After Ye Langfeng left the club, he was about to depart when a woman spoke up. "Mr. Ye, aren’t you going to invite me to sit in your car?"

Ye Langfeng looked at her and said, "Alright then."

This woman had the air of someone from the pleasure quarters. She was dressed provocatively, had a full figure, and a beauty score of over ninety. She was undeniably a sexy woman—the kind who never seemed to lack male company.

"Ah Zhen, it’s so late. Aren’t you going home to sleep?" Ye Langfeng asked.

She replied, "I saw you looked troubled, and my heart ached for you."

"I don’t need anyone to feel sorry for me, but thank you. For all these years, you’ve silently stood by me, whether I was being bullied by the other young masters or treated unjustly," Ye Langfeng said.

Although Ah Zhen had once been a woman of the pleasure quarters, Ye Langfeng was genuinely grateful to her. Over the years, whenever Young Master Guo and the others bullied him, Ah Zhen would step forward, using her body to persuade them to forgive him. Ye Langfeng held this memory close to his heart.

"Even though I’m not worthy of you, I just want to quietly watch over you for the rest of my life," she said.

Ye Langfeng looked up and said, "Thank you."

At that moment, Ah Zhen leaned in and kissed him. A fire ignited within Ye Langfeng, and unable to control himself any longer, he pulled her into his embrace. He was driving a luxury car, so the two of them didn’t feel cramped. They became tangled together, the car shaking and rocking nonstop. About ten minutes later, Ah Zhen nestled contentedly in his arms. Perhaps for a woman like her, this was enough.

"It’s getting late. I’ll take you home," Ye Langfeng said.

"Mm-hmm."

Ah Zhen was driven away by Ye Langfeng. However, his thoughts were not on her at all; his mind was completely focused on Su Qingxue. Conquering Su Qingxue was his true objective. Regrettably, even if he did conquer her, she wouldn’t be his alone. As a man, I’m such a failure. More than a failure, a complete one. But I just can’t bring myself to face it.

That night, several of the young masters arranged for their men to make a move. However, Ye Fan and Su Qingxue were no longer at the previous hotel, making their efforts a complete waste of time. But in Shangjing, their reach was vast. It wasn’t long before they were able to pinpoint Ye Fan and Su Qingxue’s new location.

What they discovered next, however, left them dumbfounded. Even knowing their location was useless. The hotel where Ye Fan and Su Qingxue were staying was part of the Huayu Chain Hotel. Moreover, the Shangjing branch was one of the ten most important hotels in the global Huayu Hotel chain. Not only was it tightly guarded, but it also had powerful backers. Most importantly, the hotel was funded by the Four Great Millennial Families. If they tried to cause trouble here, they simply didn’t have enough influence.

Helpless, they could only search for another way. Young Master Guo was furious. If Ye Langfeng had been there at that moment, he surely would have received a savage beating.

"Have someone stake out the hotel," he commanded. "If they leave, report to us immediately!"

"Yes!" his subordinates replied before scurrying off to carry out their orders.

It had to be said that while they were lords in Shangjing, even lords had to tread carefully when they encountered a true tyrant.

In fact, things were far from simple inside the hotel room either. Ye Fan was currently being tormented—tormented by Su Qingxue. There were always a few days each month when she was unwell, and right now was one of those times. She unexpectedly said to him, "Take off your clothes."

"Whoa, what are you trying to do?" Ye Fan asked, nonplussed.

"Cut the crap and just do as I say!" Su Qingxue was truly speechless. Isn’t he a grown man? Usually so uninhibited. Why is he being so coy now? Seeing him act like this is just infuriating.

Ye Fan said, "Let’s get one thing straight. You might be feeling unwell right now, but if you get me all worked up, don’t blame me for what happens next."

"I’m just asking you to take off your clothes. What are you thinking about?" Su Qingxue retorted, exasperated once more.

I genuinely have no idea why Su Qingxue wants me to undress. Does she want to check out my physique? While my body is indeed flawless, if she wanted a look, she should have just asked! It’s not like I wouldn’t indulge her.

Resignedly, under Su Qingxue’s coercion, he took off his jacket. Utterly exasperated, Su Qingxue walked over and started undoing the rest herself.

"Whoa! Honey, what do you think you’re doing? You can’t just force yourself on me!"

He surrendered to Su Qingxue’s aggressive advance. As a man, surrendering like this is utterly humiliating!

Just when he thought that was the limit, Su Qingxue unexpectedly turned on her phone’s flashlight and shone it on his chest. When she saw the birthmark there, she completely lost her composure. Although they had been intimate before, it had always been in the dark, and she had never seen it clearly. This time, she could finally be sure.

Indeed, Ye Fan’s background was not simple.

Suddenly, Su Qingxue’s phone slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor, leaving Ye Fan bewildered. Why was she so agitated? My muscles are perfect, sure, but not so perfect as to cause this kind of reaction!

"It really is you!" Su Qingxue breathed out.

"What?" Ye Fan asked, confused.

"Your identity," she said.

"What about my identity?" he asked again.

"Your identity isn’t simple. Mrs. Jiang was right. You are her son!"

"Oh my God!"

This time, it was Ye Fan’s turn to be in disbelief. He demanded, "What on earth is going on? Explain it to me clearly!"

"You’re Mrs. Jiang’s long-lost son!" Su Qingxue said excitedly. "Your features are identical to her missing son’s. Your birthmark looks like a dragon, and you even have the same mole on your face. Everything proves you’re her son!"

Ye Fan felt a storm of complex emotions. He was used to being alone, untethered and free. To be told now that he actually had a family was something he found truly difficult to accept.

"I’ll take you to meet Mrs. Jiang tomorrow! So you two can be reunited!" Su Qingxue announced.

But Ye Fan shook his head. "Impossible. I will never acknowledge it!"

"Why?" Su Qingxue looked at him, completely baffled.

"I can’t accept that I was abandoned and betrayed when I was so young," he said. "That feeling... it’s not something you can just endure. Maybe you can only understand if you’ve been through it."

Thinking back on his childhood brought up an indelible shadow of the past, one he could never let go of. He couldn’t accept that past, which was nothing but heart-wrenching torment. This anguish had been suppressed deep within him for so long that it was suffocating.

He told Su Qingxue everything about his childhood. Instantly, she began to cry, weeping bitterly. She had never imagined that his past had been so tragic. She cupped his cheeks with her hands, her heart aching for him.

Ye Fan felt awful as well. As a man, he had truly endured too much pressure, surviving in conditions where survival should have been impossible.

At that moment, Su Qingxue said, "I’m sorry. I had no idea your childhood was so horrible."

"It’s fine," Ye Fan said. "But that’s why I can’t accept the past. I can’t accept why I was abandoned."

"Maybe... maybe it was all a misunderstanding," Su Qingxue suggested.

"Whether it was a misunderstanding or not doesn’t matter anymore," Ye Fan stated calmly. "I don’t want to bear it, and I don’t want to accept it. Let nature take its course. Let’s just drop it."

Hearing this, Su Qingxue didn’t know how to comfort him, nor was she sure if she should still try to arrange the reunion. Given his current state, it was clear Ye Fan was nowhere near ready to accept it, so she didn’t insist.