Chapter 162: 162: The Beginning of the Conspiracy
Though Ye Yunqi often referred to Lin Ling as \'sister-in-law,\' it still made Lin Ling blush every time she heard it. Softly, she replied, "I know. Besides, Brother Ye wouldn\'t go for a girl like Xiao Fei."
Ye Yunqi gave her a sly look. "Oh? It sounds like my sister-in-law is feeling pretty confident!" She teased. "Tell me, if there were a girl like me, do you think your brother Ye would like her?"
Lin Ling responded without hesitation, "Of course! If I were a boy, I would definitely fall for you."
Ye Yunqi\'s eyes brightened, and she quickly followed up, "And what if someone like me fell in love with your brother? Would you fight her over it?"
Lin Ling paused for a moment and then sighed softly. "No, I wouldn\'t. Sometimes I even think how nice it would be if you weren\'t Brother Ye\'s sister. Then maybe the three of us could stay together forever."
Ye Yunqi\'s eyes suddenly grew misty with emotion. She took Lin Ling\'s hands and said, "Thank you, Lingling." This was something she had always been anxious about—whether Lin Ling would accept her feelings for Ye Fei. Now, hearing Lin Ling\'s understanding, she couldn\'t help but feel deeply moved.
Lin Ling was a bit taken aback by Ye Yunqi\'s sudden gratitude, not fully grasping why it was such a big deal. But before she could ask, Ye Fei chimed in, "Then let\'s all be together forever!"
Knowing the complicated relationship between Ye Fei and Ye Yunqi, Lin Ling simply smiled and nodded. She didn\'t bring up future obstacles, such as marriage, and instead said, "Yes, no one will ever separate us."
With Lin Ling\'s words easing her biggest concern, Ye Yunqi was in an excellent mood for the rest of the day. Even though Xiao Fei was still around, Ye Yunqi refrained from picking on her. Xiao Fei, who had sensed the skill gap between herself and Ye Yunqi, had also kept a low profile throughout the afternoon. It made for a surprisingly peaceful day.
After school, Ye Fei and Ye Yunqi decided to head to their family\'s villa in the east, opting to take a taxi rather than return to the courtyard. They hadn\'t been home in a while, and both were eager to see their mother and sisters. They were also excited at the thought of surprising their family with an unannounced visit.
When they arrived and opened the door, however, they found only their mother, Liu Yiru, sitting in the living room with a somewhat worried expression. She had just returned from work, still dressed in her professional black suit and skirt.
Though the suit was formal, her exposed calves looked so smooth and alluring that Ye Fei couldn\'t help but feel stirred, even more so than when he saw women in far less clothing.
Beside her was Liu Junyi, their aunt, who sat upright in her military uniform, her ample chest made even more prominent by the uniform\'s fit. She exuded strength and elegance, and her bright smile contrasted with their mother\'s more somber mood.
"Aunt!" Ye Yunqi called out with excitement, rushing to sit on Liu Junyi\'s lap like she used to when she was a child.
Liu Junyi hugged her and laughed. "You\'ve grown up, but you\'re still acting like a little kid," she teased.
Ye Fei, meanwhile, sat beside his mother, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Mom, what\'s troubling you?" he asked gently, his gesture one of comfort and concern.
Liu Yiru, leaning into his embrace, sighed. "Your aunt is heading out on a mission tomorrow, and I can\'t help but worry."
Ye Fei was initially delighted that his mother hadn\'t objected to his embrace—this was the first time he had held her like this while she was fully aware. But his joy was short-lived as the gravity of his mother\'s words hit him. "A mission?" he asked, concerned. "Isn\'t it peacetime? Why is Aunt going to a battlefield?"
Liu Junyi laughed, trying to downplay the situation. "Your mom\'s exaggerating. It\'s not a battlefield—it\'s just a group of terrorists, and they\'re no match for us."
Liu Yiru, still anxious, countered, "Don\'t underestimate them. Some of those terrorists have real skills—skills that could rival your special forces."
Even though Liu Junyi smiled confidently, Ye Fei could sense that his mother\'s concerns were not baseless. His aunt explained that though the mission involved dangerous terrorists, their forces would easily handle the situation with over 20 elite special forces teams mobilized from across the country.
As the conversation continued, Ye Fei couldn\'t shake a feeling of unease. There was something about this situation that didn\'t sit right with him—his instincts told him it could be part of a larger conspiracy. The idea of sending only a select few elite soldiers into the field, and the fact that Liu Junyi had been chosen as the commander-in-chief, felt too orchestrated.
He couldn\'t help but think someone was targeting his aunt, or perhaps even the entire special forces unit.
"Aunt, how about I go with you on this mission?" Ye Fei asked, worried for her safety.
"Nonsense!" Liu Junyi shot back. "This isn\'t some kind of adventure. It could be dangerous, and I don\'t want you getting involved."
Liu Yiru, however, supported Ye Fei\'s suggestion. "I think it\'s a good idea. Let him go and gain some experience."
Despite her mother\'s approval, Liu Junyi was firm. She didn\'t want Ye Fei in harm\'s way. "I appreciate your concern," she said, softening her tone, "but I have an important job to do, and I can\'t be distracted worrying about you."
Ye Fei, undeterred, pushed further. "Then how about this: if I can beat you in a match, you\'ll let me come with you."
Liu Junyi was amused but confident. "Fine, if you can beat me, you can come along. But don\'t cry when I wipe the floor with you!"
And so, they all headed to the underground training room for what would be an unexpected test of Ye Fei\'s growing strength.
The four of them headed towards the underground training room together. As they walked, Ye Fei, following behind his mother, suddenly asked, "Mom, why haven\'t I seen my eldest and second sisters around?"
Liu Yiru smiled and replied, "Your second sister\'s martial arts school has grown quite a bit, and she\'s been busy managing the increase in students. On top of that, with the company\'s affairs being settled recently, I asked your eldest sister to help out. They\'ve both been tied up with work and didn\'t make it back home tonight."
Once they reached the basement, the training room was spacious and ready for the challenge. Liu Junyi, standing casually in the center, smiled and called out, "Xiaoman, have you thought of what moves you\'re going to use against your aunt?"
Ye Fei stepped into the middle of the room and smiled back, "Not really, because I can\'t bring myself to hit you. So, how about you take the lead, and I\'ll stick to defending."
Liu Junyi laughed, playfully scolding him, "You cheeky brat! You\'re confident, aren\'t you? Alright then, get ready—your aunt\'s about to attack!"
Ye Fei nodded, still not taking things too seriously. Sensing his lighthearted attitude, Liu Junyi decided to tease him a bit. She lifted her palm and aimed a slap at him, using only a fraction of her full strength—less than one-third, just to gauge his reaction.