Volume One, Chapter Five: Tomorrow, I Shall Come to Marry Sister Ruyan

"This... this, this, this... Miss Lan, you... you must not! He is just a country bumpkin..."

Seeing Murong Lan actually massaging Chen Feng's feet, Su Xuemei was scared half to death, her words tumbling out incoherently.

"What are you trying to say?" Murong Lan raised her head to look at Su Xuemei, questioning her sharply.

"This... Miss Lan, I mean, you are a person of noble status, while he is nothing but a stinking Taoist priest. He..."

"So what if he is a stinking Taoist? I am happy to do it; do you have an objection?"

"No... no..." Su Xuemei was terrified, cold sweat streaming down her face, and she dared not utter another word.

"Sister Lan..." Standing in the back, Cheng Sanfei could no longer hold back. He wanted to say something, but upon seeing Xiao Fei's warning glare, he swallowed his words.

Liu Ruyan kept tugging at the corner of Chen Feng's shirt, her palms slick with cold sweat. That was the powerhouse of Xinhai City, a woman who stood at the very pinnacle of the city. For her to be massaging Chen Feng's feet—wouldn't this lead to a catastrophe? A woman's heart is as elusive as a needle at the bottom of the sea; no one could guess what she was thinking. In the past, she had gouged out the eyes of anyone who dared to glance at her too long. Yet, Chen Feng had actually made her massage his feet; if this wasn't courting death, what was? He was truly a newborn calf that feared no tiger; the consequences would be unimaginable!

"Sister Ruyan, don't be afraid. It's fine. Miss Lan's subordinate offended me, so she ought to apologize!" Chen Feng comforted her, seeing her drenched in cold sweat.

"Brother Feng, if you want to die, don't drag the Liu family down with you..." Liu Ruyan was fuming, squeezing the words through her teeth. She desperately wanted to slap him. How could the considerate Chen Feng of her childhood have grown into someone so stubborn and reckless? She even began to wonder if this was truly the same Chen Feng she had dreamed of marrying when she was young.

"Boss, does that feel comfortable?" After a while, Murong Lan looked up at Chen Feng, her face filled with a blissful smile, showing no trace of dissatisfaction. It seemed as though she genuinely enjoyed massaging his feet.

"It's alright. Do my shoulders next; I'm a bit tired from the journey." Chen Feng nodded and said.

"As you wish!" Murong Lan immediately stood up, looking delighted. She bore no resemblance to the cold, icy CEO from the rumors. "Is this pressure okay?" she asked, standing behind his chair and using both hands to knead his shoulders.

"You understand me best; this pressure is just right." Chen Feng closed his eyes and enjoyed it. The room was deathly silent, everyone on edge.

The more abnormal Murong Lan's behavior, the more anxious they became, and some grew increasingly furious. Cheng Sanfei glared at Chen Feng, gritting his teeth. "Bastard! I went to such lengths to join the Qingcheng Group just to get close to her, but that cold bitch wouldn't even look at me. Now, she's fawning over a mountain bumpkin! I won't swallow this insult!"

"Just wait, you lot. My big brother is returning soon, and then I'll make sure you pay!" After muttering this, he glanced at Xiao Fei, who was holding the tray. "And you, just wait. I'll deal with you too!"

After a while, Chen Feng stretched and sat up. "Refreshing!"

At that moment, Murong Lan suddenly leaned in and planted a light kiss on Chen Feng's cheek.

"Damn it... this... this, this, this..." Cheng Sanfei was incensed, a mix of envy and jealousy surging within him, his hatred for Chen Feng reaching its peak. If not for the disparity in their strength, he would have charged over to beat Chen Feng to death.

"Naughty!" Chen Feng glanced at Murong Lan, then reached out to pull over the stunned Liu Ruyan, teasing, "See? I told you that when Miss Lan arrived, not only would she not hurt me, she would even kiss me. Do you believe me now?" Back at Tianshan, his senior sisters would kiss him several times a day. Chen Feng had been certain that Murong Lan wouldn't miss the chance to do the same upon seeing him.

"I must have mistaken you for someone else. I'm sorry!" Liu Ruyan could not accept that the "Brother Feng" she had pined for was being kissed by another woman. With red-rimmed eyes, she shook off Chen Feng and retreated.

