The middle-aged man stared at him with a somber expression, his eyes unnervingly calm.
Pu Yifeng stood up from the ground, clutching his face, disbelief etched on his features, feeling both wronged and indignant.
"What position do you hold in the Hongmen, sir?"
He wasn't sure of this person's status, but not many people dared to hit him so casually.
The middle-aged man ignored him, sneering, "You dare to tease Mr. Ye's wife? Are you tired of living? How can a mere White Flag dare to impersonate the Hongmen to swindle people?"
Hearing this, Pu Yifeng's heart skipped a beat. He swallowed hard, his mind racing, but he couldn't connect anyone in his memory with the man before him.
He looked at the middle-aged man with a grim expression. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Lai Fu, how should one deal with someone who dares to tease Mr. Ye's wife?"
The middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, calmly staring at Pu Yifeng, who felt a growing dread under his gaze.
The driver stepped forward, "Break their limbs and let them fend for themselves."
"Hiss."
Even Lin Tian'ai beside them gasped in shock.
She never imagined she would be protected because of the words "Mr. Ye's wife," and it seemed the protector was someone of significant stature.
What exactly was Ye Longlin's identity!
"I heard you are Mr. Ye's ex-wife?" The middle-aged man observed Lin Tian'ai with curiosity, then paused before saying, "You can call me Third Master, or you can call me Hong Shi."
Lin Tian'ai was taken aback and quickly replied, "Thank you for your help, Third Master."
Upon hearing the title "Third Master," Pu Yifeng's face involuntarily twitched, his eyes widening in shock.
"Hong... Hongmen... Hongmen White Flag pays respects to Third Master..."
Third Master!
The Hongmen organization is structured into ranks, often referred to as "Hang." There are thirty-six and a half official positions.
Third Master refers to the third rank. There were three individuals who held the title of Third Master: Huan Hou, Pi Hong, and Cha Hua. These were the three leading figures. However, this title is somewhat dated; they are now more commonly addressed as "Duozhu," meaning the helmsman.
"Go and apologize to Mr. Ye. If Mr. Ye does not forgive you, your limbs will be crippled, and you will be thrown into the sea."
Hong Shi said with a smile, but despite his smile, it sent a chill down the spines of Pu Yifeng and Lin Tian'ai.
"Yes."
As she followed Lin Tian'ai to the door, she could hear voices and laughter from inside.
Her heart felt a pang.
"Ye Longlin, I will not regret this."
She didn't know who she was saying it to, perhaps to his determination, or perhaps as a form of self-affirmation.
"Bang, bang, bang."
The room door was knocked, and the voices inside ceased.
Hong Shi adjusted his attire, clasped his hands, and said, "Hong Shi, Huan Hou of the Hongmen, along with the White Flag, requests an audience with Mr. Ye."
Pu Yifeng's hands nearly went limp. Even the Third Master had to use the word "request." Who on earth was this person? Who had he offended!
There was no response from inside.
Hong Shi clasped his hands again, his respectful demeanor unchanged, "Hong Shi, Huan Hou of the Hongmen, along with the White Flag, requests an audience with Mr. Ye."
Lin Tian'ai was equally stunned. She had quickly looked up the Hongmen, and even on the surface, Huan Hou was considered high-ranking. Yet, even the Hongmen treated Ye Longlin with such deference. What was he?
Had she really made a mistake?
No, she hadn't!
"Hong Shi, Huan Hou of the Hongmen, along with the White Flag, requests an audience with Mr. Ye."
Hong Shi spoke again, his attitude growing more respectful.
"Enter."
A voice came from within. Hong Shi visibly relaxed. Pu Yifeng, with sharp eyes, quickly moved to push open the door, a smile plastered on his face.
Hong Shi merely glanced at him before looking away.
Then, he saw Ye Longlin, unchanged from his memory. A smile appeared on his face, and he respectfully clasped his hands. "Mr. Ye, your demeanor remains as distinguished as ever."
Ye Longlin remained silent, awaiting further words.
Hong Shi kicked Pu Yifeng and then clasped his hands again. "Mr. Ye, if I hadn't appeared, this scoundrel from the White Flag would have already made a move against your former wife. Hong Shi has brought him here to be at Mr. Ye's disposal. At worst, the Hongmen will simply replace a White Flag."
Having said that, Hong Shi's eyes turned cold. He quickly pressed down on Pu Yifeng's knees and angrily commanded, "Kneel down!"
This sudden turn of events caused Mu Hanqi, Diana, Xuan Niao, and Yuan Gang to quickly rise to their feet.
Pu Yifeng kneeling to apologize had nothing to do with them. Some matters needed to be kept separate; this was called having rules.
After Pu Yifeng knelt, he lost all semblance of his former self, immediately kowtowing and wailing, "Mr. Ye, Mr. Ye, I'm so sorry. I didn't know she was your former wife. I'm sorry, I was blind. Please spare me, I don't want to die, I don't want to die..."
Lin Tian'ai felt an indescribable mix of emotions. The words "former wife" struck her heart deeply, causing a pain so intense she could barely breathe.
She didn't understand why things had turned out this way, nor why she, despite getting what she seemingly wanted, couldn't feel happy.
Everything that had happened up to this point proved one thing: Ye Longlin's status was exceedingly high, so high that she couldn't even begin to fathom it.
Even an organization like the Hongmen, simply because a subordinate had offended her, had their high-ranking official personally bring the offender to apologize, displaying an exceptionally respectful attitude.
She felt lost.
Ye Longlin glanced at Lin Tian'ai and waved his hand. "Alright, if there's nothing else, you can leave. I'm not interested in dealing with these trivial matters. You can handle it as you see fit."
He truly wasn't interested. If he were to dwell on such minor issues, he would be angered to death every day.
Hong Shi nodded respectfully. "Very well, Mr. Ye. Ever since your last visit for the ceremony, the Dragon Head has not stopped thinking of you. He hopes you will visit the Hongmen again."
Recalling the Dragon Head of the Hongmen, Ye Longlin chuckled wryly. "Tell that Seventh Master that I will go when I have time, but now is not the moment."
Hong Shi's eyes suddenly deepened. He nodded, then kicked Pu Yifeng's shoulder without much thought. "Consider yourself lucky. Mr. Ye is not pursuing this, but that doesn't mean I won't. From this moment on, you are expelled from the Hongmen."
This was a statement of attitude, the Hongmen's attitude towards Ye Longlin.
As he had said, Ye Longlin might not pursue the matter, but the Hongmen would. After all, the incident had occurred, and as the party at fault, the Hongmen needed to demonstrate their stance.
Moreover, during his attendance at the Hongmen ceremony, Ye Longlin had been seated as an equal to the Dragon Head. Such a status demanded extreme caution.
At the very least, losing a White Flag was crucial to showing the Hongmen's sincerity.
After speaking, he cast a deep glance at Lin Tian'ai. "I hope your choice was the right one."
Lin Tian'ai knew what he was referring to. She bit her lip but remained silent.
Ye Longlin looked at Lin Tian'ai and said in a gentle tone, "Alright, hurry up and sit down to eat."
Lin Tian'ai sat at the table in silence, her mind distant, lost in thought.
Perhaps only she knew the depth of her heartache at that moment.
"Mumu, tell me, do you like Ye Longlin?"