Chapter 72: Is Your Heart Made of Stone?
Ye Zude staggered. Kneeling in prayer for forty-nine days was simply asking the impossible!
But when he thought of the Ye Family's current predicament, he could only grit his teeth and agree. "Alright!"
To prevent the Ye Family from being completely wiped out, Ye Zude began liquidating his assets that very day, sending a continuous stream of funds to the Lin Clan.
He also went to Lingshan Temple in person and began to sincerely kneel in prayer.
The second day.
The pustules on the faces of the Ye Family members had, miraculously, begun to improve.
The third day.
The pustules stopped oozing, and the pain diminished significantly.
The fourth day.
The pustules on many of the Ye Family members' faces had almost completely vanished.
Ye Zude knelt in the main hall of Lingshan Temple, kowtowing repeatedly before the divine statue. "Thank you, divine ones, for your protection..."
Huo Wenhao brought the news to Xiao Ye.
Xiao Ye scoffed, feeling utter disdain. 'The gods would never protect someone so wicked.'
'It was only because I showed mercy that the Ye Family was recovering.'
'Otherwise, even if a Daluo Golden Immortal showed up, the Ye Family would still be dead for sure!'
Huo Wenhao respectfully offered a cup of tea. Having witnessed the Ye Family's miserable fate, he was now even more cautious, wishing he could put Xiao Ye on a pedestal and worship him like an ancestor.
"Master Xiao, something has come up with the Huo Family. I need to make a trip back."
"But rest assured, my deputy is staying behind at the Jiangcheng branch. You only need to call, and he will carry out your orders to the letter, without hesitation!"
Xiao Ye waved his hand dismissively. "You can go."
'Huo Wenhao's only purpose for staying in Jiangcheng was to be a public figurehead, a tool to be used.'
Seeing that he wasn't being blamed, Huo Wenhao breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly took out a bank card he had prepared earlier. "Master Xiao, this is a portion of your assets."
"No, actually, it's just a tiny fraction. This is just 300 million in spending money. Please take it for now."
"If you need anything else, just call, and I'll have someone deliver it immediately."
After confirming he hadn't missed anything, Huo Wenhao finally left, relieved.
Before leaving, he didn't forget to instruct his assistant.
"Listen up and remember this. From now on, Master Xiao is your boss. You will treat him with even more respect than you treat me. Got it?"
"While I'm away from Jiangcheng, if Master Xiao is the least bit dissatisfied with you, I'll hold you personally responsible when I get back!"
The subordinate quickly bowed his head and replied respectfully, "Yes, sir! From now on, Master Xiao is my god, my own parents!"
"If anyone wants to disrespect Master Xiao, they'll have to step over my dead body!"
Huo Wenhao patted his shoulder. "Good. That's the spirit!"
"Report any problems to me immediately."
With that, he stomped on the gas and sped away.
Not long after Huo Wenhao left, Ye Baiwei also arrived at the Lin residence.
She looked at Xiao Ye, who was sitting on the sofa, and a strange light flickered in her beautiful eyes.
She had clearly overheard everything Huo Wenhao had just instructed his subordinate.
'It was just as I suspected. In front of Xiao Ye, that Huo Wenhao is nothing more than a dog wagging its tail and begging for scraps!'
"Xiao Ye."
Ye Baiwei's voice was melodious and captivating, as if it were laced with hooks.
Her coy, honey-sweet voice would have made any other man's knees go weak.
Xiao Ye, however, didn't even raise his eyes. He grunted lazily, "What is it?"
'He had no interest whatsoever in women who coveted him.'
'Right now, the only one who could capture his attention was that little fool, Lin Chuyue.'
'Too bad she's so stubborn. No matter what I say, she refuses to believe I have my own methods.'
'Whatever. Time will prove everything!'
The thought of Lin Chuyue instantly lifted Xiao Ye's spirits.
'That little wildcat, all claws and teeth, was actually quite cute.'
Beside him, Ye Baiwei stared at Xiao Ye, and when she confirmed she was being completely ignored, her expression turned incredibly resentful.
The pustules on her face had healed significantly, and they were almost invisible under her makeup.
Before coming, she had even taken care to apply her makeup beautifully, yet she had failed to earn so much as a glance from Xiao Ye.
