111: If you utter another word, I'll beat you up too!
As soon as Bai Wanqing finished speaking, cold sweat began to pour down Town Mayor Liu Mang's face.
People from the City Bureau? Arriving in ten minutes?
The tone this woman used was far too certain. That calm aura of someone who had long held a high position was definitely not something an ordinary actor could imitate!
His heart pounded wildly, and an ominous premonition, like cold vines, instantly tightened around his internal organs.
Could it be... she really is that legendary "widow"?
"I... I recognize you." Liu Mang's Adam's apple bobbed as he forced himself to maintain his dignity as a Town Head. "Ms. Bai, this... this might be a misunderstanding. We..."
Bai Wanqing smiled elegantly and gently shook her fan, interrupting him.
"It's good that you recognize me."
"Then let us just wait."
The rest of Liu Mang's words were choked back into his throat, his face turning various shades of blue and white.
But Bai Wanqing no longer paid him any mind, turning instead to look at Ye Chen and Bing Lan.
"Mr. Ye, Miss Bing."
"I came uninvited. I hope I'm not disturbing you two?"
Bing Lan glanced at Ye Chen, her expression calm and rippleless. "If Ye Chen has no objections, then I have no objections."
Both were figures in the business world, so they naturally knew each other.
Furthermore,
their industries and fields did not overlap, so while their relationship wasn't exactly close, they weren't enemies either.
Ye Chen's mind was still a bit slow to catch up.
"Madam Bai, why... why are you here?"
Bai Wanqing blinked, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.
"Well, I heard someone was returning to his hometown and was afraid he'd be bullied by people who don't know any better. I thought I'd come over to help back you up, and while I'm at it... it wouldn't be impossible for me to play the part of your girlfriend."
She paused, her smile deepening.
"But looking at it now... it seems I'm not needed at all."
"With Miss Bing personally taking the field, one of her is worth two of anyone else."
"Congratulations to you both."
Ye Chen: "..."
Bing Lan: "..."
Congratulations for what?
Congratulations on coming back to their hometown together to deal with relatives?
Or... she couldn't possibly think that Bing Lan was actually his girlfriend, could she?
The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone was dazed, their heads buzzing.
Good grief!
Setting aside whether this Bai Wanqing was actually a female ceo or not, the fact that this woman specifically rushed over wanting to play the part of Ye Chen's girlfriend... was just ridiculous!
One had to know... although this woman wasn't as peerlessly beautiful as Bing Lan, she was still a top-tier beauty, and she possessed a mature charm that Bing Lan lacked!
And she wanted to play his girlfriend???
Dammit!
What kind of incredible luck did Ye Chen run into during his year away?
Or... was it really as Ye Hao said, that they were just two escorts?
The surrounding people were shocked, and Ye Hao was equally shocked.
However,
as he looked at Bai Wanqing's exquisitely seductive face and then at Ye Chen's calm demeanor, a surge of malicious fire rushed to his head.
"Act! Keep acting!"
He slammed the table suddenly and pointed at Bai Wanqing, roaring.
"You people are really fucking addicted to acting, aren't you?"
"One Bing Lan wasn't enough, so now comes a Bai Wanqing?"
"Ye Chen, how much fucking money did you spend? How many shills did you hire?"
"You think you can bluff us like this? Do you take us for fools?!"
He turned to the surrounding guests, attempting to incite their emotions.
"Everyone, look! Look at this! Does this make any fucking sense?"
"Who the hell is Ye Chen? A divorced pauper who went away for a year and suddenly knows two female ceos worth tens of billions? And they're both so devoted to him that they'd run all the way here to back him up?"
"Do you believe it?!"
The surrounding guests looked at each other, the suspicion in their eyes growing stronger.
Yeah... it was too ridiculous!
Even novels wouldn't dare write it this way!
While Bing Lan's identity was shocking, she was at least young—was it possible she was just blind?
But who was Bai Wanqing?
She was the widow of Tianyao Group!
Her husband had been dead for less than two months!
Add to that her status! Her age! Her experience!
Would someone like her run to a place like this for a young brat???
Who would believe that if it were told to them?
Ye Chen glanced at him, not bothering with nonsense. "Idiot."
"You... what did you say?!"
Ye Hao was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumping up suddenly. "You bastard! Say it again!"
Ye Chen said it very cleanly and directly.
"I'll say it ten times, a hundred times, it's the same."
"Idiot."
"You are a complete, self-righteous idiot."
"You!" Ye Hao was trembling all over with rage, pointing his finger at Ye Chen, his face turning a deep purple. "Fine! Fine! Fine! You're intentionally making trouble at my wedding, aren't you? Fine! You just wait! You'll regret this!"
"Regret?"
Ye Chen narrowed his eyes and took a step toward him. "If you keep yapping, I'll beat you too."
