Chapter 212: Truly Young and Accomplished
Xiao Ye took off the inner lining, tucked it into his pocket, and swept Lin Chuyue up into his arms. "Hey, it's okay. Relax, nothing will happen."
"If I could get in, I can get you out."
But Lin Chuyue's heart was still pounding, and she was terrified.
The main reason was, she couldn't bear to lose Xiao Ye again.
"How about you go on ahead? I can just leave with Chu Yan and the others later."
Xiao Ye shook his head. "No. We're leaving together."
"No!" Lin Chuyue knew she was just a liability. "You only came to the Xiao Family to see me."
"If something happens to you, I'll truly never be able to forgive myself!"
Lin Chuyue threw herself into Xiao Ye's arms, burying her head in his chest. "I'm begging you!"
"Just go by yourself, please? Stop worrying about me!"
"I really can't stand the thought of something happening to you again!"
"These past few days have been so hard. I've never felt so miserable in my life!"
Seeing her like this nearly broke Xiao Ye's heart.
'This silly girl, she really makes my heart ache for her.'
"Trust me, nothing is going to happen. Just listen to me, okay?"
Just then, the sound of footsteps came from nearby.
Startled, Lin Chuyue hugged Xiao Ye tighter, lifting her head to stare warily at the source of the sound.
RUSTLE.
The leaves were pushed aside.
Sure enough, it was several bodyguards.
Without a second thought, Lin Chuyue immediately shielded Xiao Ye. "You... What do you think you're doing?!"
"I'm warning you, don't try anything out in the open! I have friends nearby waiting to back us up!"
Her hands were clenched so tightly, she was even prepared for a fight to the death.
If the bodyguards really tried to attack Xiao Ye, she would be the first to claw at them!
It just so happened that Ye Baiwei had taken her for a manicure a few days ago to cheer her up. Now, her nails could serve as small weapons!
The bodyguards ignored Lin Chuyue, instead bowing respectfully to Xiao Ye.
"Patriarch, it's almost time. You are needed."
This was the Patriarch's succession ceremony, and Xiao Ye, the man of the hour, naturally had to make his entrance.
It was now just three minutes to four o'clock.
Before Lin Chuyue could even process what was happening, Xiao Ye, still holding her, boarded a shuttle cart that had just arrived.
"Let's go. We're heading back!"
「A brief two minutes later.」
The two of them arrived back at the villa's entrance.
Lin Chuyue had finally snapped out of her daze. She had a million questions, but Xiao Ye gave her no chance to ask, simply pulling her straight into the villa.
The time was now exactly—four o'clock!
The villa doors swung open.
Every guest turned their head.
All eyes were on the pair.
Xiao Ye, holding Lin Chuyue's hand, wore a perfectly calibrated smile. "Hello, everyone. I am Xiao Ye."
"And I am the Xiao Family's new Patriarch!"
Most of the guests had already heard about this, so they weren't surprised.
Even if they had a million thoughts, no one was tactless enough to ask any questions at a time like this.
"Congratulations, Patriarch Xiao!"
"Congratulations!"
"For Patriarch Xiao to be so young, he is truly accomplished!"
In the crowd, Ouyang Di's expression was utterly foul. He never imagined that this Xiao Ye was actually the Patriarch of the Xiao Family!
'How is this possible?!'
'Wasn't Liu Loulan supposed to kill him? How could he have been allowed to take the Patriarch's seat?!'
Not far away, Chu Yan and the others wore looks of astonishment.
They had considered many possibilities, but they had never imagined that Xiao Ye would become the Patriarch of the Xiao Family!
Realization dawned on Yuan Tiancheng's face. No wonder they were all qualified to attend this banquet.
It turned out the one who invited them was Xiao Ye himself!
'I really haven't backed the wrong person. A Hidden Clan is dozens of times more powerful than my Yuan Family!'
Huo Wenhao was even more excited, looking like he wanted to clap his hands raw.
'I was one of the first to follow Xiao Ye. In the future, the Huo Family will definitely soar to new heights along with him!'
Lin Chuyue walked by Xiao Ye's side, enduring the stares of everyone present.
Her upbringing as a proper young lady prevented her from making a scene. She even subconsciously maintained a graceful smile.
But inside, her mind was in complete chaos.
'Xiao Ye is the Patriarch of the Xiao Family?'
'What in the world is going on?'
'The Xiao Family is so powerful, and every guest here is either rich or influential!'
'Doesn't that mean that from now on, Xiao Ye is on equal footing with all of them?'
Lin Chuyue's mind was racing. 'That's right, Xiao Ye isn't dead, but he didn't tell me. He must have been planning something behind the scenes.'
'Maybe he used this opportunity to take control of the Xiao Family!'
Xiao Ye gave Lin Chuyue's hand a squeeze, signaling for her to be patient.
The two of them walked onto the stage together.
The Xiao Family's Grand Elder saw the unexpected woman but, being very perceptive, said nothing.
"Everyone, today is the inauguration ceremony for the new Patriarch of the Xiao Family!"
"From this day forward, Xiao Ye will be the twenty-fifth Patriarch of our Xiao Family!"
"He is the biological son—and only firstborn son—of the Patriarch before last, Xiao Ling!"
"It is only right and proper that he should become the Patriarch of our Xiao Family!"
After speaking, the Grand Elder took out two Jade Pendants, the symbols of the Xiao Family's patriarchal authority.
One white, one black; one yin, one yang; one light, one dark.
"Patriarch! From now on, the Xiao Family... is in your hands!"
With that, the Grand Elder bowed his head slightly, showing his respect.
The rest of the Xiao Family members bowed in unison and spoke.
"Patriarch!"
"Patriarch!"
Xiao Ye's gaze swept over the crowd. He nodded in satisfaction and accepted the Jade Pendants. "Rest assured, you can leave the Xiao Family to me from now on."
"So long as I live, the Xiao Family will endure."
"From this day forward, the Xiao Family will surely soar to new heights!"
"May the Xiao Family soar!"
"May the Xiao Family soar!"
「After the ceremony.」
It was time for the banquet.
As the new Patriarch, Xiao Ye naturally had to build good relationships with the other clans.
However, he was only interested in the Zhu Family and the Fifth Clan. As for the Ouyang Clan... from the moment one of their own had dared to make a move on Lin Chuyue...
...they were already out of the running.
Xiao Ye watched Ouyang Di approach, acting as if nothing was wrong. "Patriarch Xiao, my sincerest apologies."
"I didn't know that woman was yours. Otherwise, I wouldn't have approached her."
"Don't worry. It's just a woman. It won't affect the relationship between our two families."
Xiao Ye swirled the wine in his glass, his eyes filled with contempt. "Can you represent the Ouyang Family?"
"N-no, I can't."
"But I *can* represent the Xiao Family. So, apologize."
"Apologize?" Ouyang Di looked over at Lin Chuyue, who was standing to the side.
'Apologize to a woman? How is that possible?!'
To powerful clans like theirs, a woman was nothing unless she was a valuable marriage prospect.
"Patriarch Xiao, are you mistaken? I'm a member of the Ouyang Family, and she's..."
Xiao Ye cut him off. "She is my fiancée. Her background is irrelevant. What's important is that you nearly laid a hand on my fiancée."
"You are just a junior member of the Ouyang Family, whereas I am the Patriarch of the Xiao Family. Forcing you to apologize is already showing the Ouyang Family a great deal of respect."
Xiao Ye's gaze turned ice-cold. "This is the last time I'm going to say it. Apologize. Now."