"You—you're really trying to drive me to an early grave! Who else would you associate with if not Shen Chenghua? That good-for-nothing Ye Tianming?"
Jiang Muwan gave a cold laugh. "At least Ye Tianming doesn't look so hypocritical. Shen Chenghua has too much of a hidden agenda, I really can't stand him."
Upon hearing this, Feng Hui exploded with rage. "Jiang Muwan, have you grown up and gotten too big for your boots now? Let me tell you, even though your grandfather said you should spend more time with that loser this month, I'm making it clear right now: I will never allow a son-in-law like that! I will never agree to your marriage either. If you marry a penniless good-for-nothing loser like him, your whole life will be ruined!"
Jiang Muwan bit her lip and remained silently unresponsive.
Feng Hui sighed and continued, "Daughter, Mom is telling you some news. That Shen family has reportedly already made connections with the Longhai Chamber of Commerce. In the future, leaning on the massive ship that is the Longhai Chamber of Commerce, the Shen family is bound to soar. We simply must ally with the Shen family! For the sake of cooperating with the Longhai Chamber of Commerce, and for the sake of our Jiang Family, you must be with Shen Chenghua. As for Ye Tianming, he's just a loser—don't pay him any mind, just put on a show for appearance's sake."
Jiang Muwan bit her lip and remained silently unresponsive.
Employing both soft and hard tactics, Feng Hui coaxed, "Daughter, Mom knows you're a sensible child. Later on, I'll discuss it with your dad, and our family will invite Shen Chenghua over for dinner."
Jiang Muwan felt her head throbbing with a headache. She didn't want to talk, and simply looked at her phone.
Feng Hui asked suspiciously:
"You're still working overtime this late?"
"No." Jiang Muwan shook her head. "I'm waiting for news from someone."
"What news?" Feng Hui's guard went up.
Jiang Muwan stammered, "Ye Tianming said... he could make fifty million tonight."
Feng Hui froze, then clutched her stomach and burst into loud laughter until her stomach started hurting faintly.
"Fifty million? Pah! Forget fifty million, even half a million is impossible! He couldn't earn half a million even if he collected trash for a lifetime! Fifty million? He really isn't afraid of people laughing their heads off."
Jiang Muwan opened her lips, wanting to say something, but ended up saying nothing.
She wanted to tell Feng Hui that earlier, Ye Tianming had won a hundred million just playing a round of golf with someone, and it had only taken him half an hour.
However, seeing how Feng Hui was acting, she couldn't even be bothered to say much to her.
Feng Hui coughed and let out a sneer:
"I advise you not to wait anymore and go to sleep early. Him, make fifty million? Longhai doesn't have enough sky for him to brag under! If he makes fifty million, I will..."
For a moment, Feng Hui didn't know what to say. Jiang Muwan gave her a strange look.
"You will what?"
Feng Hui's old face collapsed. "If he makes fifty million, I'll call Shen Chenghua a good-for-nothing right to his face!"
Jiang Muwan curled her lips and muttered, "I'm just afraid you'll go back on your word when the time comes."
"Your mother never goes back on her word!"
After chatting a little longer, Feng Hui left the room to rest.
With the door closed, Jiang Muwan stared blankly at her phone. That guy... hasn't sent any news at all. It seems he really was just lying to her.
Outside on the balcony, Ye Tianming smiled silently. Calculating the time, that sum of money should have arrived by now, right?
Right at that moment, the text message notification tone on Jiang Muwan's phone suddenly rang.
Jiang Muwan looked at the phone screen, abruptly drew in a sharp breath, and dropped the phone right onto the bed.
As if unable to believe it, she picked up her phone once more and stared intently at the numbers on the screen. In an instant, the world began to spin!
Seventy million??
There was a transfer of seventy million??
"Mom... Ye Tianming actually made seventy million!"
Jiang Muwan couldn't help crying out, but Feng Hui had already gone downstairs and didn't hear her.
Desperately suppressing the shock in her heart, Jiang Muwan dialed Ye Tianming's mobile number.
She wanted to ask Ye Tianming what was going on.
