Qin Yi gave Yang Chen a deep look, her face filled with concern.
But not wanting to distract him, she obediently chose to leave.
After Qin Yi left, only three people remained in the private room.
Guan Xuefeng's eyes gradually regained some of their spark. The earlier scene had indeed shaken him. After all, he was from the Guan family, one of the four major families of Jiangzhou. Who would dare provoke him without facing dire consequences?
"Tell me where Xiao Xiao is, and I'll let you go. How about that?" Yang Chen sat on the sofa, his expression calm as he looked at Guan Xuefeng.
Guan Xuefeng had regained his usual facade of false confidence. He walked over and sat on the sofa opposite Yang Chen, leaning back comfortably.
He smirked at Yang Chen. "Originally, I hadn't planned to do anything to your daughter. That bitch Fang Yue just wanted to lure you here for revenge. But now, I've changed my mind."
"What do you want?"
Yang Chen wasn't worried about Xiao Xiao's safety. After all, she wore a stone pendant he had given her—one that had saved him from countless fatal attacks in the past.
With that pendant protecting her, who in Jiangzhou could possibly harm her?
His only concern was that Xiao Xiao might be locked up alone and frightened.
"Originally, I planned to trick Qin Yi here and sleep with her. As for you, I didn't intend to do anything drastic—not even to your daughter."
Guan Xuefeng spoke calmly. "I just wanted to follow Fang Yue's plan, let you worry for a while, then notify you to pick up your child and teach you a lesson in the process. But unexpectedly, you showed me just how formidable you are."
"Tell me, if I really handed your daughter over now, would you let me go? If I'm not mistaken, Fang Yue is already dead, isn't she?"
Guan Xuefeng's composure gave Yang Chen a bad feeling. People like him were the most terrifying—capable of anything.
"Fang Yue was the mastermind. You just followed her instructions. There's no irreconcilable grudge between us. Let my daughter go, and I swear I won't lay a finger on you," Yang Chen said earnestly.
It wasn't a lie. To him, his daughter's safety was paramount. While he wasn't afraid of a madman like Guan Xuefeng, he'd rather avoid unnecessary trouble.
But Guan Xuefeng didn't believe him. He sneered. "You can pluck out my men's eyes with a single word, decide Fang Yue's life with another. Why should I trust you now?"
"Then you can't possibly keep my daughter tied up forever, can you?"
Yang Chen smiled. "It's better to resolve grievances than to create them. Let my daughter go, and I'll spare you. Wouldn't that settle things nicely?"
Guan Xuefeng shook his head. "Don't worry. I've already arranged for someone to take care of your daughter. Right now, she's my lifeline—of course I won't let anything happen to her. Once I can guarantee my own safety, I'll return her to you."
Yang Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. "The fact that I'm sitting here talking to you calmly shows my sincerity. Yet you insist on this path. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you in a fit of rage?"
"I, Guan Xuefeng, have always been cautious in everything I do. I believe you could easily kill me. But go ahead—try it. Kill me, and you'll never see your daughter again."
Guan Xuefeng showed no fear, his face adorned with a smug smile.
Ma Chao, who had been watching from the side, couldn't take it anymore. He stood up abruptly. "Brother Chen, he's asking for death! Why waste words on someone like him? Just kill him! I refuse to believe that with your resources, we can't find Xiao Xiao!"
Yang Chen raised a hand to stop Ma Chao, his gaze fixed on Guan Xuefeng. From the man's demeanor, Yang Chen knew he was dealing with a madman.
Killing him would be easy, but finding Xiao Xiao afterward would be nearly impossible.
If locating his daughter were that simple, Yang Chen would have already used his connections the moment he realized she was missing.
But so far, there had been no new leads—only that Xiao Xiao had been brought to Moonlight Bar by Fang Yue before vanishing without a trace.
Yang Chen was baffled, but the facts were clear: despite searching every corner of the bar, they had found nothing.
This was precisely why Guan Xuefeng was so fearless.
"From the fact that you could mobilize so many people so quickly, I knew you'd already been searching for your daughter. But with no leads, you don't dare touch me—otherwise, I'd end up like Fang Yue," Guan Xuefeng said with a laugh.
"Then how do you plan to guarantee your own safety?" Yang Chen asked.
"Either you die, or I leave this city."
Guan Xuefeng grinned brightly. "Next, you'll face my most ruthless retaliation. If you're still alive after I've exhausted all means, I'll have no choice but to leave. And before I go, I'll return your daughter."
He made no attempt to hide his murderous intent toward Yang Chen, which actually earned a sliver of Yang Chen's respect. He was the first person bold enough to openly express such thoughts to Yang Chen's face.
"Alright, no need to waste your breath here. I've said all I needed to say."
Guan Xuefeng suddenly stood up, smiling. "Either kill me now and never see your daughter again, or face my retaliation. If I can't kill you, I'll leave this city—and your daughter will be returned."
With that, he turned to leave.
Ma Chao took a step forward, blocking Guan Xuefeng's path.
"Yang Chen, have you decided to kill me after all?" Guan Xuefeng's expression remained unchanged, devoid of fear.
Yang Chen's lips curved slightly. "Since you want to play, I'll oblige. But I warn you—if my daughter suffers even the slightest grievance, once she's back in my arms, I'll tear this world apart to find you and grind your bones to dust."
"Don't worry. Since I set the rules of this game, I won't break them. Your daughter won't be harmed—she just won't see her mom or dad for a while. Otherwise, nothing will change." Guan Xuefeng smirked.
"Let him go!" Yang Chen ordered.
"Brother Chen, do you really believe him?" Ma Chao asked, unwilling to back down.
"I said, stand down!" Yang Chen frowned, his voice sharp.
Though Ma Chao was reluctant, he had no choice but to obey Yang Chen's command.
Guan Xuefeng cast a mocking glance at Ma Chao before swaggering out.
"Brother Chen, how could you trust him? If we let him go, what about Xiao Xiao?" Ma Chao fumed.
Yang Chen let out a cold laugh. "We've mobilized all our connections, searched everywhere, and still found nothing. What else can I do? Kill him? And if we still can't find Xiao Xiao afterward, then what?"
As he spoke, he gave a disdainful smile and subtly gestured with his eyes.
Ma Chao followed Yang Chen's gaze and noticed a listening device hidden under the coffee table.
Only then did he realize—Yang Chen had let Guan Xuefeng leave on purpose.