The rest of Ye Hao's harsh words were instantly stuck in his throat, his face flushing red from the effort.
He suddenly remembered the image of Ye Chen kicking the security captain away just now. That ruthlessness, that power... he had no doubt that Ye Chen really dared to do it!
And he definitely couldn't win a fight!
He sputtered for a long time but ultimately didn't dare speak his threats aloud. He only glared at Ye Chen with venom, his chest heaving violently.
Right at that moment,
the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the banquet hall.
Immediately after, several men dressed in sharp uniforms with serious expressions walked in quickly.
The leader was about forty, with a square face and sharp eyes. The rank on his epaulettes was impressively high.
As soon as he entered, his gaze quickly locked onto Bai Wanqing. A respectful expression appeared on his face as he stepped forward quickly.
"Madam Bai!"
"Upon receiving your notice, we rushed over immediately."
"There was a bit of a delay on the road. I've kept you waiting."
His voice wasn't loud, but in this banquet hall where one could hear a pin drop, it was as clear as a thunderclap!
Everyone's gaze instantly converged on this man, who was clearly a leader from the City Bureau, and then turned in horror toward Bai Wanqing.
Liu Mang's legs went weak, and he almost knelt on the spot.
He knew this man!
The Deputy Bureau Chief of the Quancheng City Bureau in charge of Economic Investigation and some internal security work, Wang Tian!
A big shot that he usually couldn't even find a way to suck up to!
At this moment, this Bureau Chief Wang was actually so respectful to Bai Wanqing, even calling her "Madam"... he realized.
He seemed to have made a mistake... Bai Wanqing nodded slightly, her fan pointing toward the dumbfounded Liu Mang and Ye Huaqiang's family.
"Bureau Chief Wang, this Town Head Liu and Mr. Ye Huaqiang questioned my identity, thinking I was an actor hired by Mr. Ye."
"So, I'll have to trouble Bureau Chief Wang to help prove it for me."
She paused.
She then pointed to Bing Lan beside her and continued, "You should recognize this one too, right? She is Bing Lan."
Wang Tian turned his gaze to Bing Lan. He was startled for a moment, but then a look of realization flashed in his eyes as he hurriedly said politely, "So it's President Bing of Shuyue Group? My apologies, my apologies! I didn't expect to meet you here. A pleasure!"
Boom—!
With this, the entire banquet hall completely exploded!
Personally certified by the Deputy Bureau Chief!
If one Bai Wanqing wasn't enough, even Bing Lan's identity was confirmed on the spot?!
These two breathtakingly beautiful women with such extraordinary temperaments were actually both billionaire group presidents who were famous in their own right?!
Everyone's heads were buzzing, and the way they looked at Ye Chen completely changed.
Shock!
Horror!
Unbelievable!
In the end, only a sense of daze remained... just how much of a world had this kid from the Ye family made for himself outside? What kind of blessings had he accumulated in his past lives?!
"Impossible! Bullshit! It's all bullshit!!!"
Seeing this, Ye Hao didn't believe it at all.
He was even so jealous that his face was unrecognizable. He jumped up suddenly and pointed at Wang Tian, his features twisted as he hissed, "Another actor! Just how much money did you take from Ye Chen? Are you all teaming up to act for us?! I..."
Slap—!!!
A crisp, loud slap viciously interrupted his crazed roaring!
Ye Hao was sent spinning half a turn by the slap and stumbled to the ground. His left cheek swelled up at a visible rate, and a trail of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.
He lay on the ground, his ears buzzing, completely stunned.
Who?
Who dared to hit him?!
Today was his wedding!
He was the groom!
He looked up blankly toward the person who had struck him.
The next second, his pupils shrank as if he had seen a ghost.
The person who hit him... was actually the father-in-law who had been on the same side as his family just now, the powerful Town Head—
Liu Mang!
"Are you crazy?"
"Why are you hitting my son?!"
Chen Jinhua was the first to react, letting out a piercing scream as she lunged forward to help Ye Hao.
Liu Shui was also startled and hurriedly crouched down to help, looking up at her father with a glare. "Dad! Why did you suddenly hit him? Was he wrong?"
Liu Mang's face was currently ashen, the veins on his forehead throbbing. The way he looked at Ye Hao was as if he wanted to swallow him alive.
"I'm hitting you, you blind fool!"
His voice was shaking, both from anger and, even more so, from fear.
"No respect for your elders, talking without any restraint!"
"This is Bureau Chief Wang from the City Bureau! What actor? What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Ye Hao's family was completely stunned.
Huh?
It's the real Bureau Chief Wang?
Then that means... Madam Bai!
Bing Lan!
They're both the real deal???
At this moment,
cold sweat broke out over the entire family as fear spread through their hearts...