Chapter 22: Unexpected Incident

At dusk, the night curtain of Tianhai City slowly descended, and the entire city was lit up by brilliant lights.

Ye Feng drove Gu Ran's black Porsche, weaving through the bustling streets.

Inside the car, Ye Feng focused on the steering wheel, his peripheral vision occasionally glancing at Gu Ran in the passenger seat.

She was leaning against the seat, holding a document in her hand with her brows slightly furrowed, seemingly deep in thought.

The lights from outside the car window spilled onto her profile through the glass, outlining her delicate features and reflecting a trace of exhaustion in her eyes.

Both of them remained silent by mutual understanding, just quietly looking ahead.

"General Manager Gu, did work go smoothly today?"

After a long while, Ye Feng broke the silence and asked in a gentle tone.

Gu Ran came back to her senses, closed the document in her hand, and sighed softly: "It was alright, just some details that still need to be finalized."

"There is an important partnership to discuss tomorrow at noon; the other party is Tianhai Technology Group, and their project is very important to us."

Ye Feng nodded and asked in turn: "Do you need me to prepare anything in advance?"

Gu Ran turned her head to look at him, a flash of approval in her eyes: "Wake up a bit earlier tomorrow, pick me up at eight to handle some work at the company, then drive me to Tianhai Technology Group at noon. Their headquarters is in the east of the city, and the road might be a bit congested, so plan the route in advance."

"Understood, I will check the route ahead of time to ensure we arrive on time."

Ye Feng's tone was steady, giving people a sense of reliability.

Gu Ran smiled slightly, her tone carrying a hint of ease: "With you here, I certainly feel much more at ease."

Ye Feng smiled without replying, focusing only on the road conditions ahead.

The car fell into a brief silence again, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed than before.

After a while, Gu Ran suddenly spoke: "Ye Feng, what do you think of this city, Tianhai?"

Ye Feng was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Very prosperous, but also a bit cold."

"However, there are always some people and things that can make this city warm up."

Gu Ran nodded thoughtfully and said softly: "Yes, sometimes I also feel that this city is like a huge maze, and everyone is searching for their own direction in this maze."

Ye Feng turned his head to look at her and found her gaze somewhat distant, as if she had fallen into some kind of memory.

He did not disturb her, just drove silently, letting the night scenery outside the window flow between them.

Soon, the car stopped at their dilapidated residential compound.

Ye Feng unbuckled his seatbelt, then got out of the car to open the door for Gu Ran.

By the time he returned home, the sky had completely darkened.

He pushed open the door quietly and found his mother, Shen Yurou, sitting on the living room sofa, holding an old photo album with a distracted look.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Shen Yurou looked up, a gentle smile appearing on her face: "Xiaofeng, you're back?"

Ye Feng walked to Shen Yurou's side and sat down gently: "Yes, Mom, you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Shen Yurou patted the back of Ye Feng's hand gently, her tone mild: "Not yet. I heard from Ling'er that you found a job. Work hard, don't always worry about me, I'm doing just fine!"

Ye Feng smiled, stood up, and said: "Mom, you sit for a while, I'll go make you something to eat."

After saying this, he turned and walked into the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Ye Feng skillfully washed and chopped vegetables, the spatula flying in the wok; before long, a few simple yet fragrant dishes were served on the table.

Shen Yurou looked at the food on the table, her eyes full of gratification: "Xiaofeng, your cooking skills are getting better and better."

Ye Feng smiled and ladled a bowl of soup for his mother: "Mom, eat more so your body can recover quickly."

After the meal, Ye Feng brewed medicine for his mother as usual.

The scent of medicine permeated the kitchen, carrying a hint of bitterness.

He brought the brewed medicine to his mother and said softly: "Mom, the medicine is ready, drink it while it's hot."

Shen Yurou took the medicine bowl, drank it slowly, then looked up at Ye Feng, her eyes full of maternal love: "Xiaofeng, Mom knows you've been working hard lately, don't overexert yourself."

Ye Feng held his mother's hand, his tone firm: "Mom, don't worry, I will take good care of myself. You must also take your medicine on time and get some rest early."

After settling his mother in, Ye Feng washed up briefly and returned to his room.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and began to circulate the Xuantian Sacred Scripture.

As the technique circulated, the Qi Strength within his body flowed slowly, nourishing every meridian.

Today's cultivation was exceptionally smooth, and Ye Feng could clearly feel that his cultivation base had improved significantly.

After finishing his cultivation, Ye Feng glanced at the time; it was already eleven o'clock at night.

He set an alarm for seven in the morning, then lay down and quickly drifted into dreamland.

The night was deep and quiet, moonlight from outside the window spilled onto the head of the bed, and Ye Feng's breathing gradually became steady.

However, his dream seemed somewhat restless.

In the dream, he seemed to see Gu Ran standing alone in a vast expanse of ice and snow.

Cold winds howled all around, and several men in strange attire looked at her with wicked smiles; her figure appeared exceptionally lonely.

Ye Feng wanted to approach her, but found that no matter how hard he tried, he could not shorten the distance between them.

"Gu Ran..."

Ye Feng called out in a low voice in his dream, but never received a response.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."

The alarm clock rang promptly at seven, and Ye Feng woke up from his dream with a trace of cold sweat still on his forehead.

He sat up, rubbed his temples, and recalled the scene in the dream, feeling it was simply absurd.

Damn it, how long has he even known Gu Ran? How could he have a dream connected to her?

Even if it were connected, how could it be so absurd?

After thinking for a good while, Ye Feng couldn't come up with any reason, so he simply stopped thinking about it, did a carp kip-up, and got straight out of bed.

After tidying up briefly, Ye Feng brewed medicine for his mother, and after watching her drink it, he left the house with peace of mind.

Just as he stepped out the door, Ye Feng saw Gu Ran push open her room door with a grave expression.

She first glanced at Ye Feng with slight surprise, then said in a hurried tone, "The situation has changed; we aren't going to the company, we're going straight to Tianhai Technology Group!"

Seeing this, Ye Feng nodded and followed Gu Ran downstairs.

On the way, Gu Ran did not say a word, her fingers clutching the documents so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Ye Feng could sense her nervousness, but he did not ask any further questions.

Upon arriving at Tianhai Technology Group, Ye Feng had just parked the car and the two walked to the entrance of the building, but they were stopped by a Security Guard.

The Security Guard looked cold as he said, "Sorry, you cannot enter without an appointment."

Gu Ran frowned and took out her business card: "I am Gu Ran of the Gu Group, and I have an appointment with your President Li."

The Security Guard glanced at the business card and remained blocking the entrance: "President Li is not here today; you should come back another day."

Ye Feng stepped forward and frowned, saying, "We do indeed have an appointment; please double-check."

Hearing this, the Security Guard waved his hand impatiently: "I said no means no, don't get in the way here!"