Chapter 65: Friends and Relatives

Everyone knew that Bao Tianxi was a man who cultivated broad connections throughout the martial world, boasting an extensive network and an entourage of formidable experts. With just a single word from him, his followers would swarm forward in an instant.

Seeing this, Du Yanxiang hurriedly raised a hand to stop Duan Jinhu, her face instantly blooming with a smile. "Boss Bao," she said, "please don't misunderstand. I simply came by to take a look, and by the way, to invite our distinguished guest from Beijing to come over for a visit. Why make such a grand and intimidating fuss?"

Bao Tianxi looked at her, the corners of his mouth curving upward into an ambiguous, elusive smile. "Miss Du," he said, "as you can see for yourself, today is not a convenient time."

With a calm and poised expression, neither servile nor overbearing, Du Yanxiang replied, "Since that is the case, President Bao, we shall chat another day." Then, turning her gaze toward He Yunfei, her eyes filled with anticipation, she added, "Brother Fei, we must gather properly another day. I have been looking forward to this day for the longest time..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a crisp female voice rang out from behind. "Yunfei... Is it really you?"

Following the sound, everyone looked over to see a girl darting forward like an unbridled little deer. Completely ignoring the gazes of those around her, Bao Xiaotong hurled herself directly into He Yunfei's arms. The force of her collision nearly knocked Du Yanxiang off balance, causing the latter's brow to furrow instantly.

Regaining her footing, Du Yanxiang turned to Bao Tianxi and said, "President Bao, let us leave it at that. We shall meet again another day." With a gentle wave of her hand, she signaled her departure. Duan Jinhu, however, remained deeply unwilling, a trace of anger flashing in his eyes.

Finding Duan Jinhu increasingly familiar, He Yunfei was just about to step forward to investigate when Bao Tianxi pulled him back firmly.

Leaving behind the parting words, "There is a long road ahead; we shall meet again," Du Yanxiang turned and walked away.

Watching her retreating figure, Bao Tianxi shouted loudly, "Do not trouble yourself on our account! Go back and tell Chairman Yao that I, Bao Tianxi, am ready to accompany him at any time!"

Seeing Du Yanxiang and her group depart, Bao Xiaotong asked with a face full of confusion, tugging urgently on Bao Tianxi's arm. "Brother, did someone bully my Brother Yunfei?"

Yunfei hurriedly waved his hands, his face brimming with a gentle and reassuring smile as he explained, "No, truly not." Knowing all too well that his junior sister had a fiery temper, he realized that if she thought anyone had wronged him, she would undoubtedly turn everything upside down. Subconsciously, he took a step forward, as if to shield her behind him.

At that moment, another girl came running over in a flurry, calling out in a bright, clear voice, "Teacher Yunfei..."

This sudden form of address left everyone present completely baffled. As they all turned around, He Yunfei's eyes flashed with pleasant surprise, and he raised his voice, "Chen Miaomia from the *Decoding Space-Time* channel of Southwest Radio, Film and Television! What brings you here?"

Bao Xiaotong's face was plastered with bewilderment. How did He Yunfei know Chen Miaomiao? Stepping forward with brisk, light paces, she tilted her head and asked, "How on earth do the two of you know each other?"

Miao Miao blinked, her face radiant with the excitement of a fan meeting her idol. "Sister Xiaotong, you have no idea—I am Teacher Yunfei's ultimate superfan! Just a couple of days ago while we were shooting *Dinosaurs in China*, Director Zou Dongxu arranged for a Tyrannosaurus rex to 'eat' Teacher Yunfei."

"Eaten? How did that happen?" Bao Xiaotong's curiosity was thoroughly piqued, and she pressed for details.

Miao Miao mischievously stuck out her tongue and teased with a smile, "Of course it was fake! That T-rex was just a prop!"

Pulling the conversation back on track, Bao Tianxi looked at He Yunfei with a concerned gaze and asked, "Yunfei, was your journey here smooth?"

He Yunfei nodded slightly, replying with a calm expression, "It was mostly smooth, except that on the way, I encountered someone impersonating a police officer who tried to snatch my briefcase."

Upon hearing this, Bao Tianxi's eyes widened in profound astonishment as he raised his voice, "Who was so audacious? They actually dared to rob you! Weren't they simply walking right into a trap? Did you catch them?"

He Yunfei shook his head with a trace of regret. "I let him get away."

Bao Tianxi's eyes popped wide open, sheer disbelief written all over his face. "What kind of situation is that? You are a Wudan martial arts expert! How could you let him escape?"

Rubbing the back of his neck rather awkwardly, He Yunfei gave a wry smile. "Indeed, my briefcase almost ended up stolen by them."

"Did you run into a formidable opponent?" Bao Tianxi's surprise deepened.

He Yunfei nodded earnestly. "That fellow was also a trained practitioner. If someone hadn't lent a hand halfway, I truly would have stumbled this time."

Hearing this, Xiaotong stamped her feet in anxiety and blurted out, "Yunfei, why didn't you tell me? I would have gone to pick you up!"

Bao Tianxi patted his chest and spoke with righteous loyalty, "Rest assured, now that you are on our turf, I will have this thoroughly investigated later to see which blind fools dared to pull such a stunt."

Gazing in the direction where Du Yanxiang and the others had departed, He Yunfei remarked, "That Duan Jinhu we saw earlier—I believe he is the same little punk we encountered on Mount Wudang. He might have some connection to the person who tried to grab my bag on the train. I originally wanted to go over and ask him, but you held me back."

