Excuse Me, Sir, Can I Help You

Seeing that he was being treated like thin air, Xie Zhifeng's face flushed with embarrassment. He took a few quick steps over to Xie Yufei, desperately looking for a way to save face.

However, Xie Yufei was entirely focused on devouring the Flying Fish crispy ice cream in his hand and didn't have a spare second to pay him any mind.

"I'll tag along with you guys," Xie Zhifeng offered dryly.

Xie Yufei paused. With a mouthful of icy sweetness still in his mouth, he looked up, his eyes blank.

"Bro, I have no idea what they're planning to do next."

He was telling the truth. He had purely tagged along with Lin Mo and his older cousin just for the fun of it.

Before Xie Zhifeng could say another word, a cold voice cut in.

"Xie Yufei, if you have nothing to do, go home."

It was Xie Yuling.

Her voice was completely flat, yet it somehow made the surrounding temperature drop a few degrees.

"Huh? Go home?" Xie Yufei froze.

He subconsciously glanced at the half-eaten Flying Fish ice cream in his hand, then turned to look at his expressionless older cousin, whose eyes clearly screamed, "Just try disobeying me."

His survival instincts instantly maxed out.

"Alright, no problem, I'm heading home right now!"

He agreed as quickly as he moved. Shoving the rest of the ice cream into his mouth, he mumbled a hasty goodbye, spun on his heel, and marched off in the exact opposite direction of Lin Mo and the group. His retreating back looked almost as if he were fleeing for his life.

When it came to this cousin, while Xie Yufei wasn't exactly at her beck and call, he did care for her deeply, so he was more than willing to play the role of the obedient younger brother.

As for Xie Zhifeng, a relative he wasn't actually all that close to, well, he was on his own.

With his only ally instantly defecting, Xie Zhifeng was left standing there alone. He couldn't decide whether to leave or stay, feeling so awkward that his toes were practically curling hard enough to excavate a three-bedroom apartment inside his shoes.

Yet, he stubbornly refused to leave.

Stiffening his neck, he watched as Lin Mo and the others leisurely finished their ice cream and accurately tossed the wrappers into a nearby trash can.

Then, clapping their hands as if signaling the end of a break, the group started walking forward, chatting and laughing amongst themselves.

Steeling his resolve, Xie Zhifeng immediately followed them.

He firmly believed that as long as he was thick-skinned enough to keep tagging along, he would eventually find a chance to chime in and prove his worth!

However, Lin Mo clearly had no interest in letting someone trail behind them like a human backdrop.

After only a few steps, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, Lin Mo suddenly stopped and turned around.

He looked Xie Zhifeng up and down, his gaze holding a mix of genuine curiosity and a trace of undisguised distaste.

"Can I help you, Uncle?"

Uncle?

The word felt like a resounding slap across Xie Zhifeng's face.

He was in the prime of his youth—how on earth was he an uncle?

But he had forgotten that for a teenager going through puberty, raging hormones cared little for reason.

He had rushed out of the house today without having the time to shave. Several days' worth of stubble grew wildly across his chin and upper lip. Paired with his current gloomy expression, it gave him an unearned look of greasy, weathered middle age.

To say he looked like an uncle would be an understatement; he looked exactly the part.

Being addressed like that in public, Xie Zhifeng felt a surge of furious heat shoot straight from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He took a deep breath, his voice dropping several degrees as he confronted Lin Mo directly.

"Lin Mo, was it? From G1? Real impressive."

The air instantly froze.

Before Lin Mo could even respond, a figure stepped protectively in front of him.

Xie Yuling's face was as cold as frost, her gaze as sharp as a blade.

"Xie Zhifeng, stop acting like a lunatic here."

Being scolded so harshly in front of an outsider only fueled Xie Zhifeng's rage. Instead of yelling, he let out a laugh dripping with mockery.

"Xie Yuling, get your facts straight. Your last name is Xie too!"

He pointed at Lin Mo, then back at her, the sarcasm in his voice practically overflowing.

"Turning your back on your own family to help an outsider—you're really something else!"

Before he could finish, a booming, authoritative male voice exploded through the air like a sudden clap of thunder.

"Xie Zhifeng, what kind of nonsense are you spouting now? Don't think you can just do whatever you please just because your father isn't here."

The voice carried an unquestionable authority. Xie Zhifeng, who had been completely furious a second ago, stiffened, the anger freezing on his face.

Xie Yuling reacted quickly. She turned her head toward the newcomer and called out politely:

"Uncle!"

Xie Limin strode over, his chest bare. From his appearance, it was obvious he had been part of the dragon boat races that morning.

"What exactly do you think you're doing, boy?" Xie Limin demanded as he closed the distance, glaring at Xie Zhifeng with fierce, tiger-like eyes.

"Your final exams are over and you have too much energy to burn, so you're acting like some street thug? You're a few years older than these kids, and this is how you act? Real mature of you!"

Xie Zhifeng's arrogance was instantly extinguished. He lowered his head, not daring to make a peep.

Xie Limin was a district leader, and he held significant authority and speaking power within the Xie family.

Even Xie Zhifeng's father had to respectfully address him as Eldest Brother.

Let alone a junior like Xie Zhifeng.

Xie Limin then turned his gaze toward Xie Yuling and the others. His eyes lingered on Lin Mo for a fleeting, imperceptible moment before he waved his hand.

"Yuling, go on and have fun. Don't mind this brat."

Xie Yuling gave a serious nod. "Alright, Uncle. We'll be going now."

Xie Zhifeng watched helplessly as Jiang Yunlu followed Lin Mo away without so much as a single glance in his direction. A stifling, frustrated feeling swelled in his chest.

He felt like he should have shown off a bit, but without a wingman to back him up, there was really nothing he could do.

Just as he was wallowing in his annoyance, a heavy slap landed squarely on the back of his head.

Smack!

The sound was crisp and loud.

Xie Limin pulled his hand back and scolded him irritably, "What the hell is going through that head of yours? Still obsessing over that Jiang Yunlu girl? Take a good look at yourself in the mirror! Do you have any idea what her status is compared to yours?"

Clutching the stinging back of his head, Xie Zhifeng stubbornly craned his neck and talked back in defiance, "What's wrong with me? My family collects rent from three whole apartment buildings, and I'm an only child! How am I not good enough?"

"Three buildings?"

Xie Limin let out a bark of angry laughter, the sound dripping with derision.

"Let me spell it out for you. She is the only daughter of the Chairman of Tianyun Century Group! She is worth tens of billions! Those three rundown buildings of yours aren't even worthy of carrying her shoes. Do you understand?"

Billions?

He had no idea what the Tianyun Century Group was.

But he knew exactly what the word billions meant. Thinking back on Jiang Yunlu's elegant behavior and mannerisms, it suddenly made a lot of sense.

Still, he couldn't accept it. Struggling to salvage the last shred of his dignity, he pointed in the direction Lin Mo and the others had gone.

"Then... what about Lin Mo? He just rents a place from Yuling's family! How is he worthy?"

"It's not a matter of being worthy or not. The girl simply enjoys hanging out with him. That right there is Lin Mo's own skill."

Having said his piece, Xie Limin couldn't be bothered to explain any further.

There were many things he simply disdained to waste his breath explaining to his foolish nephew.