As expected, Orange’s words caught the attention of most people present.
“If Little Leaf said she wasn’t coming, wouldn’t it be rude to just show up like this?” Wanderer’s Chant—a sunny, cheerful guy even in real life—hesitated at the suggestion.
Qinghai Lone Boat remained expressionless. “Why bother seeing her? Waste of time.”
The others seemed tempted but ultimately stayed silent.
“We’re all part of the same guild,” Ink Trace, still a high school student, chimed in without overthinking it. “Don’t you think Master would be shocked to see us? I was so disappointed when I heard she wasn’t coming.”
He had only recently become Ye Shaohua’s apprentice.
“It’s fine,” An Xun interjected smoothly. “Ye Shang Chuyang is still waiting for us.”
Her words instantly reignited the excitement among those who had been on the fence.
Lin Ye narrowed his eyes, studying An Xun for the first time. “You know where she is?”
Of course, everyone wanted to see Ye Shaohua.
An Xun nodded, a faint smirk playing on her lips as she lowered her head.
Hope you won’t be too disappointed when you see her. The real Ye Shang Chuyang is even worse than her photos.
The photos don’t even capture a fraction of her gloomy aura.
Long Hair & Waist, watching as An Xun led the group toward Ye Shaohua, frowned and quickly sent a message.
[Long Hair & Waist]: Xiao Ye, what’s going on? Is Xian Hua Nong Ying bringing people to see you?
But her message vanished without a trace, unanswered.
Golden Emperor Hotel
Ye Qingkun was still in the private dining room, looking immensely pleased with himself. Just moments ago, that fool from the An family had been so infuriated by his precious daughter that she stormed off without even eating.
After driving her away, father and daughter had enjoyed their meal in peace.
Now, Ye Shaohua had stepped out to the restroom, leaving her phone on the table.
Ye Qingkun noticed it vibrating multiple times but resisted the urge to check—he respected his daughter’s privacy.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
“Daughter, you—” Ye Qingkun looked up, expecting to see Ye Shaohua return, ready to tell her about the missed notifications.
But instead, a crowd of unfamiliar young people filed in.
“Who are you?” he asked, puzzled.
Long Hair & Waist squeezed through the group. “Uncle Ye, it’s me, Long Hair. These are all Xiao Ye’s friends from the game.”
“Shaohua’s friends?” Delighted that his daughter had so many companions, Ye Qingkun beamed. “Please, sit! I’ll order more dishes.”
Still, he found it odd that Shaohua hadn’t mentioned expecting guests.
Realizing this middle-aged man was Ye Shang Chuyang’s father, the gamers grew sheepish about their impulsive intrusion.
“Sorry, Uncle Ye,” Lin Ye immediately stubbed out his cigarette and apologized—this man might become his future brother-in-law, after all. “I’ll take everyone out right away!”
Except for Orange and the others from the Nianzhou family.
“Uncle Ye, where’s Ye Shang Chuyang?” Orange smirked. “She didn’t run off the moment she heard we were coming, did she?”
Taro chimed in, “Yeah, Uncle, it’s not like we haven’t seen her photos before.”
An Xun stood at the center of the group, poised and graceful.
Aside from Lin Ye, she was the most striking presence in the room.
She cast a satisfied glance at the flustered Ye Qingkun.
How dare some country bumpkin try to compete with me for my family?
“Some of us even traveled from M City and the capital,” An Xun said regretfully, her tone gentle. “It’s a shame Ye Shang Chuyang refuses to see us. I’ve let everyone down by making them come all this way for nothing.”
Watching An Xun’s act, Ye Qingkun grew suspicious.
Did that troublemaker daughter of mine really ditch these people?
“You didn’t let anyone down,” Orange declared loudly. “If she doesn’t want to see us, fine! Who even cares? Typical behavior from someone with so many enemies.”
Many had come with high hopes, only to leave disappointed.
…
Ye Shaohua had just left the restroom, mentally preparing to head to the airport to pick someone up.
As she approached the private room, her sharp instincts immediately picked up on the unusual atmosphere.
The door was wide open.
Inside, nearly twenty people had gathered.
Ye Qingkun was being supported by Long Hair & Waist, whose expression was a mix of scorn, disgust, and fury—directed unmistakably at An Xun.
From her angle, Ye Shaohua couldn’t see An Xun’s face clearly, but she could practically feel the condescension radiating off her.
Meanwhile, Ye Qingkun looked lost—then quietly seething.
By now, he had realized these people were anything but his daughter’s friends.
What kind of friends act so aggressively?
As Ye Shaohua listened to Orange and the others, she casually wiped her freshly washed hands with a tissue.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“So, you all just wanted to see me?” She leaned against the doorframe, her sharp gaze sweeping over the room. “You could’ve just asked. Was all this drama really necessary?”
The noisy, resentful chatter in the room died instantly at the sound of that cool, languid voice.
Every head turned toward the door.
There, lounging against the frame with a faint smirk, was a girl so stunningly beautiful it bordered on surreal.
Under the light, the crimson mark at the corner of her eye seemed almost alive—hypnotic.
Ye Shaohua crumpled the tissue into a ball and tossed it into the nearby trash bin before speaking again, her voice low and clear.
“Well? Happy now that you’ve seen me?”
Silence.
