Chapter 136: We Can’t Let Them Get Off Cheap

The distance between them was so close that they could both feel each other's breath.

"It never happened, so how could there be a betrayal?"

"It never happened? Didn't you agree to let me keep you?" Yang Fan asked.

His hand had already slipped inside Zhong Ziyan’s clothing, and she did not resist at all. However, suddenly, a jolt of electricity surged into Yang Fan's body, forcing him to stumble backward. His face turned deathly pale in an instant, as if his very blood had been drained away.

"What is this..."

"You cannot touch me. They placed a 'Light Lock' on me so that I would never give myself to the man I love," Zhong Ziyan explained.

"Who are 'they'? Is it Jiang Bo?" Yang Fan asked.

"No, it’s the person behind Jiang Bo. Like my mother, he is a 'semi-esper.' He wants to become a true esper, which means he needs to obtain the heart inside my chest!"

"Speak clearly!" Yang Fan said, feeling agitated.

"In short, the heart in my chest was left to me by my mother. It is both the seed of an esper and the symbol of supreme power in the Zhong family. To obtain this heart, one must wait until it detects that I have fallen in love and I have given myself to that man. Only then can it be taken. Or, according to our ancestral rules, if I am married off through an auction, the heart can also be taken."

"So, in reality, this auction was their last resort?" Yang Fan realized.

"Yes. They have placed my father under house arrest, but every method they tried failed. To prevent me from giving myself to the man I love, they placed this lock on me. No man can touch me, and I cannot leave the Zhong family."

"Who is that man?" Yang Fan asked.

"I don't know!"

"Then have you ever actually cheated on me?"

"No! This heart is a lock by nature; no one can open it unless I am willing!" Zhong Ziyan spoke bluntly, for she knew that Yang Fan was the man she had fallen for—it was a preordained fate. As the daughter of a 'Heart Painter,' her intuition was remarkably accurate.

"That's good. I’m having some trouble right now, so I can't break the lock they placed on you yet, but I can add two more locks of my own. I can't touch you, so they certainly won't be able to either. Even if you were to marry someone else, they wouldn't stand a chance. Actually, forget two—let's add fifty or sixty more!"

That heart was the ultimate symbol of the Zhong family's power; as long as they couldn't take it, they wouldn't be able to wield the family's influence. Doing this was a foolproof measure—fifty or sixty locks would keep them busy for years.

"Don't worry, in a month, I will unlock you. Then, I’ll take you to get your revenge!"

Zhong Ziyan nodded. Yang Fan clenched his hand, casting various locks he had stored onto her. These were originally intended to protect Zhao Jing, but Zhao Jing had been blacklisted by the system. It wasn't quite fifty or sixty, but thirty or forty would suffice.

"Wait for me to come and claim you! Also, do you know where your father is being held?"

"I don't know!"

"Fine. This month is really going to be a waste of time!" Yang Fan cursed irritably. He blamed the system—it had been working fine until last night, and then it chose today to start integrating. It was truly infuriating.

The auction hall remained lively. The young mistress had been gone for a while, and her bodyguards were starting to get anxious, but just as everyone was about to search for her, Zhong Ziyan returned.

"Apologies, everyone. This was just a little joke. I simply missed you all and wanted to bring everyone together to liven up the atmosphere!"

The room erupted in murmurs.

"If you ever really do get married, you must let us know so we can come and show our support."

"That’s right, Miss Zhong. I, your Song brother, have loved you since we were children!"

"You are too kind, Young Master Song," Zhong Ziyan said with a smile.

Jiang Bo’s face turned livid; it seemed he would have to find another way. He glared fiercely at Han Fei, but Han Fei didn't care.

"Jiang Bo, who do you think you are, daring to glare at Young Master Han?"

"So what?"

The people from the Song family stood up immediately. The Song and Han families acted in unison; Han Fei and Young Master Song had been inseparable since primary school, sharing classes and dormitories throughout their youth.

"If you glare at my brother again, watch yourself when you go out at night!"

The others just watched the show. Jiang Bo let out a cold snort and led his men away. He had arrived full of arrogance but left in total disgrace—what a fool.

Even Zhong Ziyan felt a sense of satisfaction. She smiled and said, "Dear brothers, thank you all for coming." With a wave of her hand, servers brought out food and drinks. "Enjoy yourselves, and if you need anything, just let me know!"

Yang Fan returned and stood beside Huo Xinxi. He exchanged a gesture with Han Fei, giving him an 'OK' sign, a moment clearly visible from the stage. Zhong Ziyan couldn't help but glance at Yang Fan; so, he was the one behind the disruption today.

"What were you two up to?" Huo Xinxi asked.

"Nothing. This time, I really did nothing."

Huo Xinxi scoffed. "Who would believe that?"

"It’s true, Big Sister, really!" Yang Fan lamented. Was his reputation that bad? Could he no longer earn anyone's trust?

"Fine, then prove it!"

"How?" Yang Fan asked. He couldn't exactly turn back time to show her.

"That’s simple. How does a wife usually check up on her husband?" Huo Xinxi asked with a smile.

Yang Fan thought for a moment and said tentatively, "Pay the 'public grain' tax?"

"Exactly. You will come to my place tonight to pay that tax, and I will check to see if you are being honest or not."

"But, Boss, we can't do that!"

"I say we can. It’s a mission, and you must execute it strictly!"

"I..."

The so-called semi-espers could only use their powers through a specific connection. Just like the person Jiang Bo relied on, they could only exert influence over the Zhong family through the connection to that heart. As for the relationship between that person and Zhong Ziyan’s mother, it was a matter of guesswork.

Zhong Ziyan did not appear again. Yang Fan enjoyed the meal, and Jiang Huai came over to say a few words before leaving. Since Bai Tiantian was feeling unwell, Yang Fan waved it off; they would all be at the resort for the film's opening ceremony in a couple of days anyway.

Han Fei never came over, and it wasn't until evening, after Yang Fan had finished dinner, that the crowd finally dispersed. Before leaving, the Zhong family butler handed out large red envelopes to every member of the SWAT team.

Yang Fan was happy to do jobs like this—he was broke, and he hadn't seen a hundred-dollar bill in over a month. Whatever pocket money he managed to scrape together was always snatched away by Ai Xiaomei.

"Where to now?"

"Now that I have money, of course, it's time to go have some fun!" Yang Fan said happily.