Free Web NovelChapter 260: Chapter 260: Frenzied Catfight
The already tense atmosphere in the hospital room grew even stranger with the new arrival.
Gu Nian pursed his lips and broke the silence. "I’m sorry, Uncle Ye. It’s my fault that my sister forgot you. If you’re going to blame someone, blame me..."
The young man’s handsome face wore a cautious expression, making him look exceptionally endearing.
As he spoke, he stealthily glanced in Jiang Qingli’s direction.
Baili Jing rose to his feet, blocking Gu Nian’s line of sight. He said with a smile, "Xiao Gu’s circumstances were special. Linyuan, you shouldn’t lower yourself to the level of a child who doesn’t know any better."
Gu Nian narrowed his eyes.
’That damned vixen. He’s making Ye Linyuan look petty to solidify his role as the primary partner, and he’s even managing to put me down in the process.’
The young man’s lips curled, and just as he was about to retort, Ye Linyuan let out a cold scoff and slammed the door shut with a BANG.
His gaze swept past the other superfluous males as Ye Linyuan said forcefully, "You can all leave now."
After saying that, he ignored everyone else, walked over to Jiang Qingli, and placed an exquisite gift box in front of her.
Jiang Qingli had spent so much time in Gu Nian’s Spiritual Domain that it was only upon seeing Ye Linyuan that she remembered it was Monday.
She opened the gift box. Inside were exquisite desserts.
"What unfortunate timing, Linyuan. Xiao Li just finished dinner, so I’m afraid she can’t eat what you’ve brought right now." Baili Jing’s lips curled as he added meaningfully, "Besides, Xiao Li doesn’t like this flavor. She never has, not even as a child."
Ye Linyuan frowned and looked at Jiang Qingli. She was kind enough to smooth things over. "I can try some when I get hungry."
Ye Linyuan paused, his voice dropping unconsciously. "...I’ll buy something you like next time."
"Then thank you!" Jiang Qingli, for her part, was quite magnanimous and gave him a smile.
’After all,’ she thought, ’we’ve only known each other for a few months. Our relationship is less about love and more about mutual benefit—be it physical or otherwise. I’m certainly not going to get angry over something so trivial.’
Seeing how thoroughly familiar Baili Jing was with her, Ye Linyuan felt a stuffiness in his chest.
And yet, he had to admit that despite all the intimate things they’d done and all the gifts he’d given her, he still didn’t seem to know her well enough.
Her terminal vibrated. It was a call from Qin Shu.
Fearing it might involve confidential organization matters, she winked at Baili Jing.
The young man understood. He rose and said, "Our female master has something to attend to. Let’s wait by the door."
The young men slowly walked out. Only Gu Nian trotted over to Jiang Qingli, gave her a loud smooch on the cheek, and smiled sweetly. "I’m heading out, Sister!"
"Get some rest." Jiang Qingli pinched his cheek. "And don’t get into any trouble behind my back, hmm?"
"Don’t you know how well-behaved I am, Sister?" Gu Nian’s eyes drooped, looking like a misunderstood little animal. He gestured with his fingers, pinching them close together. "Just a tiny little thing."
After allowing Jiang Qingli to enter his Spiritual Domain today, Gu Nian felt the irritation in his chest ease considerably, and his spiritual power was also recovering rapidly.
Now he had more energy to handle other matters.
For instance, the people in the underground auction house who were itching to replace him.
To Gu Nian, killing a few potential threats was, indeed, a tiny little thing.
Jiang Qingli flicked him between the eyebrows. He caught her hand, raised it to his lips for a kiss, and then got up and left before she could react.
The atmosphere between them was now visibly thicker and much more intimate than before.
The other males in the hospital room wore varied expressions.
Standing in the corner, Chen Mi glanced at his boss.
The young man’s eyes were downcast, holding a look of desolation he had never seen before. ’No, wait,’ he thought, ’I think I have.’
’The last time I saw that look was when Miss Jiang’s Beast Husband was chosen.’
