chapter 19 outskirts

In certain situations, the lives of the privileged are more fragile than those of ordinary people. This is due to the structure of society. The privileged may bully ordinary people, but they ultimately have to consider their public image. The power struggles among the privileged are never fully known to the common people, so even if something goes wrong, it's not necessarily something that can't be covered up.

Before leaving, Cheng Ouyang reminded Feifei Ouyang not to misbehave, which Fei Shen found quite amusing. As for Yan Yang, she had already disciplined her subordinates, and several of them were on their knees with bruised faces. It was clear that both Fei Shen and Yan Yang understood the principle that you shouldn't make enemies without understanding their backgrounds. Apparently, Yan Yang had been too lenient with these people before.

Fei Shen didn't pay much attention to how Cheng Ouyang handled the situation. To him, this matter was just a small incident in life, and he couldn't be bothered by it. Life had to return to its normal course.

Feifei Ouyang, however, was still distant and cold. Despite what had happened the night before, she hadn't let go of her grievances.

As for Mengmeng Jiang, she remained her mischievous self, her eyes always sparkling with a hint of cunning.

After breakfast, Fei Shen confidently hitched a ride with Ruoxue Yao. Under the threat of a fine, this guy had become a steady driver. Ruoxue Yao happened to have some documents to work on, so it was a win-win situation. As a result, she had become accustomed to waiting for Fei Shen.

The conflict with Feifei Ouyang had not been resolved, and Fei Shen couldn't fathom why she had thrown banana peels in front of his door. Unfortunately, Cheng Ouyang had caught her in the act. Cheng Ouyang, now in middle age, had begun to gain weight and was a bit clumsy, resulting in an intimate encounter with the ground. Fei Shen returned to witness Cheng Ouyang scolding his daughter, who had a face full of grievances. Cheng Ouyang raised his hand but couldn't bring himself to strike her. Clearly, he doted on his daughter to the core.

This night was unusually quiet, with no major incidents. Feifei Ouyang remained stubborn.

"Hmph, don't think that I'll forgive you just because you spoke up for me. I'll settle the score with you sooner or later. Yesterday, if it weren't for you, my father wouldn't have fallen!" After breakfast, as they headed out together, Feifei Ouyang coldly left this statement for Fei Shen.

Fei Shen rubbed his nose in frustration. He had learned something new about Feifei Ouyang's logic when it came to handling situations.

"What's bothering you so much?" Ruoxue Yao, who seemed to have grown accustomed to Fei Shen's presence, asked. The dynamics between people could be quite subtle.

A person you despised, when you spent enough time with them, could become tolerable. Familiarity sometimes bred acceptance. Of course, there was also the possibility that the more you knew someone, the more you disliked them, as was the case with Feifei Ouyang's attitude towards Fei Shen.

"I met someone with a particularly strong sense of logic," Fei Shen said with a hint of frustration.

"How so?" Ruoxue Yao blinked her eyes, indicating her curiosity. She rarely saw Fei Shen so helpless, except when it came to wage deductions.

"Let me give you an example. She wanted to harm one person, but another person suffered an accident instead. Then, she blamed the accident on the person she originally wanted to harm. Does that make sense?" Fei Shen explained.

"Hehe, you're talking about Feifei, right? She wanted to harm you, but it ended up harming her father?" Ruoxue Yao, with her sharp mind, quickly grasped the key point of the story.

"In fact, thanks to you, if I hadn't come back a little later, I would have definitely stepped on those banana peels. It would have been difficult for me to explain to Ouyang that it wasn't me who caused the accident but rather Feifei herself," Fei Shen chuckled.

"Whether or not you stepped on the banana peels, it doesn't matter to me! But I'm curious, how did you manage to offend Feifei? She seems like a well-behaved girl," Ruoxue Yao asked.

"I didn't really offend her," Fei Shen shrugged, except for the time he spanked her.

The car continued on its way to Tianxue International, but at this moment, Ruoxue Yao received a phone call. Her sunny face turned suddenly gloomy, and she only said coldly, "I see."

Then, she instructed Fei Shen to turn the car around. For the first time, Fei Shen felt a sense of fear emanating from this strong and independent woman, who usually took charge of everything.

The car drove all the way to the outskirts, stopping in front of a villa. Ruoxue Yao, dressed in a blue long dress, got out of the car, and Fei Shen followed closely behind.

Inside the living room, a middle-aged man and an elderly gentleman sat face to face. Tea cups were placed on the coffee table, and the tea was still warm.

"Dad!" Ruoxue Yao called out coldly.

"This is Uncle Chen," the middle-aged man pointed to the elderly gentleman sitting opposite him.

"Uncle Chen!" Ruoxue Yao said.

The elderly man waved his hand repeatedly. "Miss, there's no need to be so polite. This old man can't bear it."

Ruoxue Yao was about to get angry but closed her mouth under her father's gaze. However, her face showed deep grievances.

