After the siblings finished catching up, they began a normal conversation.
"I've been waiting inside for you for a long time," Qin Yu pouted. "I heard you talking with Mister Xu and didn't dare interrupt."
She had been looking forward to this visit ever since Ye Feng said he was coming. Who knew that upon arrival, he would first recklessly provoke Mister Xu and get pushed around for a while. As his sister, Qin Yu knew they were just fooling around and found it quite amusing.
No matter where he was, her brother always acted so serious. Only around Mister Xu would he become so unrestrained, even cursing up a storm...
"It's all his fault," Ye Feng said, hearing his sister and immediately shifting the blame.
"Hmm?" Xu Ke grunted through his nose, not bothering to argue.
Remembering the threat of Hu Deyao and Han Wang's iron claws, Ye Feng chuckled awkwardly. "I haven't seen him in so long, I just missed him too much, so we wasted a little time."
"Mhm!" Xu Ke grunted again in acknowledgement.
Qin Yu found their childish antics funny. "Well then, Mister Xu, let's go inside. I've already made dinner!"
"Great! I love Xiao Yu's cooking." Xu Ke smiled and squeezed past them, making himself at home as if he owned the place.
Seeing this, Ye Feng gritted his teeth and followed him in. "You really don't stand on ceremony, do you!"
"Why would I be polite with you... whoa, who the hell are you?"
Xu Ke had walked in smiling, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the living room, completely stunned.
The apartment, which Qin Yu and Feng Wei had previously decorated like a college girls' dorm room to deceive Ye Feng, had been completely transformed. Now that the secret was out, the girlish decor was gone, replaced by a normal sofa, a coffee table, and a large television. Off to the side stood a treadmill draped with clothesโa classic monument to abandoned fitness goals.
But that wasn't what shocked Xu Ke. It was the man standing by the sofa, dressed in a sharp suit and gold-rimmed glasses. The man's hair was meticulously combed and shellacked with so much gel it looked like a helmet. The very curve of his bangs exuded a flamboyant tackiness that was hard to look at directly. His face was shaved so clean not a hint of stubble remained, and its smooth complexion suggested a recent facial mask. To top it all off, a faint, sweet scent of cologne wafted from him.
"You son of a..." Xu Ke felt this wasn't the occasion for profanity, but he couldn't help himself. His eyes widened. "Are you Feng Wei?"
Damn!
At first glance, he hadn't recognized him at all. After all, the Feng Wei he knew had a bird's-nest hairdo and wore baggy shorts, dressing as casually as possible. Why did he look like some corporate elite today? Seeing him, Xu Ke's heart pounded in shock.
Damn! Was this really the same Feng Wei he knew?
"Mister Xu." Feng Wei nodded, his heart hammering in his chest, though his expression remained perfectly composed.
"Damn it, you've never dressed up like this to see me! You've really outdone yourself, Feng Wei!" Xu Ke gave him an aggressive, sarcastic thumbs-up.
This guy is definitely putting on this act just to meet his brother-in-law. Impressive!
Feng Wei felt a rare pang of awkwardness. It wasn't because of Xu Ke's criticism, but because he was about to put on a performance. He cleared his throat. "You jest, Mister Xu. Isn't this how I always dress?"
Hearing this, Xu Ke couldn't take it anymore and burst into a furious laugh. "You... nicely done!"
Feng Wei kept his gaze steady, affecting an air of unshakeable calm.
Xu Ke shivered with fury. His own subordinate was getting all dolled up for another man. What had the world come to?
At that moment, Ye Feng walked over.
Seeing Ye Feng, Feng Wei quickly said, "Brother Feng, hello! I'm Xiao Yu's boyfriend, Feng Wei!"
Ye Feng first scanned the apartment with a nostalgic expression, then sized up Feng Wei. He turned to Qin Yu with a teasing smile. "A sharp suit and the air of an elite. Xiao Yu, Feng Wei's style certainly outshines your brother's!"
He had never seen Feng Wei's usual scruffy appearance, so he assumed this was his normal look and felt quite satisfied.
Who says programmers are all nerdy shut-ins? This right here proves them wrong.
Qin Yu, clearly a bad liar, blushed. "Yes, that's right!"
Ye Feng just assumed she was shy about introducing her boyfriend to him, so he didn't think anything was strange.
Standing nearby, Xu Ke, who loved to stir the pot, began to fan the flames. "He's right, definitely. Compared to your shaved head, our Wang Family's Engineer Feng is a hundred times better."
Qin Yu's face turned an even deeper shade of red.
If anyone else had said that, Ye Feng would have shot back a sarcastic retort with a fake smile. But since it was Xu Ke, he just glared fiercely at him.
Feng Wei, however, remained unruffled and even tried to awkwardly smooth things over. "We often have to meet with clients, so we put some unnecessary effort into our appearance. Brother Feng is probably more casual simply because he's too busy to worry about such trivial things."
Hearing this, Xu Ke rolled his eyes dramatically.
This thick-browed prick used to be so blunt, but now he's all meek and mild in front of his brother-in-law, not daring to speak his mind. Ha! So you have days like this too!
Ye Feng let out a laugh.
He knew Feng Wei didn't need to meet any clients, but he appreciated the attempt to smooth things over. At least Feng Wei was respectful toward him, and his love for Xiao Yu was genuine. Nothing else mattered. However, Ye Feng also knew that if it weren't for Qin Yu, a man with Feng Wei's abilities would have undoubtedly made a name for himself by now.
Afterward, Ye Feng patted Xu Ke's shoulder. "Stop trying to cause trouble and make some room for me."
Xu Ke, who was still fuming, had sprawled himself across the entire sofa, leaving no space for Ye Feng to sit.
"Alright, alright," Xu Ke grumbled, shifting over. "I'm just an outsider here, after all."
Hearing this, Qin Yu looked anxious and was about to try and comfort him.
Ye Feng, however, was completely unbothered. He waved a dismissive hand. "If you're an outsider, then why don't you hurry up and leave?"
With that, Xu Ke stood up and headed straight for the kitchen. "Don't mind me. I'll just go check on the stew."
***
After mooching a meal, Xu Ke went upstairs, leaving time and space for the three of themโYe Feng, Qin Yu, and Feng Wei.
When he got back to his room, Tang Yingchang hadn't returned. He had obviously been kept downstairs for dinner by the Ghost-Poison Elders.
That was for the better. Those people had some history, but he hoped they could resolve their grievances quickly. That way, they could be more useful to him.
Xu Ke took out his phone and opened a hotel booking app. It was almost time to head to Haojing.
Time to book a hotel!
"Hmm... a love hotel... this one looks good."
As he opened the app, a certain option caught his eye, and a mischievous chuckle escaped his lips.
