"Enough is enough. My original intention was to call off the engagement anyway, so delivering the message is what matters."
Ye Tiance shrugged helplessly. "No matter what, I am the one who broke the engagement first. As compensation, I will leave this prescription behind for Miss Han to treat her illness."
He tucked a medical prescription into the marriage contract and handed it to Han Tianzheng.
This was actually a diagnosis he had made the moment he recognized Han Ruoyun's symptoms, written out in advance.
However, the latter did not even spare it a glance, casually tossing it into a box filled with other marriage contracts as he said coldly, "Get out of here at once!"
Ye Tiance reminded him, "Head of the Han Family, Miss Han's condition can only hold out until today. The bleeding will only get worse. If you want to save her, I strongly advise you to have her take the medicine as soon as possible!"
Having dropped these words, he turned and left straight away.
Seeing Ye Tiance depart, Taoist Master Gongsun immediately straightened his posture, resuming his previous air of otherworldly detachment. "Hmph! An ignorant punk, spouting absolute nonsense!"
Han Tianzheng asked, "Taoist Master Gongsun, what shall we do next?"
"Since Young Master Ji Er is the destined one, let us go together to Miss Han's bedside. Once I perform my incantations, she will naturally regain consciousness!"
"Very well!"
Han Tianzheng led Taoist Master Gongsun and Ji Boxiao into Han Ruoyun's bedroom.
Lying on the bed was a girl with delicate facial features, looking like an immortal fairy in a dream. This was none other than Han Ruoyun.
Taoist Master Gongsun immediately began performing his ritual, pacing out the Dipper steps and silently chanting incantations.
Yet no matter how he performed his rites, even growing breathless, not only did Han Ruoyun remain unconscious, but her skin began to bleed even more severely.
Her condition was worsening, exactly as Ye Tiance had mentioned earlier.
"Taoist Master Gongsun, what do we do now?"
Han Ruoyun's mother, Li Xiuqin, asked in a panic.
"This... I have no idea either!"
Taoist Master Gongsun panicked.
Beside him, Ji Boxiao was equally at a loss.
At this moment, Han Tianzheng suddenly remembered something. "Steward Wang, quickly bring me that kid's marriage contract!"
Once the contract was brought over, Han Tianzheng's eyes widened when he saw his father's personal signature!
"This marriage contract is actually real! Blame me for being a fool!! Does this mean... could that prescription be real too?"
A flicker of resolute determination crossed the depths of Han Tianzheng's eyes. He immediately instructed the servants to brew the medicine according to the prescription Ye Tiance had left behind.
Before long, the medicine was brewed and fed to Han Ruoyun.
Han Ruoyun's skin stopped bleeding.
Her eyes flickered open, and she woke up!
Everyone was struck dumb with astonishment.
"A lucky star has descended upon the Han Family!"
Joy overwhelmed Han Tianzheng's face, and he immediately ordered Steward Wang, "Quickly invite Mr. Ye back!"
...
Ye Tiance had not walked far after leaving the Wolong Manor of the Han Family.
Suddenly, a black Mercedes-Benz pulled up right in front of him.
Several familiar figures stepped out.
Xiao Qingcheng!
Along with her mother, Zhang Huilan, and her younger brother, Xiao Nan...
Chapter 6: My Fiancé, What Qualifications Do You Have to Reprimand Him?
Seeing these three, Ye Tiance frowned slightly.
Talk about a narrow path for enemies!
Xiao Nan curled his lips and sneered, "Sis, I wasn't lying to you, was I? This guy surnamed Ye really came to the Han Family. Judging by the look of it, he must have failed the bride-seeking trial and got kicked out. Hilarious."
Xiao Qingcheng bit her lower lip instinctively.
Although she was the one who had proposed the divorce, seeing Ye Tiance rush off to seek a bride with someone else so soon gave her an inexplicable sense of discomfort.
She forcefully suppressed that uneasy feeling.
She interrogated him, "Ye Tiance, if you felt aggrieved about being divorced, you could have just made things clear in broad daylight. Did you have to resort to petty, underhanded tactics for revenge?"
Ye Tiance was stunned. "Revenge? I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Xiao Qingcheng instinctively clenched her fists. "You have the courage to do it, but not to own up to it? Fine! Let me ask you, why did you hit my brother?"
Ye Tiance replied, "Because he deserved a beating!"