The moment she dialed, Ye Tianming's phone began to ring outside, and he hurriedly switched it to silent.
Inside the room, however, Jiang Muwan frowned, faintly hearing some commotion outside.
Her face suddenly paled a little, and nervousness gripped her heart. Who could be outside in the middle of the night?
Could it be a bad person?
Biting the bullet, she walked over to the window to see what was going on. Just as she pulled the window open, a dark shadow instantly leaped inside.
In a flash, Jiang Muwan was so frightened she wanted to scream, but a hand tightly clamped over her mouth, pulling her down and throwing her directly onto the large bed!
Jiang Muwan opened her eyes to find none other than Ye Tianming's face, sporting a wicked smile.
Coming to her senses in an instant, she raised her delicate fists and pounded them against Ye Tianming's chest, muttering incoherently:
"Are you crazy? Breaking into my room in the middle of the night, are you a pervert?"
Ye Tianming chuckled, released Jiang Muwan, and unceremoniously collapsed headfirst onto the bed. With a deadpan expression, he declared:
"You're my wife, what's wrong with me coming into your room? It's only right and proper! Besides, what did you promise me this afternoon?"
Jiang Muwan's face instantly flushed red. Of course she remembered what the bet was.
However, she had only been willing to bet with Ye Tianming at the time because she thought it was completely impossible for him to pull off.
Had she known it would turn out like this, she never would have bet! Kissing a man—how could she possibly find the face for it?
Dashing her eyes away evasively, she stammered:
"I... I'm not reneging. Can we reschedule it for another day?"
"No way!"
Without waiting for Jiang Muwan to refuse, Ye Tianming directly cupped her tender face and pressed his lips hard against hers.
Chapter 33: Slapping Bai Yuruo's Face
For a fraction of a second, Jiang Muwan's mind went completely blank, her whole being plunging as if into a whirlpool.
She couldn't struggle free; the man's shoulders were so broad and strong, firmly keeping her under his complete control.
She was like a small boat on an open ocean, completely at the mercy of the violent wind and torrential rain lashing against her. The sensation drove her mad.
Ye Tianming was like a bandit, plundering her sweet treasures to his heart's content. All her defenses crumbled utterly under the man's assault.
For the very first time, she felt such a sense of utter helplessness...
...
How much time had passed, she didn't know. A late-night breeze blew into the room, causing the curtains to flutter gently, but Ye Tianming's figure was already gone.
Jiang Muwan lay collapsed on the bed, coming to terms with what had just happened.
Ye Tianming... had broken in and forcefully kissed her senseless, without even saying another word. He had kissed her hard and then just run off!
How could there be such a shameless man?!
Looking at the empty bedroom, Jiang Muwan's eyes instantly turned red, and she grabbed a pillow and hurled it onto the floor.
"Ye Tianming, you bastard! I hate you! I hate you!!"
At that exact moment, on the other side of the city, Ye Tianming had returned to his family's small courtyard. He sneezed and muttered to himself: Who on earth is out there cursing me?
Early the next morning, Ye Tianming woke up bright and early. After meditating and cultivating for a while in the small courtyard, he headed to the nearby vegetable market.
He bought some groceries and returned. His parents and sister had not yet woken up, so he personally cooked a hearty breakfast for them.
After tidying up the courtyard a bit, he left his cell phone number on the table so his parents and sister could easily reach him if they needed anything.
Just as he finished doing all this, his phone received a text message.
The text was from Lóng Zé, stating that they had tracked down the person in charge of handling Ye Yúnfēi's car accident back then, and had also recovered some documents.
A trace of coldness appeared in Ye Tianming's eyes. Casting one last deep look at the courtyard, his figure vanished from the yard as he hurried toward the Longhai Chamber of Commerce.
The morning sun rose, bringing a wonderful day to Longhai. Golden sunlight sprinkled in glittering specks across the towering rows of skyscrapers.
The Longhai Chamber of Commerce building stood majestically right in the center of the city.
Ye Tianming stood at the base of the skyscraper carrying a food container. He hadn't eaten breakfast yet, and since his stomach was feeling a bit hungry, he had bought some breakfast along the way to take up with him and eat.
