After leaving the funeral home, Ling Feng hailed a taxi and headed for the Jindu International Hotel.
He didn't want Xiao Ran to stay alone in the hotel for too long, so he felt a sense of urgency on the way.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, the driver noticed the imposing presence of his customer, who kept looking at his watch. This prompted the driver to step on the accelerator.
They reached their destination in just ten minutes.
After paying, Ling Feng hurried upstairs.
He took out his room card, opened the door, and saw Xiao Ran trembling under the covers.
"Uncle, I'm scared!"
As soon as Xiao Ran saw Ling Feng, she threw herself into his arms and began to sob softly.
After all, she was just a six-year-old child who had recently experienced a major upheaval. How could she not be afraid, alone in an empty room?
Ling Feng's heart ached. He gently picked up Ling Xiao Ran and said in a soft voice, "It's okay, it's okay, Uncle is back."
Ling Feng didn't go anywhere else that day. He stayed in the room with Xiao Ran.
Fortunately, Xiao Ran was very well-behaved and sensible. She didn't cry or make a fuss, quietly sitting on the bed reading comic books, which saved Ling Feng a lot of trouble.
The next afternoon, Yang Fei called.
"Heavenly Venerate, the villa has been arranged. The address is 27 Luo Jiao Alley, Villa No. 7, Blue Bay Garden."
With the accommodation issue resolved, everything else would be easier.
"Okay, come and pick us up."
"Yes!"
Half an hour later, Yang Fei drove Ling Feng and Xiao Ran to Blue Bay Garden.
As there were still some handover procedures to complete, Yang Fei gave Ling Feng the keys and asked him to go ahead.
Ling Feng got out of the car, took Xiao Ran's hand, and strode towards Villa No. 7.
Before they had walked fifty meters, a woman's voice called out from behind them.
"Oh, I was wondering who looked so familiar. It turns out to be the young master Ling Feng!"
She emphasized the words "young master Ling" with a tone full of sarcasm.
Ling Feng's footsteps faltered. He turned back slowly, and a familiar face came into view.
Meng Xue. She had looked down on him constantly when they were in middle school, and even after all these years, her nature remained unchanged.
"What are you doing here? Do you know what this place is?"
Meng Xue's face was full of mockery. As she spoke, she deliberately swung her Lv handbag. The vanity brought by the brand made her exceptionally proud.
Back then, Ling Feng and his elder brother depended on each other and lived in extreme poverty. They were so poor that they practically had to share clothes. Because of this, they were often ridiculed by Meng Xue, who considered herself superior.
Now, they met again under similar circumstances.
In her eyes, Ling Feng and the little girl beside him were both dressed in cheap street clothes, clearly not doing well.
Seeing Ling Feng remain silent, Meng Xue spoke again, "Let me tell you, this is a famous high-end residential area in Hanjiang. Those who can live here are either rich or noble. You'd better get lost and don't pollute the air here."
Ling Feng frowned slightly, a trace of annoyance rising in his heart.
But then he thought, why should he bother with a mad dog? So, he took Xiao Ran's hand and prepared to walk around her as if she were a utility pole.
"Hey, I'm talking to you. Are you deaf or blind?"
Meng Xue was getting anxious. Being ignored by this shabby dog was a humiliation.
Ling Feng's expression darkened. His sharp gaze swept towards her, startling Meng Xue, who instinctively took a step back!
In that instant, she felt as if she were being stared at by a ferocious beast, her hair standing on end.
"You... why are you glaring? Don't you have any basic manners?"
Ling Feng's eyes were too terrifying, making Meng Xue afraid to meet his gaze. She only muttered in a low voice.
"Noisy."
With Xiao Ran beside him, Ling Feng didn't want to scare her. He held her hand and walked straight past Meng Xue.
"Living like this, what are you so arrogant about? You deserve to starve to death."
Meng Xue watched Ling Feng's retreating back, spat fiercely, and turned to leave.
After walking another hundred meters, Ling Xiao Ran gently tugged at Ling Feng's sleeve. She widened her bright eyes and said in a childish voice, "Uncle, I'm hungry."
"Good girl, we'll have delicious food when we get home," Ling Feng said softly.
Xiao Ran always touched the soft spot in Ling Feng's heart. Facing her, he was no longer the decisive and ruthless god, but a loving elder.
Because he was not yet familiar with the villa area, he took a long detour before finding Villa No. 7, which Yang Fei had purchased.
As soon as he reached the villa entrance, he heard a noisy commotion, accompanied by deafening music.
Ling Feng looked up and saw that the house was brightly lit, with many people inside, and it seemed occupied.
"What's going on?"
Ling Feng's brow furrowed immediately. Yang Fei had bought a new house, so why were people inside?
He took a closer look at the house number to confirm he hadn't made a mistake before walking to the door and knocking.
The music inside stopped abruptly. After half a minute, the door was pushed open, and a face appeared.
Their eyes met!
Ling Feng's brow furrowed tightly. Meng Xue looked stunned, then annoyed, "Are you following me?"
It was this noisy woman again.
Ling Feng was too lazy to waste words with her. His gaze swept casually across the room, where it was packed with men and women. The table was piled with wine bottles, and the scene was a mess.
"Xiao Xue, who is this?"
A young man with a cigar in his mouth strode over, familiarly put his arm around Meng Xue's shoulders, and squinted as he sized up Ling Feng.
This man was named Zhou Wei, a genuine second-generation rich kid. Meng Xue had put in a great deal of effort to climb onto this big tree and become his girlfriend.
However, before Meng Xue could speak, a teasing voice came from inside the house.
"Meng Jie's poor relative, huh? And he brought a child. He's probably here to freeload!"
"Don't talk nonsense! I don't know him!"
Meng Xue's face turned red as she quickly distanced herself from Ling Feng.
She felt ashamed to even call this person her classmate.
"Three minutes. Clean up and get out of my house," Ling Feng said with a stern face, his voice resonating.
Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Meng Jie, did you hear that? He said this is his house!"
"This is too funny. Hurry and let him in for a drink. Maybe he's frozen his brain outside because it's too cold?"
"In this day and age, there really are all sorts of people!"
They all doubled over with laughter, some even shedding tears.
Even Meng Xue leaned against the door with her arms crossed, a mocking look on her face. "Ling Feng, isn't this trick too clumsy? Do you think you can impress me this way? How naive. I advise you to give up and stop pestering me."
"Oh?"
Hearing Meng Xue's words, Ling Feng became even more interested.
He wanted to see how conceited this woman could be.
"Ling Feng, right? I don't care what your relationship with Xiao Xue is, but get out of here quickly. Don't make me call security to break your legs." Zhou Wei said with a sinister grin, his expression extremely arrogant.
As his words fell, several other young men and women from inside crowded over, each with a playful expression on their faces.
Ling Xiao Ran shivered all over, tightly gripping Ling Feng's hand, her little face pale.
"Don't be afraid, Uncle is here. No one will dare to bully you. Close your eyes for now."
A gentle voice drifted from above. Xiao Ran hummed and obediently closed her eyes.
Ling Feng then looked at these people again and said, "I'll give you one last chance. Pack up and leave immediately, or you'll face the consequences."