Chapter 79: The Xing Family

“Boss! Another hundred skewers of lamb!”
Chen Yu’s cheeks were slightly flushed as she waved her hand with a carefree air, downing the remaining half bottle of beer in one go.
It seemed she hadn’t felt this relaxed in a long time.
…
An hour later, Ye Fei helplessly hoisted Chen Yu’s limp body into his car and drove her back to the villa.
Because it was late at night, Lin Qiqing was already asleep, so Ye Fei didn’t ask her for help.
He pushed open the door; Chen Yu reeked of alcohol and vomited all over the floor.
With no choice, Ye Fei removed her outerwear, wiped her down with a towel, and laid her flat on the bed.
Just as he was about to clean up the mess, he suddenly felt two soft, fair arms wrap around his neck. In an instant, he was yanked onto the bed, warm breath washing over his face.
“Uh…”
Ye Fei gazed into Chen Yu’s limpid, alluring eyes, and instinctively tried to get up.
“Don’t move!”
Chen Yu mumbled, her voice thick with drunkenness.
“Hey, if you can’t handle your liquor, don’t—”
Before Ye Fei could finish, a pair of moist, red lips pressed against his, silencing him.
The taste of alcohol and lipstick—
Sweet, intoxicating.
Then suddenly—
Two soft forms entwined.
A fire blazed up in Ye Fei’s core.
He trembled violently, barely managing to restrain the urge rising within him.
Five minutes later—

Ye Fei was gasping, his face flushed, as he lifted his hand and released a wisp of spiritual energy, forcibly knocking Chen Yu unconscious so they could finally separate.
Just a little more,
Just a step further,
And he would have lost all self-control.
His master had warned him: if he lost his purity before completing the “Nine Dragons Divine Art,” all his cultivation would be wasted.
He still had blood feuds to avenge, enemies of immense power to confront.
He dared not, could not, cross that line.
Taking advantage of someone was never a gentleman’s way.
Ye Fei forced all the alcohol from Chen Yu’s system, touched his lips, looked at her beautiful face, rubbed his nose with a sigh, and turned to leave.
“Sister Yu, I’m sorry.”
…
The Xing family of Binhai—one of the city’s four great families.
The old patriarch, Xing Zhen, was third in command of the South China Military District. He had two sons: the elder, Xing Fang, went abroad to do business from a young age and returned at thirty, as family tradition demanded, to take over as head of the Xing family, a position he had held for a decade now; the younger, Xing Ge, grew up immersed in ancient tomes with renowned scholars, becoming a famous doctor of archaeology, highly respected in his field. Years ago, he made headlines by helping China recover several antiques lost for over a century.
As they sat on the flight to Binhai, Chen Yu patiently explained the Xing family’s background to Ye Fei, who listened quietly without a word.
Their target this time was Xing Zhen’s second son.
Rumor had it that this younger son was eccentric. To even see him, let alone ask for his help, one needed to bring a treasure worthy of his attention—otherwise, you wouldn’t even get past his front door, a testament to his pride.
But for someone from such a prestigious family, this was nothing unusual. After all, who in the field of archaeology hadn’t heard of Xing Ge’s renown?
With a single word, he could assess the true value of an antique—far more accurately than any of those “treasure appraisal” shows on TV. Many people paid hefty sums to have him authenticate family heirlooms, but he only chose a select few at his own whim, earning him the nickname “Golden Eyes.”
“When I first heard that nickname, I thought it sounded rather far-fetched,” Chen Yu said, brushing her hair from her forehead and glancing at Ye Fei with conviction. “But after my second uncle took me to meet him in person, I realized just how formidable he really is.”
“How so?” Ye Fei asked, curiosity piqued.
“My second uncle sought him out to appraise a few old relics passed down in the Chen family—the kind that had been gathering dust in a corner for years,” Chen Yu explained. “Guess what happened? That gentleman only spared them a cursory glance before offering millions to buy them! Before that, my second uncle had consulted top experts at the Academy, and they all thought those pieces were mere replicas, not even worth a few hundred at the antique market!”
“Could he have orchestrated it himself?” Ye Fei asked casually.
After all, scams were hardly unheard of in the antique trade.
“Not unless he wanted to ruin his own reputation,” Chen Yu replied earnestly. “Back then, my second uncle was in excellent health. Even with the Xing family’s influence, he wouldn’t have dared pull such a stunt—especially one that could so easily damage his standing and credibility.”
“Still, that gentleman gave my second uncle no special treatment. He was proud and aloof in every gesture. If my uncle hadn’t been prepared for it, they might have come to blows!”
At this, Chen Yu waved her fist in a mock display of feminine indignation.
“Was your second uncle really that hot-tempered in his youth?” Ye Fei asked with a half-smile.
“He’s not so fierce in front of you,” Chen Yu said. “But he’s not to be trifled with.”
In recent years, the Chen family had been mired in internal strife. Chen Bozhong’s grave illness had been a turning point, weakening Chen Yu’s branch and making them easy targets.
But now that Chen Bozhong was recovering and poised to retake his former position, things might soon turn around—perhaps even surpass his previous achievements.
Of course, to Ye Fei in the past, none of this would have mattered.
But now, as an ordinary man in the mortal world, if he wanted to secure his footing—or avoid unnecessary trouble—it was only prudent to find a powerful “backer” for support.
…
After arriving in Binhai, it took some effort for Chen Yu to find Xing Ge’s residence. Without stopping to rest, the three of them hurried over.
Unlike the well-known Xing family estate, Xing Ge had lived on his own since he was old enough to understand the world, asking his parents to buy him an apartment near the Archaeological Institute.
As his reputation grew, he moved to “Juqicheng,” Binhai’s most famous antiques street, and opened an antique shop called “Yunzhou Curios.” The shop was usually managed by his staff. If you wanted to meet the man himself, you’d have to present a treasure that could catch his eye.
Chen Yu wasn’t sure if Ye Fei had money, but neither of them had brought anything—much less prepared a rare antique according to custom.
Such things were not so easily found.
As they approached Juqicheng, the streets lined with dazzling, indistinguishable antiques, Chen Yu—dressed in a short skirt and black stockings—drew many admiring glances.
“Sister Yu, it seems you’re popular wherever you go,” Ye Fei teased.
Chen Yu shot him a glare, tugged her skirt down, and said, “We didn’t bring anything to offer. What if we can’t even see Mr. Xing?”
“We won’t know until we try. Let’s check out the shop first,” Ye Fei replied with a grin, striding toward the inconspicuous storefront.