Lóng Zé had already entered all of his identity data into the security system, so he smoothly sailed right into the first-floor lobby.
The moment he stepped into the lobby, he spotted a familiar figure. His brow instantly furrowing, he thought to himself that enemies truly do narrow paths.
Of all places, he actually ran into Bai Yuruo here.
Bai Yuruo was dressed in a white strapless dress, her waist slender, stepping in a pair of high heels that revealed a pair of slender, beautiful legs.
She wore sunglasses over her beautiful yet icy face, leaving only her delicate little nose and alluring red lips visible.
Casually carried in her hand was a Prada handbag worth over two hundred thousand, radiating an aura of total dominance.
Her appearance in the lobby immediately drew the gazes of numerous male staff members, a crowd staring at her with burning eyes.
Even Ye Tianming had to admit that this Bai Yuruo was indeed a top-tier beauty; it was just that her personality genuinely repulsed him.
Though he wondered why Bai Yuruo would show up here, he had no desire to have any interaction with her.
Acting as if he hadn't seen Bai Yuruo at all, Ye Tianming walked toward the elevators.
At that moment, Bai Yuruo also caught sight of Ye Tianming. For a split second, she froze, finding it hard to believe.
Why on earth would Ye Tianming be here?
Taking a second look to confirm it really was him, she lightly bit her lower lip, frowning as she walked over to him.
"Ye Tianming? What are you doing here?"
Bai Yuruo's voice rang out from behind him.
He arched an eyebrow, turned around to face Bai Yuruo, and swept a detached gaze over her extremely alluring and captivating body before speaking indifferently:
"Why wouldn't I be here?"
Bai Yuruo got goosebumps all over from the look in Ye Tianming's eyes, and seeing his attitude, her brows slowly knitted tight.
"Can you stop always having this punchable attitude? Acting like everyone owes you eight million."
Ye Tianming frowned. "You're one to talk. What kind of attitude do you have?"
Bai Yuruo froze, then grew furious and annoyed. "Pah! Can you compare to me? Who am I and who are you? Do you even have the qualifications to put on airs in front of me? I'll ask you again, why are you here? This is the Longhai Chamber of Commerce!"
Impatiently, Ye Tianming snapped, "What the hell business is it of yours? You're meddling in things that don't concern you!"
Bai Yuruo was so infuriated that her chest heaved violently up and down, and her fair little face flushed red with anger.
Last time, Bai Yaohua had told her that this Ye Tianming was no simple person and she needed to get on his good side.
At the time, she actually had some intention of smoothing things over with Ye Tianming.
Now, however, she realized just how foolish that thought had been!
Ye Tianming was a typical cheap, poverty-stricken wretch! Not only were his personal circumstances rock-bottom, but his character was flawed as well!
She genuinely couldn't understand where such a pathetic wretch got the confidence to be so arrogant and conceited!
Now she saw things clearly: as for a piece of trash like Ye Tianming, she'd rather die than try to patch things up with him!
With that thought, Bai Yuruo stopped holding back. She coldly swept her gaze over Ye Tianming and suddenly noticed the food container in his hand. Her eyes rolled as a mocking smile bloomed across her face:
"Oh, so that's why you didn't dare tell me why you're here—you're here to deliver food, aren't you?"
Once she uttered those words, Bai Yuruo's caustic laughter rang out.
"You deliver takeout yet you don't even dare admit it. Such a laughable amount of vanity! A man like you is utterly spineless! You don't even dare admit that you're a loser, and you always have to put on this arrogant front. I genuinely feel sorry for you!"
Speechless, Ye Tianming looked at Bai Yuruo and let out a scoff:
"Forgot about getting slapped by me yesterday? How was it you were begging me back then?"
Bai Yuruo's face turned pale. Gritting her teeth, she stared viciously at Ye Tianming before suddenly letting out a cold laugh:
"I admit you've got some skills in fighting, but in today's society, knowing how to throw punches doesn't get you anywhere. Case in point: right this second, you're delivering takeout, whereas I am here to discuss an order and partnership with Mr. Lóng Zé, the president of the Longhai Chamber of Commerce. You'll never get to touch shoulders with someone of his caliber in your lifetime."
