When Zhuge Kongfang approached, Gu Shishi instinctively felt a pang of fear. However, as she glanced at the broad back of Ye Fei standing in front of her, that fear quickly dissipated. She smiled slightly at Zhuge Kongfang and greeted him, "Uncle Zhuge, it's good to see you."
"Why are you being so formal, child?" Zhuge Kongfang's expression softened, and his voice was filled with tenderness. "Shishi, why didn't you co to when you escaped? I thought you had t the sa fate as your family and grieved for you for a long ti."
"I…" Gu Shishi's heart ached as mories of the past flooded back, and she nearly shed tears.
Ye Fei suddenly interjected, "Mr. Kongfang, you have quite a sharp eye. We're sitting in such a remote corner, yet you managed to spot Shishi among a thousand people and recognize her despite the changes she's undergone in the past six months. That's truly impressive."
Inside, Ye Fei was cursing the old fox. Shishi had started to move on from the past, and now this guy was dredging up her pain. Even if there was only a 90% chance he was the one behind her family's massacre, Ye Fei wasn't going to let him off easy.
Zhuge Kongfang didn't imdiately respond to Ye Fei. Instead, he turned to Gu Shishi and asked, "And who is this?"
"This is Ye Fei. He's my… good friend. Thanks to his care these past few days, I've been able to attend this martial arts conference." For so reason, Gu Shishi instinctively concealed her true relationship with Ye Fei and his abilities, instead offering a vague and sowhat ambiguous explanation.
"Ah, Brother Ye. Thank you for taking care of Shishi," Zhuge Kongfang said warmly, then added, "Brother Ye, you might not know this, but I co from humble beginnings. Though I've gained so reputation in the martial world, I've never forgotten my roots. That's why I always pay attention to the less noticeable corners—because that's where I ca from."
Ye Fei glanced at another similarly remote corner and smirked faintly. "Mr. Kongfang, you're quite the thoughtful man. If there were more people like you in the martial world, well…" He paused, seeing Zhuge Kongfang's curious expression, then continued, "It would probably lead to chaos."
A flicker of anger passed through Zhuge Kongfang's eyes, but his smile remained calm. "What do you an, Brother Ye?"
"Think about it," Ye Fei explained with a grin. "You focus on us, the underdogs, even neglecting the big shots. If there were more people like you, wouldn't the major sects feel jealous and take it out on us little guys? That's a recipe for chaos."
Though Ye Fei's words were teasing, they were delivered with humor, eliciting soft laughter from the won around him.
"Brother Ye, you're joking," Zhuge Kongfang said, his smile unwavering. "I treat all martial artists equally, and everyone here is well-mannered. The scenario you're imagining wouldn't happen."
He then added, "Brother Ye, thank you again for taking care of Shishi. I'd love to chat more, but it's almost ti for the conference. I need to join the Shaolin and Wudang elders to oversee the event. We'll talk later."
"Of course," Ye Fei nodded with a smile, not bothering to stand up.
Zhuge Kongfang didn't seem to mind. He turned to Gu Shishi and said, "Shishi, don't worry. With so many martial artists here today, justice will be served for you." With that, he walked away toward the center of the valley, presumably to et with the Shaolin and Wudang representatives.
Once Zhuge Kongfang was out of earshot, Liu Yiru whispered to Ye Fei, "So, what did you notice?" As Ye Fei's insight beca increasingly impressive, she started relying on him for such matters, though she still stepped in when he needed guidance.
Ye Fei chuckled. "Pretty much what I expected. If I was 90% sure before, I'm now 99% certain. This guy's depth of cunning is terrifying."
"How so?" Gu Shishi asked, confused. "Uncle Zhuge seed the sa as always, and he still cares about ."
"That's exactly what makes him suspicious," Ye Fei explained. "If he cared so much, why didn't he send more people to look for you? With his connections, finding you wouldn't have been hard. And even if you were well-hidden before, you haven't been hiding since you arrived here. He should've heard about you by now. The fact that he only approached you now shows he's guilty."
"But he didn't know I was safe," Gu Shishi argued.
Ye Fei shook his head. "That's another red flag. You said he was close to your father. Wouldn't he have gone to your ho after the incident? And soone as familiar with your family as he is would've noticed you weren't among the dead."
Gu Shishi fell silent, realizing Ye Fei's reasoning was sound. Her suspicion of Zhuge Kongfang grew rapidly.
Liu Yiru laughed. "You talk about his cunning, but I think you're even more shrewd!" Chen Yourong nodded in agreent.
"I'm not as good as he is," Ye Fei said with a grin. "Facing a group of stunning won like you, any man would've stolen a few glances. But he only looked at you when he approached and didn't glance your way again. There are only two explanations: either he's not a man, or he's a man who prefers other n. I observed him discreetly, and he's perfectly normal physically, so that's suspicious."
"Could he be the second type?" Liu Yiru asked, feeling a bit queasy at the thought of the renowned Kongfang being that way.
"No, because he didn't give , the most handso man alive, any strange looks either," Ye Fei said with a self-satisfied smirk.
"You're so full of yourself!" The won laughed, though they had to admit it was hard to find a man more handso than Ye Fei.
"Even if neither of those applies, maybe he's just not interested in us. Not everyone is as lustful as you, little rascal," Shui Ying teased.
As they'd grown closer, she didn't mind flirting with Ye Fei in front of the others. Those who knew their relationship understood, and those who didn't, like Shui Rou, wouldn't think much of it. After all, as his "mother," it was natural for her to tease her "son."
Ye Fei didn't argue with Shui Ying's comnt about his lustfulness. Instead, he smiled and said, "But any normal man has desires for power, wealth, beauty, and fa, though the degree varies. For example, I do value beauty highly, but I'm also drawn to the others. That's normal. When a man completely abandons one or more of these desires, it's a sign he's no longer normal—because his obsession with one thing has reached its peak, leaving no room for anything else."
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