Chapter 214: Something Significant

Li Xiaofei didn’t hide anything and recounted the conversation he had with Miao Youwei. There was nothing to keep secret, especially from someone as close to him as Tan Qingying.

"I really envy Sister Miao and Bai Longfei. They don't fear societal judgment and chose to be together despite all the pressure," Tan Qingying said softly.

"Life is precious, but love is priceless," Li Xiaofei responded.

He left the remaining two lines unsaid, feeling they would spoil the mood.

Tan Qingying's delicate body trembled slightly. This saying had been well-known five hundred years ago, but it had, like many other remnants of human civilization, been lost in the long war between humans and beasts. When she heard it now, it struck her with an unexpected sense of awe.

Soon, they arrived outside the government housing complex.

Tan Qingying hopped off the bike and smiled brightly, "Old Tan is definitely not home right now. Do you... want to come in for a bit?"

"Huh?" Li Xiaofei stared blankly into her eyes, wondering if this could be interpreted as an invitation... for love.

"Hey, what are you thinking? We ate too much star beast meat tonight. Come up, and I'll make you some tea to help with the greasiness," Tan Qingying said, blushing in a mix of shyness and annoyance.

Li Xiaofei chuckled, "I can make tea myself."

Tan Qingying pouted, "It’s not the same, is it?"

Li Xiaofei grinned and said, "Then can I brew something else?"

"What?" Tan Qingying asked, puzzled.

"Like... romance?" Li Xiaofei teased.

"Ugh, you can’t say anything decent, can you?" Tan Qingying huffed, stomping her foot in mock annoyance.

"Haha, just kidding. But I really need to head back and check on things," Li Xiaofei said seriously. "The beast tide invasion left the city covered in toxic waste. As a responsible citizen, I should mobilize the gang and start cleaning up as soon as possible."

"Alright, then," Tan Qingying replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Suddenly, she rose to her tiptoes and planted a quick, fleeting kiss on Li Xiaofei's cheek before turning around and gracefully walking away.

Li Xiaofei touched his cheek where the kiss had landed, feeling the faint warmth of her lips. The air seemed to carry a subtle, pleasant fragrance. He stood there smiling for a while before finally getting back on his bike and riding off.

A slender figure stepped out of the darkness about ten meters away. It was the alluring woman dressed in traditional Hanfu.

She watched Li Xiaofei disappear into the distance. "It seems that there’s going to be some real trouble this time. The Tan family’s precious daughter has found herself a sweetheart... How interesting. He might just enjoy this challenge. Hehe, I’ll go back and let him know, see how he handles this."

The alluring woman turned and left.

Moments later, a handsome and gentle man named Bai Zi listened to the report in the top-tier suite of the Starry Sky Hotel and smiled. He held an ancient scroll of paper in his hands and remarked, "It seems that little sister Qingying already has someone in her heart."

The alluring woman in Hanfu crossed her arms and smirked, "Young Master, you need to put in more effort. The family wants you to marry the Tan family’s daughter, and you only have two months left. If you want to win her heart, you’ll need to step up your game."

Bai Zi placed the ancient scroll down. "A gentleman should help others achieve their happiness. Since little sister Qingying has found someone she cares for, why should I, a long forgotten childhood playmate, destroy her happiness?"

"Young Master, you’re really going to just accept this?" The seductive woman, who had been eagerly awaiting a different reaction, was visibly disappointed.

"Fortunate if I gain it, resign if I lose it," Bai Zi said calmly, not taking his eyes off his book.

"You... you’re always like this. Always yielding, always stepping aside.“ The woman suddenly stomped her foot in exasperation. "You can't keep being this way, Young Master! You bury yourself in these ancient books that are older than you every day! What good will they do?!"

Bai Zi chuckled. "There are beauties as fair as jade and mansions of gold in books. But most importantly, there is the Dao of unity."

"But you haven’t gained any of those, Young Master." The woman retorted, frustrated.

Bai Zi continued to smile, "You don’t understand, you just don’t understand."

The woman frowned and asked, "Do you know what people say about you behind your back, Young Master?"

"Of course I do," Bai Zi replied without lifting his head, "They say I'm a useless scholar, that I’m lazy and cowardly, and that I’m the greatest disgrace of the Bai family."

"Young Master, they all say such things about you, and you’re not even a little angry?" The alluring woman asked.

"Their mouths belong to them. Even if I get angry, will that stop them from talking?" Bai Zi replied with a faint smile.

"Then prove them wrong!" She insisted.

"Prove what?"

"Prove that you’re not useless, that you’re not a waste of space, that you understand everything..."

"That sounds exhausting. Besides, what’s so bad about being seen as useless?"

"Oh, come on, Young Master, please wake up! The Master and Madam worked so hard to get you this opportunity. If you marry the Tan family’s daughter, your status in the Bai family could soar. She’s been tested and has a divine bloodline, after all."

"Twelfth Lady, you’re the one who needs to wake up. All the great Saint families are making moves. If I get involved, I’ll be crushed to dust. It’s not wise to forcefully take what doesn’t belong to you. Let’s just go with the flow."

"Sigh, you’re always like this, Young Master. I’m getting anxious for you... By the way, how did your talk with City Leader Tan go today? Your future father-in-law should be quite impressed with you, right?"

"Uncle Tan is very busy, so we didn’t get to talk much. But I could tell he doesn’t want to interfere with Qingying’s personal feelings. The most important thing is, he doesn’t want to leave Liuhe Base City."

"Huh? Why? Hasn’t the Tan family already promised to make amends for what happened back then? He can even get the position of family head, and going back would mean a lot for Tan Qingying. There’s even talk that he values his daughter more than his own life. There’s no reason for him to refuse."

For the first time, Bai Zi put down his book in response to Twelfth Lady’s question.

"Perhaps... there’s something even more important here that he feels is worth holding on to," Bai Zi said softly, looking at his own reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Life is full of many pursuits. Everyone has something more important than their own life," Bai Zi mused. "Conspirators and ambitious men place their desires above life itself. Martial artists pursue honor as their lifelong goal. But for someone like Uncle Tan, what could he be pursuing?"

Twelfth Lady rubbed her temples as she thought. Then she recalled something and said, "By the way, Young Master, I’ve received confirmed news that Gu Langtian has also arrived in the base city. He’s already staying with the Ye family, so it seems the alliance between the Gu and Ye families is complete. The Gu family will fully support Ye Guanzhen in becoming the new city leader."

Bai Zi smiled and said, "Not surprising. The Gu family is a staunch supporter of the New Martial Arts school and is closely aligned with the Jiepeng faction. They have a natural foundation for cooperation with the Ye family. They chose Liuhe Base City as their experimental ground for New Martial Arts... All the current turmoil in this small base city stems from the rise of New Martial Arts."

Twelfth Lady asked curiously, "Why choose here? Isn’t Jiepeng’s territory along the coast?"

Bai Zi slowly rose to his feet as he looked through the glass window at the dark night sky in the distance. "Because three months ago, something happened outside Liuhe Base City—something significant enough to change the power dynamics in the entire Northwest region."

"What kind of significant event?" Twelfth Lady asked, her curiosity piqued.