Chapter 125: If You Want to Touch the Ma Family, Kill Me First
Lin Chuyue nodded, casually taking a few glasses of wine from a waiter's tray. She handed the first glass to Chu Yan.
Then she handed one to Xiao Ye, keeping one for herself.
It was just as well, as she had something to say.
Her beautiful eyes looked toward Xiao Ye, showing a flicker of emotion, but not much.
As for affection, there was little to be found—only gratitude.
"Xiao Ye, no matter what, you've helped me a lot in the past. But our personalities are just too different. We can't even be friends."
"I'll toast to you. From now on, we'll go our separate ways. I wish you a soaring career and a brilliant future!"
With that, Lin Chuyue tilted her head back and drained her glass in one go.
A drop of champagne trickled down her elegant, swan-like neck.
Looking at her cold, pretty face, Xiao Ye felt a pang in his heart.
He knew Lin Chuyue had been deceived by the Ma Family.
But hearing so many hurtful words, he felt absolutely terrible.
"So I helped you with so much, and we can't even be friends, is that it?"
"That's right. We're completely incompatible, in every way. I've said it before: we're not from the same world."
The exchange left a dark expression on Xiao Ye's face.
Standing by, Chu Yan was secretly delighted but wore a smile as she looked at Lin Chuyue. "Miss Lin, that was really too harsh."
"What's it to you? This is between me and Xiao Ye. We don't need an outsider like you commenting on it."
Lin Chuyue said, then looked coldly at Xiao Ye. "Are you going to drink or not?"
"Of course I won't," Xiao Ye said, his tone turning chilly.
Lin Chuyue flared with anger. "So you're going to keep pestering me, is that it?"
Xiao Ye's expression darkened completely. "I'm not drinking because this wine—is poisoned!"
As soon as he said it, the entire hall fell silent!
All eyes turned to him.
Lin Chuyue froze. 'Poisoned?'
She couldn't help but remember how quickly he had sensed something was wrong at the hospital.
Ma the Third's voice immediately followed. "How is that possible? The Ma Family can barely fend for itself right now. Poisoning someone would be suicide!"
'Right!'
'The Ma Family has no reason to do this.'
'If they poisoned Xiao Ye and Chu Yan, everyone in the Ma Family would have to pay with their lives!'
'Besides, she was the one who handed out the glasses. How could the Ma Family know which one she would take?'
'And she had drunk her own glass and was perfectly fine.'
Lin Chuyue snapped back to her senses, her eyes filled with disgust as she looked at Xiao Ye. "You want to get rid of the Ma Family so badly that you'd resort to slander!"
"I'm the one who gave you the wine. Are you going to accuse me of poisoning it?"
"Of course not. The Ma Family is clever. When Chu Yan and I came in, they secretly sprinkled a type of powder on us."
"This powder reacts with something in the wine. When the two combine, they become a deadly poison!"
On their own, neither substance is toxic.
That's why Xiao Ye hadn't thought much of the incident at the door.
But when he smelled the aroma of the champagne, he knew what the Ma Family was planning.
'Truly ruthless methods, killing without a trace!'
"That's right, our Ma Family absolutely did not use poison!"
Ma the Third looked at Xiao Ye, his voice sounding as if he were choking back a sob. "Mr. Xiao, I'm begging you, please be merciful!"
"The Ma Family's crimes don't warrant death! Why must you keep making trouble for us again and again?"
With that, he snatched the glass from Xiao Ye's hand and drained it. "If it's really poisoned, then let me be the first to die! That should be enough to prove our innocence, right?"
"This poison only activates when both components are present," Xiao Ye said, speaking specifically for Lin Chuyue to hear. "One component by itself is non-toxic."
"Of course nothing would happen to you."
"This..."
Ma the Third slumped in defeat. "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a charge... Mr. Xiao, are you really determined to exterminate the Ma Family?"
"If that's the case, then there's nothing we can do. All the members of the Ma Family are here. Go ahead and make your move."
"The Ma Family is no match for the Chu Family anyway. Our destruction is a fate we can't escape!"
"I accept it!"
The other members of the Ma Family also began to cry out.
"Yes, we accept it!"
"Can you please spare my son? He's just a child, only three years old."
"SOB, SOB, why are you doing this to us? What have we done to deserve this?!"
Hearing the suppressed sobs of the Ma Family, Lin Chuyue's heart sank to the depths.
'How could Xiao Ye be so cruel? If he really made a move against the Ma Family...'
'What would happen to all these women and children!'
'How many families would be destroyed by his hand!'
Xiao Ye looked at Lin Chuyue. "He really did use poison. You have to believe me. And I have more than enough reason to act against the Ma Family."
"I'll never believe you!"
Lin Chuyue's trust in him had long since been eroded by his repeated cruelty toward the Ma Family!
"Xiao Ye, for the first time, I see you for who you really are!"
"The Ma Family has so many women and children! If you really kill them, aren't you afraid of retribution?!"
Chu Yan spoke up, "The ones who deserve retribution are the Ma Family. They're wicked to the core. Xiao Ye is doing the right thing."
Lin Chuyue paid her no mind. "Xiao Ye, if you want to touch the Ma Family, you'll have to kill me first!"
"As long as I'm here, you won't touch a single hair on their heads!"
Xiao Ye looked weary. He was about to speak when the Ma Family members suddenly dropped to their knees, kowtowing repeatedly with loud thuds.
"Mr. Xiao, please, we're begging you, spare the Ma Family!"
The rest of the Ma Family members also knelt and begged for mercy, wailing and crying as if they were the most wronged people in the world.
'I can't believe their acting is this good.'
Since walking through the door, Xiao Ye hadn't said a single harsh word.
If the Ma Family hadn't poisoned the wine, he would have just made an appearance and left quickly.
He had never intended to harm women and children; only those who had done wrong should pay the price.
But the Ma Family had to go and put on a show like this. Weren't they just trying to play the victim?
But of course, Lin Chuyue fell for it completely!
A child's sharp cry rang out in the banquet hall.
No one would ever bring a child under three to a formal banquet. This was clearly an overt conspiracy!
Listening to the child and the other cries in the hall, Lin Chuyue's heart ached.
She didn't understand how Xiao Ye had become this kind of person. Or perhaps he had been this way all along, merely putting up a façade in front of her.
Lin Chuyue hardened her heart completely. The words she spoke were like knives, each one twisting in the heart!
"Xiao Ye, do you know why I could never like you?"
"Because you're reckless, selfish, and ruthless!"
"I, Lin Chuyue, would never in my life be with a butcher!"
"So give up on that idea! If you remain this stubborn, then I'll have no choice but to be your enemy!"
'If worst comes to worst, Lin Chuyue could go to Huo Wenhao for help. No matter what, she had to protect the Ma Family, to protect these innocent people.'
'She absolutely could not let Xiao Ye continue to act so lawlessly and harm others!'
Xiao Ye looked at her, a trace of pity in his eyes. 'If I weren't here, wouldn't she be completely played by the Ma Family? She might even end up losing her life.'
'Whatever, no point in me getting angry.'
'She is my fated wife, after all. This whole incident is bound to teach her a profound lesson.'
"Chuyue, I'll be leaving South City soon. You need to protect yourself when I'm gone."
Xiao Ye didn't want to wait any longer. He was going to lure the snake out of its hole and force the Ma Family to make their move!