"Alright, stop fighting. Show some respect. We'll see each other around, so there's no need to beat us to death!"
Though they had shown some backbone earlier, once the fighting got serious, no one recognized anyone else. They felt like they were about to be killed. Ye Tiancheng had survived so many disasters and managed to stay alive under the hands of even the most formidable people. It was impossible for him to be beaten to death by a few small security guards. If word got out, people would surely laugh.
"If you two don't run now, we'll kill you right here. One fat, one thin, perfect companions for the journey to the underworld. How wonderful."
The threats were quite terrifying. Ye Tiancheng was genuinely scared and, in a panic, ran with the little胖. After running for about ten minutes, he almost forgot. They had driven here, so running this far was useless. They still needed to get back to their car.
"Brother Ye, what should we do? Your disciple's divine beast is still in their hands. Should we go beg Miss Su, or should we forget about the divine beast for now? That little phoenix can fly away on its own wings."
"We still need to find a way to see Su Muxian, otherwise, I can't explain it to Lin Xue. If Su Muxian really refuses to see us, then I'll have to go find Lin Xue. Only she can help at this moment."
The thought of encountering those security guards again and possibly getting beaten with clubs made Ye Tiancheng instinctively resist. His body was already covered in bruises. Life left Ye Tiancheng with no room for further complaints, and he felt utterly powerless.
"You two are back again? Don't you want to live? Do you want to die at our hands?"
The leader of the security guards looked ferocious and was about to run over and tase them. At this critical moment, some of the security guards' subordinates arrived.
"Don't get agitated. The young lady has ordered that these two can come in, but they need to be searched first to see if they're carrying any dangerous weapons."
"A search is fine. We're here to talk things over and don't want to resort to violence. Search us as much as you want; you won't find anything."
Ye Tiancheng craned his neck, putting on a brave face as if ready for martyrdom. He wasn't afraid of being tested. He felt he was doing well. As long as he acted upright and honest, everything would fall into place, and all his endeavors would succeed. Unlike those scoundrels who always lived in the gutter.
"Alright, stop pretending. If you're not carrying anything, then you're not. Hurry up and get inside, don't delay our work."
Those people were more aggressive than the last. Ye Tiancheng and the胖 had already left, but the胖, walking a half-step behind, was kicked in the backside, almost sending him sprawling.
"What are you doing? Is this what your young lady told you? We are guests, and your young lady has already invited us in. You're still hitting people here. Isn't this going too far?"
Ye Tiancheng's words finally intimidated them. They stopped hitting them, and they proceeded safely, finally seeing Su Muxian.
"Su Muxian, what have you done with the little phoenix, no, what have you done with that little yellow chicken?"
"Isn't it just lying there? Do you think I'd really eat it? I just finished my meal. Do I really need to eat it right now?"
After exhausting Ye Tiancheng and the胖, Su Muxian was quite annoyed.
"You really look down on people. Rushing over here, afraid I'd do something to those little chickens. You're such a snob."
At this point, Ye Tiancheng could only comfort Su Muxian. "I didn't mean it like that. I just feel that this is a very important pet of my disciple. If I fail to protect it, I won't be able to explain it to my disciple."
Ye Tiancheng had only offered a casual explanation, but this remark instantly ignited Su Muxian's anger. She stood up abruptly and glared at Ye Tiancheng.
"And then what? Everyone is important in your heart, except me, it seems. Your disciple is Lin Xue, isn't she? We are indeed otherworldly, like celestial maidens. Have we captivated you?"
"Look at what you're saying, as if you don't look good. Didn't everyone say you looked like a little celestial maiden before? It's not because of that. It doesn't matter if you're good-looking or not. I just want to keep my promise and not break my word."
After Ye Tiancheng finished speaking, Su Muxian sneered again. "You say it so easily, rationalizing everything. But have you forgotten how you treated me? This time, I made things difficult for you by sending you to raise pigs, but it unexpectedly brought you another romantic connection. You're not picky, showing such deep affection for that Village Chief Liu. It's truly shocking."
What she said was very confusing, and Ye Tiancheng couldn't react. In Ye Tiancheng's memory, Su Muxian probably didn't know Liu Lanying. Now, Su Muxian brought up Liu Lanying with such hostility, which was incomprehensible. Could there have been some past conflict between them?
"What about Village Chief Liu?"
"No need to be so formal to avoid suspicion. I know you two have a super good relationship. You've always been popular with women, and now you have another admirer. You must feel quite proud of yourself."