Suppressing her anger, Xiao Qingcheng continued, "Did you insult Lord Long?"
"No! Wait, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about me?"
"Ha! No misunderstanding..."
Xiao Qingcheng sneered and shook her head, her face full of disappointment.
Even at this point, he was still playing dumb, wasn't he?
If she had felt any self-reproach earlier that morning when proposing the divorce, she would harbor none from this moment on!
She said coldly, "Ye Tiance, I'll take this loss this time and won't pursue it further—consider it compensation for your divorce. From this second onward, we are even, with no further ties between us. Please don't resort to underhanded tricks again either."
Ye Tiance was left speechless, lines of black dots hanging over his head.
What kind of drama was this supposed to be?
Zhang Huilan sneered, "If you heard my daughter clearly, get lost right now. Don't stand here blocking the Han Family's entrance and making us lose face along with you!"
Xiao Nan chimed in angrily, "Just because you ruined the 100 billion contract of our Xiao Family, you ungrateful wretch! Still not rolling out of here?"
"Whose rolling were you ordering just now?"
As the words fell, an angry shout rang out from afar!
A middle-aged man with a square face was walking briskly from the main gates of the Han Family estate, followed by four bodyguards dressed in black.
Seeing this man, Xiao Qingcheng froze. Wasn't this Steward Wang of the Han Family?
As everyone in Jiangnan City knew, if you wanted to see Han Tianzheng, you first had to get past Steward Wang.
Xiao Qingcheng stepped forward and greeted him politely, "Steward Wang, I am Xiao Qingcheng, CEO of the Xiao Family Group. I have something I'd like to discuss with the Han Family Head. Could I trouble you to pass along a message?"
Steward Wang flatly refused, "The Family Head is busy and does not see outsiders."
"This..."
Xiao Qingcheng was left standing there in embarrassment.
Xiao Nan flicked his bangs and said, "Steward Wang, I'm here to participate in the bride-seeking selection. With my talent and looks, I am definitely a match for Miss Han. Could you please lead the way?"
Steward Wang said indifferently, "There's no need. Miss Han has already successfully chosen a partner."
"Ah? How could that be..."
Xiao Nan wore a look of utter jealousy. Whose sheer dumb luck was it to win the bride-seeking selection?
Steward Wang walked straight up to Ye Tiance.
He bowed and said, "Mr. Ye, our Family Head apologizes for the earlier misunderstanding and would like to invite you back to re-discuss the bride-seeking matter."
Ye Tiance thought about it—staying here to deal with those three people would only bring him more annoyance.
So he nodded and said, "Very well."
The group left.
Leaving the three members of the Xiao Family staring at each other in dismay.
Zhang Huilan refused to believe it. "Did I see that right? Steward Wang actually treated the guy surnamed Ye with such respect, and even wants to take him back to discuss the matchmaking..."
"Sis, could he be the one who succeeded in the bride-seeking selection?"
Xiao Nan suddenly thought of a terrifying and utterly unacceptable reality!
Watching that familiar back walking through the gates of the Han Family compound, Xiao Qingcheng felt a sharp, unexplainable pang pierce her heart.
*Ring, ring~*
Her cell phone rang; it was Assistant Sun calling.
The moment she answered, a panicked voice came through: "President Xiao! Something's happened! What do we do?"
Frowning, Xiao Qingcheng said, "Calm down and tell me slowly!"
"The news about the Xiao Family's conference qualifications being revoked has leaked. The entire business circle of Jiangnan City is buzzing with rumors that Tianlong Group is going to blacklist us, causing all our partners to successively propose canceling their contracts! Not only that, but there's also..."
As bombshell after bombshell of bad news arrived, Xiao Qingcheng's face grew paler and paler.
Zhang Huilan and Xiao Nan, who had also overheard the news, widened their eyes in shock!
They never imagined things could turn out this disastrous!
After hanging up the phone—
*Ring, ring!*
Xiao Qingcheng's phone rang again. This time, it was her grandfather, Xiao Hongming, calling.
Once she finished the call,
Xiao Qingcheng sighed, "Alas, Grandfather has found out about the trouble with the group. He's rushing back from out of town right now to hold a family meeting, and wants all of us to attend!"
Xiao Nan asked, "Does that guy surnamed Ye have to attend too?"