With a playful smile, Ye Tianming said, "Then you might as well head back. This Mr. Lóng Zé isn't going to see you."
Folding her arms, Bai Yuruo sneered, "I made an appointment with Mr. Lóng Zé half a month ago, and on top of that, I spoke with him on the phone before coming here. You say he won't see me just like that? Who do you think you are, the chairman of the Longhai Chamber of Commerce? Ridiculous!"
Shrugging indifferently, Ye Tianming replied, "Believe it or not, suit yourself."
The elevator happened to arrive right then. Ye Tianming stepped into the car first, turned around, and cast a glance at Bai Yuruo:
"Are you getting in or not?"
"Not getting in! I'd find the elevator stinking just from sharing it with you!" Bai Yuruo said with a look of extreme disgust.
Ye Tianming shrugged, having no wish to waste any more breath on Bai Yuruo.
A gentleman doesn't fight with women, and besides, in his eyes, Bai Yuruo was the ultimate clown among clowns. Getting angry over her would simply mean his own horizons were too small.
Giving her an indifferent look, Ye Tianming closed the elevator doors.
The very second the doors shut, he sent a text message to Lóng Zé:
"You're meeting with Bai Yuruo from the Bai family today? Send her away; I don't want to see her, it ruins my mood."
On the other end, Lóng Zé replied instantly: "Understood, Chairman Ye!"
Standing outside the elevator, Bai Yuruo gritted her teeth in bitter resentment. That stinking beggar's tongue was truly infuriating!
After cursing Ye Tianming a few more times in her heart, she took a few deep breaths and quickly forced herself to calm down, preparing to meet Lóng Zé.
Just the thought of meeting such a big figure made her immensely nervous, her heart pounding frantically while her palms grew sweaty.
Pulling a makeup mirror out of her bag, she began to touch up her makeup, inspecting her attire to ensure she presented the absolute most flawless image possible to Lóng Zé.
She had spent nearly half a month preparing for this appointment, all for the sake of that ten-billion-dollar contract!
Her Bai Family had to secure it!
At that moment, her phone rang. Glancing at the screen, her expression shifted—it was actually Lóng Zé calling.
A smile immediately blossomed across her face, and she eagerly answered, saying with a laugh, "Hello, Mr. Lóng, I'm about to—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the smile on her face slowly froze.
Chapter 34: A Favor Owed
Bai Yuruo swayed on her feet, nearly collapsing to the ground. Listening to the chilling tone of Lóng Zé's words on the other end, panic set in and she stammered:
"Mr. Lóng... didn't we have an appointment to meet? Are you busy right now? I can wait, please take care of your business first."
On the other end, Lóng Zé replied coldly, "Miss Bai, I'm not sure how long I'll be busy. It could take until tonight."
"I'll wait until tonight! Mr. Lóng, it was so hard for me to get a chance to meet you. I won't take up too much of your time—five minutes, no, even one minute is fine!"
Bai Yuruo was so anxious she was on the verge of tears. She had requested an appointment five or six times before finally scoring a single chance to meet.
Never had she imagined that even after arriving at the Longhai Chamber of Commerce, Lóng Zé would suddenly cancel on the grounds of being busy.
Wasn't this just too absurd?
Suddenly, Ye Tianming's parting words popped into Bai Yuruo's mind—his statement that Lóng Zé wouldn't see her today.
A violent shudder racked Bai Yuruo's body, and her complexion shifted.
How could Ye Tianming have guessed it right?
Connecting this to the confident look Ye Tianming had worn just moments ago, her legs grew somewhat weak.
Could it be... that Ye Tianming was the one who told Lóng Zé not to see her??
But how could that be possible?
Ye Tianming was nothing more than a poor, penniless, powerless wretch. How could he possibly know Lóng Zé, let alone have the clout to make Lóng Zé refuse to meet her?
Besides, when he was holding that food container just now, he was obviously going upstairs to deliver takeout.
Impossible. She must be overthinking things.