Ye Tiancheng was truly baffled. He had never felt he had done anything inappropriate, nor had he ever flirted with Liu Lanying. Liu Lanying had suddenly confessed to him. Ye Tiancheng was now completely bewildered and didn't know what to do, only to be blamed by Su Muxian again.
"I know, you think I'm promiscuous, right? But Liu Cunzhang and I are truly innocent, and I have no intention of developing any further relationship with her."
Ye Tiancheng was quite honest in this regard, so Su Muxian was willing to believe him. Hearing Ye Tiancheng say this, her anger subsided considerably.
"The reason I asked you here today is that I heard you were with that beautiful college village official. Aren't you two boyfriend and girlfriend?"
"Of course not. We're just ordinary collaborators. Such things shouldn't be spread around, as it could ruin the girl's future."
The more Ye Tiancheng said this, the more he distanced himself from other women. In reality, the more Su Muxian was pleased. After all, Su Muxian still had lingering feelings for Ye Tiancheng. Whenever she heard about any new romantic developments in his life, she would feel particularly anxious. That feeling of jealousy made Su Muxian very uncomfortable, which was why she had been unable to face Ye Tiancheng's new relationships calmly.
"Alright, it seems it was a misunderstanding. My intelligence was inaccurate. Let's not talk anymore. I'll return your little chick. I don't want to keep someone else's chick and appear as if I have ulterior motives for it, like an idiot."
Su Muxian's face finally broke into a smile, and she handed the chick to Ye Tiancheng with both hands. Ye Tiancheng also finally smiled after receiving the chick.
"Alas, I knew you weren't that unreasonable. There must have been some issue. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, let's get along peacefully from now on and stop causing such trouble. You scared me to death."
After taking the little chick, Ye Tiancheng prepared to leave. Su Muxian still looked at him with reluctance.
"It's so late today. Why don't you and the胖 stay the night? We have guest rooms available."
The Su family was currently at the center of a media storm. Ye Tiancheng worried that if he stayed overnight, rumors would quickly spread. Therefore, he chose to go home and sleep, and there was no need to stay overnight.
As the two left, Su Muxian continued to look at Ye Tiancheng with longing eyes. After they exited the Su residence, the胖 tugged at Ye Tiancheng's clothes.
"Don't say it, your former sister-in-law still has deep feelings for you. Brother Ye, aren't you considering it? Such a good sister-in-law is hard to find."
"You were the one advising me to be with Hou Mingzhu earlier. I don't know where your loyalties lie, but your Brother Ye is not an object. I don't want to be a plaything for women, constantly revolving around them. I feel I'm aging too quickly. I'd rather live my own life well. Getting involved with these women, I feel I won't have a good ending."
There was actually some truth to what Ye Tiancheng said. The little胖 stopped persuading him. The two quickly headed home. Along the way, Ye Tiancheng kept comforting the phoenix, as if the phoenix was also startled by this incident. Fortunately, nothing major happened, and everything was well.
Ye Tiancheng rested at home for two days. The phoenix gradually grew stronger, creating a very suitable cultivation atmosphere at home, allowing Ye Tiancheng's true qi to gather rapidly. However, Ye Tiancheng's previous losses were too great. Even if he gathered some true qi, he absolutely could not make a move during this period, or he would suffer greatly. Lin Xue's previous warnings still echoed in his ears, and Ye Tiancheng dared not act recklessly.
However, after a few days, Ye Tiancheng wanted to check on the pigs he was raising. After all, if these pigs grew up, they would be a significant source of income, and it also involved the future of the entire Master Village, which was a cause for concern for Ye Tiancheng. Ye Tiancheng went to take a look and was surprised to find that the pigs were all emaciated. Although they weren't as frantic as before, they didn't look normal now.
Ye Tiancheng wanted to discuss with Liu Lanying how to manage the farm going forward, as they were the main responsible parties, one investor and one manager.
After the unpleasant incident with Liu Lanying regarding the confession, Ye Tiancheng had become very cautious. In Ye Tiancheng's view, any incident would most harm the girl. Therefore, he needed to be careful and mindful of his words to avoid hurting her self-esteem, which would not be good.
"I think the pigs' condition isn't very good. Has anything happened in the last couple of days?"
Liu Lanying seemed to be secretly wiping away tears. When Ye Tiancheng spoke to her, she turned around and forced a smile.
"Nothing's wrong. It's just that these pigs, for some reason, don't eat much lately, which is why they look so listless. I believe this situation will improve soon, and we don't need to worry too much."