Hesitating for a moment, Xiao Qingcheng shook her head. "Never mind him. When we go back later and see Grandfather, don't mention that I proposed the divorce just yet. I'm afraid he won't be able to take the blow!"
...
In the Han Family living room,
Ye Tiance, Han Tianzheng and his wife, and a recently recovered Han Ruoyun were seated separately on the sofas.
Han Tianzheng had already told Han Ruoyun the whole sequence of events.
Han Ruoyun looked Ye Tiance up and down. The young man was indeed quite handsome, but that didn't mean she could accept him!
So she said very flatly, "Dad, I am not going to marry him!"
Han Tianzheng said sternly, "Nonsense! This engagement was set by your grandfather, and furthermore, young Mr. Ye just saved your life! If you don't marry him, who are you going to marry?"
When his father passed away two and a half months ago, he had instructed Han Ruoyun that the arranged fiancé was a proud son of heaven who would bring boundless fortune to the Han Family, and he must absolute not be missed!
Judging by how Ye Tiance cured his daughter's illness, his methods were extraordinary, and his background must be immensely profound!
Han Tianzheng had no intention of letting this son-in-law slip through his fingers.
Han Ruoyun protested with dissatisfaction, "What era is this to still be clinging to old engagement tropes? I said I'm not marrying him, and I mean it! Besides, I already have a man I admire in my heart!"
Han Tianzheng and his wife were utterly baffled.
Their daughter had always looked down her nose at everyone—when on earth did some man become the object of her affection?
Ye Tiance nodded and said, "That's for the best anyway. I originally came here to call off the engagement myself."
Han Ruoyun rolled her eyes.
She thought to herself that he was clearly just unable to save face after being rejected by her, and was only pretending to call off the engagement to salvage his pitiful shred of dignity.
Sure enough, compared to the man she admired, he fell short by a country mile!
How she hoped she would have the chance to meet him one day...
"Dad, Mom, my head is still a bit dizzy. I'm going to go rest."
Han Ruoyun stood up, dropped these words, and walked away directly.
"This child!"
Han Tianzheng wore an expression of exasperation, then turned to comfort Ye Tiance, "Young Mr. Ye, my daughter just has that kind of temper—please don't take it to heart. And don't act on impulse and talk about breaking the engagement either; I think the two of you are quite a match."
Ye Tiance gave a bitter smile. "I'm not acting on impulse. I'm being entirely serious."
"This..."
Han Tianzheng's expression froze.
One had to know that the currents were turbulent in Jiangnan City nowadays; even as the richest man, he had to tread carefully in everything he did.
The son-in-law he selected naturally needed to be someone capable of helping the Han Family.
Therefore, a talented individual with such a deep background as Ye Tiance had to be secured at all costs!
Just as he was pondering how to continue persuading Ye Tiance, his wife, Li Xiuqin, received a text message on her phone.
After reading the message, her expression grew cold.
She raised her head, fixed her gaze straight on Ye Tiance, and asked, "What relation is Xiao Qingcheng to you?"
Chapter 7: Xiao Qingcheng Panics!
Ye Tiance answered truthfully, "She is my wife. However... she already proposed a divorce this very morning."
Han Tianzheng looked at Li Xiuqin and asked, "What's going on?"
Li Xiuqin said coldly, "I just had someone look into Ye Tiance's background: three years ago, he married Xiao Qingcheng of the Xiao Family and lived off them as a parasite for three years. Just this morning, he was dumped with a divorce by Xiao Qingcheng, and right on the heels of that, he came straight to our house. So, do you catch my drift?"
Han Tianzheng's expression sank.
He captured two key pieces of information from these words.
First, Ye Tiance had spent three years freeloading off the Xiao Family before getting divorced, which proved he had no profound background whatsoever; otherwise, the Xiao Family would have found out long ago.
Second, the moment he was divorced, he came to their house for the bride-seeking trial, which meant he was too used to living off women. His talk of "calling off the engagement" was actually just playing hard to get.
What a clever little scheme—they had almost been tricked by him!
Han Tianzheng glanced sideways at Ye Tiance and said with dissatisfaction, "Young man, the Han Family treated you with sincerity, yet you responded with petty tricks. Don't you think that's inappropriate?"
Ye Tiance frowned. "What do you mean?"
Li Xiuqin stood up and sneered with utter contempt, "Heh! So good at playing dumb, aren't you? What bride-seeking trial, what calling off the engagement—aren't you just eyeing the Han Family's estate?
Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror? A loser chased out of a third-rate family like the Xiao Family, and you dare to daydream about marrying my daughter? In your dreams!"
As the saying goes, even a clay figurine has three parts of temper.
Ye Tiance's tone turned cold as he said, "What kind of talk is that? I came to the Han Family solely to call off the engagement, not for money! Don't judge everyone by your own vulgar standards!"
Li Xiuqin rolled her eyes. "Ha! I've seen plenty of men with hard mouths like yours!"
With that, she tossed a bank card onto the coffee table.
"Considering you saved my daughter, take these three million and get lost! Don't ever come bother us again! Steward Wang, see them out!"
Steward Wang stepped forward with his bodyguards, radiating a menacing aura.
He made a gesture inviting Ye Tiance to leave.
Ye Tiance stood up, his expression indifferent.
A few moments ago they had greeted him with flattering smiles, and in the blink of an eye, they were insulting and chasing him away—truly the epitome of snobbery!
He didn't even spare the bank card a glance.
He said coldly, "Keep those three million to fund your own retirement as a bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well."
Having dropped those words, he strode away without ever looking back!
"You little brat! Who are you calling frogs at the bottom of a well?!"
Watching Ye Tiance's retreating figure, Li Xiuqin was furious.
Han Tianzheng frowned and said, "Weren't you going a bit too far with this?"
"What's too far about it? A loser that even the Xiao Family didn't want, were you actually planning to let him marry Yunyun and ruin her life?"
"Well, not that..."
Han Tianzheng shook his head, "I just feel that if Ye Tiance really is useless, how was he able to pull out a medical prescription that cured Yunyun's illness? Just that single trick is something ordinary people could never do."
Li Xiuqin curled her lips. "He guessed it, didn't he? Or else he just picked that prescription up off the street—it has nothing to do with him."
"That makes some sense."
Han Tianzheng said to Li Xiuqin, "Go upstairs and tell our daughter: rumor has it that tomorrow night, the big shot behind Lord Long at the bidding chamber of commerce will appear, and our Family Head's estate—our Han Family—must find a way to cozy up to that person. This is a matter of utmost importance, so tell her to prepare in advance and go with me."
Not long after Li Xiuqin went upstairs,
Han Tianzheng's cell phone rang. It turned out to be a call from Zhao Hailong.
Daring not to slack off, he quickly answered the phone.
"Lord Long, what instructions do you have for calling me?"
Zhao Hailong laughed and said, "I heard your beloved daughter's chronic illness has fully healed. Congratulations! How did the bride-seeking go? I'm still waiting to drink wedding wine."
"Don't even mention it! I almost got scammed!"
Han Tianzheng first ranted about the day's events, then sneered, "Before that fellow named Ye left, he even had the audacity to rant that we were frogs at the bottom of a well—simply laughable!"
"..."
"Hello! Lord Long, why aren't you saying anything?"
Unexpectedly, Zhao Hailong's attitude suddenly turned icy. "Hmph! You truly are frogs at the bottom of a well! Take care of yourselves!"
*Beep, beep, beep~*
He hung up!
"Huh? What is that supposed to mean?"
Han Tianzheng was completely bewildered, and instinctively called Zhao Hailong back, only to find he had been blocked!
I didn't say anything to offend him, why is he angry?
Wait!
Ye Tiance...
Could it have something to do with him?
"Yunyun, Dad has something urgent to discuss with you..."
He immediately stood up and walked briskly upstairs to find Han Ruoyun.
...
Ye Tiance had not walked far after leaving the Han Family estate when he received a call from Old Master Xiao.
"Hello, Grandfather, is there something you needed?"
For three years, Xiao Hongming had treated Ye Tiance like his own flesh and blood, and Ye Tiance regarded Xiao Hongming as his own grandfather, treating him with great filial piety.
Xiao Hongming sounded somewhat fatigued as he said, "Tiance, we're holding a family meeting. Hurry back and make a trip here—there are some things I want to discuss with you."
To be honest, Ye Tiance had no wish to have any further entanglements with the Xiao Family.
However, thinking that once he and Xiao Qingcheng finished getting their divorce papers, he probably wouldn't have to visit the Xiao Family ever again anyway.
He could treat this as his final meeting with the old master.
