"Old man, teach me something else, won’t you?"
"You’re already old anyway, what’s the point of keeping those skills to yourself? Might as well pass them on to me so I can benefit the people."
"Don’t worry, I’ll definitely carry on your legacy and make it flourish!"
The elderly man lay on the hospital bed, his face dark, pressing a pillow over his ears.
Beside him, An Yi buzzed around like an annoying fly, endlessly begging to learn more.
This guy was definitely not cut out to be his disciple!
He was shameless and greedy—completely incompatible with Cheng Yuanfeng’s righteous and dignified temperament.
But… that little girl in ancient-style clothing? Perfect!
Not only was she pretty, but she was also beautiful—and pretty to boot! She was clearly the ideal candidate to inherit his legacy.
"Little girl, aren’t you interested in becoming my disciple?"
Cheng Yuanfeng put on the look of a smooth-talking coaxer, grinning as he asked Shen Muxuan.
Shen Muxuan pointed at herself and tilted her head. "Me?"
Cheng Yuanfeng nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! How about it? I can teach you anything!"
"Old man, teach me! Teach me…" An Yi, overly excited, tried to butt in but was promptly shoved back by Cheng Yuanfeng.
Shen Muxuan shook her head. "But I already have a master."
Cheng Yuanfeng refused to give up. "That’s fine! You can be my nominal disciple. Just serve me tea, massage my shoulders, and rub my legs—simple stuff!"
He could tell—this seemingly clueless girl had terrifying talent!
Unlike An Yi, a complete amateur, this girl clearly had some foundation in cultivation. The way her meridians and qi flowed didn’t lie.
Shen Muxuan shook her head again. "No way. My master told me that if I ever meet someone who keeps pestering me to become their disciple, I should smash their stupid head in!"
Cheng Yuanfeng: "…"
Well, your master sure is something.
"Old man, here’s the roast chicken you wanted."
Lin Chen walked into the ward and tossed over the lotus-wrapped chicken he was holding.
Seeing the flying chicken, An Yi suddenly moved.
A surge of energy flowed through his hands, gently catching the chicken midair before carefully taking it.
"What the hell are you doing? So rough!" An Yi held it with an ingratiating smile. "Master, let me unwrap it for you."
Lin Chen froze.
How the hell did this kid just do that?
Telekinesis?
And he’s calling this old man "Master"?
Just who the hell is this geezer anyway?
What happened in the time it took him to buy a damn chicken?!
"Don’t think just because you did this little favor, I’ll acknowledge you as my disciple. You’re still far from worthy."
Cheng Yuanfeng maintained the air of an otherworldly master as he calmly unfolded the lotus leaf.
"Holy crap, where’s the drumstick?!"
The drumstick was already gone—vanished in the blink of an eye.
An Yi shook his head like a rattle-drum. "No idea! These merchants are so shady, skimping on drumsticks! We should totally leave them a bad review!"
"You’ve still got grease on your mouth!"
"Oh, my bad. Didn’t notice."
Watching the old man and the young man bicker over a chicken leg, Lin Chen sighed inwardly.
What a joke.
He’d wasted an entire morning on this nonsense.
The old man was clearly full of energy—cursing and wrestling over roast chicken. He was fine.
Time to head back. As a bodyguard, he’d already been gone too long.
BANG!
The hospital door swung open.
A graceful, slender figure appeared at the entrance.
"Lin Chen, what the hell is wrong with you? You actually beat up an old man in public?!"
Her voice arrived before she did.
Qin Yao pushed into the ward, fuming.
But the moment she saw the crowded room, her tone instantly softened. "Th-that’s not right..."
"Qin Yao? What are you doing here?"
An Yi quickly let go of the old man, wiped his greasy fingers on his clothes, straightened up, and coughed lightly.
Qin Yao’s voice turned sweet and demure at the sight of An Yi. "I-I heard Lin Chen hurt someone and was worried something bad might’ve happened, so I came to check."
