Song Xiaoshu looked tense, quite different from the confident aura she exuded the previous night when she saw him. Perhaps she was very conceited at the time, thinking she surpassed the two women Ye Fan chose in every way. However, after seeing the true figure and appearance of Sang Yuan and Ling and witnessing their absolute loyalty to Ye Fan, she felt ashamed.

Ye Fan squinted his eyes, examining Song Xiaoshu's appearance with a smile, and asked, "Does it make a difference to you whether I return satisfied or not? How does it matter if I'm satisfied or not satisfied?"

Song Xiaoshu didn't know Ye Fan was probing her true intentions; she merely avoided Ye Fan's piercing gaze and replied with a quivering voice, "Sir Ye, Miss Sun instructed that you are the helmsman of the Han Group; your needs must be met at all costs. Miss Sun was unaware of your preferences before, so she selected sixty women from various industries residing in Hua Hai City just so that you have them available whenever necessary. If you aren't satisfied, I have their profiles here; they can appear before you with a phone call. I... am also one of them."

She said so much, but the last sentence was the key detail — Song Xiaoshu was one of the women Sun Ning arranged for Ye Fan earlier.

The Han Group used to have numerous means of corrupting enemies and potential competitors, all kinds of pleasures included. When Ye Fan first met Sun Ning, she mentioned that no matter what kind of women he desired — tall, short, beautiful, ugly, plump or slim, mature or young — they could send them anywhere he needed. Song Xiaoshu's figure and appearance had the charm of a career woman; she was perhaps too inexperienced as a mature woman and certainly not fitting as a young girl, so Ye Fan wasn't clear on how to categorize her.

Ye Fan's face held an intimidating smile, saying, "Seems like Miss Sun arranged things quite thoroughly?"

"Yes." Song Xiaoshu hung her head completely; she didn't know how to face Ye Fan. Her mindset mirrored Yang Xiaoting's when she first truly faced Ye Fan — prepared like merchandise to recommend to Ye Fan, allowing him to enjoy and evaluate them as someone in power. That sense of inferiority and humiliation gave women a strange feeling, compelling them to escape, but Song Xiaoshu handled it better than Yang Xiaoting.

Simply put, Song Xiaoshu had thicker skin, lacking the girlish shyness Yang Xiaoting showed. When Yang Xiaoting first faced Ye Fan at Hua Hai University, she was completely overwhelmed, led entirely by Ye Fan.

Ye Fan laughed and said, "Even dressed in such loose robes, Song Xiaojie still can't hide such a good figure. Any man should find it impossible to refuse, but we've just met. You don't mind, but I find it inappropriate."

Song Xiaoshu heard the tone and knew Ye Fan seemed dissatisfied with her. She raised her head to speak, but Ye Fan gently caressed her cheek with his hand, causing her body to flinch. Ye Fan said, "No need to deny it; your actions have betrayed your inner feelings. In your heart, you are quite repulsed by me. Even if something happens today, it won't change your interest-driven heart. Tell Miss Sun that if she has issues, she should come directly to me, no need to send someone!"

With that, Ye Fan turned and left the room directly. Song Xiaoshu, stunned by Ye Fan's aura, stood there speechless for a while.

...

...

When she came, Ling was both a prisoner and a hostage. But upon departure, Ye Fan granted her relative freedom; she had the right to follow Ye Fan as a servant, even going out to handle matters without Ye Fan's interference. However, Ling dared not antagonize Ye Fan during these four months because her cultivation hadn't recovered, and she had killed the second strongest in the Earth Origin Sect herself; now she dared not contact the hermits scattered within the Pan Gu Secret Realm under the Earth Origin Sect. In the sect's leaderless situation, doing so would lead to its destruction.

So even though Ye Fan granted her some freedom, she had to act as a temporarily loyal servant by his side.

"Young Master, do you really trust what that woman said? Maybe she was sent by some force as a spy, intending to investigate your whereabouts, posing a danger to you!" Sang Yuan disliked Song Xiaoshu. Seeing her with Ling serving Ye Fan felt like losing face, so Sang Yuan harbored animosity towards Song Xiaoshu.

Ye Fan said, "As someone who has reached immortality, do you really need to fuss over a mere human girl?"

"I'm not fussing over her; I'm concerned for Young Master's safety," Sang Yuan replied.

Ye Fan shook his head and said, "I know what needs to be done; no need for your reminders. Even if she is some force's spy, she wouldn't be a cultivator spy because she doesn't have a trace of cultivation. In other words, even if she's a spy, so what? I didn't take her in; what crucial information could she steal from me?"

Sang Yuan said, "Then I will have people closely watch the Han Group's people to prevent any inside traitors."

"Alright," Ye Fan said, "You may monitor the Han Group; I have no objections, but prioritize things according to what I say. Ensuring next month's wedding is smoothly accomplished should be the emphasis."

"Yes, Young Master." Sang Yuan, after the experience of serving Ye Fan alongside Ling, felt Ye Fan was weighing comparisons between them for choices, fueling her motivation. Previously, she solely handled the consolidation of the seven sects, which made her temperament somewhat arrogant and irritable, but Ling, as the sect master of Earth Origin Sect, was fully capable of taking her place.

Without competition, there's no sense of crisis, and work won't be fully exerted. Ye Fan leverages this, stirring Sang Yuan and Ling's enthusiasm. Ling also must recognize if the Earth Origin Sect doesn't significantly assist the sect alliance in these four months, Ye Fan will ruthlessly destroy it afterward, giving no buffer period.

Returning to the residence villa, Ye Fan went straight in to see Li Zhaojun, who had just completed Spiritual Energy cultivation. Li Zhaojun's face was colorless, as both sisters cultivated pure yin spiritual energy, making them both equally cold. If not for Li Zhaojun's inner warmth, Ye Fan would doubt she had returned to her former state of indifference towards him.

"Finished with the tasks?" Li Zhaojun casually asked.

Ye Fan was somewhat challenged to respond because he brought Ling back, and Ling's status indicated she was now his woman. This made him feel apologetic toward Li Zhaojun, as while preparing for a wedding with Li Zhaojun, he accepted another woman.

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