Chapter 14: Yue Jie is Furious

Watching Ling Qing's movements and listening to his recent words, a colder smile appeared on Ziyue's frosty face: "Threatening me? They have nothing to do with me, step on them as you please!"

"Yue Jie! No, please help us, please help..." Ziyue's words naturally reached Tao Yi's ears. Dazed by Ziyue, Tao Yi finally regained some clarity.

Ling Qing frowned. He hadn't paid much attention to Ziyue's words. After all, he had heard similar things many times in his life. Based on his past experiences, those who said such things generally wouldn't abandon the hostages.

But then there was what Tao Yi had just said, along with his expression.

Could this woman really not care about the two people on the ground?

Ling Qing remained calm, taking a deep breath, and spoke in a deliberately casual tone: "Alright, then I'll give it a try."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Qing's foot, which had been pressing down on Zhang Lei's head, was instantly lifted high. A vicious glint flashed in his eyes as he prepared to stomp down!

"Zhang Lei!" As Ling Qing's foot hung in the air for a moment, Tao Yi's eyes widened in shock!

Whoosh!

Just as Ziyue moved, at the moment before she did, she still had a cold smile on her lips. But in the instant Ling Qing's foot was about to connect with Zhang Lei's head...

It was too fast, so fast that it was almost impossible to see with the naked eye!

In that split second, Ziyue's figure almost disappeared, leaving only a blur of an afterimage. She was so fast that Ling Qing didn't even have time to be shocked before he was suddenly slammed against the wall, with Ziyue's hand gripping his throat.

At that moment, Ling Qing was truly stunned. This speed, this strength, it was so overwhelming that he forgot the suffocating feeling of being lifted against the wall by Ziyue's hand.

And it wasn't just Ling Qing who was shocked. His subordinates, and even Zhang Lei on the ground and Lin Lin, who had just regained consciousness, were equally astonished. Although Lin Lin was still somewhat disoriented and unsure of who this woman was, the shocking scene had been fully taken in by her eyes.

"You... what are you...? You are not... human!" Under the intense pressure of suffocation, Ling Qing quickly snapped out of his daze, immediately realizing that this young girl was definitely not human!

Ziyue did not answer Ling Qing. Or perhaps it could be said that she did not deem it worth her response.

Glaring into Ling Qing's eyes, Ziyue said word by word, "I hate people who threaten me."

"What... what exactly are you?" Ling Qing, still unwilling to give up, asked laboriously.

Tao Yi put down the large and small bags he was carrying, walked over to Ziyue's side, and helped Zhang Lei and Lin Lin up from the ground.

At this point, Tao Yi inadvertently caught a glimpse of Ziyue's current expression and felt alarmed.

"Yue Jie, please don't kill him; it will cause a lot of trouble!"

"Leave," Ziyue didn't respond to Tao Yi. The wicked look in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

"Yue Jie, listen to me. Don't you want to avoid trouble? This man is a big figure in Xuanwei City. Killing him will lead to many consequences. It's likely more people know about this than just those here. If he dies, my friends will be in even greater danger, and it could involve you and me," Tao Yi continued to persuade, unwilling to give up so easily. If Ling Qing were killed, that unusually powerful man surnamed Liao would certainly drag Zhang Lei's and Lin Lin's families into the mess!

Swoosh!

Thud!

"Boss Qing!"

"Boss Qing..."

...

Ziyue casually tossed Ling Qing aside as if she were throwing away trash, her movements as graceful as ever.

After that, all that could be heard was the frantic shouts of Ling Qing's underlings.

By this time, Ziyue had already turned around to face Tao Yi.

"What are you doing?! Yue Jie, I'm only trying to help. If you want to continue, go ahead, cough, cough..." Tao Yi muttered as he helped Zhang Lei and Lin Lin run away as fast as they could under Ziyue's deadly gaze, leaving only his voice behind.

What a joke, this crazy girl was too unpredictable! Who knew if she might decide to end all three of them here just because of a few words of persuasion?

"Stop!" Ziyue's voice suddenly rang out again, almost causing Tao Yi to tumble down the stairs.

"What... what is it?" Tao Yi asked, confused.

"You took quite a beating today. Go home and rest. Don't worry; I won't kill them. Now, leave," Ziyue's tone was unexpectedly gentle.

"..." Tao Yi was left speechless. Indeed, women are inherently difficult to understand, and this superior variety is even harder to figure out.

Just as Tao Yi helped Zhang Lei and Lin Lin out of the building, they heard the sounds of hellish screams from inside. They also heard the creak of doors opening as some households peeked out, only to immediately shut their doors in fear.

At this moment, Tao Yi felt conflicted and helpless. Just moments ago, he had hated these people to death, but now he was starting to pray for them. With a helpless look at Zhang Lei, whom he was supporting, he prepared to leave.

**"Who is that woman? She's insane—so fast, so strong! Is she even human? What's going on? Tao Yi, do you know her? Even though she's a bit hot-tempered, she seems to care about you? What's the deal? Come on, tell us, tell us..."** Zhang Lei couldn't hold back any longer and fired one question after another at Tao Yi.

Tao Yi took a deep breath, looking helpless, and stopped in his tracks, asking, "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes, yes!" Lin Lin, who was supported on the other side by Tao Yi, was also mostly recovered by this time. She was equally puzzled. Although still weak, she nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"You two really are a pair—your minds and bodies are equally twisted..." Seeing that Lin Lin had also reacted, Tao Yi shook his head.

Then Tao Yi stood still, his expression serious and stern as he said, "If I told you that we have no relationship whatsoever, not even as friends, and that I only met her yesterday morning, would you believe me?"

