104: So what if you're divorced?

"Ye Hao!"

Zhuang Yufen trembled with rage, her face turning pale. "Don't go too far!"

Ye Huasheng, who had been smoking in silence with his head down, suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with anger.

Ye Hao stiffened his neck.

"Second Aunt, how am I being excessive? Am I not speaking the truth?"

"If Brother Chen really had any ability, would that residential plot have been left derelict for all these years? The grass is growing taller than a person!"

"Isn't it just because he doesn't have the means to build on it, yet can't bear to sell it, so he's keeping it as some family heirloom?"

Zhuang Yufen's chest heaved with anger. She pointed at Ye Hao, stammering "You..." for a long while but unable to say anything harsher, her eyes reddening slightly.

She felt both furious and helpless.

Ye Huasheng's personality was too honest; he was usually soft-spoken and even worse at arguing or competing with others.

Over the years, the family of the eldest brother, Ye Huaqiang, had relied on the small factory they opened and the money they had to constantly belittle them, both openly and covertly.

They had taken a huge advantage during the family division, and now seeing that the wasteland might be worth something, they wanted to get their hands on it through a mix of coaxing and coercion... She had thought her son's return would bring some backbone to the family, but she hadn't expected a junior like Ye Hao to speak so harshly and unpleasantly!

Just as Zhuang Yufen was shaking with rage and Ye Huasheng clenched his fists—

"I don't think I'll be dragged down."

Bing Lan's cold voice, like an icy spring, instantly drew everyone's attention.

"If there's no money, we can earn it together."

"So what if he's divorced?"

"What era is this? Remarried people are everywhere. Is it worth you making such a fuss and bringing it up repeatedly?"

Everyone: "???"

The courtyard suddenly fell deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned, staring blankly at this stunningly beautiful woman.

Good heavens... They had thought that such a beautiful and elegant woman, upon hearing that Ye Chen was divorced and potentially in debt, would at least show displeasure or question him, if not turn hostile on the spot.

Who would have thought... not only did she not care, but every word she said was in defense of Ye Chen!

This... how devoted must she be?

Ye Hao completely lost his composure. "He... he might owe a lot of debt! Aren't... aren't you afraid?"

The corners of Bing Lan's lips curled slightly, her gaze remaining cold.

"If he really owes debt, I will help him pay it."

"If he has no house, I will build one for him."

"If he has no car, I will buy one for him."

"Is there a problem?"

Everyone: "???"

Dominant!

Too dominant!

This wasn't just defense anymore; this was practically slapping them in the face with money!

And she did it so matter-of-factly... Ye Hao's face flushed between red and white, his lips trembling as jealousy gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

Why?!

Why could Ye Chen find a woman who was both beautiful and so 'foolish'?

What on earth did this woman see in him?!

Beside him, Chen Jinhua suddenly snapped out of it and spoke up indignantly.

"Ye Chen, this... this couldn't be an actress you hired just to save face, could it?"

"There are plenty of people renting girlfriends to take home for the New Year online these days!"

"It must cost several hundred a day, right? Plus you have to cover meals and travel!"

"You really went all out just to act rich in front of us!"

However... Ye Chen didn't care to waste words, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the people in the courtyard.

"Whether you believe it or not, who I am with is none of your concern."

"If there's nothing else, I have things to say to my parents."

It was obvious... he was openly kicking them out!

The expressions of those few people immediately turned even uglier.

Ye Hao wanted to say more but was secretly pulled back by Ye Huaqiang.

Ye Chen ignored them and turned to his parents.

"As for that residential plot, since it was allocated to my family back then, it belongs to my family."

"What we do with it, whether we build a house or plant trees, is our own business."

"There's no need for Eldest Uncle to trouble himself."

Ye Huaqiang's face flushed with anger at his attitude. He pointed at Ye Chen and roared,

"Fine! You've really grown some wings!"

"Then let that broken piece of land rot in your hands!"

"I'll see what kind of flowers you can make bloom out of it!"

After speaking, he gave a heavy huff, grabbed his wife and son, called out to the other couple, and turned to leave resentfully.

The courtyard suddenly became quiet.

Only a few neighbors remained peeking in, but they also dispersed sheepishly after a glare from Zhuang Yufen.

Once they were gone.

Ye Huasheng and Zhuang Yufen's gazes simultaneously fell back onto their son and the excessively beautiful girl beside him.

Zhuang Yufen's lips moved as she looked at Bing Lan and then at Ye Chen, her eyes full of doubt and uncertainty.

"Xiao Chen..."

"Tell Mom the truth, is... is this girl really your girlfriend?"

A mother knows her son best.

She knew exactly how much her son was worth. Last year, he had fallen into debt because of Hu Jing and had been working in the city to pay it back, living a very frugal life.

How long had it been since the divorce?

How could he have found a girlfriend with such extraordinary temperament, stunning looks, and who drove a luxury car in the blink of an eye?

