To seize an opportunity when it presents itself is the mark of a scoundrel, and what greater opportunity could there be than one presented by a beautiful woman? As this thought lingered in my mind, the subsequent events and the feelings that arose within me made me realize that such a definition simply could not be applied to a woman, for doing so would not only wound her but also oneself. Xuanyuan Bing was the first woman I approached with an agenda, but she was also the one I slowly fell in love with. Since I loved her, I might as well be wild about it. As a high-level rogue, I would use every scrap of capital I had left to conquer everything in this world. What could the Eight Great Families do to me? — The Memoirs of Yang Yi

“Yes, something very important!” Shangguan Tengfei stated.

“About what?”

“Regarding your daughter and myself.”

“Oh?” Xuanyuan Hao acknowledged, “Why don’t you two sit down and tell me all about it?”

“Yes!” Shangguan Tengfei and Shangguan Yunmeng both took their seats, glancing at Xuanyuan Hao before falling silent.

“You’ve come here regarding my daughter, so please be direct,” Xuanyuan Hao clearly wanted to know why these two had sought him out at this critical juncture, especially considering the escalating tensions between the Shangguan family and the Black God Gang.

“Hehe, since Uncle Shangguan has put it so plainly, Tengfei won’t beat around the bush,” Shangguan Tengfei offered a faint smile before continuing, “It’s quite simple, really. I’ve only come to ask you, Uncle, not to agree to the marriage alliance my father proposed.”

“Hmm?” Xuanyuan Hao grunted, “What do you mean by that?”

“I trust Uncle is well aware that among the Eight Great Families, my Shangguan family is one rooted in commerce. In terms of martial strength, we possess almost nothing. Even if this marriage with your Xuanyuan family were to happen, it offers you little benefit,” Shangguan Tengfei presented the entire alliance as nothing more than a matter of transactional profit.

“Heh!” Xuanyuan Hao chuckled noncommittally. While he inwardly praised Shangguan Tengfei’s shrewdness—this loveless union, viewed from any angle, was purely a calculated transaction—he still couldn’t grasp the true intent behind the young man’s words.

Shangguan Tengfei offered a subtle smile; “Of course, I am not here representing my father’s wishes. This is purely my personal opinion. Because if you don’t agree to the alliance with my family, it will be better for both you and me!”

“Better for me? And for you?” Xuanyuan Hao found himself listening more closely, sensing an underlying meaning to these words.

“Let’s not mince words, Uncle. Once my Shangguan family and your Xuanyuan family are joined by marriage, I dare say that within three years, everything belonging to the Xuanyuan family will be absorbed into the Shangguan family’s assets. Furthermore, don’t forget that there is already one person intervening between our two families,” Shangguan Tengfei warned.

“One person?” Xuanyuan Hao was startled. Could he have found out about Bing’er and that fellow? he mused internally.

“Precisely. If he gets involved, it won't just be my family; three of the Eight Great Families in Huaxia will become our enemies.”

“Wait, the person you’re referring to is?” Xuanyuan Hao asked, genuinely bewildered.

“Hehe, it seems Uncle Xuanyuan is still unaware. That’s right, the person I speak of is the heir to the Nangong family, Nangong San!” Shangguan Tengfei chuckled. “He has long admired your daughter. If you agree to the marriage, the first backlash will likely come from the Nangong family, followed by the Tang and Ximen families! Because those three are aligned.”

Xuanyuan Hao’s expression suddenly darkened. He truly knew nothing of this Nangong San, nor that the situation had escalated so severely. The sudden threat of three families seemed to instantly undermine all of Xuanyuan Hao’s prior calculations.

“Uh, time grows late. We shouldn’t impose further. Please, Uncle Xuanyuan, think carefully,” seeing that his objective had been achieved, Shangguan Tengfei promptly took his leave.

Xuanyuan Hao remained silent, merely nodding his assent.

After leaving the Xuanyuan residence, the pair returned to their car, where Shangguan Yunmeng immediately rewarded Shangguan Tengfei with a passionate kiss, as his entire trip to the Xuanyuan house was on their behalf.

“Fei’er, by coming specifically to warn him, are you implying...?”

“Hehe, Sister, why feign ignorance?” Shangguan Tengfei murmured faintly, his thoughts hidden. Regardless, his visit to the Xuanyuan family today was far from innocent.

