At that moment, the leader known as Brother Meng suddenly threw his beer bottle to the ground and bellowed, "Laozi has a reputation around here! I can’t believe I’m being provoked on my own turf!"

"Men, beat him to death for me! If anyone dies, Laozi will take the fall for you!"

"Alright!"

Several of them immediately rolled up their sleeves and charged forward.

But in the blink of an eye, they all ended up eating dirt. Ye Fan’s single move was enough to flatten these posers.

Brother Meng was chilled to the bone, his expression turning ugly as he stared at Ye Fan.

Ye Fan approached him, clapped him on the shoulder, and asked, "Any other tricks? Go on, bring them out!"

"N-no, there aren’t any more!" Brother Meng stammered, his courage gone.

"That’s it? You’ve really let Laozi down!"

Ye Fan kicked the BMW, and the car instantly shattered as if it were made of paper-mâché, crumbling completely.

Brother Meng immediately dropped to his knees and pleaded, "Boss, I was wrong! Please, be the bigger man and let me go!"

His legs trembled. He hadn’t expected to provoke such a formidable man. In truth, he felt utterly helpless.

But Ye Fan just said, "Scram, and be quick about it!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

He scrambled away as fast as he could. He had no choice; Ye Fan was far too powerful to mess with.

Ye Fan walked over to the drunken woman and said, "Miss, wake up!"

But the girl was still completely groggy.

Ye Fan was at a loss. He hadn’t found the person he was looking for, and now he was stuck with this burden. He was on the verge of a breakdown.

He picked the girl up, found a nearby hotel, and laid her down in a room.

He brushed her disheveled hair from her face and realized how beautiful she was. She had the look of a classic, graceful beauty. With her slightly auburn hair and tall figure, she was absolutely stunning, with a beauty that was on par with Luo Ling or even Chen Zihan.

He picked up the photograph and glanced from it to the girl. "You don’t look like her at all," he muttered. "You’re lucky you ran into me; otherwise, you’d have died without even knowing how."

He tossed the photograph on the bedside table, went to the other side of the bed, and quickly fell asleep.

「In the middle of the night, the girl woke up.」

She started to panic. The room was completely unfamiliar. Then, a wave of fear washed over her as she realized where she was—a hotel. She knew what that could imply, and she was on the verge of tears.

She quickly checked her body. Finding nothing amiss, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she saw Ye Fan, asleep in a chair across the room.

Did he bring me here? He didn’t do anything to me, so I guess he’s a decent man after all.

The girl relaxed. In this day and age, with relationships being so messy, not many men were as composed as Ye Fan.

Just as she got up to leave, she noticed a photograph on the nightstand. She picked up the old photo. "What’s this?" she wondered aloud. "Isn’t this a picture of me and my brother?"

She was shocked.

At that moment, the noise woke Ye Fan. He saw the girl holding the photograph and didn’t even have time to formulate an explanation. He immediately asked, "Do you know the people in this picture?"

"It’s a picture of me and my brother. Who are you?" the girl asked.

Ye Fan hadn’t expected that a chance encounter would lead him straight to the person he was looking for. He couldn’t begin to describe how overjoyed he was.

He hurriedly asked, "Your name is Xu Jiayi?"

"How do you know my name?" she asked curiously.

Now Ye Fan understood everything. No wonder people said Xu Jiayi had a connection with her boss. Being so beautiful, she would attract jealousy even if she didn’t.

So, he said, "I’m your brother’s comrade-in-arms. I came back this time to find you."

"My brother’s comrade-in-arms? Is he doing well? He’s been gone from home for ten years, and in all that time, he hasn’t sent a single message!"

Xu Jiayi was a little angry. Before her brother left, he had told her he was going to make something of himself, to stand out, and then come back for her. But she had never cared about him carving out a career for himself. All she had ever wanted was for him to be safe. Yet for all these years, she had searched for him and heard nothing.

Ye Fan said, "Actually, it’s a long story."

"What story? You’re my brother’s comrade? Did my brother join the army?"

Xu Jiayi had so many questions. It couldn’t be helped. At that moment, she was overwhelmed with doubts that needed answers.

"Let me explain everything slowly," Ye Fan said gently.

Then Ye Fan told Xu Jiayi the story of him and Xu Shitou.

Her heart shattered, and she collapsed into tears. Ye Fan hurried to comfort her.

Sobbing, Xu Jiayi said, "My brother was the only family I had in this world. Now that he’s dead, what am I supposed to do?" She was completely heartbroken.

"You still have me," Ye Fan said quickly. "I promised your brother that I would take good care of you and never let anyone bully you."

Xu Jiayi was devastated. She never imagined that after years of searching, this would be the outcome.

Ye Fan didn’t tell Xu Jiayi that Xu Shitou had saved his life. He was afraid she couldn’t handle it yet, so he decided to wait until she had calmed down.

"My brother isn’t coming back, is he?" Xu Jiayi asked, still unable to accept this reality, clinging to a sliver of hope.

Ye Fan said awkwardly, "He won’t be coming back. I’ve been searching for you for all these years. If it weren’t for the chance mishap that led me to save you, I might never have found you."

Xu Jiayi’s emotions were unstable, so Ye Fan didn’t say anything more that might overwhelm her.

But the more she thought about it, the more impossible it was to accept, until she finally fainted.

What a pitiful woman. Why is it always the good people in this world whose families are destroyed, while the wicked run rampant and lawless? I hate how unfair this world is. Ye Fan thought, shaking his head helplessly.

「When Xu Jiayi awoke again, it was already broad daylight.」

Her voice was hoarse and weary. "I dreamt of my brother," she said. "He was as loving as ever.

"I dreamt that he came back and took me away from this place of strife.

"It’s just a pity he’s never coming back."

Xu Jiayi was deeply saddened.

Ye Fan pulled her into an embrace. "From today on, I’ll be your brother," he said. "I’ll take his place and look after you.

"No one will dare to bully you ever again."

Xu Jiayi was deeply moved. She knew society was full of lies, but for some reason, Ye Fan’s words felt so real.

In truth, Ye Fan spoke from the heart. Whether for the debt he owed his late friend or for the sake of his own conscience, he was determined to take care of Xu Jiayi.