Wang Yue slowly opened her eyes. As she took in the unfamiliar surroundings, the memories of the previous night resurfaced in her mind. A faint smile crept onto her lips. Her gaze shifted to her sister, who was sleeping soundly without any sign of nightmares. Relief and gratitude filled her heart—she owed this peaceful moment to Chen Fan.
Carefully, she got up and made her way toward the middle room. There, she saw Chen Fan already seated in meditation, diligently cultivating. As if sensing her presence, he slowly opened his eyes, meeting her gaze.
"Are you not sleeping?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
"In a way, cultivating is more efficient than sleep," Chen Fan replied with a light chuckle before rising to his feet. His cultivation had already reached the twentieth stage of the Foundation Building Realm, and now, he was merely a step away from breaking through to the Golden Core Realm.
"Mm... Sister?" At that moment, Wang Mei rubbed her eyes drowsily and glanced around the room. When she spotted Wang Yue and Chen Fan, she immediately walked over. "Morning, Brother," she greeted, though the lingering sleepiness in her expression was evident. Suddenly, her eyes lit up hearing Chen Fan word. "Shall we eat now?"
"Eat? Where? What will we eat?" As the thought of food crossed her mind, the haze of sleep disappeared from her eyes, making Chen Fan chuckle. He knew all too well that Wang Mei had a special fondness for delicious meals.
"Why don't you decide?" he offered.
"I'll cook," Wang Yue declared, deciding not to indulge Wang Mei's whims this time.
"Ehh? Why?" Wang Mei's excitement instantly deflated at the mention of Wang Yue's cooking.
"What do you mean 'why'?" Wang Yue narrowed her eyes at her sister.
"Well… your cooking isn't as tasty as Mom's," Wang Mei replied matter-of-factly.
"Then cook for yourself," Wang Yue shot back.
"Ahem." Chen Fan cleared his throat, glancing between the two sisters before making a suggestion. "Why don't we cook together? I'm pretty confident in my cooking skills." Having lived with his master for so long, cooking had naturally become a necessary skill.
"I want Brother's cooking!" Wang Mei nodded enthusiastically. "I want to cook too!"
"Alright, shall we go now?" Chen Fan chuckled, gently ruffling Wang Mei's hair before leading the way to the kitchen.
Wang Yue watched their interaction, and an unexpected thought surfaced in her mind. Aren't we like a married couple right now? Heat crept up her cheeks at the notion, and she quickly shook it off before following them.
Once the meal was ready, Wang Mei took a bite and let out a blissful sigh. "So delicious!" she exclaimed, savoring the taste.
"Well, it's because Mei helped make it," Chen Fan said with a smile.
"Ahem." Wang Mei straightened proudly and shot Wang Yue a smug look—only to be completely ignored.
Wang Yue took a bite herself and was surprised by how good it tasted. Though she had helped with cutting and mixing the ingredients, it was mostly Chen Fan who had done the real work. As for Mei… well, it was better not to mention her contribution.
As they finished their meal, Chen Fan turned to Wang Yue and asked, "When do you want to start learning?" He had already learned various techniques, including breathing methods, from his master and knew which one would suit her best. He intended to personally guide her through it.
"I'll take Mei back home first. Is it possible to start later?" Wang Yue asked.
"That's fine by me. Just call me when you're ready," Chen Fan replied casually.
"So you can ignore it again?" Wang Yue scoffed.
"Ahem… I'll answer immediately," Chen Fan said, looking slightly awkward.
"You should," she huffed.
"Eh? You're not coming with us?" Wang Mei looked up at him with a pitiful expression.
"You can visit anytime," Chen Fan reassured her, which quickly lifted her mood again.
After parting ways with Wang Yue and Wang Mei, Chen Fan remained alone in the quiet room. Not long after, his phone suddenly rang, displaying an incoming call from Feng Jun.
"Xiao Fan, is that you?" Feng Jun's voice rose with excitement the moment Chen Fan answered.
"It's me," Chen Fan replied calmly.
"Hahaha! I knew it—you're a dragon among men!" Feng Jun burst into laughter, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. Chen Fan was momentarily stunned, thinking Feng Jun was merely confirming his phone number. But recalling the recent news, he quickly understood what the old man actually meant.
"Ah… so that's what you're referring to," he muttered in realization.
"Can you come over? I have something I want to ask you—wait, no, just tell me the time and place, and I'll come to you!" Feng Jun's eager voice betrayed his impatience, making Chen Fan chuckle.
Despite knowing little about him at first, Feng Jun had openly welcomed him without hesitation. This left a good impression on Chen Fan, and he didn't mind meeting him again.
"No need, Grandpa Feng. I don't have anything urgent to do, so I'll head over now," he reassured.