“Nangong, Tang, and Ximen?” Xuanyuan Hao muttered to himself while sitting on the sofa. A moment later, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. “Well played, young man. Ha! You almost fooled me. However, since you came to tell me personally, I shouldn’t disappoint you in how I handle this. But can that kid withstand the conflict involving three families—no, four families? Heh heh, this will be something to look forward to!”

###################################### Following the passionate kiss on the expressway, the relationship between Yang Yi and Xuanyuan Bing seemed to have entered a phase of intense ambiguity. From the look on Xuanyuan Bing’s face, it was clear that her iceberg-like heart was slowly beginning to melt. Meanwhile, Yang Yi’s step-by-step objectives were gradually becoming more apparent.

Sometimes, approaching someone with a clear goal in mind while developing feelings for them is the most transparent approach, precisely because it often sows seeds of doubt in the woman, especially when she herself is still navigating whether she likes you or not.

The two sat in the car in silence. But then, suddenly, a loud growling sound—Gurgle, gurgle!—echoed from both Yang Yi’s and Xuanyuan Bing’s stomachs. Both froze momentarily.

“I think we should grab some food first. We really haven’t eaten anything since breakfast,” Yang Yi said with a sheepish grin.

“Mm,” Xuanyuan Bing replied, her expression subtly unsettled.

The car moved slowly, and once they reached the city center, they found a Western restaurant. The two walked in side-by-side, looking every bit like a couple, found a table, and immediately ordered their food.

After a short while, the atmosphere once again drifted into ambiguity. It must be said that whenever these two were together and paused, the atmosphere invariably became charged with unspoken tension—the kind of tension that exists before a boundary is broken.

“You...”

“Hehe, I know what you’re trying to say. It’s true; I won’t deny that I approached you with an agenda,” Yang Yi said very frankly, a slight smile playing on his lips as he watched Xuanyuan Bing hesitate.

“So it is true.” Xuanyuan Bing’s voice suddenly turned cold. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Yang Yi, asking, “What benefits do you gain from approaching me?”

“Benefits?” Yang Yi smiled faintly, utterly unfazed by her sudden frigid tone. A woman who realizes that the man she is starting to like approached her deliberately usually won’t have a pleasant expression upon hearing such a fact, let alone maintain a pleasant tone.

“By getting close to you, I can make all the other families among the Eight Great Families of Huaxia, save for the Ye family, wary of me. This will at least buy me a significant amount of time to deal with other matters!” Yang Yi stated the truth without any concealment.

Indeed, his primary goal from the very beginning was this. While the Black God Gang was already a dominant force in Shanghai, it had not yet fully established its footing. He needed to leverage the Xuanyuan family to suppress the Shangguan family, likely aiming to force the Shangguan family out of Shanghai entirely.

The other major families would inevitably become Yang Yi’s adversaries. From the outset, he hadn't expected to make friends with them, let alone allies or partners. He needed a solid foundation in Shanghai, to erect the super headquarters of the Black God Gang, and he had to act decisively. If he didn't, the involvement of other factions would cause immense trouble down the line.

“Hmph,” Xuanyuan Bing scoffed, taking a sip of water. “The Dragon Lord of the Black God Gang, one of the four major underworld organizations in Huaxia, the Godfather of the Japanese Yakuza—you are already a regional power in Britain. Given your strength, you are quite formidable in today’s Huaxia. Why do you still claim you approached me just to make those families wary?”

“Hehe, it seems you know quite a bit about me, beautiful lady?” Yang Yi looked at Xuanyuan Bing and asked, “Now that you know I approached you with an ulterior motive, why are you still engaging in this idle talk with me?”

Yes, Yang Yi was right. Why was Xuanyuan Bing still talking nonsense with him, even though she had known for some time that he was approaching her with an agenda? The answer was simple: Xuanyuan Bing also had an agenda, likely concerning the matter of her marriage to Shangguan Tengfei.

“What if I propose a condition? I wonder if you’d be interested?” Xuanyuan Bing inquired.

“Oh? What condition?” Yang Yi suddenly asked, intrigued.

“You approached me with a purpose, and I will allow you to approach me with a purpose. To put it plainly, we both have separate motives. You want to make other families fear you, and I want to avoid marrying Shangguan Tengfei.”

“Yes, that is exactly right!” Yang Yi nodded and smiled, “But what condition are you proposing?”

“It’s simple. You and I will pretend to be a couple.”

“Pretend to be a couple?” Yang Yi was momentarily stunned by the suggestion, then seemed to grasp something, and burst into laughter. “Interesting!”

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