"Xiao Ye, I'm leaving. Don't you have anything to say to me?"
Ye Baiwei deliberately sat down next to Xiao Ye and gently poked his solid back with her elbow.
With her intimate gesture, a faint, sweet fragrance wafted over.
"My face is almost completely healed, so I should be getting back to filming. The Ye Family has almost no assets left now—just a single villa. Even the company was handed over to the Lin Family."
"As the eldest daughter of the Ye Family, I must shoulder the heavy responsibility of supporting the family and holding up the entire Ye Family."
Ye Baiwei said this intentionally, wanting Xiao Ye to see her resilience.
She had heard that this was precisely how Lin Chuyue had captured Xiao Ye's heart in the first place.
However, Xiao Ye just gave a cursory nod. "Then you should get going. No need to come and tell me specifically."
"Xiao Ye, is your heart made of stone?"
Ye Baiwei pouted slightly, her eyes filled with resentment. "Am I that terrible? You won't even spare me a second glance."
With that, she reached out, wanting to link her arm with Xiao Ye's.
Xiao Ye quickly moved away. "A man and a woman shouldn't be so familiar. Stay away from me."
"I belong only to Chuyue. No other woman should even think about touching me!"
"You..."
Ye Baiwei was speechless. After a long moment, she said, "I'm an internationally renowned actress, you know. Am I that worthless in your eyes?"
"Xiao Ye, you've really piqued my interest. I believe that whether it's looks or ability, I'm superior to Lin Chuyue in every way."
"Remember me. My promise to you still stands."
"I'll be waiting for you—for the day you discover how wonderful I am and propose to me!"
After saying this, Ye Baiwei couldn't keep up her facade any longer and fled in disarray.
Those last few sentences were the last vestiges of her pride.
'I refuse to believe I can't steal him from Lin Chuyue!'
As the car drove further away, Ye Baiwei stared at the gates of the Lin residence, secretly clenching her fists.
She was determined to have Xiao Ye!
---
The fifth day.
All of the Ye Family's assets had been completely transferred, falling into the hands of the Lin Family.
In just a few short days, the Lin Family had soared to become the number one family in Jiangcheng.
The Han Family was destroyed.
The Ye Family had willingly given up everything.
The Bai Family had donated everything.
Of the four great families, only the Lin Family remained in the end. They had gone from a declining family to the ultimate victors!
The Lin Family's resurgence became the most miraculous topic of conversation among the people of Jiangcheng.
However, the person they were discussing wasn't Xiao Ye. Instead, they attributed the credit to Huo Wenhao or Yuan Tiancheng.
As for Lin Chuyue, her title as the number one beauty of Jiangcheng was even more firmly established.
"The first time Huo Wenhao saw Lin Chuyue, he was stunned by her beauty. He was originally hired by the Chen Family to deal with the Lin Family, but he fell in love with Lin Chuyue at first sight and turned around to help the Lin Family instead."
"And that Young Master Yuan from Shanghai! I heard he's also fallen for Lin Chuyue. Who knows, he might come to propose marriage one of these days."
"For real? Wouldn't that make the Lin Family even more powerful in the future? No wonder the other three families all lost."
...
Hearing the pedestrians' discussion, an image of Xiao Ye suddenly surfaced in Bai Xue's mind.
She shook her head, looked at the green light ahead, and started the car again, heading straight for the Lin residence.
When she reached the gate, however, Bai Xue found herself reluctant to go in.
She glanced at the ancient formula in her hand, thought of what Kong Derun had said, and finally strode through the gate of the Lin residence.
Xiao Ye was sitting in the main hall. Seeing who it was, he raised an eyebrow slightly. "What are you doing here?"
"It's none of your business what I'm doing! This is the Lin residence, not yours!"
Bai Xue regretted her words as soon as she said them. Pouting her delicate pink lips, she reluctantly tossed a document into Xiao Ye's lap.
"You're a healer, too. You should do your part for Chinese medicine. This is an ancient formula we collected from the countryside."
"There are some missing or damaged parts in it. We've run many experiments but haven't been able to figure out the remaining medicinal ingredients."
"If Divine Doctor Kong hadn't said you could help, I would never have come looking for you! Hmph!"