Chapter 125 Behind the Rockery

Chapter 125: Behind the Rock Garden

Two days later, Cheng Feng threw on a suit and walked out of his room. In the living room, Shang Shaohao, Zhang Yuantao, and Liang Wenfan were already waiting there.

Since Liang Wenfan had joined them on their last outing, his relationship with Shang Shaohao had grown increasingly close.

Shang Shaohao looked up at him and said, "Let's go."

Cheng Feng shook his head. "I'm not driving."

Shang Shaohao blinked. "If you're not driving, who's taking us to the Ye family?"

Cheng Feng replied casually, "I'm going with the eldest young master. I need to protect him. You know I'm his personal bodyguard, so I naturally have to stay by his side."

"What about the three of us?"

Cheng Feng pulled out the car keys and handed them to Liang Wenfan. He knew Liang Wenfan had a driver's license and was a decent driver.

"Young master, have Wenfan drive, or you can have a chauffeur take over."

Shang Shaohao nodded. "Alright, Wenfan will drive."

Liang Wenfan acknowledged with a sound, took the keys, and left with Shang Shaohao and Zhang Yuantao.

Cheng Feng waited in the living room a moment before Shang Xu slowly came down the stairs.

He wore a black coat, his hair slicked back, making him look even more mature and composed.

Shang Xu noticed Cheng Feng standing alone and said coolly, "Why didn't you leave with Shaohao and the others?"

Cheng Feng smirked, his tone deliberately close. "I wanted to go with you."

Shang Xu's face was blank as he headed for the door.

Cheng Feng noticed his cheeks flush slightly, so he quickly stepped forward and walked out with him.

Once in the car, they sat on opposite sides, silent the whole ride.

Cheng Feng glanced at Shang Xu beside him, shifted, and slowly inched closer.

Shang Xu didn't look at him, staring out the window as the evening breeze slipped through the crack, carrying a faint chill.

Seeing Shang Xu ignore him, Cheng Feng stared at his profile, and finally reached out to rest his hand on the back of Shang Xu's seat. From the front, it looked like he was hugging him from behind.

Watching Shang Xu's ears slowly turn red, Cheng Feng couldn't help but smirk.

The car soon pulled up to the Ye family estate.

Ye Ximo, Ye Ming, Ye Qingyu, and Ye Tan were all standing near the entrance, greeting the arriving guests.

The moment Ye Ximo saw Cheng Feng and Shang Xu get out of the car together, her face fell, and she pouted in displeasure.

Ye Ming noticed his sister's mood and quietly tugged her arm, whispering:

"Sis, this is a family banquet. Don't make that face; Dad will get mad."

Ye Ximo snorted coldly, only stepping forward to greet Shang Xu, not giving Cheng Feng a single glance.

Cheng Feng didn't want to deal with her anyway, so he stepped aside.

He'd barely stopped when a few young women surrounded him. They'd seen the TV series Cheng Feng starred in and considered themselves fans. They were super enthusiastic, insisting on his autograph.

Unable to shake them off, Cheng Feng had to sign for all of them.

He glanced at Shang Shaohao, who was chatting and laughing with a few guys his age, the atmosphere lively.

Cheng Feng had never liked pointless socializing, and since he no longer ran a business, he had little in common with the tycoons there. He just wanted to find a quiet spot to hang out and observe the Ye family.

Even if he didn't seek people out, they'd come to him.

Many bosses recognized him as the once-big livestreamer Cheng Feng, and with his current status as a semi-famous model and actor, they approached him to talk about ad endorsements and collabs. For a while, Cheng Feng was too busy to get away.

Finally done with the conversations, Cheng Feng slipped away to a quiet spot. As his gaze swept the crowd, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

The man who'd introduced himself as Li Yao on the cruise ship that day was now standing next to the Ye family matriarch.

It was Li Yao.

Cheng Feng walked over to Shang Shaohao's group, but as soon as he stopped, he heard them talking about romance. Not interested, he backed off to the edge, his gaze instinctively finding Shang Xu.

At that moment, Shang Xu was standing there talking with Ye Ximo. They weren't far apart, looking like a perfect match.

Cheng Feng felt a weird tightness in his chest and let out a soft sigh.

Just seeing them stand side by side made his heart feel tight, especially knowing they were still engaged and might marry soon. That discomfort only deepened.

He didn't want to watch anymore, so he turned and walked out of the banquet hall into the back garden.

The garden had rock formations and a little stream. He found a quiet corner, sat down, and stared at the full moon alone, just wanting to be quiet for a while, undisturbed.

After about ten minutes, Cheng Feng stood up to head back to the banquet hall. He'd only taken a few steps when he heard rustling from behind the nearby rock garden, mixed with muffled voices and struggling.

He paused, softened his steps, and quietly circled around to the side of the rock garden, peeking toward the source of the noise.

There, a man was tightly holding Ye Ximo, his arm firmly wrapped around her waist. Ye Ximo was struggling desperately to push him away, her face filled with fury and panic.

