Chapter 119: Waiting for Her to Be Deserted by All
Although Chu Yan looked troubled by Lin Chuyue's words, she was secretly overjoyed.
'That Lin Chuyue really knows how to dig her own grave!'
She refused to believe that Xiao Ye could still treat Lin Chuyue the same way after what she'd said!
'Once Lin Chuyue is out of the picture, I'll have my chance with Xiao Ye!'
'But an act has to be convincing. Otherwise, this golden opportunity would go to waste.'
Chu Yan shook her head with a wry smile. "Miss Lin, please don't say things like that again. I can't interfere with Xiao Ye, much less his feelings."
"I hope you can respect him and his feelings for you."
"Sometimes, you can't let appearances deceive you. You need to look with your heart to discover the truth."
With that, Chu Yan walked to the entryway. Seeing Xiao Ye standing outside the door, she feigned a look of surprise. "You… When did you get here?"
Xiao Ye's face was devoid of expression, but his eyes were utterly cold.
He had always treated Lin Chuyue well, so he never thought she would say something like that.
Lin Chuyue's eyes followed, and she spotted Xiao Ye standing outside. She instinctively bit her lip.
'Did he… hear what I said?'
Regardless of her intentions, she knew her words had been hurtful.
She hadn't meant to hurt Xiao Ye, only to drive him away from the Lin Family.
After all, they were from different worlds and could never be together.
Besides, with Xiao Ye caught between her and the Chu Family, what if he ended up angering Chu Yan?
The Lin Family couldn't handle the kind of trouble he attracted.
And Lin Chuyue certainly wasn't going to drag the entire Lin Family down with her just to repay a debt of gratitude!
At this thought, Lin Chuyue composed herself and said, "It seems you heard all of that."
Xiao Ye didn't answer. He just gave her one last, deep look before turning to leave.
A triumphant smile crept onto Chu Yan's face.
'That foolish Lin Chuyue has finally earned Xiao Ye's disgust. This is perfect!'
A cheerful note crept into her voice. "Miss Lin, don't bother seeing me out."
"If you ever need help with anything, feel free to come to the Chu Family and find me."
Watching Xiao Ye's retreating back, Lin Chuyue suddenly felt a sour knot in her stomach.
She knew her words had been too cruel. Xiao Ye must be in a lot of pain right now.
'But it's not like I didn't have my own reasons, as difficult as they are.'
'Xiao Ye is just too much of a troublemaker. If he had even a shred of emotional intelligence, I wouldn't be in such a rush to get rid of him.'
'Oh, well. So be it. As for the debt I owe Xiao Ye… I can have Chu Yan handle it.'
'Xiao Ye has saved the Lin Family and me so many times. I'll just give him a few hundred million so he can live the rest of his life in comfort.'
'That way, it's not like I'd be wronging him.'
With that thought, Lin Chuyue closed the door.
The next day, she visited the plot of land she had won in the bidding and was very satisfied.
The lot was not only spacious, but most importantly, it already had a large building on it.
Although it was rather old, it would be ready for use after some renovations—perfect for a branch office.
Lin Chuyue threw herself into her work.
For several days, she neither saw nor asked about Xiao Ye. 'This is the best possible outcome,' she thought.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ye was sitting in the courtyard of the Ma Family estate, his face dark.
Anyone would be in a foul mood after being scorned so harshly by the woman they liked.
Xiao Ye was no exception. Brimming with frustration, he was in desperate need of an outlet.
Without a second thought, he had headed straight for the Ma Family.
'Who cares what kind of backing they have? I'll deal with them first and worry about the rest later!'
Chu Yan was smart enough not to say anything more. She simply waved her men over.
"Tie up every last member of the Ma Family and throw them into the courtyard!"
"Yes!"
A short while later, every member of the Ma Family—aside from those on the list provided by Ma Xinyue—was tied up and thrown on the ground.