So he agreed, "Alright, I'll head right back."
...
The Xiao Family villa.
At this moment, numerous members of the management team of the Xiao Corporation and relatives of the Xiao Family had gathered.
The atmosphere in the living room was exceptionally oppressive, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
After hanging up the phone, Xiao Hongming frowned and asked Xiao Nan, "Are you certain it was Tiance who insulted Lord Long, causing him to retaliate against the Xiao Family?"
Xiao Nan nodded hurriedly. "Absolutely certain! My mother and I both saw it!"
Zhang Huilan chimed in, "Dad, it really happened."
Xiao Hongming shook his head. "Tiance doesn't strike me as that kind of person. I know his character very well."
"Qingcheng, Grandfather trusts you more. Tell me, what on earth is going on here?"
Xiao Hongming looked toward Xiao Qingcheng. He had only one son who had passed away early, and his grandson Xiao Nan was unreliable, which was why he had always cultivated Xiao Qingcheng as his successor.
"I..."
Xiao Qingcheng hesitated for a moment, a flash of determination crossing the depths of her eyes. "What they said is all true. Of course... since the Xiao Family has lost its qualification to attend the conference, I, as the chair of the board, should bear the responsibility!"
As soon as these words were spoken, many of the younger generation of the Xiao Family broke out in righteous indignation:
"President Xiao, this matter has nothing to do with you! It's all the fault of that loser Ye Tiance for stirring up trouble and causing us to lose a 100 billion contract that was practically in our hands!"
"That's right! You've been more than generous to that good-for-nothing; there's no need to take the blame onto yourself."
"Our Xiao Family shouldn't have honored that marriage contract with him in the first place. An ungrateful dog like him—you should divorce him, break his legs, and throw him out of the Xiao Family!"
"..."
Listening to the condemnation from the crowd, Xiao Hongming furrowed his brow, his thoughts sinking deep.
Could it be that his insistence on having Xiao Qingcheng and Ye Tiance fulfill their marriage contract back then had truly been a mistaken decision?
Things had reached this point—what on earth should be done now?
Someone suggested, "Family Head, if you ask me, whoever tied the knot must untie it. We should grab Ye Tiance and make him kowtow every three steps and nine steps to apologize to Lord Long. Maybe when Lord Long is in a good mood, he'll let the Xiao Family off!"
Xiao Nan sneered dismissively, "With that loser's cowardly nature, having caused such a huge mess, if he even has the guts to come back, I'll eat shit on the spot!"
Just as his voice trailed off,
A cold, familiar voice rang out sharply from outside the living room: "If you want to eat shit, just say so; there's no need to invent an excuse!"
Chapter 8: Xiao Qingcheng, Kneel Down!
Seeing Ye Tiance walk into the living room, Xiao Qingcheng knitted her delicate brows.
"Why did you come back?"
Ye Tiance replied calmly, "Grandfather called me and told me to come back."
He then stepped forward and greeted Xiao Hongming politely, "Grandfather, I'm back."
Before Xiao Hongming could respond, the people present immediately launched into a fierce barrage of denunciation against him!
"Ungrateful wolf, you still have the nerve to show your face back here? Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?"
"Insulting Lord Long led to the revocation of the Xiao Family's qualification to attend the chamber of commerce, and a hundred-billion contract that was already in the bag has gone down the drain! How do you plead?"
"Once the Xiao Family secures that 100 billion contract, our status would have risen to match or even surpass the Three Great Families, and you've destroyed it all!"
"..."
Ye Tiance experienced a sudden flash of realization. He finally understood why Xiao Qingcheng had treated him with such an attitude outside the Han Family gates earlier.
So he had been made a scapegoat for no reason at all!
He therefore explained, "I did not insult Zhao Hailong. The Xiao Family's 100-billion contract is actually..."
Xiao Nan interrupted him, "Bulls**t! Is Lord Long's name even something a nobody like you can casually throw around? I clearly saw you insulting Lord Long, and you still won't confess? You are simply too audacious!
Grandfather, I earnestly implore you to invoke family law on Ye Tiance, just to see if he still dares to keep his mouth hard!"
"Shut up!"
Xiao Hongming glared at Xiao Nan, then said to Ye Tiance, "Go on, continue."
Ye Tiance said, "The person who insulted Zhao Hailong does exist, but it wasn't me—it was these two!"