Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road, First Encounter with Shrek

Eavesdropping is one thing, but you actually had to chime in.

Dugu Yan looked at Yu Tianheng, who was cowering as he walked toward her, and then at Fang Xuan standing beside Ye Lingling, her eyes going dark.

They say comparisons are odious, and goods are only worth what they are compared to.

How was it that her best friend could find such an outstanding boyfriend so easily, while her own man was a complete blockhead?

Yu Tianheng caught the look in Dugu Yan's eyes—the one that suggested she might as well have been a widow—and scratched his head with a guilty conscience.

"Brother, may I ask what you have to say?"

Fang Xuan was genuinely surprised by Yu Tianheng's sudden interruption; after all, this matter didn't seem to have anything to do with him.

I'm not trying to steal your girlfriend, so what's the meaning of you popping up out of nowhere?

"Brother, don't misunderstand. I don't mean anything else. It's just that Ye Lingling is a member of my team, and as the captain, it's my dereliction of duty for not looking after my teammate properly."

"To put it bluntly, I'm responsible for this too. How about this: consider it compensation for my negligence."

"In the name of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, how about I clear away some obstacles for you?"

Fang Xuan knew that his business with Ye Lingling couldn't be kept under wraps forever, and he certainly wasn't in a position to silence the gossip behind their backs right now.

Dugu Yan could do it, but given her temperament, she might be prone to oversights.

Yu Tianheng offered to take charge of the matter, firstly to boost his standing in the eyes of Fang Xuan and Ye Lingling.

After all, based on what he knew, Fang Xuan was clearly a hidden super-genius; it would be foolish not to take this opportunity to build a connection.

Furthermore, there was the Dugu Yan factor. If he didn't make some sort of gesture after she had gone through all this trouble, she would definitely nag him about it later.

For the sake of his future happiness, he had to do something.

The most critical point was that he hadn't intended to eavesdrop.

When he had come looking for them earlier, Dugu Yan had kicked the door to pieces. His group hadn't gone very far, and the three of them hadn't exactly been whispering while they talked.

Now, it wasn't just him; everyone else outside the door had heard every word clearly.

And they were all absolutely shocked by the content of the conversation.

Choosing one's own spirit skills, a spirit that randomly generated special plants every seven days, a five-million-gold-coin dowry—it was all simply outrageous. If they hadn't lacked an excuse, they probably would have rushed in long ago.

"Oh, so you do know you're at fault? I thought you were clueless."

Facing Dugu Yan's sarcastic remark, Yu Tianheng didn't know what to say.

He was indeed at fault. If it weren't for the fact that it was Fang Xuan standing there today, Dugu Yan would have surely fallen out with him.

Losing someone that important and only realizing it after an entire night had passed was a serious dereliction of duty.

"Wait, you aren't trying to split my money, are you?"

As if something had occurred to her, Dugu Yan looked at Yu Tianheng with sudden suspicion and warned him.

"Don't even think about taking a cut of my money. This is what I earned through my own hard work."

When it came to pocket money, Yu Tianheng wasn't much better off than she was.

It was a tragic irony: despite being two wealthy heirs, they were less well-off than the owner of a small teahouse in a backwater city.

Who could they complain to about that? Truly, a single penny can defeat a hero.

"I'm not taking it, I'm not taking it. It's all yours."

Seeing her reaction, Yu Tianheng waved his hands hurriedly. He knew Dugu Yan's situation well.

Dugu Bo doted on his granddaughter and gave her everything, but he was notoriously stingy with pocket money.

In his eyes, since she had everything she needed at home, there was little reason for her to spend money.

But Dugu Bo had never had a daughter, so he suffered from a blind spot regarding the things a young girl actually needed to spend money on.

A few hundred gold soul coins might be fine in other small cities, but in Heaven Dou City, it was essentially living in poverty. It was no wonder she would snap at him.

