The Banquet Begins

Ye Feng shook his head and stopped thinking about it. No matter how reluctant he was, he still had to face their parting.

When he arrived downstairs at the dormitory, he sent a message. Before long, Li Xiaona came running down cheerfully and slipped into the passenger seat with practiced ease.

"Brother Feng, why do you look a little unhappy?"

"It's nothing. We're graduating tomorrow, so I'm just feeling a little sentimental. All right, let's go back and change first. Ask Ye Lin if she's home while you're at it. If she isn't, we'll go pick her up together."

Li Xiaona gave a hum of assent, then picked up her phone and called Ye Lin.

"Sister Xiaona, are you done with class? What is it?"

"Brother Feng wants to know if you're home. If you aren't, we'll come pick you up. Don't forget we're attending the charity dinner tonight."

"Uh... I really did forget. You two go home first. I'll just take a cab back now. See you in a bit."

Hearing that they didn't need to pick up Ye Lin, Ye Feng drove straight back to Tomson Riviera.

Once home, the two went to their respective rooms to change. Ye Feng found the suit he had bought the day before and quickly put it on. Then he went to the living room, poured himself a glass of water, and sat quietly on the sofa to wait.

Before long, Li Xiaona had changed into her gown as well. She came into the living room and asked Ye Feng, "Brother Feng, am I pretty?"

He turned to look. Facing the setting sun, she wore a pristine white gown, like a lily in full bloom. The sunset fell upon her, cloaking her in a golden halo that made her even more dazzling. Her smile was warm and sweet, like spring sunshine, bringing endless warmth and joy.

At that moment, Ye Feng was utterly entranced. A faint stirring deep in his heart drew him forward, and he wrapped an arm around her slender waist. "Xiaona, you're so beautiful," he said softly. "This moment will stay in my heart for eternity."

Their eyes met, and their hearts raced. Their gazes held, as though time itself had stopped. He slowly leaned closer, and she closed her eyes, waiting for that sweet moment. Their lips touched gently, and they felt each other's breath and warmth.

At that moment, they seemed to become one, feeling each other's burning love.

Their peace, however, was broken by a sudden sound. Ye Lin's footsteps echoed through the living room, and she curiously poked her head out, catching sight of the scene. Ye Feng and Li Xiaona suddenly froze, a trace of embarrassment flashing across their faces, like a dream abruptly interrupted. Ye Lin stood in the doorway, staring at them wide-eyed in surprise. A subtle awkwardness filled the air, as though time had stopped at that very moment.

"Brother, Sister Xiaona, carry on. I didn't see anything. Why can't I see anything at all?" Then Ye Lin pretended to be blind, feeling her way as she slipped into her room.

Ye Feng sighed softly and said to Li Xiaona, "Looks like it's time to send that girl back to Jin City."

They exchanged a smile, feeling both embarrassed and sweet. Li Xiaona straightened Ye Feng's clothes, then called toward the room, "Linlin, it's almost time to leave. You need to hurry up."

Ye Lin poked her head out and looked around. Seeing nothing like the scene she had imagined, she walked out openly.

"Brother, Sister Xiaona, I was ready ages ago. Let's go."

The three drove to the Oriental Pearl Hotel. After parking, Ye Feng opened Li Xiaona's door and gentlemanly helped her out. Li Xiaona took the opportunity to slip her arm through his, and the two headed toward the Oriental Pearl.

Still in the car, Ye Lin was full of question marks. That's it? I'm still in the car! That hateful brother of mine, forgetting his sister the moment he sees a beauty! Just wait till I tell Mom! Then she hurried out of the car and chased after them.

Ye Feng presented the invitation, and the security guard checked it before letting them through.

When Shen Haoran saw Ye Feng enter the banquet hall, he immediately came over to greet him warmly.

"Brother Ye, it's been several days since we last met. I've missed you! Come, let me introduce you. This is my younger sister, Shen Haoyue."

Ye Feng studied the legendary business prodigy. Her features were as exquisite as a sculpture, with confidence and strength showing in her brow and eyes. Her eyes were bright and spirited, as though they could see through everything, and her high, straight nose gave an impression of resolve and decisiveness. Her lips curved slightly upward, conveying confidence and composure. The contours of her face were well-defined, her lines smooth, and she radiated a strikingly heroic bearing. She was tall and straight, her every movement full of confidence and strength. Wherever she stood, she was a presence no one could ignore.

The two shook hands lightly.

"Thank you, Mr. Ye, for helping my Shen Family. Haoyue offers you her thanks."

"There's no need to be polite, Miss Shen. Your brother and I felt like old friends the moment we met."

Ye Feng turned to Shen Haoran and said, "Brother Shen, this is my girlfriend, Li Xiaona, and my younger sister, Ye Lin."

The two women called him Brother Shen, then stood quietly beside Ye Feng.

"Brother Ye, being so close to me today is bound to draw the Fang Family's attention. You need to be careful."

[Congratulations, host. You have spent 3 billion Huaxia Currency. Your cashback of 300 billion Huaxia Currency has been deposited into the Supreme Black Card ending in 8888.]

It seemed Brother Wuhen had made another move. He really was Ye Feng's lucky general. Before Ye Feng could finish reflecting, another notification sounded.

[Congratulations, host. Your cumulative cashback has reached 1 trillion Huaxia Currency, triggering an additional reward. Congratulations, host, you have obtained Marrow Cleansing Pill ×1, Elementary Defense Talismans ×10 (each can withstand the full-force attacks of a Great Grandmaster martial artist for 10 minutes), and the cultivation technique Chaos True Scripture: Introductory Chapter (can be cultivated to the Golden Core Realm).]

Ye Feng's heart was as difficult to calm as a raging storm. The rewards had opened up a new world to him, a world of immortal cultivators. Would he one day fly on a sword too? Would he also live forever?

"Brother Ye? Brother Ye!" Seeing Ye Feng in a daze, Shen Haoran called out to him twice. He was worried that Ye Feng had been frightened and was about to offer some comfort when Ye Feng came back to his senses. "Brother Shen, sorry. Something occurred to me just now, and my mind wandered. Don't worry. If the Fang Family dares to make a move against me, I don't mind making the Fang Family disappear from Demon City."

The Shen siblings were both shaken by his words. Could Ye Feng really have the strength to wipe out the Fang Family? It was a behemoth with assets exceeding 200 billion Huaxia Currency, and it also had an extremely powerful social background.

"Brother Ye, let's go over there and take a rest."

The group went to a lounge area in a corner of the banquet hall. Seeing that the three had something to discuss, Li Xiaona took Ye Lin off to sample the various delicacies.

Shen Haoran looked at Ye Feng and said somewhat awkwardly, "Brother Ye, the attack on the Fang Family met with interference from various forces, so we had no choice but to halt it for now. Although we've eaten away at some of their businesses, it hasn't had much effect on the Fang Family."

Ye Feng also knew that a major family was not so easy to bring down. Besides, he had invested only 10 billion in the Shen Family, and with his net worth exceeding a trillion, he didn't care about that amount.