"Uh, well..." Before Zhang Lei could answer, there was a loud bang as the door behind them was kicked open.

Tao Yi quickly turned around to see Ziyue already standing beside him, carrying several shopping bags. Apparently, Tao Yi had forgotten to bring Ziyue's shopping trophies.

Before Tao Yi could say anything, Ziyue hung the bags on his arm and then dangled a small bunch of keys on his idle fingers.

"I'll give you the keys. I'll be back later. Remember to rest well!" Ziyue coldly tossed out these words and then turned around, walking away with a casual elegance, presumably to continue venting...

After making sure Ziyue had closed the door behind her, Zhang Lei and Lin Lin dared to speak again, this time both saying in unison, "We don't believe it!"

"What?" Ziyue's sudden appearance and her words had left Tao Yi confused, making him forget the question he'd just asked them.

"We don't believe you have nothing to do with her!"

"..." Tao Yi sighed helplessly, "Fine, don't believe it if you don't want to. I'm not explaining anymore."

"Come on, just tell us how you two met. Who is she, anyway? Why does she care so much about you? Is she a legendary martial arts master? Or maybe an esper? Or could she be a cultivator? Tell us, Brother Yi! Tell us..." Zhang Lei, the gossip king, perked up with these questions, forgetting all about the Ling Qing incident.

"Yeah, yeah, why does she have the keys to your place? What's going on? She's even prettier than Meixuan! Did you fall for someone else, and that's why Sister Meixuan left? Tell us! If you don't explain, we won't let you hang out with Zhang Lei anymore!" Lin Lin chimed in at just the right moment, proving they really were the perfect match Tao Yi always said they were.

"Right, that woman didn't seem like she's Chinese? And Zheng Meixuan also left with a foreigner... Could it be you fell for a mixed-race girl, and that's why…?" Zhang Lei added, pretending to have a sudden realization.

"..." Tao Yi could only stare in speechless resignation. These two really did have nerves of steel, already forgetting all about what happened with Ling Qing just moments ago.

Only heaven knew that Tao Yi's mind was racing with just as many questions as Zhang Lei and Lin Lin...

Not staying any longer, despite being bombarded with endless questions from the two, Tao Yi almost went crazy, but he managed to hold on. He finally succeeded in getting these two gossip-hungry individuals to the hospital before he reached his breaking point.

Even though they made it to the hospital, the two calmed down slightly due to the atmosphere, but Tao Yi still didn't feel safe leaving them there. After all, he didn't know how Ziyue had handled things, and if something unexpected happened, he worried that Zhang Lei and Lin Lin might be in danger.

So, after a brief check-up at the hospital, Tao Yi took them back to his place, planning for them to recover there.

**At Tao Yi's house.**

"Brother Yi! You're the best, always know how to treat us right..." Zhang Lei flattered him, while Lin Lin was lying down in Tao Yi's bedroom, resting.

Tao Yi rolled his eyes at Zhang Lei, not paying him much attention, and casually replied, "You two are really something... Taking such a heavy beating, and still so lively. You really are a match made in heaven!"

Hearing Tao Yi's words, Zhang Lei immediately looked at him like he was some kind of monster.

Indeed, even if Zhang Lei and Lin Lin were in good shape, they had still been to the hospital, and Lin Lin was still quite weak. But Tao Yi? He had taken just as many hits, if not more, than Lin Lin. Yet, he seemed to be the only one who could be described as truly energetic...

"Actually, it was an accident..." Tao Yi, helpless under their gazes, had no idea how to explain, so he decided to be honest: "I really don't know what's going on. Really, do you believe me?"

"..." Although Tao Yi was telling the truth, seeing Zhang Lei's expression, he could only twitch his lips, feeling speechless.

Ignoring Zhang Lei, Tao Yi went to the bedroom, took out a spare set of bedding, placed it on the sofa, moved the coffee table aside, and began to set up a floor mat.

"What are you doing?" Zhang Lei asked, puzzled.

"What do you think? Making a bed for you two. Where else would you sleep?"

Zhang Lei immediately objected, shamelessly saying, "No way, Brother Yi. We're injured! Can't you sleep on the sofa? Haha..."

"Then where should that terrifying Yue Jie sleep? Unless you want the three of you to squeeze onto one bed? A threesome?" Tao Yi smirked and continued setting up.

Zhang Lei, suddenly remembering Ziyue, quickly said, "No way, no way..."

Then Zhang Lei got serious, "Tao Yi, be honest. How long have you known her? How come you're already sleeping together? Is what my wife said true? Did you fall for someone else? Do you even know who she is?"

"..." Tao Yi could only reply helplessly, looking just as serious, "I'm telling the truth. I really have nothing to do with her, and I'm sleeping on the sofa. I'd like to sleep with her, but would I dare?"

"Fine, fine. We've been asking all this time, and you still have nothing to say. You barely know her, yet you let her stay at your place? Who'd believe that? If you don't want to talk, just say so. I won't ask anymore." Zhang Lei assumed Tao Yi was deliberately avoiding the subject and decided to stop probing.

Tao Yi shook his head, saying nothing more. He really couldn't explain it, and he couldn't fully disclose the truth. What worried him was Ziyue's unpredictable temper—what if she decided to silence them...

It was too hard to say.

**Knock, knock, knock...**

There was a knock at the door.

"Your Yue Jie is back. Go, go..." Zhang Lei snickered mischievously.

Tao Yi stood up, giving Zhang Lei a serious look, and said, "When you see her, don't say anything reckless. You know what will happen if you end up like Ling Qing and the others, right?"

"Stop nagging and open the door," Zhang Lei replied with a dismissive wave.