Could it be... just as his eldest aunt said, that he hired her to put on a show?

A-Chen heard this and was about to explain... but Bing Lan beat him to it.

"Auntie, I am indeed A-Chen's girlfriend."

"If you don't believe me, you can look up my name on your phone."

"I don't need, nor do I care for, such a small rental fee."

She saw Zhuang Yufen's suspicion.

But.

She didn't like beating around the bush, so she spoke plainly.

Zhuang Yufen felt a bit embarrassed by her directness. She rubbed her hands and said sheepishly, "Oh, Miss Bing, I didn't mean it like that..."

Ye Huasheng, who had been silent, suddenly took out his phone.

Then.

He adjusted the reading glasses on the bridge of his nose, his fingers clumsily swiping the screen as he muttered softly, "Ice... Orchid... right? Let me check..."

Zhuang Yufen wanted to stop him but couldn't.

A few seconds later, Ye Huasheng stared at the screen, his eyes widening and his mouth hanging open unconsciously.

"Shu... Shuyue Group... CEO? Bing Lan?"

He looked up, glanced at his phone, then at the person in front of him, freezing in place as if struck by lightning.

"Is it... really that Shuyue Group?"

"The one from the TV commercials?"

Zhuang Yufen heard this and felt something was up.

She leaned in to look; the screen clearly showed Bing Lan's encyclopedia entry, complete with her photo, position, and company profile.

She gasped, her hands trembling slightly.

Shuyue Group!

How could they not know it?

It was the leader in the national women's products industry; its logo and advertisements could be seen everywhere on TV, the internet, and in supermarkets.

And this girl before them, who was excessively young and stunningly beautiful... was actually its CEO?!

"My goodness..."

Zhuang Yufen clutched her chest, her head spinning.

The two looked at each other, both seeing the same shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.

How did their son... manage to "trick" such a high-flying figure?

If their son and she were just acting, what would she gain from it?

Was it for Ye Chen's looks?

But their son was only slightly above average; he wouldn't stand out in a crowd.

Was it for his family's wealth?

That was even more ridiculous; they were penniless!

Then, other than wanting their son for who he was... there really seemed to be no other possibility.

Ye Chen looked at his parents' expressions as their worldview was shattered; he felt both amused and a bit pained.

He gently touched the back of Bing Lan's hand, sending her a grateful look.

Bing Lan smiled slightly.

"Dad, Mom."

Ye Chen spoke up at the right time to break the silence. "We've been driving all the way back and haven't eaten yet. Is there... any food at home?"

"Ah? Oh! Yes, yes, yes!"

Zhuang Yufen snapped out of it and hurriedly replied, "I'll go make some right now! Old man, go kill that old hen quickly! And go to the village entrance to buy a fresh fish!"

Ye Huasheng also came to his senses and agreed repeatedly. He walked toward the kitchen in a flurry, then turned back after two steps, rubbing his hands awkwardly. "Miss... Miss Bing... do you like spicy food? Do you prefer strong or light flavors?"

Bing Lan shook her head gently.

"Auntie, Uncle, there's no need for special preparations. Just a home-cooked meal is fine."

"I'm fine with anything; I'm not a picky eater."

"How can we do that! It's your first time here..." Zhuang Yufen stopped mid-sentence. Looking into Bing Lan's calm and clear eyes, she swallowed the rest of her words and smiled instead. "Alright, alright. Then you two go inside and sit down, have some tea, and rest for a bit. The food will be ready soon!"

The elderly couple busied themselves energetically, leaving only Ye Chen and Bing Lan in the courtyard.

Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief, looked at Bing Lan, and whispered, "Thanks."

Bing Lan watched the two busy figures in the kitchen and gave a soft "Mm."

"It's only right."

"And... your parents are good people."

Mm... that was the highest praise!

Ye Chen smiled and made a "please" gesture. "It's sunny outside, let's go in."

Bing Lan nodded, and the two walked into the main hall one after the other.

The house was kept clean, and the old-fashioned furniture was polished until it shone. Ye Chen pulled over two bamboo chairs for Bing Lan to sit on, then familiarly found the tea canister in the cabinet and brewed two cups of green tea.

The tea aroma curled in the air... Ye Hao's family returned resentfully to their small villa in the countryside.

Ye Hao ripped off his tie and threw it onto the sofa, his face livid. "Damn it! What kind of dog-shit luck did that kid Ye Chen get?!"

At the thought of that beautiful woman, he was distorted with jealousy!

Ye Huaqiang smoked in silence, his expression also unpleasant.

Chen Jinhua plopped down beside him, her triangular eyes flashing with unwilling light.

"We can't just let it go!"

"We must get our hands on that plot of land!"

Ye Huaqiang couldn't help but speak up: "Get it? If they aren't willing, how can we get it?"

Chen Jinhua was momentarily at a loss for words.

But the man from the middle-aged couple who had followed them in sat down and said deeply, "There's a way."