That's right. The so-called Second Master of the He Family was none other than He Yonghong, the butler of Hidden Dragon Villa. The moment he spoke, Lin Xiao recognized his voice.

He Yonghong, standing outside the door, shuddered. He, too, had recognized Lin Xiao's voice. To be honest, when Lin Xiao had spoken his first sentence, He Yonghong felt the voice sounded somewhat familiar, but he hadn't thought much of it. After all, he met countless people every day; it wasn't surprising to encounter a few who sounded like Lin Xiao.

Besides, the Pei siblings had no power, no influence, and no background. How could they possibly have a connection to Lin Xiao, a man whom even Miss Shao treated with the utmost respect?

However, when Lin Xiao spoke that last sentence, even a fool would have realized. The owner of this voice was indeed Lin Xiao.

An unprecedented wave of fear washed over He Yonghong. That's Lin Xiao. The man even Miss Shao goes to great lengths to please. The He Family is nothing compared to him. On top of that, this is the man who doesn't even give a damn about the young master of the Bai Family.

He Yonghong began to panic.

But just then, Wei Chunxia let out a sinister laugh. "You filthy beggar," she sneered, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "Who do you think you are, daring to insult our Second Master He? You're dead."

Before the words had even left her mouth, He Yonghong spun around and slapped her across the face with ferocious force.

Damn it all. I'm on the verge of kneeling and begging for mercy, and this stupid woman is still fanning the flames.

The slap sent Wei Chunxia's head crashing against the nearby wall. The bitch could certainly take a hit, though; she didn't even pass out.

Staring at He Yonghong in utter terror, she stammered, "Second Master, why… why did you hit me?"

Overcome with fear, Wei Chunxia's face turned deathly pale, and her body began to tremble violently.

"Shut up! If it weren't for a bitch like you egging us on, would my He Family have done something so utterly depraved?" He Yonghong roared, having already decided to pin all the blame for the bullying on her. He hoped this might appease some of Lin Xiao's anger. He had no choice; He Yonghong truly did not dare to offend Lin Xiao. He knew all too well that doing so would spell absolute ruin for the He Family.

Wei Chunxia was so stunned by his words that she was rendered speechless. It was the He Family who, lusting after Pei Yanzi, had approached her first. They had offered her immense benefits to persuade Pei Yanzi to marry into their family. How had the story twisted in He Yonghong's mouth to make it seem like she was the instigator?

But Wei Chunxia didn't dare to argue. She was terrified that saying another word would completely enrage Second Master He. This was the He Family, the powerful entity her own family dreamed of latching onto. If she angered them and they grew to despise her, she would lose any chance of connecting with them forever.

"Second Master He, I was wrong," Wei Chunxia said, forcing a fawning smile onto her face. "If you're still upset, why don't you… hit me again?"

He Yonghong snorted coldly. He wished he could kill Wei Chunxia right here and now. But he held back. This wasn't the time to deal with her. The urgent priority was to pacify Lin Xiao. That was the most important thing.

Pei Donglai, however, was in shock. He Yonghong's reaction since Lin Xiao had spoken was utterly stunning. Pei Donglai never would have expected He Yonghong to be so terrified of Lin Xiao. To appease Lin Xiao's anger, he had even shifted all the blame onto Wei Chunxia. Pei Donglai knew Lin Xiao's status was extraordinary, but he never imagined he was so formidable that a single sentence could reduce a member of a second-tier family to such a state of terror. At this moment, Pei Donglai was truly curious just how heaven-defying Lin Xiao's identity truly was.

Just then, Lin Xiao appeared in front of Pei Donglai, who hurriedly stepped aside to make way.

The moment he saw Lin Xiao, He Yonghong's face broke into a fawning smile. "Mr. Lin, so you're here!"

BOOM.

Wei Chunxia's mind went completely blank. She never expected He Yonghong to be so deferential toward a beggar. And now, she finally understood why he had suddenly thrown all the blame onto her. What little reason she had left told her that today's events were not going to end well. She was suddenly filled with regret for ever agreeing to be the He Family's accomplice.

"What, can't I be here?" Lin Xiao asked, his tone indifferent.

"Mr. Lin, that's not what I meant!" He Yonghong said with a placating smile.

"Then what did you mean?" Lin Xiao's voice was cold. It wasn't loud, but to He Yonghong, it sounded like a thunderclap exploding right next to his ear. The very air seemed to grow heavy, pressing down on him until he could barely breathe. He felt an overwhelming urge to kneel.

"Mr. Lin, I… I… I mean, I didn't know you were here."

"So, that's your excuse for using your power to bully others?"

Lin Xiao's gaze had turned icy, as cold as a knife pressed against He Yonghong's neck, ready to deliver a fatal strike at any moment.

THUD.

The unprecedented pressure became too much to bear, and He Yonghong collapsed to his knees before Lin Xiao.

"Mr. Lin, I… I was truly wrong! Please, for Miss Shao's sake, spare me!" He Yonghong pleaded desperately.

BOOM.

Wei Chunxia was utterly dumbfounded. In her wildest dreams, she could never have imagined that this beggar was connected to Miss Shao of the Shao Family. And from the looks of it, their connection was a close one.

At this point, even someone as clueless as Wei Chunxia realized she had provoked someone she absolutely should not have. Fear finally consumed her heart, enveloping it completely. With that realization, she collapsed to the ground in a heap. Now, she could only pray for great mercy, hoping they would release her as dismissively as one would a fart. But reason told her that was impossible.

Pei Donglai was even more shocked than Wei Chunxia. He finally understood that when Lin Xiao said he would hold up the sky if it fell, he wasn't just talking nonsense. He truly possessed that kind of power. Thinking about this, Pei Donglai felt even more fortunate that he had chosen the right person to follow.

Compared to the shock of Pei Donglai and Wei Chunxia, He Yonghong's heart was filled with nothing but fear. Deep, profound fear.

"Mr. Lin, I was wrong, I was really wrong! I'll never do such a foolish thing again!" He Yonghong continued to beg, his voice thick with sobs as he looked at Lin Xiao with pleading eyes.

Lin Xiao's gaze grew colder. "Who in the He Family wants to marry Pei Yanzi?"

Sensing a possible turning point, He Yonghong scrambled to answer, "It's… it's my older brother's son."

"Good. Now, let me ask you, do you want the He Family to get through this unharmed?" Lin Xiao asked coldly.

"Yes, yes, yes! Mr. Lin, it's all I dream of! Rest assured, if you spare the He Family, from now on, we will follow your lead unquestionably!" He Yonghong said, nodding so furiously he looked like a chicken pecking at grain.

"Fine. I'll give your He Family one chance."

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