The tension in the villa was palpable as Li Chen returned from Chen Yunlong’s estate. His brow furrowed upon finding Sun Lixia, and Li Xinjie, seated in the living room with Sun Gang. After a terse greeting, Li Chen’s first concern was the whereabouts of his wife.

"Where is my wife?" Li Chen asked, his tone laced with concern.

Sun Lixia offered a reassuring smile. "Oh, Zhang Mei is in Madam Tang’s room, apparently she is teaching her how to sew, for future babies."

Li Chen chuckled, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "She is not even pregnant yet."

Li Xinjie smirked, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "She wants to get pregnant, better up your game, bro."

Ignoring his brother’s jibe, Li Chen turned his attention to Sun Gang, his expression hardening. "Sun Gang, what brings you here?"

Sun Gang met his gaze, his expression unreadable. "I want to talk to you...in private."

Li Chen raised an eyebrow, sensing the gravity of the situation. "Sure, follow me." He led the way to the study, with Sun Gang following close behind.

As soon as the door closed, Sun Gang wasted no time. "I know you have five pages of the Seven Fists Manual, hand them over," he demanded, his voice laced with determination.

Li Chen’s eyes narrowed, and he responded with a dismissive tone, "Oh really. What makes you think I will?"

Sun Gang had never taken a liking to this new cousin of his, and the long-simmering animosity between them was palpable. "Listen," he growled, "I know we’re family and all, but those pages belong to me."

Li Chen met Sun Gang’s gaze with an unwavering stare, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "If they belong to you, why are they in my hands?"

The tension in the room was thick, and the air crackled with unspoken hostility. Sun Gang’s jaw clenched, and his fists tightened as he fought to keep his composure. "Don’t play games with me, Li Chen. Those pages are rightfully mine, and I won’t rest until I have them."

Li Chen’s expression hardened, his defiance evident. "And what makes you think you have any claim over them? They came into my possession fair and square."

Sun Gang’s eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer, his voice low and menacing. "You think you’re so clever, don’t you? But you have no idea what you’re meddling with. Those pages hold secrets that could tear our family apart, and I won’t let you be the one to unleash that chaos."

Li Chen met his cousin’s challenge unflinchingly. "Is that a threat, Sun Gang? Because if it is, you should know that I don’t take kindly to threats."

The silence stretched, each man sizing up the other, weighing the consequences of their next move. The stakes were high, and neither was willing to back down. The once-harmonious villa had become a battlefield, and the echoes of their confrontation would reverberate through the annals of their family’s history, forever altering the course of events to come.

The tension escalated rapidly as Sun Gang’s threats took an ominous turn. "Listen, Li Chen, I don’t want to use force," he said, his voice low and menacing.

Li Chen scoffed, his temper flaring. "Oh, another threat?"

Sun Gang’s eyes narrowed, and he leaned in closer, his words dripping with malice. "You wouldn’t want something to happen to your beautiful new wife now, would you...something like an accident?"

Fury coursed through Li Chen’s veins as he grabbed Sun Gang by the throat, slamming him against the wall. "Keep my wife out of this, or I won’t hesitate to get rough, really rough," he snarled, his grip tightening.

Sun Gang struggled to speak, his eyes wide with surprise at Li Chen’s unexpected strength. Finally, Li Chen released his hold, and Sun Gang crumpled to the floor, coughing and gasping for air.

"I see you want to make it the hard way," Sun Gang rasped, his voice strained. "Suit yourself then, but just know, I will get those pages no matter what."

Li Chen towered over his cousin, his expression steely and unflinching. "Oh, and I will be waiting, but I swear if you lay even a finger on Zhang Mei, I will quickly forget that you are my uncle’s son."

Sun Gang staggered to his feet, his pride wounded, and stormed out of the study, leaving a trail of tension in his wake.

In the living room, Sun Lixia looked up with concern. "Is everything okay, Gang?"

Sun Gang shot her a forced smile, masking his fury. "Everything is fine, Aunt Lixia. See you around." With those parting words, he stalked out of the villa, his mind already plotting his next move.

The confrontation had escalated beyond mere words, and the lines had been drawn. Li Chen’s warning echoed in the air, a stark reminder that in this game of power and secrets, no one was safe, and the consequences could be dire.

The door slammed behind Sun Gang as he stormed out of the villa, leaving a tense silence in his wake. Li Chen remained rooted in the study, his hands still clenched into fists, the adrenaline from the confrontation coursing through his veins.

A soft knock on the door broke the silence. "Chen? Is everything alright?" Zhang Mei’s gentle voice filtered through the wood, laced with concern.

Li Chen exhaled slowly, willing his body to relax. "Come in, Mei."

The door creaked open, and Zhang Mei slipped inside, her brow furrowed with worry. "I heard raised voices. What happened?"

Li Chen’s expression softened as he met her gaze, and he pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair. "It’s nothing for you to worry about," he murmured, his voice muffled. "Just a disagreement with Sun Gang."

Li Chen didn’t want to have secrets with his wife, so he had told Zhang Mei everything. As much as the transmigration part had startled Zhang Mei more than the assassins out to get them, she was adamant to stay as a supportive system for her husband.

Zhang Mei tensed in his arms. "About the pages?"

Li Chen nodded, his jaw tight. "He wants them, but I won’t let him have them. Not without a fight."

Zhang Mei drew back, her eyes searching his face. "Chen, this is getting dangerous. Maybe it’s time to reconsider..."

"No," Li Chen cut her off firmly. "Those pages are the key to unlocking the secrets of our past. I won’t let Sun Gang take that away from us."

Zhang Mei sighed, her fingers tracing the lines of worry etched into her husband’s face. "Just promise me you’ll be careful. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you."

Li Chen pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I promise. Sun Gang won’t lay a hand on either of us. Not if I have anything to say about it."

As they embraced, the weight of the situation settled over them, a reminder that the battle for the pages had only just begun. The lines had been drawn, and the stakes were higher than ever before.

In the days that followed, the villa was shrouded in a palpable tension, as Li Chen and Zhang Mei braced themselves for Sun Gang’s next move. The once-harmonious family was now divided, with alliances shifting and loyalties tested.

Yet, through it all, Li Chen remained resolute, his determination unwavering. The pages were his, and he would protect them at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing the fragile bonds of kinship that had once held them together.