He knew that if he were short on cash, he could always apply for more, and it was highly unlikely he'd be refused—after all, who in the sect didn't know he was courting Dugu Yan?

They wouldn't be stingy when it came to that.

However, Fang Xuan didn't know the details of their situation, nor was he interested in learning them.

He could naturally see through Yu Tianheng's little scheme.

But he didn't refuse.

More friends meant more paths, even if the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect was the first to be wiped out by Spirit Hall.

Yu Tianheng was a tough survivor, and since it was still early, many things could be changed.

Originally, he hadn't intended to get involved with Tang San.

He knew there were many opportunities in this era, and with his talent, becoming a god wasn't an impossible feat.

There was no need to lock horns with Tang San. He had spent so many years in Soto City without ever running into the man or having any intersection with his life.

His philosophy was to keep to himself and live in peace.

If all else fails, I can just lay low; at worst, I'll take a stroll over to the Sun Moon Empire.

Even if those guys in the God Realm are blind and don't pick me, I can just cultivate my own faith and become a god myself.

After all, there isn't just one path to godhood, and as it happens, the Sun Moon Continent hasn't been fully developed yet.

When the time comes, I'll just find a small tavern, share my insights, and gather the power of faith from an entire continent—that should be enough, right?

With Yu Tianheng's departure, the matter came to an end.

Dugu Yan and the others left, but they left Ye Lingling behind.

According to her, this best friend was no longer worth keeping; she had already turned her back on them so completely that she could only be left in Fang Xuan's care.

Watching Ye Lingling standing there, looking somewhat at a loss, Fang Xuan smiled helplessly.

"There are empty rooms upstairs. I'll tidy one up for you; it should be enough to make do for now."

The teahouse had always been run by Fang Xuan alone, without hiring any staff or assistants, mainly because he feared the plants he generated might affect others.

Although Ye Lingling and he had already consummated their relationship, the proper formalities had yet to be completed.

Living in the same room would indeed be a bit difficult for her, though he wondered what Dugu Yan was thinking—why throw a tantrum at a time like this?

Could it be that he hadn't paid her enough?

Just then, the sound of laughter and chatter drifted in from outside the door.

Immediately after, a group of people appeared at the entrance.

Ye Lingling and Fang Xuan turned their heads to look, seeing several teenagers, both boys and girls, standing at the door.

Fang Xuan's gaze met theirs, and the atmosphere turned somewhat awkward.

"Oh, look at that beauty."

Among the crowd, a fatty noticed Ye Lingling standing in front of the counter.

His round eyes were fixed straight on Ye Lingling's curvaceous figure, his gaze lecherous to the extreme, looking every bit like a gluttonous ghost.

Ye Lingling frowned; the man's gaze made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Fang Xuan noticed this as well, and he looked toward the group at the door with an unfriendly glare.

He spoke in a cold voice.

"We aren't open today. And as for you, fatty, keep your eyes clean. If you're really that desperate, go visit a brothel; don't go staring at my wife."

Fang Xuan's words were blunt; after all, if he couldn't even protect his own woman, he might as well be a eunuch.

"Boss, is that any way to talk?"

At this, Dai Mubai, who was standing beside Ma Hongjun, couldn't help but speak up.

"My brother merely glanced at this young lady, yet you respond with such foul language. Is this how you run a business?"

If not for the fact that Zhu Zhuqing was here, Dai Mubai would likely have already made a move.

The fatty could only be bullied by him; when was it a stranger's turn to point fingers?

"I don't need you to teach me how to run a business. And like I said, we aren't open today, so you can leave."

Fang Xuan's words were already relatively polite, considering he had recognized their identities.

If he had only been suspicious of Ma Hongjun before, then the appearance of Dai Mubai confirmed it.

A pair of evil eyes and a lecherous gaze—wasn't that the lecherous tiger, Dai Mubai?

As for the others, there was no need to say more.

I didn't expect to run into them here. This is truly interesting.