Lin Chen rolled his eyes.
This gentle, soft-spoken girl was the same headstrong young lady who constantly threatened to offer his blood in sacrifice?
Then, anger flared up in Qin Yao again.
This hired bodyguard of hers had the audacity to assault an elderly man!
Disgusting!
Absolutely unacceptable!
His morals were rotten! Now she had the perfect excuse to get her dad to fire him.
"The guy’s fine. He’s over there stuffing his face with chicken!"
Lin Chen pointed at Cheng Yuanfeng, who was happily devouring the roast chicken.
Cheng Yuanfeng wrinkled his nose and huffed. "Don’t think you can weasel out of this! No settlement without at least a million! I heard you charge a hundred mil just for bodyguard work—you’re loaded!"
Lin Chen shot a murderous glare at An Yi.
This little brat must’ve blabbed!
An Yi stared blankly ahead, pretending not to notice.
Qin Yao sighed. "As long as he’s alright. Hurry back—if we don’t find you soon, my dad’s going to call the authorities."
"Tch, fine. I’m out."
Lin Chen shoved his hands in his pockets and swaggered off without a care.
Cheng Yuanfeng watched him leave and smacked his lips. "Uh… what about my million…?"
"Who would’ve thought we’d meet here? What a coincidence."
Qin Yao gazed at An Yi, her delicate fingers lightly brushing aside her silky hair, revealing her flawless features.
There was no denying it—in her eyes, An Yi was an exceptional young man.
Tall, handsome, skilled at basketball, and he had even saved her life.
That dramatic "hero saves the beauty" moment in the night market alley might have been cliché, but when it came to winning a girl’s heart, it was nothing short of a trump card.
What girl wouldn’t dream of a dashing white knight swooping in to rescue her in a moment of peril and despair?
It struck right at the heart’s sweet spot!
For the first time, she found herself so drawn to a boy.
Compared to that stone-faced Lin Chen, who always scowled and needlessly provoked her temper, An Yi was a thousand times better!
An Yi attempted what he thought was a devilishly charming smile and said, “Yeah, what a coincidence. Fate works in mysterious ways—no wonder my heart’s been skipping beats all day.”
Cheng Yuanfeng couldn’t help rolling his eyes at the line.
*Damn, this is so cringe.* Even listening to it made him shudder, goosebumps rising all over.
*Virgin alert. No way this guy’s ever been in a relationship.*
“Y-yeah…”
Qin Yao forced a faint smile.
Despite the awkwardness, she felt an inexplicable flutter in her chest, her cheeks warming slightly.
*They just happened to bump into each other—does it have to be this flirty?*
*What should I say next?*
An Yi fell into deep contemplation.
This was a golden opportunity to get close to a wealthy heiress—he couldn’t afford to mess it up.
If he could successfully land the role of Qin Yao’s boyfriend,
he’d be cruising in luxury cars, living in mansions, dining on gourmet feasts, and even bossing around that bodyguard, Lin Chen, making him grovel like a servant and call him *Daddy*!
In short, the future looked bright!
“An Yi, who is she?”
Shen Muxuan tugged at An Yi’s sleeve, her curiosity piqued.
An Yi replied, “This is Qin Yao, my classmate.”
Shen Muxuan nodded. “Hello, I’m Shen Muxuan.”
“Hi, I’m Qin Yao.”
Qin Yao responded politely.
As a woman, Qin Yao had noticed Shen Muxuan the moment she walked in.
Her breathtaking beauty gave even Qin Yao, a girl herself, an overwhelming sense of intimidation.
*What’s her relationship with An Yi?*
For no reason at all, Qin Yao’s heart tightened.
“So *this* is where you are!”
Another girl appeared at the hospital room door.
*Another stunning beauty?!*
Qin Yao froze briefly.
Then, with teary eyes, the girl rushed forward and threw herself into An Yi’s arms.
The entire room turned to stone.