Swallowing hard, Bai Yuruo listened to the voice on the other end of the line and made one final plea:
"Mr. Lóng, I'm truly sorry to bother you. I only need one minute of your time, I..."
Before she could finish, a dial tone buzzed in her ear. The call was disconnected.
Bai Yuruo stood frozen in place, her knuckles gripping her phone turning slowly white. Her body trembled, her eyes filled with a mixture of unwillingness and helplessness.
Giving the elevators one last deep look, she ultimately had no choice but to walk out of the building dejectedly.
Since Lóng Zé had already stated he wouldn't see her, pestering him further would be pointless. She could only wait for the next opportunity.
Returning to her car, Bai Yuruo drove away in a trance.
She didn't see that at that very moment, up on the top floor of the building, Ye Tianming was standing leisurely by the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Holding a cup of tea and with a cigarette dangling from his lips, he looked down thoughtfully.
Ye Tianming's eyesight was extraordinary; even from this height, he could vaguely make out Bai Yuruo.
Watching Bai Yuruo's dejected figure, he took a sip of tea, narrowed his eyes, and rubbed the teacup as if talking to himself:
"Just the young miss of a tiny little Bai family, where on earth does she get the audacity to be so arrogant? I'll just have to thoroughly crush that pride of yours."
Taking a drag of his cigarette, Ye Tianming walked back to his desk and sat down in the spacious, comfortable executive chair to flip through the documents in front of him.
Within moments, a series of cold glints flashed through his eyes. Casting the documents aside, he gave a cold laugh:
"Sure enough, someone was pulling strings behind the scenes in my sister's car accident back then. Tell me, where is this person in charge?"
Standing respectfully nearby, Lóng Zé answered, "Dragon Head, this man currently lives at Villa No. 33 in the Jiulong Villa District. He's inside right now."
Ye Tianming stroked his chin. "An inspector actually able to afford a villa—that's rather interesting."
Lóng Zé asked from the side, "Dragon Head, do you need your subordinates to send someone to take care of it?"
"No need, I'll go myself. Also, did you find the few medicinal herbs I asked for, as well as the house for my parents to live in?"
Lóng Zé nodded respectfully. "The house has already been arranged. Its location is Villa No. 1 in Longhai's finest Longtian Seaview Manor; you can move straight in whenever you arrive. However..."
Lóng Zé paused. "However, the herbs you requested were not found in full. The Nine-Mystic Leaf hasn't been located yet. I made some inquiries, and currently there are probably only a few stalks of Nine-Mystic Leaf left in all of Longhai, and those few stalks should be... at the Bai family's."
"The Bai family?" Ye Tianming frowned.
"That's right. The Bai family's core industry is pharmaceutical manufacturing, and their largest enterprise is a drug company, so regarding medicinal herbs..."
Ye Tianming tapped his fingers lightly against the desktop, a hint of hesitation crossing his face.
Naturally, he could have Lóng Zé demand these items from the Bai family. Given Lóng Zé's status, getting them probably wouldn't be difficult—he could even make the Bai family deliver them voluntarily.
However, considering he had such a massive conflict with the Bai family and had completely torn ties with Bai Yuruo, having the Bai family hand over these herbs left him feeling somewhat conflicted.
Yet, if he didn't ask the Bai family for them, his sister's legs...
Lost in thought for a moment, Ye Tianming rubbed his temples and finally spoke:
"Go ahead and mention this matter to the Bai family later. Just say that you yourself need them."
"Understood, Dragon Head."
Ye Tianming nodded, letting out a helpless sigh internally.
So be it. Consider it owing Bai Yuruo a favor; business is business, and he could just pay back this favor later.
Leaving Lóng Zé's office, Ye Tianming didn't have Lóng Zé drive him.
After all, Lóng Zé's Rolls-Royce with the quadruple-zero license plate was simply too eye-catching and made too big a target.
He hailed a taxi himself and headed straight for the Jiulong Villa District, a chilling gleam flashing through his eyes.
Back then, his sister Ye Yúnfēi's legs had been broken and she had nearly lost her life, yet this inspector in charge had actually dared to cover it up!
He was going to thoroughly interrogate him to see who gave him the guts to pull such a stunt!