Cheng Feng was stunned. Ye Ximo was the Ye family's pampered little princess—how could anyone dare to assault her in the Ye family's backyard?

The man lowered his head, leaning in to kiss Ye Ximo's neck. Ye Ximo struggled, her eyes red, tears streaming down, as she repeatedly cursed under her breath, only two words: "Beast!"

Cheng Feng pressed his lips together, hesitating over whether to intervene.

But before he could decide, Ye Ximo shoved the man away with all her strength and turned to run.

Just as the man turned his head, Cheng Feng's pupils contracted, and he froze.

How could it be him?

It was Li Yao!

Wasn't he Ye Wenting's husband and Ye Ximo's biological father? How could he do this to Ye Ximo?

Li Yao quickly stepped forward, pulling Ye Ximo back into his embrace. He bit at her neck, his hand around her waist slowly sliding downward.

Ye Ximo let out a stifled groan, frantically slapping his arm, crying out, "Get off me! I hate you! You're disgusting!"

Cheng Feng felt a wave of physical nausea, but he also knew that Li Yao was the head of the Ye family. Intervening would inevitably offend the entire Ye family and might even spark conflict between the Shang and Ye families.

Yet, watching Ye Ximo's desperate struggle, he couldn't bring himself to look away.

His hands clenched tighter and tighter. Just as Li Yao lifted Ye Ximo's skirt and was about to crouch down, Cheng Feng couldn't hold back anymore. He rushed over, kicked Li Yao hard, knocking him to the ground, then punched him in the back of the head, knocking him out.

He bent down, scooped up the trembling Ye Ximo, and turned to run deeper into the backyard.

Ye Ximo stared blankly at Cheng Feng holding her, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Her blurred vision gradually cleared, and her voice was hoarse, barely a whisper:

"Cheng... Cheng Feng?"

Cheng Feng looked down at her, keeping his voice gentle: "Are you okay?"

Only then did Ye Ximo realize she'd been caught in her most humiliating moment—and by her romantic rival, no less.

She lowered her head, silent, her body shaking uncontrollably.

As they were about to head back to the banquet hall, Ye Ximo suddenly grabbed Cheng Feng's collar, her voice tearful as she pleaded:

"Don't... don't go back. I don't want anyone to see me like this. I want to go to my place."

Cheng Feng stopped in his tracks: "Which building do you live in?"

Ye Ximo raised a trembling hand, pointing to a small standalone building deep in the backyard: "Over there... that one."

Without further questions, Cheng Feng carried her and quickly ran toward the small building, trying to avoid anyone they might run into.

After gently setting Ye Ximo down on the bed, she immediately grabbed the blanket and wrapped herself up tight. Her face was pale, and she stared at Cheng Feng with terrified eyes, her voice choked with tears:

"I... I'm begging you, don't tell anyone. Please, don't tell Brother Shang Xu. Please."

Cheng Feng said softly, trying to reassure her: "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But why don't you call the police? Or tell your mom, sister, or brother? They'd help you."

Ye Ximo finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably as she curled up and hugged her knees:

"You wouldn't understand... what it's like to have your own father do this to you. How could I dare to tell anyone? If people found out, everyone would despise me. If Brother Shang Xu found out, he'd never want me again..."

Cheng Feng went quiet. He understood that despair and fear. If it were him, he might not have the courage to make something like this public either.

"Are you heading back to the banquet hall?" Cheng Feng asked softly.

Ye Ximo shook her head, her voice weak: "You go. I want to be alone for a while. Leave through the back door of the yard. Don't let anyone see you, or else... Li Jianye won't let you off."

"Li Jianye?" Cheng Feng frowned, full of surprise. "Isn't your father's name Li Yao?"

Ye Ximo wiped her tears, her voice choked:

"Li Yao was his twin brother. He died nineteen years ago... His name is Li Jianye."

Cheng Feng was stunned. Then who was that person who looked so much like Li Jianye that he had seen before? He wanted to ask more, but Ye Ximo had already closed her eyes in exhaustion, unwilling to speak further, wanting only to be alone.

Seeing this, he had no choice but to stop asking. He quietly left the room, slipped out through the back door of the yard, avoided all the guests, and pretended to have just been strolling in the yard as he slowly walked back to the banquet hall.

As soon as he entered, Shang Shaohao immediately came up to him, curiously pressing: "Where did you go just now? What were you doing?"

Cheng Feng glanced around the banquet hall without expression. Li Jianye had not yet returned, while Ye Wenting was looking around the crowd, as if searching for someone.

He averted his gaze and replied calmly: "Nothing much. I just went out to look at the moon."

But inside, a flood of questions churned. Why did Li Jianye deceive him by using his deceased brother's identity? Was what he said earlier about being an old acquaintance with his mother true or false? What connection did he have with his mother?

Cheng Feng knew very well that with his own abilities, he could not dig up deep information about Li Jianye. At most, he could only find out his name and appearance, not even his past experiences. Even if he asked friends for help, they might not be able to uncover useful clues.

After much thought, the only person he could turn to, and who had the capability to investigate this matter, was Shang Xu.