His time overseas had changed his traditional mindset to an open one. He did not care for the right terms Yun Xi should address him with. What was important was that Yun Xi was alive and well by his side.

“Before you came back, I was worried about something…”

“Worried about?”

“Worried you might be upset at me because I had already found a boyfriend at my age…”

Xiao Jinglin may be a changed new-age man with his experience outside the country, but the ideas of Jun Country remained the same as the last life Yun Xi had lived—no child is spared from their parents’ fury if they were caught in a relationship at a young age.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be going after this rascal! You have done nothing wrong. This good-for-nothing is the one at fault here! If he hadn’t seduced you with sweet nothings, you wouldn’t have been tricked!”

Suddenly transformed into a free target board for Xiao Jinglin, Mu Feichi turned around from the front passenger seat with a hurt expression and shot Yun Xi a disappointed glare.

“Uncle Jing, aren’t you being a bit too biased and illogical? You know it takes two hands to clap? Even if I can seduce your daughter, she’s not the type to be fooled easily too, right? If she didn’t come to me willingly, then why would I still bother? Besides, Yun Xi is too good to be true! If I don’t chase her now, I will never get a chance in the future!”

“Quiet! I still have not addressed you letting her get injured. Aren’t you suppose to protect her?”

“Fine, name your punishment. I’ll do anything you ask!”

“Cut the act. Can you two explain to me what’s going on with the Han Family? As a Young Commander, don’t you know Han Hongbin has a drug peddler? Why is he still in Jingdu? If you had rid us of this tumour, would my daughter have gotten hurt?”

“Wait, this isn’t my responsibility, Uncle Jing. I’m just an accomplice. Your daughter is the mastermind. Ask her—I know nothing!”

Xiao Jinglin turned to the girl beside him who had been holding back her laughter. With a light cough, he spoke up again with a calm but nervous tone, “What’s going on? You need to explain yourself, Yun Xi. This man had been targeting you for a while now. Why do you keep him around? Walk me through your thoughts.”

“I don’t plan on keeping him. He’s a node in a larger network of drug cartels in Jingdu. We can use him to provoke a response from the larger network. I not only plan on removing the Han Family from the Big Four Conglomerate Families, but I intend to set up a new state in Jingdu as well. A fresh start, if you will. This Han Hongbin will be bait for us to catch the bigger fish.”

“Ah, but creating a new state of Jingdu,” Xiao Jinglin furrowed his brows. “You should leave it to this man! This rascal is the head of the Three Noble Families and the Young Commander of Jun Country, too! This is his job. If he doesn’t dare to do it, why would you take the brunt for him?”

“I’m doing it because he can’t! And because of me, he can! He has reservations and I don’t so I am more suitable for this job. Anyway, he will clean up whatever mess I make.”

Yun Xi paused and shot Mu Feichi a prideful look. “He has the ability,” she added in a teasing tone. “Don’t worry about it.”

“But this will put you in grave danger. Everyone would be against you. And you would have no idea who would be targeting you. With all of these foes, they would eventually find a vulnerable opening and strike hard! Look at your injury…”

How could any father feel happy to see their child risking their life for such trouble? However, this was something Yun Xi was determined to accomplish. Xiao Jinglin was a witness to her hard work and the sacrifices she had made. He was concerned, yet he did not have the heart to stop her.

“You worry too much! I can protect myself, besides…” Yun Xi’s gaze fixed on the man in the front passenger seat. There was a certain glint of hope and faith in her eyes—like the north star showing the way in the night.

“Mu Feichi is the most excellent and responsible man out there. I’m not any less competent. We will ensure we survive any kind of danger. I would rather be strong and fight openly alongside him, than continue to be weak and cower down to a life of fear and worry.”