Chapter 141: An Acquaintance?

Ye Shanshan heard the voices of two women outside the door and was instantly bewildered... Since when did that jerk Ye Chen have female friends?!

Crucially, the way they greeted him sounded intimate and familiar. He had been running off to the inner city so hard lately—could it be because of these two women? How infuriating!

Her little-woman mentality began to stir in the shadows.

Just then, another voice rang out: "I heard that coming to your place for dinner requires bringing your own food; you really are quite the talent."

This time, it was the voice of a normal man. Well, whether the man was normal or not was up for debate, but at least there was nothing wrong with his voice.

"How did you two get here? Welcome, welcome! And don’t mind that—I was just afraid you were too busy."

As the belated welcome was offered, Ye Chen stepped aside to clear the path.

Walking in front was You Zhi, dressed in a suit. He had uncharacteristically washed his hair and shaved his beard clean. This was perhaps the greatest respect he could show for a housewarming party; one must realize he wouldn't even be this formal when attending meetings convened by the City Lord.

However, the dark circles under his eyes, which suggested he could drop dead from overwork at any moment, made everyone’s hearts skip a beat.

Following behind him was a tall woman, elegant and graceful, appearing like a dazzling star descending. She had cherry lips, pearly teeth, and exquisite makeup. Beneath her straight, defined bridge of a nose were cold, deep eyes that betrayed neither joy nor anger.

You Ya was not wearing her glasses today; in the absence of major emotional fluctuations, her expression was usually just like this. Her hair was not piled high like it was at the exhibition the other night; instead, it was simply and casually tied behind her head. The hair tie was neither too loose nor too tight, as if it might slip from her silky locks at any moment. She was adorned with slender, understated earrings, and paired with the necklace resting against her porcelain-white neck, the look was not tacky in the slightest—it was exceptionally elegant and appropriate.

Every time You Ya changed her style, it would dazzle the lecherous onlookers.

Trailing behind her was a girl with a radiant smile but a less-than-generous figure—and, well, she seemed to be carrying a takeout box. Most of the men present only managed a fleeting glance before their eyes were drawn back to You Ya. When Yuanzi stood next to the cold, high-class goddess, her presence was almost nonexistent.

Among the crowd, the most exaggerated expressions belonged to Xu Fan and Meng She, whose mouths were instinctively watering. Even Qiao Mucao, who prided himself on being worldly and knowledgeable, had to admit that this was a woman no ordinary man could tame.

None of the people present noticed the look on Jin Yinghui’s face: "Why is he here? How did Ye Chen manage to invite a guy like him?"

"Let me introduce everyone. This is Chief Director You Zhi of the Inner City’s Transcendent Bureau."

A wave of gasps erupted. The Chief Director of the Transcendent Bureau—this was no small matter. Even Qiao Mucao, who had personally escorted him to the Transcendent Bureau once before, found it hard to believe.

Ye Chen paused slightly, staring at You Ya’s exquisite face, pondering for a second which title would be most appropriate. My teacher? The female devil? Or...

"And this is Chief Director You Ya, from the Transcendent Bureau of the Iron Capital."

Another Chief Director, and from another capital city at that! When did the big shots of the Transcendent Bureau become as common as cabbage, flocking to Ye Chen’s house like they were at a marketplace? He was hogging all the prestige and the limelight.

"Oh, and this one here is Yuanzi from the Transcendent Bureau, and, well... the thing she’s holding seems to be a set meal from the Transcendent Bureau cafeteria." Ye Chen had seen plenty of those takeout boxes in the trash can in You Zhi’s office.

While everyone else kept staring at You Ya, Jin Yinghui’s gaze remained fixed on You Zhi. You Zhi also noticed he was being watched. Following the direction of the gaze, he saw a middle-aged man with a cigarette in his mouth and a slightly stout build. This man seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place him for the moment.

Jin Yinghui walked toward You Zhi and pulled out a cigarette to offer him. Being a fellow heavy smoker, You Zhi accepted it and said thank you. Suddenly, You Zhi pulled a figure from his memories—the two men’s mannerisms with their cigarettes were like they had been carved from the same mold.

Just as he was about to exclaim, "It’s you!", a lighter suddenly appeared in front of his lips, cutting him off. He heard Jin Yinghui say: "Come, let’s go sit over there and smoke three cigarettes first."

You Zhi was now certain who he had encountered. Jin Yinghui winked at him and whispered, "Let's go over there to talk; don't say anything here!"

The man with the dark circles nodded, seemingly understanding his intent. Ye Chen frowned, suspiciously watching the two old smokers heading toward the stone table under the tree... Had they just hit it off?

...

After dinner, Ye Chen and You Ya were alone on the balcony, conversing privately in the open. During the meal, Ye Chen had confessed his status as a researcher at the Transcendent Bureau but asked his teammates to keep it as confidential as possible within the Bureau. He also mentioned that You Ya was his teacher.

His first claim was personally confirmed by Chief Director You Zhi, while the second was vetoed—the reason being that the perks shouldn't be monopolized by his younger sister alone. Beyond their shock, the group was filled with envy. "You kid, you really were hiding your true colors..." thought Qiao Mucao, the king of gossip, happily tucking that away in his mind.

Once the little girl understood the ins and outs, her vigilance diminished significantly, and she began cleaning up the dishes and tidying the house in a relaxed and cheerful mood. In her mind, Chief Director You Ya wouldn't take a fancy to her childhood sweetheart even if she were reincarnated a hundred times.

At that moment, You Ya was leaning her elbows on the balcony railing, her hips slightly tilted, outlining a full, graceful curve. Her eyes, however, remained fixed on the two old smokers who were whispering to each other at the stone table in the courtyard.

You Ya knew her brother’s temperament well. Apart from deep discussions with Bureau researchers regarding project issues, she rarely saw him communicate with others for such a long time. Judging by Jin Yinghui’s appearance, he didn't look like the type to do research. Based on his self-introduction earlier, he was, at best, a shopkeeper at the Outer City mission agency.

Could it be that her brother had another task to entrust to him? The younger sister furrowed her delicate brows in thought. Unable to figure it out, she shook her head and switched topics: "You used the money from selling the inner core extract to buy this house, didn't you?"

Even for a Miss You who had seen all sorts of luxury mansions, she had to admit that this house exuded warmth and tranquility everywhere, making it very suitable for living. This was entirely due to the thoughtful arrangement of the girl living there with him.

Ye Chen calmly replied with an "mm." He hadn't expected the devil teacher to come talk to him about domestic life alone; it wasn't her style. There must be more to come...

"I heard you rescued all the children kidnapped from town. You did well—truly, very well. On behalf of the Transcendent Bureau, I want to say thank you."

Ye Chen replied with a blank "Ah..." What on earth does this have to do with the Transcendent Bureau? You’re just finding an excuse to spout random praise.

First small talk, then praise—what comes after praise? You Ya, you really do know how to progress step by step, going deeper and deeper.