Fei Shen stood outside, looking through the window, and had a vague feeling of familiarity with the elderly figure. He couldn't see the full picture, but he had a guess.

However, he didn't understand why this old man was here and why he was in Ruoxue Yao's house.

After greeting Ruoxue Yao, Uncle Chen no longer paid her any attention. Instead, he talked to Jingyao Yao about one thing: Ruoxue Yao's marriage. Jingyao Yao, however, showed no interest in the topic.

Ruoxue Yao couldn't bear it any longer and stood up, saying, "I'm leaving!"

"Ruoxue!" Jingyao Yao scolded her.

"At first, it was a matter for you both to discuss. Now, whether I'm here or not, it doesn't matter. You can go ahead with your discussion!" Ruoxue Yao coldly left the room. From start to finish, no one had asked for her opinion, so what did it matter whether she was present or not? The title of "Miss" meant nothing to her.

Jingyao Yao couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "This girl, I've spoiled her."

Uncle Chen, on the other hand, smiled dismissively. "Young people nowadays have their own ideas. Once they're married, they'll settle down."

With that, he got up and took his leave. Jingyao Yao accompanied him outside.

As they entered the outer room, Ruoxue Yao opened the car door for Fei Shen. However, when Uncle Chen saw Fei Shen's back, he couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Sensing the gaze behind him, Fei Shen turned slightly and met Uncle Chen's icy gaze. Uncle Chen was about to say something but, seeing Fei Shen's cold eyes, he decided to hold his words.

"Could it be that the young master already knows about this and came to assess his fiancée's character in advance? This kid is quite cunning!" Uncle Chen stroked his chin, wearing a sinister smile.

No wonder the young master didn't return home after leaving the military. It turned out he came to inspect his future wife!

The car sped along until it came to a stop at the edge of a cliff. Ruoxue Yao stood at the edge of the cliff, gazing into the distance. Fei Shen could sense that she was in a bad mood, so he stood close by. He was genuinely afraid that this woman might do something reckless.

Sitting on the ground, smoking a cigarette, Fei Shen maintained a safe distance. His intention was merely to stay alert in case Ruoxue Yao made any sudden moves, allowing him to react quickly and potentially save her from harm.

In fact, Fei Shen had overestimated the situation. Ruoxue Yao didn't have any such intentions.

"You damn bastard! Why did you not even ask me before deciding to marry me off to a stranger? I am Ruoxue Yao, a living, thinking human being, not someone's plaything! Why?" Ruoxue Yao yelled angrily, her tears streaming down her face.

With her head bowed and her face buried in her knees, her shoulders shook as she cried.

Fei Shen watched this scene unfold, and in his eyes, there was a trace of pity. He had seen her intelligence, her capable hands in managing a huge company, and her strong-willed character. He had even seen her moments of anger and frustration. However, he had never seen her so fragile before.

It was a powerless outburst, fueled by frustration. It made one's heart ache.

Ruoxue Yao seemed to have been forced into an arranged marriage. And now, recalling the appearance of Uncle Chen, Fei Shen suddenly realized that the "damn bastard" Ruoxue Yao had referred to might just be himself.

"Oh my, Grandpa, once your grandson loses his value, are you in such a hurry to turn him into a tool for reproduction?" Fei Shen chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Having left the Tian Blade organization, it seemed he had lost all his value. His only significance to the Shen family might be for procreation because he was the last in line for three generations.

For that stern and traditional old man, Fei Shen felt reverence but not closeness. Even though he was his grandfather, he had never thought of trying to stop Fei Shen from joining the military.

"Did he not fear that I would die in battle?" Fei Shen thought as he looked at Ruoxue Yao's emotional outburst.

Seeing Ruoxue Yao's emotions almost crumbling, Fei Shen couldn't help but smile wryly. He hadn't expected that because of him, another woman's life would be so adversely affected.

As he watched that vulnerable and pitiable figure, Fei Shen gently took off his clothes and draped them around Ruoxue Yao.

Ruoxue Yao raised her head, her tear-filled eyes gazing at Fei Shen.

"In life, there are many things we don't have a choice in, but despair and venting will never solve anything," Fei Shen said.

Ruoxue Yao looked at Fei Shen, seemingly surprised to hear such philosophical words from his mouth.

"Fei Shen, do you have any dreams?" Ruoxue Yao regained her composure a bit, gazing into the distance. She looked at Fei Shen and asked softly.

"Yes, of course! Isn't there a saying that goes, 'A person without dreams is no different from a salted fish'? My dream is to live each day like a pig!" Fei Shen replied casually.

"Well, in that case, you might as well be a salted fish," Ruoxue Yao said with a faint smile.

Looking at Fei Shen's face, Ruoxue Yao suddenly realized that this man's visage held an indescribable sense of maturity, and his eyes were as deep as the sea. It seemed he wasn't joking.
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