Ye Yu, unaware that Ye Fei had already seen through his ploy, believed his words were airtight.
Internally, Ye Fei sneered but kept his anxious facade, pleading earnestly, "Brother Yu, come on, just tell me who she is, please? I promise, I won't let anyone know you were the one who told me."
"It's not that I don't want to tell you, Xiaoman. You're my brother, and I want you to be happy," Ye Yu responded, looking conflicted. "But I made a promise to her. There are many beautiful women out there, why be so fixated on her?"
"But I really like her," Ye Fei insisted, increasing his urgency. "Brother Yu, just tell me. Whatever conditions you have, I'll agree to them!"
"We're brothers, no need to be so formal," Ye Yu said with a hypocritical smile, patting Ye Fei on the shoulder. "But I really can't ask for anything from you right now. How about this—if I ever run into trouble, you help me out, and then I'll tell you. I'll break my principles just once for you."
"Really?" Ye Fei's face lit up, pretending to be thrilled. "Don't worry, Brother Yu! I'll help you with anything—even if I have to go through fire and water!"
Ye Yu, seeing that Ye Fei had taken the bait, could barely contain his pride. Laughing, he replied, "Don't worry, it won't be long."
At this point, Ye Fei knew that Ye Yu planned to use this situation to control him, and there was no need to press further. He would deal with Ye Yu soon enough, and when the time came, he could easily extract the truth from him. There was no rush.
The two continued chatting for a while, each harboring their own thoughts. Eventually, Ye Yu asked, "So, are you heading home today, or staying here?"
Ye Fei had already promised Ye Yunqi earlier that he wouldn't return home that night. Still, he had no desire to linger in Ye Yu's company any longer. He was curious to see what his second uncle, Ye Lingtian, thought about everything going on, and wanted to gather his thoughts about how best to deal with Ye Yu. So, he said, "I'm planning to visit Uncle and Aunt.
When the door opened, Ye Fei was greeted by the sight of Xu Shuyun's beautiful yet serene face. Years of teaching had imbued her with an air of intellectual elegance that commanded respect, overshadowing the fact that her figure, encased in a black teacher's uniform, was also exceptionally alluring.
Though Ye Fei had visited many times before, he had always viewed her through the innocent eyes of a child, simply seeing her as gentle and beautiful. But now, with his heart more awakened, he noticed for the first time just how sensuous his aunt truly was. Her mature beauty, combined with her intellect, stirred something new in him—a temptation he hadn't previously recognized.
Taking a deep breath, Ye Fei suppressed these inappropriate thoughts. He smiled as naturally as he could manage and greeted her, "Aunt, I came to visit you."
"Fei, you're here," Xu Shuyun responded with a soft smile. "Jingjing has been missing you. She's been wondering why you haven't come by in so long."
With that, she turned to walk toward the house, and Ye Fei followed after locking the door behind him. Despite her usual calm demeanor, something felt off to Ye Fei. Her words and actions were polite, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes that troubled him.
Ye Fei knew that Xu Shuyun and Ye Lingtian were the picture of a loving couple. Their deep affection for each other was widely known, and Ye Lingtian had even gone against the wishes of the family patriarch to marry her.
Back when Ye Lingtian was around thirty years old, the family was eager to arrange a marriage for him, especially since Ye Fei's health had been fragile. The patriarch was set on choosing a suitable match for Ye Lingtian.
However, Ye Lingtian met Xu Shuyun, then a nineteen-year-old university student, in a chance encounter when he rescued her from a group of hooligans. It was a classic "hero saves the beauty" story, and they quickly fell in love.
When Ye Lingtian announced his intention to marry her, the patriarch was furious, insisting that he marry the woman he had chosen. The father and son clashed for a long time over the matter, but eventually, with the persuasion of Ye Lingyun and Liu Yiru, the patriarch relented, allowing the marriage.
Since then, their marriage had been nothing short of perfect. In their 17+ years together, they hadn't even had the typical quarrels that many couples experience. That's why the sadness in Xu Shuyun's expression puzzled Ye Fei. What could possibly be wrong?