Xiao Ye rolled his shoulders and walked up to one of the men. It was the same person who had caused trouble at the coffee shop.
"Wh-what do you want!"
The man's eyes were wide with terror, but he didn't forget to make a threat. "I'm telling you, the Ma Family's backer will be here any minute!"
Xiao Ye's fist broke the man's nose. "Even if you call God himself, it won't do you any good today!"
BAM!
BAM! BAM!
Twenty minutes later.
Every member of the Ma Family was beaten black and blue, their faces a swollen mess.
Even their own mothers wouldn't have recognized them.
Xiao Ye took the handkerchief Chu Yan handed him and wiped the blood from his hands. "How's the collection of evidence on the Ma Family's crimes coming along?"
"It's nearly complete. Ma Xinyue has been in poor health and wasn't involved in any of it. But her family…"
"Leave them out of it. But warn them that if they ever dare to commit another offense, they'll face the same fate!"
Chu Yan immediately nodded. "Yes."
Patriarch Ma's face was a mask of horror. He had assumed Xiao Ye was just there to cause trouble; he never imagined the man had tasked the Chu Family with gathering evidence!
Over the years, relying on their wealth and power, the Ma Family had committed countless unconscionable acts.
And while they had always tried to cover their tracks, anything you do is bound to leave a trace.
With the Chu Family's resources, they were sure to find those loose ends!
"Chu Yan! Don't forget the rules of South City! You can bring down my Ma Family, but you can't send us to prison!"
"If you do this, you'll be offending the other families! They'll surely unite against you and never let the Chu Family become the sole power in this city!"
Chu Yan let out a cold laugh. "That's fine. I'm not afraid."
As she spoke, she looked at Xiao Ye with genuine adoration. "The Chu Family has a backer as well. And he's a mountain you could never hope to move!"
"I've already had the evidence sent off. When you dared to pocket money that wasn't yours, you should have been prepared for this outcome."
All of Patriarch Ma's previous arrogance had vanished. He pleaded, his voice trembling, "Chu Yan, Eldest Miss Chu, please don't do this!"
"I'm willing to apologize! I'll kowtow and admit my mistakes, just please, spare me this once!"
"That money… I haven't touched that money! I'll give it all to you!"
That was money from the higher-ups—a real hot potato. Of course Chu Yan wouldn't take it.
"Two billion. The Ma Family certainly has a big appetite."
"A pity you had the guts to take it, but won't be around to spend it."
No matter what Patriarch Ma said, Chu Yan remained unmoved.
Left with no other choice, Patriarch Ma knelt before Xiao Ye and began to kowtow heavily, begging for mercy.
He slammed his forehead into the ground with such force that the skin quickly broke.
"Sir, we of the Ma Family were wrong! If you'll just spare us, the Ma Family will be yours from this day forward!"
"I'm begging you, please spare us!"
Xiao Ye watched the scene, completely unmoved.
If they had known it would come to this, they never should have started.
Retribution was bound to come sooner or later; it was only a matter of time.
Xiao Ye suddenly found the whole thing boring. He stood up. "Let's go."
Chu Yan followed him, and together they walked out the gates of the Ma Family estate.
"Xiao Ye, where are you headed? How about I take you to one of the Chu Family's private clubs? You might find something you like there."
Xiao Ye shook his head. "No, thanks. Just take me back so I can get some rest."
"Right. Keep an eye on Lin Chuyue for me. Let me know immediately if any problems arise."
Chu Yan's heart sank. Even after all this, Xiao Ye still wasn't fed up with that high-maintenance drama queen, Lin Chuyue.
'Then again,' she thought, 'Xiao Ye is fiercely loyal. If he could cast Lin Chuyue aside that easily, he wouldn't be Xiao Ye.'
'All I have to do is wait. Eventually, Lin Chuyue will push everyone away and be left with nothing!'
"Of course. Rest assured, I won't let anything happen to Miss Lin."