TNIBFT -Chapter 167 The Stubborn Ice-Face

Xiao Xun’er leaned in, her pretty face almost pressing against him.

Ye Yunting’s body recoiled, his expression blank as he stared at her. “Step back!”

“Ye Tian, put me down!”

Ye Yunting’s small face flushed bright red, and he shouted nervously at Ye Tian. Ye Tian couldn’t help but smile—he had never seen his “eldest” like this before. Normally, Ye Yunting wore his ice-cold, expressionless face at all times. Now, it was as if he had seen a raging flood, his expression twisted.

His short little legs kicked wildly.

A corner of Ye Tian’s mouth lifted in a mischievous grin. “Eldest, what’s wrong with you?”

“Eldest?”

“Eldest!”

Then Ye Tian carried Ye Yunting toward Xiao Xun’er. Ye Yunting’s face darkened, and he pressed a small hand against her face, glaring at Ye Tian. “I don’t like anyone getting close to me.”

With that, he slid off Ye Tian in a huff and ran off without looking back.

Ye Tian watched the little Eldest’s retreating back and smiled with a hint of wicked amusement.

Exposed to beauties from a young age, he wouldn’t be easily swayed by a woman when he grew up—this was a father’s careful planning. This little rascal!

Xiao Xun’er groaned, grabbing Ye Tian’s sleeve. “Let’s go, I need to take a bath!”

“It’s too humiliating! Some stinky men must have made me smell bad. I need a bath, a bath!”

As she spoke, she wrinkled her nose and sniffed around herself.

“This is perfect!”

“As long as we don’t starve, we can do anything?”

“What did you say? Our house is being taken away and given to the disaster victims?”

“Can we go save people now? I don’t want money, I don’t want food. Please, go to our home first, save my wife…”

The city gate was wide open, and a noisy mix of crying and cheering could be heard.

Ye Tian looked up. The crowd at the city gate was dense.

A notice had just been posted on the board at the entrance, with city guards explaining it to the crowd. Many who had planned to leave the city stayed, pondering the notice. The incoming disaster victims were orderly and didn’t run amok, guided by the guards to designated areas.

Everything was well-organized.

Tao Lichun’s administrative skills were not to be underestimated.

The little eldest ran errands beside Tao Lichun and didn’t return with Ye Tian. Seeing Ye Tian about to leave, Tao Ling’er stepped forward. “Ye Tian, my father wants you to wait a moment!”

“Thanks to your ideas, Ye Tian, otherwise the city would have descended into chaos. My father insists that you stay to be properly thanked by the people of the city.”

Tao Ling’er’s eyes shone with admiration, almost overflowing.

Her cheeks flushed red as she excitedly tugged at Ye Tian’s sleeve. Realizing this, she quickly let go, embarrassed, staring at her toes. Her anxious heart swayed like the hem of her skirt in the breeze.

Ye Tian said, “Shuangxue and Xiao Jiang are waiting at home. If I’m gone too long, who knows what mischief those two little rascals will get into?”

After a few polite exchanges, Ye Tian walked alone through the crowd along the street.

Light snow fell, like a gentle drizzle on his face.

“Ye Tian!”

“Ye Tian!”

As Ye Tian walked on, Xiao Xun’er followed, holding the reins of a tall horse in one hand while chasing after him.

“Big sister, are you really coming to my house?”

Ye Tian felt helpless.

Xiao Xun’er lifted her chin, touching the small braid by her ear, looking pleased with herself. “You just saved me, so now I’m going to repay you. Besides, that hotpot restaurant—my dad and I wanted it, remember? Now I have nowhere to go, and you actually won’t take me in?”

Ye Tian sighed helplessly.

At this moment, Xiao Xun’er was different from the one in the book.

In the story, Xiao Xun’er appeared as a cool, mature beauty; she fell for Shen Jie at first sight and spent her life pining for him, contributing silently to his career.

But the Xiao Xun’er before Ye Tian now had courage that rivaled any man, a spine full of pride, and the playful mischief of a little girl. These people weren’t mere NPCs—each one was a living, breathing person.

“What are you thinking?”

Seeing Ye Tian ignore her, Xiao Xun’er bent forward and waved her hand in front of his eyes.

Ye Tian said exasperatedly, “I’m thinking… of a way to make you give up.”

“Tch!”

Xiao Xun’er rolled her eyes dramatically, mounted her horse in one swift motion, and shouted over her shoulder without looking back, “I’ll wait for you at the hotpot restaurant!”

…

Somewhere in the crowd, it seemed that a gaze was fixed on him.

Ye Tian turned his head. Behind him, the throng of refugees bustled about—nothing unusual.

But in a shadowed corner of the city wall, a man with a full beard stared fiercely at Ye Tian’s back. He pinched his chin and asked, “Is that him?”

“The one who opened the city gates? Who is this kid?”

Zhou Tianhu glanced at the two men beside him.

The tall, thin man with beady eyes sneered, “No special background. This Ye Tian is a hopeless wretch. We even played dice together before, and who knows what stroke of luck made Xiao Xun’er notice him. Recently, I heard she even opened a hotpot restaurant with him.”

“That old Tao Lichun obeys Ye Tian mostly because of his daughter. That Tao Ling’er… she practically drools whenever she looks at Ye Tian.”

Zhou Tianhu stroked his beard, a lecherous grin on his face. “I think you two are both better than this Ye Tian.”

“These little ladies don’t know what’s good for them. The city lord ran away. Xiao Xun’er’s nothing but a toothless tigress—who’s afraid of her? Ye Tian sticks his nose into other people’s business. Every time there’s a natural disaster, children are sold off. Many couldn’t survive. But with him involved… who dares sell kids now?” Zhou Tianhu’s expression darkened, and he ground his teeth in hatred.

He had been lurking at the city gates for several days.

If the city lord hadn’t forbidden leaving, he would have already collected plenty of child slaves. Reselling them would have made a fortune, but Ye Tian ruined his plans.

“If Ye Tian can open the gates, he can close them too. With all these refugees in the city, if we have Ye Tian on our side, we won’t lack business for slave trading,” another man said, a cunning grin spreading across his face.

Zhou Tianhu pondered for a moment, a cold smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

The two men exchanged glances, sensing opportunity.

The tall, thin man continued, “Master Zhou, see the child by Tao Lichun’s side? That’s Ye Tian’s eldest son. I heard he even has an official rank and is a prodigy. If we sell him in the imperial city, it’ll fetch an astronomical price.”

Zhou Tianhu’s eyes lit up. Following the man’s gaze into the crowd, he saw the small child, fair-skinned and well-behaved, with a calm presence. Even without saying a word, he stood out among the crowd, exuding an aura of noble birth.

“Fine goods!”

Zhou Tianhu rubbed his chin, eyes burning with excitement. “If we do this right, we’ll be set for ten years.”

“Inform the brothers. Don’t hurt him. We’ll have a lot of money to divide later!”

…

Meanwhile, Ye Yunting followed behind Tao Lichun, feeling like someone was watching him from behind.

“Yunting, tired?”

Tao Ling’er stepped forward with a smile, holding out a candied hawthorn stick. She bent down slightly. “I finally got this—here, for you!”