Chen felt awkward—especially in front of Ye Qing'er. Ye Qing'er turned her beautiful eyes toward Xiao Chen, brimming with teasing amusement. Xiao Chen scratched his head in embarrassment and muttered under his breath, "Wasn't that just youthful ignorance... "I was proud and arrogant back then. Who wouldn't want to pursue something wonderful and impractical? Besides, who in the entire Shenbao Domain could compare to Sister-in-law back then?" Ye Feng smiled faintly, not holding that against him. His voice grew calm and profound. "Yet... once we began interacting, my view of you slowly changed because of what you did. "Ever since you followed Boss, your temperament gradually lost much of its sharp edges. "You've been sincere when dealing with our brothers." Here, Ye Feng paused briefly, keeping his eyes on Xiao Chen as he spoke softly. "And after I left, I saw the changes in all of you with my own eyes. "Only you yourselves know how much bitter effort you poured out for my sake. "Your transformation was so great that I could barely recognize you. "You became steady. You became... truly reliable." As Xiao Chen listened, he suddenly sensed something unusual... "Uh... Second Brother, what do you mean by all this?" Ye Feng smiled faintly, then took Ye Qing'er's hand and placed it gently into Xiao Chen's palm. "Only now can I rest easy entrusting my sister to you!" Hearing those words, Xiao Chen's eyes reddened slightly. He had always assumed Ye Feng opposed his relationship with Ye Qing'er because his cultivation strength wasn't high enough. He never imagined that from beginning to end, Ye Feng had simply thought he was unreliable! Holding their hands together, Ye Feng looked as if he were carrying out the transfer of a sacred duty. Without realizing it, Ye Feng's eyes also grew misty as he looked at the little girl who had trailed behind him since childhood. For a moment, he felt time had flown by too quickly. So fast... that before he even realized it, his little sister was all grown up. Tears welled in Ye Qing'er's eyes, yet a smile touched her lips. Playfully swatting Ye Feng's shoulder, she murmured tearfully, "Brother, you're so annoying! What are you doing... "Suddenly saying so many sentimental things—it's not like you at all!" Ye Feng reached out and wiped away her tears. "Silly girl. In the blink of an eye, you've grown up. "Fourth, I'm entrusting my sister to you from now on. Treat her well. "If you ever dare wrong her... hehe, you can imagine the consequences yourself." An inexplicable chill ran down Xiao Chen's spine; he suddenly felt as though Ye Feng's eyes had just glanced down toward his crotch. Shuddering, Xiao Chen hurried to beam with smiles. "Don't worry, Second Brother! I'll definitely treat Qing'er well! "I've accumulated plenty of cultivation resources over the years, and now that I'm back, they're all for Qing'er to use." Looking at the goofy grin on Xiao Chen's face and Ye Qing'er's flushed, bashful cheeks, the corners of Ye Feng's mouth turned up slightly. "Good," he said softly. "You two can be affectionate later. Let's go check on Fifth Brother first." Xiao Chen shot Ye Qing'er a reassuring look, then flashed to Ye Feng's side with a grin. "Understood! Let's go, let's go." As they were leaving, Xiao Chen didn't forget to send Ye Qing'er a voice transmission: "Wait for me! I'll be right back!" Her face flushed crimson, Ye Qing'er gave a shy nod, not even daring to meet his gaze. The commotion here had naturally caught the attention of Ye Feng's father, Ye Tianying! By now, Ye Tianying had actually reached the early Soul Formation Realm! Even his mother, Su Xi, had attained the late Core Formation Realm with the aid of countless resources. The two flew through the air and arrived, utterly bewildered by the sight of Ye Qing'er's bashful demeanor. Once they heard the whole story from her lips, Ye Tianying beamed ear to ear. His son was one of the world's supreme powerhouses, his daughter was in the Soul Formation Realm, and now his son-in-law was also a top-tier cultivator from a great family! "Hahahaha! The Ye family is destined to prosper!" Beside him, Su Xi, graceful and poised, said gently, "Xiao Chen has changed a great deal these past few years. It seems he's endured plenty of hardships. "As long as he treats you well, that is all that matters." Ye Qing'er nodded softly, pressing her lips together, lost in thought.