Dream of the Red Chamber: Madam, please have some self-respect!

Hearing these foul words, Wang Xifeng turned pale with anger, and her chest became even fuller with rage, almost bursting out of her clothes.

Jia Yun immediately stepped forward and shielded her tightly behind him.

He swept his cold gaze across those who had spoken, and though he said nothing, the chill in his eyes made several hooligans instinctively shrink back.

Ni Er quickly shouted, "Are you all blind?! An important person has arrived, how dare you be so disrespectful? Get lost!"

Upon hearing the words "distinguished person," the noise subsided slightly, but many ill-intentioned gazes lingered on her slender and voluptuous figure.

Ni Er found the manager of the gambling den and whispered a few words to him.

Before long, they were led into the backyard.

Before long, a burly man with a face full of scars and a bare chest revealing black hair swaggered out, surrounded by a group of thugs wielding sticks.

He was Chen Biao, the leader of the "Black Tiger Gang," also known as "Over the Mountain Tiger."

Chen Biao's triangular eyes first roamed unabashedly over Wang Xifeng's body, his gaze lingering for a moment on her ample breasts and slender waist, a lewd glint flashing in his eyes before his throat even involuntarily bobbed.

Then he noticed Jia Yun, and with a forced smile, he cupped his hands in greeting: "Oh, Ni Er, is this the nobleman from the Jia family you mentioned? May I ask what brings you two gentlemen and ladies to my humble abode?"

His tone was flippant, completely disregarding the two of them.

Jia Yun cut to the chase, but first stepped aside to shield Wang Xifeng, who was trembling slightly behind him, even more completely: "Brother Chen, let's not beat around the bush. Isn't it your people causing trouble at our Jia family's construction site in the west of the city?"

Chen Biao chuckled, pulled up a chair, sat down, and crossed his legs.

But his gaze remained brazen, occasionally glancing at the alluring figure behind Jia Yun: "Making trouble? What an awful way to put it. We brothers simply feel that the construction there is disturbing the peace of the neighbors and ruining the feng shui of my family's ancestral graves. Asking for some compensation is perfectly reasonable. What, is Young Master Jia here to deliver money?"

The thugs behind him joined in the laughter, weighing their sticks in their hands, their expressions full of threat.

Jia Yun's expression remained unchanged, and his voice was calm: "There is no money. That garden is the property of our Jia family, and outsiders are not welcome to invest."

Chen Biao's fake smile vanished instantly, and a fierce glint appeared in his triangular eyes.

He slammed his fist on the table, making the teacups bounce around: "So you guys are here to mess with me?! Not to throw money away, but to get yourselves killed?!"

His thugs immediately surrounded him, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

Ni Er's forehead was covered in sweat, and he quietly moved to block Jia Yun's side.

Wang Xifeng was so startled that her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively reached out and grabbed Jia Yun's robe from behind.

At this critical moment, Jia Yun did something that left everyone dumbfounded!

With lightning speed, he pulled a gleaming dagger from his boot and, before anyone could react, slashed it without hesitation at the outside of his left arm!

With a "rip," the fabric tore, and a bloody gash about an inch long instantly appeared, from which blood gushed out!

"Ah!" Wang Xifeng cried out in fright, her face turning pale. The hand that was gripping Jia Yun's clothes tightened suddenly, her nails almost digging into his flesh.

All the thugs were stunned, instinctively gripping their clubs tighter, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

Even Chen Biao was stunned. He had been in the streets for many years and had seen people who were stupid and desperate, but he had never seen anyone who would stab himself first!

"What the hell do you mean by this?" Chen Biao stood up, looking at Jia Yun's bleeding arm with suspicion, then at the beautiful woman behind him who was pale with fright but had become even more charming. He was a little confused.

Jia Yun's face was pale with pain. He raised his bleeding arm and pounded each word into Chen Biao's heart: "Look carefully! I, Jia Yun, hold the title of Xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), am a student of the Imperial Academy, and am a member of the Rongguo Jia family! My master is Li Jijiu, and my close friend is Prince Xin. In broad daylight, in full view of everyone, you, Chen Biao of the 'Black Tiger Gang,' attacked me with a weapon and severely injured me! The evidence is overwhelming! Boss Chen, do you think you can get out of this government office? Do you think your backers will be willing to fight to the death for a scholar about to pass the imperial examinations, for the Jia family, and for Prince Xin, for someone as worthless as you?!"

Chen Biao's expression changed drastically!

But he remained composed, scoffing, "Hmph! You say so, so it is? Besides, everyone knows you're just a minor figure! What difference does it make if I hurt you?"

Jia Yun stopped looking at him and suddenly turned to Wang Xifeng, who was still in shock beside her, and whispered, "Second Aunt, I'm sorry!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly grabbed Wang Xifeng's wrist and, catching her off guard, quickly made a shallow cut on her fair arm with the bloodstained dagger!

Wang Xifeng cried out in pain, both shocked and furious.

She looked up and met Jia Yun's almost cold eyes. A chill ran through her, and she forgot to struggle.

