Long Ting, having seen his share of storms, would not lose his composure over such a trivial matter.
Therefore, he lowered his voice and said to Long Xuan, "Xuan'er, go back obediently. In a couple of days, Father will speak with the sect leader and ask for your release. He won't refuse Father's face."
Although Long Xuan was still unwilling, she had no other choice at the moment and could only return with a dejected expression.
Watching Long Xuan's disappointed figure disappear, Long Ting's heart also felt heavy.
No matter how unruly Long Xuan was, she was still his pampered daughter.
"Long Hao, follow her and make sure to cheer the young lady up."
Long Ting's voice had turned cold and stern, as if he were giving orders to an insignificant servant.
Long Hao lowered his head in agreement. The moment he turned around, a glint of coldness flashed in his eyes.
Long Ting withdrew his gaze and headed in the direction where Yan Ru Lie and the others had left.
Yan Ru Lie and his group were fast walkers. If he didn't catch up soon, it would be too late.
Bai Ge Er watched Long Ting disappear from her sight, her pale face contorting.
This old scoundrel, who usually acted like a good master.
Now, as soon as things turned sour and he wasn't pleasing the sect leader, he treated him like a stranger.
One day, he would make him pay.
Bai Ge Er made a silent vow in her heart before leaving without a word.
Meanwhile, Shen Xiao Yan and a few others, after leaving the hall, hurried back to Yi Mao Dun's courtyard.
After Yi Zhi Xie and the others had left, Yi Mao Dun had initially stayed in the inner room to accompany Yin Su Su. However, Yin Su Su soon grew sleepy.
So, he simply came out and sat in the hall, waiting for Yi Zhi Xie and the others.
He expected Yi Zhi Xie and the others to be gone for a long time, but to his surprise, they returned shortly.
Seeing Yi Zhi Xie and the others return safely, Yi Mao Dun was initially very happy. However, to his surprise, their expressions were increasingly solemn.
Yi Mao Dun's heart sank. What was going on?
"Father, do you think Shen Xiao Yan resembles anyone?"
Yi Zhi Xie did not give Yi Mao Dun a chance to speak and asked directly.
Yi Mao Dun was taken aback. Then, he looked at Shen Xiao Yan's face.
Initially, he looked over with slight confusion.
However, after gazing at Shen Xiao Yan's face for a while, his expression gradually became strange.
Yi Zhi Xie and the others exchanged glances, and at the same time, a sense of panic arose in their hearts.
Could it be that Shen Xiao Yan truly resembled someone?
And this person was not only known to Yan Ru Lie but also to Yi Mao Dun?
"Father, what is it?" Yi Zhi Xie asked again, his voice now laced with urgency.
Yi Mao Dun was jolted back to reality by this question. He looked at Shen Xiao Yan again, his face filled with disbelief.
"She does!"
"Resembles whom?" Shen Xiao Yan asked.
Although there were many people in the world, it was not uncommon for one person to resemble another to some extent.
However, such resemblances usually only evoked a slight surprise in others.
Never would it cause such strange expressions as those on Yan Ru Lie and Yi Mao Dun.
Yi Mao Dun sighed. "Earlier, my heart was solely on A Lan, so I didn't pay close attention to you, Madam Shen. Only now do I realize that you look exactly like someone. If it weren't for your youth and the difference in your temperament, I would have thought you were the same person."
As he spoke, Yi Mao Dun's voice was filled with emotion.
He never expected that in this lifetime, he would have the chance to see someone so alike.
Yi Mao Dun's words made Shen Xiao Yan and the others even more curious.
Just as they were about to ask further questions, they heard the voices of disciples outside announcing the arrival of the sect leader and a group of elders.
Why had Yan Ru Lie followed them?
Shen Xiao Yan and the others exchanged glances, sensing that something was amiss.
As the old saying goes, unsolicited favors often mask ulterior motives.
Yan Ru Lie hadn't visited in the past month.
Why had he suddenly remembered to come and see them today?
It could only mean that there was something he coveted, otherwise, he wouldn't have come.
Without much thought, everyone in the room instantly realized that Yan Ru Lie's arrival was definitely because of Shen Xiao Yan.
However, Yi Mao Dun had not finished his words yet.
And outside the door, the sound of footsteps could already be heard. It was impossible to say anything more.
Zheng Wei squeezed Shen Xiao Yan's slightly cold hand, comforting her, "It's alright, I'm here for everything."
Shen Xiao Yan nodded, gripping Zheng Wei's hand, and her flustered heart gradually calmed down.
Just then, Yan Ru Lie and the others entered.
Yan Ru Lie's gaze immediately fell upon Shen Xiao Yan and Zheng Wei's clasped hands. His eyes darkened for a moment before returning to normal.
Yi Mao Dun stepped forward, smiling, "Sect Leader, what brings you here?"
Yan Ru Lie smiled and said, "What, Mo Dun, are you blaming me for not coming before? You know the sect has many matters to attend to, and it's not that I didn't want to come. I finally found some free time today, so I rushed over as soon as I could."
