Chapter 173: Guess Who I Am?

"Mind your own business? I'm happy to!"

These six simple words carried a hint of playful teasing.

Ye Fan tapped the girl's flawless white forehead and led her into the courtyard.

This gesture caused Ning Xi to panic inexplicably. She wanted to pull her hand out of Ye Fan's grasp, but the warm sensation from his hand made her weak and powerless.

Her dad was home!

If they were caught…

The consequences were something Ning Xi didn't even want to imagine.

However, sensing the faint trace of dominance emanating from Ye Fan, she somehow stopped resisting.

It's just for a moment—Dad won't come out. It should be fine.

Once they were inside, she would make him let go. Yes, that's the plan!!!

The two of them entered the villa. Before Ning Xi could say a word, Ye Fan let go of her hand first. Taking out a tissue, he carefully wiped the fine sweat off Ning Xi's face.

"Don't be silly again. I feel bad for you."

"I…"

Meeting Ye Fan's sincere gaze, Ning Xi's eyes softened as she murmured, "I… I was waiting to greet you."

After saying that, she stuck out her tongue mischievously and smiled playfully. "Anyway, let's go. Mom was so excited when she heard you'd come for lunch."

The girl's youthful and lively demeanor, paired with her playful charm, was utterly enchanting.

Ye Fan silently admired the beautiful scene in front of him, his eyes filled with a deep affection that sketched out Ning Xi's figure.

Noticing Ye Fan staring at her, Ning Xi turned her head away, pushing him toward the living room.

At the end of the hallway, she let go of his hand and walked into the living room alongside him.

Ye Fan couldn't help but feel a little puzzled by Ning Xi's unusual behavior. However, when he saw Ning Xiangtian sitting on the sofa, he immediately understood everything, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Hello, Uncle Ning."

"Mm."

As usual, Ning Xiangtian's response was lukewarm.

His attention remained focused on the document in his hands, and he didn't glance at Ye Fan even once.

Ye Fan was used to this.

If Ning Xiangtian ever greeted him with enthusiasm, he'd actually start to feel nervous.

Noticing her father's cold attitude, Ning Xi pouted slightly and whispered, "Don't mind him. My dad's always like this."

"I understand."

Of course, Ye Fan didn't mind. After all, he was courting the man's daughter.

"Lunch isn't ready yet. Let's go to the study and… read for a while."

"Okay."

Ning Xi nodded lightly. After shooting her father a displeased look, she led Ye Fan to the study.

Once the two had left the living room, Ning Xiangtian put down the document, a glint of sharpness flashing in his eyes as a trace of confusion appeared between his brows.

He wasn't blind—he could clearly see that Ye Fan liked his daughter.

And this kid didn't even bother to hide it, making it painfully obvious.

In the past, Ning Xiangtian wouldn't have hesitated to use his resources to make Ye Fan disappear from his daughter's side.

What resources?

Money. Lots of money!!!

But after a heart-to-heart conversation with his wife, he came to understand one thing.

His daughter was growing up. Sooner or later, she would get married, have children, and build her own family.

This was something he couldn't stop, nor could he interfere with. The only thing he could do was help her make the right choice.

Ning Xiangtian had looked into Ye Fan's background and found himself with more questions than answers. If possible, he really wanted to tie this kid up and interrogate him.

It was baffling!

The records showed that Ye Fan had poor grades and was introverted with few friends as a child.

But after coming to the capital, his grades skyrocketed in a way that defied logic.

More importantly, the records described Ye Fan as introverted. Yet, in his interactions with Ye Fan, Ning Xiangtian saw nothing of the sort. Instead, the boy seemed to have mastered the art of socializing to an extreme degree.

In short, the current Ye Fan was completely different from the person described in the records—almost like two entirely different people.

To dig deeper, Ning Xiangtian even sought out Zhan Chongshan. After some inquiries, his doubts didn't diminish; they only grew.

How could a mediocre student suddenly become a top-tier academic genius just by switching schools?

It didn't make sense!!!

The records indicated that Ye Fan's mother had been living in Linhai for years and that his stepfather worked in the clothing business, with no connections beyond Linhai. There was no way they knew Gu Yun Jiuduan.

Yet, Ye Fan somehow not only knew Gu Yun Jiuduan but even managed to become his disciple. That kind of privilege was extraordinary!

Layer upon layer of mysteries surrounded this boy…

While Ning Xiangtian was deep in thought, a delicate hand suddenly rested on his shoulder. He snapped back to reality to find his wife, Lan Xi, standing behind him with a radiant smile. He suppressed his swirling thoughts and asked, "What is it?"

Lan Xi asked gently, "What were you thinking about so deeply?"

"Nothing."

Ning Xiangtian didn't voice his concerns. He knew his wife well—if she found out he had been secretly investigating Ye Fan, she would definitely be upset.

It was better to keep it to himself.

"You're definitely hiding something."

Lan Xi glanced at him but didn't press further. Instead, she said softly, "Come on, it's time to eat."

"Alright."

Ning Xiangtian had just stood up when Lan Xi added, "During lunch, behave yourself. If I catch you subtly targeting Xiao Fan, don't blame me for being harsh!"

"…"

Xiao Fan?

Hearing this nickname made Ning Xiangtian's face darken slightly.

"Why are you calling him so affectionately? Are you really treating him like your future son-in-law?"

Lan Xi smiled sweetly and retorted, "Why not?"

"I…"

Ning Xiangtian was exasperated and replied firmly, "Even if Xiao Xi is destined to marry and have children, that's in the future. For now, it's out of the question. At the very least, they need to wait until after college."

"So much time can change everything. It's too early to say anything now."

"Just don't try to stir up trouble."

Lan Xi observed her husband's reaction with a knowing smile and said, "Ye Fan is an excellent young man. Aside from his family background, he's a perfect match for Xiao Xi. And Xiao Xi clearly likes him too. As her father, you should be able to see that."

"Besides, does family background really matter to us? Not at all!"

"No matter how wealthy Ye Fan's parents are, they could never be as wealthy as you. So why are you so hung up on it?"

She sighed softly. "And I'm not saying they should do anything right now. Just let them see where things go once they're in college. Whether they can make it in the long run depends on fate."

After a moment of silence, Ning Xiangtian finally nodded. "Alright. Let's leave it at that for now."

"Wow?"

Lan Xi looked surprised, her disbelief evident. "You actually agreed? It's like seeing a tree bloom in winter!"

"What kind of comment is that?"

Ning Xiangtian looked pained and spread his hands. "Do I have any other choice?"

"No."

Lan Xi chuckled behind her hand.

"…"

Lunch passed uneventfully, with a calmness that felt almost unnatural.

This made Ye Fan feel uneasy.

Based on his understanding of his future father-in-law, Ning Xiangtian should have tried everything to make things difficult for him. Ye Fan had even mentally prepared himself for it.

But… nothing happened.

How strange!!!

After lunch, Ye Fan returned to the study alone. He casually pulled a book from the shelf and sat at the desk, flipping through its pages.

A few minutes later, the study door slowly opened.

Ning Xi tiptoed in and circled behind Ye Fan. Her lively eyes sparkled as she raised her hands to cover his eyes. Her silky hair brushed against Ye Fan's neck, and her face was lit with dimples of joy.

The familiar fragrance of the girl tickled Ye Fan's senses. With a smile tugging at his lips, he asked playfully, "Guess who?"