Chapter 259: Chapter 258: Harboring Persistent Feelings
Soon after, Ye Fan and Gongsun Chou resumed their drinking and conversation, which revolved around Su Qingxue. One by one, members of the Gongsun Family came over to offer them a toast.
At this point, Gongsun Shengheng returned to his seat, feeling thoroughly aggrieved.
He complained, "If it weren’t for the Ancestor, I definitely would’ve found out who he is and where he comes from!"
Gongsun Linglong immediately laughed. This outcome was exactly what she had expected.
When Ye Fan got up to use the restroom, Gongsun Linglong saw her chance. In her opinion, men were unreliable. At critical moments, a woman had to take matters into her own hands.
As Ye Fan was returning, Gongsun Linglong called out, "Mr. Ye!"
"And you are?"
Ye Fan feigned ignorance, pretending not to recognize Gongsun Linglong. In truth, not only had he robbed her the previous night, but he had also taken advantage of her.
Gongsun Linglong said, "I’m Gongsun Linglong. I was curious, Mr. Ye, where are you from? And how did you come to know our Ancestor?"
"I’m from Jiangning. As for your Ancestor, he must admire my strength. We had a little scuffle and got to know each other that way," Ye Fan said with a smile.
However, Gongsun Linglong was filled with deep disdain. She didn’t believe for a second that someone Ye Fan’s age could be a match for the Ancestor. He was spouting utter nonsense.
With that, she stepped forward. As she did, her delicate, pale nose twitched, and her brow furrowed. "Mr. Ye, have we met somewhere before?"
Gongsun Linglong felt that Ye Fan was familiar, from the pleasant masculine scent about him to the contours of his face. It seemed she had seen him before, but she couldn’t quite recall where.
Ye Fan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. That was a close call. They had indeed met before, just under less-than-honorable circumstances.
He then said, "If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way."
"Alright!" Gongsun Linglong nodded.
Ye Fan had only taken a few steps before Gongsun Linglong’s eyes widened in recognition of his scent.
She exclaimed, "Mr. Ye, we really have met before!"
As she spoke, Gongsun Linglong was grinding her teeth, wishing she could kill Ye Fan on the spot. The scent on him was identical to that of the man who had robbed her the previous night. It was impossible for two people in the world to have the exact same scent; this was no coincidence.
Ye Fan knew Gongsun Linglong must have found a clue and grown suspicious, but he still said, "I don’t know what you mean."
"I’m sure you know perfectly well what happened last night!" Gongsun Linglong said coldly.
Ye Fan chuckled. "Last night? I wasn’t even in Jinmen. Miss Gongsun, I don’t know why you’re upset, but please don’t make false accusations!"
"Hmph! Do you dare swear an oath?" Gongsun Linglong sneered.
Ye Fan replied, "Swear an oath? Why should I? I don’t owe you a thing."
"You despicable man! Prepare to die!"
Unable to contain her rage, Gongsun Linglong lunged at him.
Ye Fan raised a hand to block her killing move. In doing so, however, he exposed himself completely—his technique was identical to the one he had used the previous night. His instinctive block ended with his hand grabbing something it shouldn’t have. For crying out loud, I’m just as speechless as she is! Ye Fan thought.
At that moment, Gongsun Linglong’s face flushed crimson. She charged at Ye Fan again, looking as if she wouldn’t rest until one of them was dead.
Ye Fan could only defend himself passively. Besides, he was a grown man; he couldn’t bring himself to fight a woman seriously. But Gongsun Linglong’s moves were vicious, even if her Martial Arts skills were mediocre.
As she lifted her leg for a kick, Ye Fan blurted out, "You’re exposed! You’re exposed!"
Hearing this, Gongsun Linglong froze on the spot. Indeed, her outfit today was not suited for combat. Any fighting would inevitably be to Ye Fan’s advantage.
"And it’s Pikachu!" Ye Fan added with a lecherous grin.
"You little thief, die!"
Now Gongsun Linglong was truly enraged. How could she not know what he meant by "Pikachu"? She thought he was just bluffing, but to her horror, he had actually seen.
Ye Fan could only react defensively, deflecting her attacks time and again. But Gongsun Linglong was like an unkillable cockroach. She knew that even if she fought to the point of exhaustion, she would never be Ye Fan’s match, yet she continued to press the attack.
The commotion from their fight startled the rest of the Gongsun Family.
"Stop!" Gongsun Chou commanded.
Gongsun Linglong reluctantly ceased her assault, filled with immense fury. Alas, her skills were simply inferior.
Gongsun Chou asked her, "What is going on?"
"Ancestor, he’s a robber!"
"What do you mean?" Gongsun Chou probed.
In his view, while Ye Fan might be a bit sleazy and wicked, calling him a robber seemed like a stretch. He was eager to understand what she meant.
Through her tears, Gongsun Linglong said, "Ancestor, last night he stole the treasure my big brother gave me!"
"That’s right, I can attest to it!" Gongsun Shengheng immediately chimed in.
Last night had been humiliating. They had been taken down before they could even make a single move. The memory alone made him feel utterly vexed. Now that his dear sister had found the damned culprit, he immediately stood up to back her claim.
"Nonsense! Is he that kind of person? He wouldn’t even deign to look at your so-called treasure," Gongsun Chou said, instantly infuriated.
Gongsun Linglong declared, "Ancestor, I swear on my name, he is the thief! He didn’t just steal my treasure, he also... he also did something... to me..." She couldn’t get the rest out, breaking down into sobs.
The incident was too humiliating. Ye Fan had taken advantage of her, a fact she had been stewing over ever since.
At that, Gongsun Chou asked, "He also did what?"
Sobbing uncontrollably, Gongsun Linglong was unable to speak and simply turned and ran off.
"Sister!" Gongsun Shengheng called out, chasing after her.
At this juncture, Ye Fan said, "I think Miss Gongsun may have some sort of misunderstanding about me."
"Sigh... They’ve been spoiled rotten," Gongsun Chou said. "My sincerest apologies, Mr. Ye. Please, stay and rest at our residence today. I also have some questions about cultivation I was hoping to ask you. I hope you can illuminate the hazy path ahead for me!"
Ye Fan replied, "Of course. After all, we’re practically family."
Ye Fan had wanted to refuse, but turning the old man down now would be terribly embarrassing if he ever needed a favor in the future. In any case, it was only for a day or two, a small amount of time he could easily spare.
At this, Gongsun Chou said, "Thank you, Mr. Ye!"
The members of the Gongsun Family were astounded. Their Ancestor’s cultivation was so profound he was considered almost godlike, yet here he was, seeking cultivation advice from Ye Fan. This was, without a doubt, the most shocking thing they had witnessed. They never would have imagined that Ye Fan, a young man who looked to be in his early twenties, could have achieved so much as to earn their Ancestor’s deep respect.
Meanwhile, Gongsun Linglong, having fled the banquet, was hiding in a corner and crying. The mere thought of Ye Fan brought back the memory of him taking advantage of her. This would be a shadow that hung over her for the rest of her life, but she felt helpless. Was she supposed to just give up like this? Gongsun Linglong refused to accept it
