Chapter 15: Yan Yi’s Visit

“Today, under the City Lord’s orders, I’ve come to White Deer Town to arrest evildoers. No wrongdoer will escape justice.” Yan Yi glanced at the corpses scattered on the ground and the gathering crowd, then solemnly raised the decree in his hand and declared, “The leader of the criminals has already met his end!”

“The rest of the culprits will be executed at noon tomorrow at the main gate. Everyone is welcome to witness their punishment.” With that, Yan Yi turned and walked away.

When the Wang family members heard they’d be executed the next day, fear struck hard. They’d never experienced anything this terrifying—some even collapsed on the spot.

“Sir, I swear I know nothing! Please, let me go, I don’t want to die!” The Wang family members fell to their knees, begging Yan Yi for mercy.

“Now you regret it? Back then, when your victims begged for mercy, did you show any kindness?” One after another, people once tormented by the Wang family stepped forward. Some limped, others were missing an arm.

…………………

“Thank you, Young Master Yan, thank you, City Lord, for helping us rid White Deer Town of these vicious criminals. We’ll never forget this day.” Upon learning Yan Yi had come on the City Lord’s orders, everyone present knelt and bowed to him.

“Heaven truly has eyes!” Cries rang out in the crowd, and soon people remembered their own pain—tears flowed, anguish echoed. “Son, can you see? The ones who took your life have finally paid the price… hahahahaha!”

“My daughter… now you can rest in peace.” An old woman fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Father, mother, you can be at peace now. The villains have been punished!” a young man cried out, arms wide, his voice brimming with emotion.

……………….

Yan Yi paid no mind to the remaining Wang family thugs, who were weeping like their world had ended. He walked right past them.

Suddenly Yan Yi remembered something and instructed his men, “Take them all away. Guard them closely. Don’t let any of them take their own lives today. If they want to die, they can wait until tomorrow!”

“Yes, sir! We’ll make sure they’re unable to live or die as they please!” his men answered in unison.

Yan Yi nodded, satisfied. In his heart he thought, “With the Wang family handled, it’s time to go see the young lady.”

He set off straight for the Liu family.

In just a moment, Yan Yi stood at the Liu family’s grand entrance.

“Miss, are you inside? It’s Yan Yi, I’ve come to see you.” Facing the imposing doors, Yan Yi felt a bit unsure, so he took a second to straighten his clothes and knocked politely.

The noise at the door quickly caught everyone’s attention inside.

Liu Ruyan heard the commotion at the entrance, set down what she was holding, and went to open the door.

The door creaked open.

Liu Ruyan and Yan Yi’s eyes met in an instant.

For Liu Ruyan, time seemed to stop.

The moment she looked at Yan Yi, she felt herself drawn deep into his gaze.

The world around them was chaos, yet Yan Yi’s eyes were unwavering as he looked only at her.

For one fleeting moment, nothing else existed but the two of them.

It was as if fate had brought them together—both left standing there, frozen.

Unconsciously, both their cheeks burned red.

When the others inside noticed Liu Ruyan hadn’t come back in, they rushed out to see what was going on.

Nangong Lin raced out, excitement in her eyes.

She found the two still rooted in place, not moving a muscle—she felt both puzzled and amused.

She dashed between them, waving her hand in front of their faces and muttered, “What’s gotten into you two? Did opening the door really leave you this spaced out?”

That snapped them out of it, but both were a little embarrassed.

After another glance, both shyly looked down at their feet.

A moment later, they finally regained their composure.

Yan Yi coughed awkwardly, stepped past Liu Ruyan, and bowed formally to Nangong Lin. “Yan Yi greets you, Miss.”

“Brother Yan, you don’t need to be so formal with me. We’ve known each other since we were kids—we’re old friends!” Nangong Lin quickly reached out to help him up.

Yan Yi hurriedly waved his hands. “No, it’s not right to break with tradition.” He stole another glance at Liu Ruyan, only to see she was watching him, too. Their eyes met and both blushed again, looking away.

……………….

“Something’s up! There’s definitely something going on between those two,” Nangong Lin thought, watching how odd they’d been today.

Seeing how flushed their faces were, she asked, “Are you two coming down with something? Why are your cheeks so red?”

“No, just the heat. It’ll pass in a bit,” Liu Ruyan replied quickly.

“Yeah, that’s right—it’s definitely the heat,” Yan Yi echoed.

Nangong Lin glanced up at the sky. Dark clouds loomed overhead and a cool breeze swept by. She mumbled, “Hot? Feels pretty chilly to me…”

Suddenly the air grew still. After a long moment,

“It’s getting late—everyone must be hungry by now,” Liu Ruyan broke the silence. “Dinner’s ready in the kitchen. Let’s eat soon.”

“Yes! I’m starving!” Nangong Lin cheered, grabbing Liu Ruyan by the hand and pulling her inside.

Yan Yi followed close behind the two of them.