Although Yi Mao Dun knew Yan Ru Lie was lying, he couldn't say anything else and could only agree, "We all understand your intentions, Sect Leader. Whether you come or not doesn't actually matter. We don't want to waste your time."
Yan Ru Lie shook his head disapprovingly. "That's not right. Although I am the Sect Leader, everyone knows my relationship with you and Sister Ruan. If I didn't come to visit, what would others say about me?"
"Alright, enough talk. Lead me inside to see."
Although Yan Ru Lie said this, he had already walked inside without waiting for Yi Mao Dun to lead the way.
Long Ting and the others naturally followed behind Yan Ru Lie.
Yi Mao Dun glanced at Yi Zhi Xie and the others and quickly followed.
Lu Tao Bao scoffed and whispered, "This doesn't look like visiting the sick. It looks more like catching someone in the act."
"What are you talking about?" Shen Xiao Yan reprimanded.
"I was wrong."
Realizing he had spoken incorrectly, Lu Tao Bao quickly lowered his head.
Although Lu Tao Bao's words were unpleasant, the meaning was not wrong.
Various thoughts raced through their minds, but their feet did not slow down as they followed inside.
Upon entering, they saw Yan Ru Lie and Yi Mao Dun standing by the bed, speaking softly.
And Yin Su Su, lying on the bed, had a purple-red complexion, appearing critically ill and on the verge of death.
Seeing Yin Su Su in such a state, Yi Zhi Xie's heart tightened. He immediately wanted to step forward and ask Yi Mao Dun what was wrong with his mother.
When he left this morning, Yin Su Su was still conscious. How had she become like this in such a short time?
Her condition seemed even more serious than before.
Fortunately, Zheng Wei was quick-witted and pulled Yi Zhi Xie back, preventing him from moving forward.
"Watch carefully. We can discuss it later when they leave."
Hearing Zheng Wei's words, Yi Zhi Xie finally calmed down slightly.
If he were to impulsively approach Yi Mao Dun now, and Yan Ru Lie discovered something, they might not even have a safe environment.
Normally, it wouldn't be a problem, but now, Yin Su Su's condition was too fragile to be moved.
Finally, after Yan Ru Lie and Yi Mao Dun finished speaking.
Seeing Yan Ru Lie preparing to leave, Shen Xiao Yan and the others felt a sense of relief.
It felt like they were seeing off a plague god.
This thought crossed Shen Xiao Yan's mind, and a smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.
Yan Ru Lie happened to turn and look at Shen Xiao Yan at that moment. Seeing the mischievous smile on her lips, his eyes deepened.
Zheng Wei had been watching Yan Ru Lie from the side. Seeing him approach Shen Xiao Yan, he immediately stepped forward, shielding Shen Xiao Yan completely behind him.
Yan Ru Lie stood in front of Zheng Wei, looking at his face with a complex expression in his eyes.
"Who are you?"
After a long pause, Yan Ru Lie finally asked.
Zheng Wei said faintly, "Zheng Wei."
"And who is Zheng Wei?" Yan Ru Lie continued to ask.
"Her husband!"
"Husband?"
Yan Ru Lie's voice suddenly rose, filled with jealousy and a slight crack.
Clearly, it was due to extreme surprise.
He had never known that Shen Xiao Yan already had a husband.
However, Yan Ru Lie had obviously forgotten that Shen Xiao Yan had only arrived at the Sun Heat Sect yesterday, and this was only their first meeting today. He had only noticed Shen Xiao Yan half an hour ago.
Therefore, how could he possibly know that Shen Xiao Yan had a husband?
But all of this did not matter to Yan Ru Lie.
What he was thinking now was whether or not he should directly kill this bothersome person in front of him.
After much thought, Yan Ru Lie abandoned the idea.
It wasn't the right time yet. Shen Xiao Yan and the others were going to stay at the Sun Heat Sect for a long time anyway.
He had plenty of time to plan carefully.
Yan Ru Lie bypassed Zheng Wei without a word and walked out, his footsteps growing further away, seemingly heading towards the main entrance.
Everyone in the room looked at each other, completely bewildered by what had just happened.
After exchanging glances, they finally bid farewell to Yi Mao Dun and quickly left one by one.
Regardless of what Yan Ru Lie was up to, it was better for them to leave as soon as possible.
Long Ting was also filled with curiosity. He glanced at Yin Su Su lying on the bed again before leaving. Seeing that her complexion had not changed at all, he felt slightly relieved.
Only after everyone had left did Yi Zhi Xie quickly approach Yi Mao Dun and anxiously ask, "What's wrong with my mother?"
Yi Mao Dun smiled. "Don't be anxious."
As Yi Mao Dun finished speaking, Yin Su Su suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Yi Zhi Xie with a smile. "Ah Xie, Mother is fine."
As Yin Su Su spoke, the pallor on her face began to recede, and soon, her complexion improved significantly.