"Hahaha! Then I'll be waiting for you, Xiao Fan!" Feng Jun's hearty laughter echoed through the phone before the call ended.
Chen Fan shook his head slightly as he put the phone down. While he didn't mind visiting Feng Jun, he also wanted to use this opportunity to confirm a few things. The idea of establishing his own trusted force had been on his mind lately. If he could find capable individuals worth training, it would be even better. Feng Jun possessed a vast network of connections—leveraging that could prove useful.
Although he didn't fully understand why his name had suddenly soared in fame, for now, he would make the most of it. With that thought, he immediately prepared to leave.
At the Feng Family Manor, the atmosphere was lively and bustling.
"Hurry up! Xiao Fan is coming—prepare the best dishes we have!" Feng Jun commanded, his voice filled with urgency. Servants rushed back and forth, ensuring that everything was perfect. By now, nearly everyone in the Feng family had learned that Chen Fan was an extraordinary master, and given his young age, many were eager to establish good relations with him.
In the main hall, Mo Qinglan and Feng Yuehan exchanged glances, complex emotions flickering in their eyes. They sighed inwardly—no matter how beneficial such a connection would be, they couldn't just force their daughter into marriage.
"Eh? Brother Chen is coming?" A cheerful voice rang out. Feng Yanyan, noticing the unusual activity, perked up with excitement upon learning about Chen Fan's arrival.
Both Mo Qinglan and Feng Yuehan turned their gazes toward her.
"Are you close with him?" Mo Qinglan asked, her eyes carrying a deeper meaning.
"Eh? Of course not! We've only met twice," Feng Yanyan answered innocently.
Mo Qinglan sighed. What was I expecting?
"Then why are you so excited?" she pressed.
"Hehehe, it's a secret~" Feng Yanyan giggled mischievously. She hadn't forgotten how Chen Fan had teased her last time. This time, she planned to turn the tables.
Watching her daughter giggle foolishly, Mo Qinglan felt an inexplicable sense of unease. But after looking at her again, she shook her head. It's Yanyan we're talking about. Turning her gaze slightly, she caught sight of her eldest daughter, Feng Xueying, who maintained her usual calm expression. There was no trace of nervousness or regret in her demeanor, which gave Mo Qinglan a small sense of relief.
Meanwhile, Feng Jun entered the hall, his eyes sweeping over his family members. A hint of regret surfaced when his gaze landed on Feng Xueying, but that regret quickly faded when he looked at Feng Yanyan. Seeing how she seemed somewhat familiar with Chen Fan, his mind wandered into wishful thoughts, imagining all sorts of possibilities.
Feng Yanyan, however, quickly noticed her grandfather's lingering gaze and the smile on his face. Realizing exactly what he was thinking, her cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment.
At that moment, a guard approached Feng Jun and respectfully reported, "Sir, Mr. Chen Fan has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Feng Jun immediately dashed toward the gate, eager to personally welcome him. When he saw the young man standing before him, his smile widened.
"Come in, Xiao Fan! I was beginning to think you had forgotten about this old man," Feng Jun greeted warmly.
"There's no way, Grandpa Feng," Chen Fan replied with a slight smile. "I just had some matters to attend to these past few days. But I also spent an extra day trying to find a suitable gift for you."
"Hahaha! Now I'm really curious about what you've brought me!" Feng Jun laughed heartily, placing a firm hand on Chen Fan's shoulder as he led him inside. Despite knowing how powerful Chen Fan was, the young man carried no arrogance in his demeanor. Feng Jun appreciated that even more.
Upon arriving inside, Chen Fan saw the entire Feng family gathered and immediately greeted them.
"Hello, Uncle," he nodded at Feng Yuehan, who simply returned the gesture.
"Hello, Auntie," he addressed Mo Qinglan, who gave him a warm smile. It was hard to find any flaws in his character, appearance, or talent, which made her feel a slight pang of regret.
"Miss Feng," he greeted Feng Xueying, who only responded with a silent handshake.
Finally, he turned to Feng Yanyan, his smile widening slightly. "Long time no see."
Remembering her usual cute and silly antics, Chen Fan found that interacting with her was always amusing. However, to his surprise, Feng Yanyan simply nodded at him with an expressionless face.
Chen Fan was caught off guard. He quickly searched his memories but couldn't recall doing anything that would genuinely upset her. Could it be… did I tease her too much?
But before he could think further, he wasn't the only one surprised—every member of the Feng family turned to look at Feng Yanyan with confused expressions.
Feeling the weight of their stares, Feng Yanyan's cold persona crumbled almost instantly. Her face turned bright red as she struggled to maintain her act.
"H-Hello, Brother Chen," she stammered awkwardly.
My revenge… she cried inwardly.