Chapter 144 - 143: A Light Kiss

Ye Xuan’s mind raced, and he quickly made an excuse.

Hearing his words, Night Rose’s expression finally changed. The smile on her face gradually faded, and she stared intently at Ye Xuan, looking completely serious.

"Are you really going to marry Yang Bingyu?"

Ye Xuan felt uncomfortable all over under her intense gaze, unsure of what she meant. Although he and Night Rose had some history, they were merely passing acquaintances with no deep interactions. After all, they belonged to different factions.

But the way Night Rose looked at him seemed off no matter how he analyzed it—it was as if she were looking at someone she deeply loved.

Ye Xuan couldn’t help but frown. He asked suspiciously, "Night Rose, actually, I’m quite curious why you decided to help me. If the people from the Celestial Ranking find out about this, you’d be in a lot of trouble, wouldn’t you?"

This question had been bothering Ye Xuan for a while. Back when Night Rose left him clues, he had his suspicions. He was afraid it might be a trap set by the Celestial Ranking, but her hints had made him somewhat cautious. This caution was what prevented the Hall Chiefs of the Four Palaces from being completely wiped out.

Hearing Ye Xuan’s words, Night Rose froze for a moment. Her eyes flickered before she met his gaze and asked, "Do you really remember absolutely nothing?"

This left Ye Xuan even more baffled. Her tone made it sound as if they had a past together. However, Ye Xuan could guarantee that there was absolutely no romantic history between him and Night Rose. He had no idea what she meant by those words.

"Am I supposed to remember something? As far as I recall, the relationship between us isn’t exactly deep, right?" Ye Xuan furrowed his brows and looked at Wild Rose, returning the question.

His response made Night Rose chuckle, though a hint of loneliness flashed in the depths of her eyes. "It’s nothing. We indeed don’t have a deep relationship."

Her disappointed demeanor left Ye Xuan momentarily at a loss for words. It made him feel as though he were some sort of heartless scumbag.

"I was just joking earlier. As for how you can repay me, I haven’t decided yet. I’ll ask for it once I’ve figured it out," Night Rose said lightly, blinking as she quickly composed her emotions.

Ye Xuan stared at her for a good while. Only after repeatedly confirming to himself that he truly had no past with this woman did he finally speak. "As long as it’s something within my power, I will agree to it. There’s one more thing I want to know—who exactly wanted Yang Zhennan’s life?"

The corner of Night Rose’s mouth curled up, returning to her earlier charming and alluring state. That vulnerable look from moments ago seemed as if it had never existed.

"She truly is an unpredictable woman. To secure the third rank on the Celestial Ranking, she definitely has some skills," Ye Xuan evaluated silently in his mind.

"I can’t tell you who wants to kill Yang Zhennan. You know our rules. However, the members of the Xiao Family will definitely not let you off the hook so easily. You’re on your own now."

Although Night Rose verbally refused to reveal her employer to Ye Xuan, she still gave him a massive hint: Yang Zhennan’s death was connected to the Xiao Family.

Indeed, the reason Xiao Ran was killed by Ye Xuan was entirely due to Yang Jie pulling the strings behind the scenes. Yang Jie had orchestrated everything. If he hadn’t plotted to send Lin Aoxue into Xiao Ran’s bed, none of the subsequent events would have occurred.

Even though Yang Jie was now dead, it wasn’t enough to quell the Xiao Family’s fury. If the Xiao Family wanted to vent their anger, they would make the Yang Family their first target.

What Ye Xuan didn’t expect, however, was that the Xiao Family would actually target Yang Zhennan, and precisely at such a critical juncture. With Yang Zhennan dead, the sky over Jianghai City was about to change.

"Thank you," Ye Xuan nodded at Night Rose, expressing his gratitude.

Night Rose smiled but didn’t say anything. After giving him a deep look, she suddenly leaned in close and left a kiss on Ye Xuan’s lips.

Ye Xuan was completely dumbfounded, staring at Night Rose in sheer astonishment.

"Haha, you look so cute like this," Night Rose said, her eyes brimming with a smile as she reached out to gently stroke Ye Xuan’s cheek.

Snapping back to his senses, Ye Xuan knit his brows tightly. "What is the meaning of this? I’m getting married soon. It’s inappropriate for you to do this, don’t you think?"

He couldn’t quite describe how he felt about Night Rose’s intimate gesture. If it had been any other woman, he would have felt extreme disgust. Yet, towards her, he didn’t feel a single trace of aversion. Could there really be something between them that he had forgotten?

"It doesn’t mean anything. I just wanted to tease you, that’s all. Ye Xuan, be extra careful. I’m leaving."

Night Rose muttered vaguely, then flipped around, hopped out the window, and vanished into the night.

Ye Xuan reached up to touch his lips, pondered for a moment, and then took out his phone to call White Snake. He had a nagging feeling that Night Rose was hiding something from him.

Moreover, since she had also told him to investigate the matter concerning Butterfly, he absolutely had to give Yang Bingyu an answer regarding Yang Zhennan’s death. Otherwise, this would forever remain a thorn in both of their hearts.

Early the next morning.

Ye Xuan specially prepared breakfast and waited for Yang Bingyu to eat. But when Yang Bingyu came downstairs, she didn’t even spare him a glance and left directly with Yang Tao and the others. Today was the day of Yang Zhennan’s funeral. The mourning hall and other arrangements were set up at the funeral parlor, and they had many affairs to manage.

Looking at her receding figure, Ye Xuan felt somewhat helpless. He packed up a little breakfast and then drove himself to the funeral parlor. He knew Yang Bingyu wasn’t very willing to see him right now, but in order to protect her, he had no choice but to tag along.

There were many people who came to pay their respects. Almost every prestigious figure in Jianghai City showed up. Even Su Xiaobai’s grandfather attended today.

Dressed entirely in black attire with a small white flower pinned to her hair, Yang Bingyu stood at the entrance of the funeral parlor hall alongside the brothers Yang Tao and Yang Kui, greeting the arriving guests.

"Tsk, Bingyu, I trust you’ve been well? I never expected things to happen so suddenly. You must be deeply saddened, right?

"If that piece of trash Ye Xuan can’t comfort you, remember to come find me. I’m much better than he is."

Suddenly, Zhang Kai and Zhang Ruoshi appeared at the entrance of the hall. Looking at Yang Bingyu, Zhang Kai immediately launched into a barrage of sarcastic mockery, laced with sickeningly vulgar remarks.

Hearing this, Yang Bingyu’s expression instantly changed. She knew members of the Zhang Family were coming today, but she hadn’t expected them to just send these two siblings.

"Back when Yang Zhennan was still alive, Zhang Kai’s father acted like a lapdog whenever he saw him. Now that Yang Zhennan is dead, their entire attitude has completely changed. What a bunch of hypocrites!" she thought.

"Zhang Kai, watch your words. This isn’t a place for your insolence." Knowing that Zhang Kai was deliberately picking a fight, Yang Tao took a step forward, shielded Yang Bingyu behind him, and sternly reprimanded the man.

Looking at the broad, sturdy back shielding her, Yang Bingyu felt a rush of warmth in her heart. It was a rare occurrence for Yang Tao to protect her.

"Hehe, Third Uncle Yang’s lecture is completely right. I’ll correct myself." Zhang Kai was momentarily stunned, seemingly not expecting Yang Tao to stand up and speak for Yang Bingyu. However, he quickly recovered his composure, threw out a casual reply with a grin, and then led Zhang Ruoshi into the hall.