Jia Yun pointed to the bleeding cut on Wang Xifeng's arm and, addressing the stunned Chen Biao, said sternly, "This one! She is the niece of Prince Teng, the Commander-in-Chief of the Nine Provinces and the Grand Commandant of the Capital Garrison! She is the eldest grandson's wife of the Rongguo Mansion, the Second Mistress Lian! Chen Biao, you may be able to argue your way out of injuring me today. But you have also injured a direct descendant of the Wang family, a relative of a high-ranking official! Do you think Prince Teng won't uproot you, and all those shady connections behind you, and grind them to dust?!"

These words were like a bolt from the blue, silencing the entire courtyard!

Ni Er stared wide-eyed at Jia Yun in disbelief, only one thought in his mind: "This kid... he's a fucking ruthless man!"

Wang Xifeng was also stunned; the pain in her arm paled in comparison to the shock in her heart. Looking at Jia Yun's blood-stained profile, she clearly felt for the first time the resoluteness and ruthlessness in this young man's bones.

Chen Biao's facial muscles twitched violently, his eyes shifting between surprise, anger, and fear.

He stared intently at Jia Yun, then glanced at Wang Xifeng, whose face was veiled yet still exuded an air of nobility. He thought of the thunderous rage of powerful figures like Wang Ziteng, and Jia Yun's reckless self-harm and framing tactics... He knew he had bitten off more than he could chew!

After remaining silent for the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the fierce look on Chen Biao's face gradually faded, replaced by a complex sense of dejection and a hint of barely perceptible admiration.

He suddenly chuckled dryly twice: "Good! Good lad! You win! I, Chen Biao, admit defeat today! Consider it making you my friend! My men won't touch your brothel again!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Yun also smiled.

He extended his uninjured right hand and calmly said, "Boss Chen is a straightforward man. We became friends after our initial encounter. Now that we're friends, we should share the good times. When our club opens, the profit margin on beverage supply is quite high. If Boss Chen is interested, we can give you the job."

Chen Biao was taken aback for a moment, then burst into genuine laughter, gripping Jia Yun's hand tightly: "Good! Good brother! Interesting! Damn, really interesting! You're definitely my friend, Chen Biao!"

After leaving the gambling den, Wang Xifeng looked at her and Jia Yun's simply bandaged arms, still feeling lingering fear.

She had so many complaints to say, but in the end, with a complex and difficult-to-decipher emotion, she whispered, "You...you've gone too far!"

Jia Yun simply smiled faintly: "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Second Madam, now we can proceed with the construction of our garden without worry."

Inside the gambling den, one of Chen Biao's henchmen asked, puzzled, "Boss, are we just going to let it go like that? That kid was way too arrogant!"

Chen Biao stroked his stubble, squinting as he said, "Forget it? What else can we do? This kid's got character! He's got the official rank to protect him, the Wang and Jia families as his backers, and he's ruthless enough to do anything to himself and those around him! In our line of work, what we fear most isn't someone reckless, but someone with brains, connections, and a death wish! We won't gain anything by going head-to-head with him. It's good this way; he's giving us face and a path to wealth, so we have to be sensible. From now on… keep your eyes peeled. Jia Yun is someone we can only be friends with, not enemies with!"

The renovation project of the clubhouse progressed rapidly under the full supervision of Wang Xifeng and the behind-the-scenes planning of Jia Yun.

On this day, Jia Yun came to check on the progress, and Wang Xifeng happened to be there as well.

Standing in front of the three-story main building, which was beginning to take shape, the two watched the craftsmen working busily, their hearts filled with anticipation for the future.

Jia Yun suddenly remembered something, took out a small white porcelain bottle from his bosom, and said to Wang Xifeng, "Second Madam, this is a wound medicine I made myself. I used some special ingredients, and its effect of promoting blood circulation and tissue regeneration is better than ordinary wound medicine. That day... I'm sorry, please try it."

He was referring to the incident where her arm was slashed at the gambling den.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng raised her arm and looked at the scabbed but still clearly visible shallow mark, feeling a mix of emotions.

She took the medicine bottle, her fingertips inadvertently touching Jia Yun's hand, and both of them paused slightly.

Jia Yun gently sprinkled the medicine powder onto the wound.

He looked down and could clearly see her fair, smooth wrist, her skin delicate and white, which blushed slightly at his touch.

As the rich fragrance emanating from Wang Xifeng, so different from that of a young lady in her boudoir, lingered around his nose, Jia Yun's heart skipped a beat. He had long harbored a secret admiration for this shrewd, shrewd, and stunningly beautiful second aunt, but it had always been buried deep in his heart. Now, in this close proximity, those thoughts were surging uncontrollably.

Wang Xifeng was also slightly flustered.

She had been married into the Jia family for many years, and had never had such close contact with a man other than her husband.

Although Jia Yun was only fourteen or fifteen years old, his focused expression, composed demeanor, and the undeniable strength he displayed when applying medicine to her made it impossible for her to regard him merely as a half-grown child.

Especially the occasional flash of profoundness in his eyes, so unusual for his age, made her feel inexplicably flustered, and two blushes involuntarily rose on her face. She was even a little afraid to look him in the eye.