As Secretary Chen recalled past events, he felt that all the pieces were falling into place, and he lowered his head further, not daring to utter a sound.
After Gu Nian left, Secretary Chen made an excuse and headed downstairs.
The three men stood outside the hospital room door in a triangular formation, their gazes filled with mutual animosity.
Ye Linyuan looked up at the other two, displeased. "Aren’t you going to get lost?"
Jiang Youchen’s gaze went through the glass window to the young woman inside, who was seriously discussing something on her terminal. After a few seconds, he looked away, his voice low. "Ye Linyuan, since you’re her husband, it’s your duty to be responsible, not to be so ignorant about her that she has to be the one to tolerate you."
Hearing the accusatory tone, Ye Linyuan almost laughed in anger. He spoke coolly, "What right do you have to say that? What’s between us is no business of an outsider."
"Now, that’s not fair, Linyuan. Your brother-in-law is just being helpful," Baili Jing interjected slowly, enunciating every word. "Besides, you really did fall short."
Ye Linyuan’s gaze swept over Baili Jing’s gentle features. He raised an eyebrow and said cuttingly, "Right. I suppose when your Match Value is too low, you have to compensate with flashy, meaningless details."
A chill flickered in Baili Jing’s eyes, but he simply curved his lips into a smile. "You know, Linyuan, people tend to emphasize what they lack the most."
"The more you emphasize your Match Value, the more it proves that you have nothing else between you, doesn’t it?"
"But Qingli and I were each other’s first love. We have countless beautiful memories, and I am certain of her love and attachment to me. That shared history is an irreplaceable part of our lives."
Baili Jing’s tone was gentle, and he shot the other man an apologetic look. "So sorry. I keep bringing up things you’ve never experienced."
Ye Linyuan: "..."
Baili Jing patted Ye Linyuan’s shoulder. "Well, I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now. I’ll be here tomorrow afternoon to take her home. Remember to pour her a glass of warm milk before bed. I already put her favorite brand in the fridge."
He smiled magnanimously and walked away at a leisurely pace.
A vein throbbed on Ye Linyuan’s temple.
He looked at the silent young man opposite him, who, despite being stung by his earlier caustic remarks, remained perfectly composed.
After watching Baili Jing leave, Jiang Youchen spoke in a low voice. "There are people from the Third District looking for you. My men have tracked their movements."
He tapped his screen, showing Ye Linyuan a few blurry photos.
Ye Linyuan didn’t believe he was being so kind. "What do you want?"
When he and Jiang Qingli had first married, Jiang Youchen had repeatedly sent assassins after him and leaked his location to his enemies and the former City Lord.
’There’s no such thing as a free lunch,’ Ye Linyuan thought. ’If he’s giving up on killing me, he must want to make a deal.’
Sure enough, Jiang Youchen stated flatly, "The only reason I stopped trying to kill you is that I learned you carry her mark, and your death would harm her."
"I want you to have the mark removed and divorce her."
"In return, I will use my personal resources to help you eliminate your potential threats."
The man’s condescending and entitled tone made Ye Linyuan sneer. "Even without me, a flavor she’s disliked since childhood is a flavor she’ll never like."
Jiang Youchen stared at him, a sharp, cold fury flaring in his eyes.
Through the glass, the young woman hung up and looked at them with concern, afraid they were about to fight.
Jiang Youchen closed his eyes, suppressed the surging emotions, and turned to leave.
As he passed Ye Linyuan, his voice, though low, was laced with pointed malice. "A freakish product that violates all ethics like you could never be worthy of her."
Ye Linyuan raised a mocking eyebrow. "Jealous."
A heavy, cold snort was his only reply.
Their shoulders brushed as he passed, and the door was pushed open.
Jiang Qingli asked, "What were you talking about? His expression looked a little—"
Before she could finish, Ye Linyuan was at her side, his snake tail coiling around her and pulling her into his arms as his sharp fangs bit down on her earlobe.