The moment Xiaotong heard this, her energy surged and she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Ah, I thought that person looked somewhat familiar! So he's that little hoodlum we beat and chased away on Mount Wudang! With a bunch of small-fries like them, I'll make sure to teach them a proper lesson tomorrow!"

Her imposing momentum made it seem as though she had already ground her adversaries beneath her feet.

At that moment, Bao Tianxi chimed in, "Yunfei, today I'll take you to a fine place. It's a restaurant run by my sworn younger brother, and their specialty is authentic Yunnan cuisine."

In truth, the location was not far from Bao Tianxi's company.

When the group arrived at their destination, Yunfei looked up and was surprised to recognize the "Yunnan Family" restaurant—the very place he had run to while chasing the robber the other day. The image of the plump young woman immediately surfaced in his mind, prompting him to turn to Xiaotong and ask, "Is there someone named Hao Xiaoyu here?"

Xiaotong's expression turned to one of utter astonishment once again as her eyes widened. "Well, well, Yunfei! How is it that you know everyone? You're practically turning into an omniscient secret agent!"

The corners of He Yunfei's mouth lifted into a smile. "Naturally. She is still waiting for me to pay her a mental distress fee and an informant's fee, after all!"

Hearing this, Chen Miaomiao's curiosity was instantly ignited. She hurried forward and pressed, "What? What? A mental distress fee? And an informant's fee? What on earth is an informant's fee? I'm going to ask her about it." Assuming she was merely joking, the others paid little heed as Miaomiao briskly hurried away.

As soon as they stepped inside the restaurant, a robust young man came forward to welcome them enthusiastically. Bao Tianxi quickly introduced him, saying, "This is my brother Changwang. He and his older brother run this Yunnan Family." Then, turning to Changwang, he added, "This is my good buddy from Beijing, the great scientist He Yunfei."

Changwang immediately greeted him respectfully, "Greetings, Elder Brother He." Bao Tianxi followed up by asking, "Where is your older brother?"

Changwang replied, "My brother is inside acting as the head chef." With that, he shouted toward the kitchen at the top of his lungs, "Big Brother, Brother Tianxi has arrived!"

At the shout, Changxing emerged from the kitchen dressed in pristine white chef's attire and wearing a tall chef's hat. Wiping the moisture from his hands, he said with a beaming smile, "Big Brother is here! Please, take a seat."

Right at that moment, Chen Miaomiao's clear, ringing voice echoed from outside the door. "Brother Yunfei, see if this is the one?" Following her voice, she escorted a plump young woman into the restaurant.

The moment Hao Xiaoyu caught sight of He Yunfei, her eyes lit up and she blurted out, "Ah, handsome, you've come to deliver the money, haven't you?"

The group was taken aback for a second before bursting into hearty laughter.

Bao Xiaotong was the first to banter, "Well, well, Xiaoyu! How dare you demand a mental distress fee from my Brother Yunfei? And what's this about an informant's fee? It seems you're asking for a good thrashing!"

Seeing this lineup, Hao Xiaoyu's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly explained, "You can ask him yourself—wasn't it I who told him that the culprit was hiding inside the shop?"

He Yunfei nodded hastily. "Yes, yes, she was the one who told me." Then, wearing an earnest expression, he added, "Xiaoyu, was it? Today I am indeed here to deliver your informant's fee!"

Faced with his words, Hao Xiaoyu quickly changed her tune. "I am no secret agent; I am merely a thoroughly ordinary nurse. Exposing evildoers is a duty incumbent upon every citizen."

Miao Miao asked curiously, "How did you know he was a bad guy?"

Xiaoyu defended herself with feigned logic, "Wasn't it obvious? One look and you could tell he was no good. Besides, anyone who is a friend of Sister Xiaotong's must certainly be a good person!"

Yunfei teased her further with a smile, "Surely the mental distress fee must be paid, at least?"

Hao Xiaoyu put on a troubled expression. "Well... this... you weren't actually frightened, so the mental distress fee can be waived."

Yunfei's laughter grew even brighter. "You misunderstand. It's not that I want a fee from you; rather, I am the one supposed to pay you."

Hearing this, Hao Xiaoyu's face instantly lit up with a broad smile. "Well, that is splendid indeed! However, this young lady happens to be in an exceptionally fine mood today, so I shall waive it." Her deadpan seriousness set off another wave of uproarious laughter among the group.

Chen Miaomiao gave her a light pinch on the arm. "You're the only one who can crack jokes like that!"

Bao Tianxi turned toward Changxing, who had just walked over, and said, "Brother, this is my good Beijing buddy He Yunfei, who is now your elder brother as well. You must treat us to your most authentic Yunnan dishes today."

Changxing patted his chest to reassure them. "No problem at all! Our specialties—wild mushrooms, braised maitake chicken, earthen pot chicken, Xuanwei ham, green pepper matsutake, Dali casserole fish, Erkuai cakes, Yiliang roast duck, Kunming pickled vegetables, Qujing steamed Ersi noodles, crossing-the-bridge rice noodles, and all the rest—will be arranged for you without exception! Everyone, please wait a moment." With those words, he briskly retreated into the kitchen to showcase his culinary skills.

Watching Changxing's lively exit, He Yunfei thought he looked precisely like a crosstalk performer rattling off a menu of dishes before darting off with energetic flair.

Bao Xiaotong clung tightly to He Yunfei like a cheerful little bird, asking, "How many days do you plan to stay this time?"

"This time around, I intend to stay a good long while and keep you company," Yunfei replied softly, a gentle smile resting upon his face.