"Miss Liu, this was just a gesture of my sincere apology. Please don't take it to heart." Realizing she might have overplayed her hand, Murong Lan immediately explained. She then turned to Chen Feng, "Are you satisfied with my apology?"

Chen Feng nodded, "Not bad. I'll let your subordinate off the hook this time."

"Very well. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."

"Go on, go on!" Murong Lan smiled, turned, and walked over to Cheng Sanfei, grabbing his ear and dragging him out of the house.

At that moment, Xiao Fei placed the tray on the table in front of Su Xuemei. "This is the dowry our Miss Lan prepared for Young Master Chen. I have other matters to attend to, farewell!" With that, she turned and strode after Murong Lan.

"Auntie Su, the dowry has arrived. Pick a date! I will come in an eight-man sedan chair to marry Sister Ruyan!" Even while being dragged away by his ear, Cheng Sanfei shouted excitedly upon hearing that the Qingcheng Group had prepared a dowry for him.

Su Xuemei immediately tore off the red cloth, excitedly inspecting the contents: two sets of luxury car keys, a villa in the Harbor New City district of Xinhai, and a check for one hundred million!

"We're rich! We're rich! The Liu family is going to rise!" Seeing the dowry, Su Xuemei was ecstatic, clutching the items to her chest, unwilling to let go.

"You're happy over just this? It's not even worth as much as one of my Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pills!" Chen Feng said with a smile. Compared to the pill, the dowry was nothing. Wealth was external, but a Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pill could save a life—it was no exaggeration to say it could bring the dead back to life. Any one of those pills would be snapped up in a frenzy; they were priceless.

"Bah! How can your garbage compare to the dowry the Qingcheng Group prepared for Young Master Cheng? Stop trying to gild your own lily! You've offended Young Master Cheng and Miss Lan of the Qingcheng Group—your days are numbered!" Su Xuemei grabbed a broom and pointed it at Chen Feng. "Get out of the Liu family home immediately! We don't want anything to do with a mountain bumpkin like you!"

Seeing this, Liu Ruyan blocked her mother. "Mom, can you stop being so snobbish? Brother Feng and I have an engagement! Grandfather set it up—do you want him to be restless in his grave?"

Su Xuemei retorted, "How are you talking to your mother? You saw it yourself! Chen Feng offended Young Master Cheng and Miss Lan. If you associate with him, the Liu family will be plunged into an abyss of misery! Do you want to destroy the family?"

"I..." Liu Ruyan was speechless. She understood that Chen Feng's actions must have truly infuriated the cold CEO; otherwise, why would she have acted in such an unbelievable way?

Chen Feng stood up, pointed at the dowry on the table, and said righteously, "You don't actually think this dowry was prepared by the Qingcheng Group for that trash Cheng Sanfei, do you?"

Su Xuemei scoffed, "It's not that I think it—it's a fact! Don't think that just because your surname is Chen, you can try to claim it. I'm not stupid enough for that!"

Chen Feng was speechless; he couldn't understand what was going on in Su Xuemei's head. Had she not seen Murong Lan massaging his feet and shoulders? Had she not seen her kiss him? Did that not prove their intimate relationship? As for why he hadn't acknowledged her earlier, it was his own choice; he needed to keep his identity hidden to investigate the massacre of the Chen family.

"Auntie Su, I'm afraid you're mistaken. This dowry was prepared by the Qingcheng Group for me—the Young Master Chen, not that 'Young Master' Cheng Sanfei. Do you understand?" Chen Feng explained earnestly.

"Bah! What are you? Would Miss Lan prepare a dowry for you? I advise you to leave immediately, or I'll beat you to death with this broom!" With that, Su Xuemei lunged at Chen Feng with the broom.

"My dear wife, ah, I want to sing a love song, watch the most beautiful fireworks..." Su Xuemei's phone rang. She answered it. "It's Young Master Cheng. I'll deal with you later!" She glared at Chen Feng and turned on the speakerphone. "Hello, Young Master Cheng!"

Cheng Sanfei's voice came from the other end, "Auntie Su, are you satisfied with the dowry? Is one house, two luxury cars, and a one-hundred-million-dollar check enough?"

Su Xuemei immediately replied with a grin, "Satisfied, extremely satisfied."

The voice on the phone continued, "As long as you're satisfied. Tomorrow looks like a good day. Why don't I come to marry Sister Ruyan tomorrow?"