Chapter 103: Be His Female Companion

"Mania?"

The doctor’s words left Ye Xuan stunned for a moment. He never expected Yang Bingyu to develop such a condition. Thinking back to when he first met her, she had been so innocent and naive. How much time had really passed for her to end up like this?

"Doctor, what needs to be done for her to recover and return to normal?" Ye Xuan asked, his expression grave and his voice laden with self-blame.

The doctor flipped through Yang Bingyu’s medical records and sighed helplessly.

"For a case like Miss Yang’s, you just have to accommodate her wishes as much as possible. She cannot afford to be triggered again.

"The best approach would be to take her on a trip to relax and change to a less stressful environment. Early symptoms of mania include irritability and frantic behavior.

"But if the condition worsens, it will transition into severe depression, which can lead to self-harm or even suicide."

Hearing this only deepened Ye Xuan’s guilt. After consulting the doctor on a few more precautions, he finally returned to Yang Bingyu’s ward.

Looking at her sleeping soundly in the bed, Ye Xuan’s eyes were filled with complex emotions. The words she had just spoken in the room echoed in his mind, lingering long after they were said.

Perhaps he really needed to take a hard look at his feelings for her.

At the Lin family home.

"You vile creature, get on your knees this instant!"

The moment Lin Aoxue stepped through the door, Mrs. Lin struck her with her walking cane. The sharp pain made her grunt. Her body swayed, but she refused to kneel.

"Grandma, are you going to condemn me without even asking what happened?" Lin Aoxue asked, biting her lower lip as she looked at Mrs. Lin with stubborn defiance.

"Hmph, is there even a need to ask? The whole internet knows what you’ve done. You’ve truly dragged the Lin family’s name through the mud. If I were you, I’d just bash my head against a wall and end it," Lin Jiaxing scoffed from the side, his words exceptionally vicious.

Lin Aoxue’s face turned cold, and her hands clenched into fists. However, out of respect for Mrs. Lin’s presence, she swallowed her anger.

"Exactly. Who knows what you even see in that piece of trash, Ye Xuan? To think you’d offend the Yang family for him! If you had just obediently married Su Xiaobai back then, none of this would have happened," Lin Yexing chimed in, eager to add fuel to the fire.

The more they spoke, the uglier Mrs. Lin’s expression became.

"You vile creature, kneel! For the Lin family to produce a descendant like you is a disgrace to our ancestors!"

WHACK! She struck her with the cane again.

No matter how tough Lin Aoxue was, she couldn’t withstand such a beating. With a cry of pain, she dropped to her knees. Even so, she kept her head held high, glaring at Mrs. Lin with unyielding resolve.

"Grandma, I was schemed against by Yang Jie and was almost defiled by Xiao Ran! Ye Xuan arrived just in time to save me, which is why everything else happened," she explained. "If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t even be in this world anymore. Even knowing that, do you still think it’s my fault?"

Her words gave Mrs. Lin pause, and the elder’s livid expression softened slightly.

"Ye Xuan is ultimately unpresentable. It was your grandfather who stubbornly insisted on marrying you off to him back then," Mrs. Lin said.

"Since you’re already divorced, you shouldn’t have any more dealings with him. Furthermore, although he saved you this time, he completely offended the Xiao family in the process.

"The Xiao family will not let him off. If you don’t want to bring unnecessary trouble upon yourself and the Lin family, cut off all contact with Ye Xuan."

Mrs. Lin’s words made Lin Aoxue’s body stiffen. Ye Xuan had saved her life, yet instead of showing gratitude, the Lin family wanted to sever ties with him merely to protect themselves. "How can they be so shameless?" she thought.

"Grandma, Ye Xuan saved my life. I can’t just—"

Lin Aoxue tried to defend him, but Mrs. Lin interrupted her without mercy.

Mrs. Lin snapped, "Lin Aoxue! Are you deaf to my words now? What can a piece of trash like Ye Xuan bring to you or the Lin family?

"If anything, I think he was being a busybody last night. It is your blessing that Xiao Ran took a liking to you!

"If you could marry into the Xiao family, our Lin family would have a direct ticket to Jingcheng! Such a golden opportunity was ruined by Ye Xuan! Not punishing him is already an act of mercy on my part, so what more do you want?"

These words struck Lin Aoxue’s mind like a bolt of lightning. She stared at Mrs. Lin and the rest of the Lin family in utter disbelief. In their eyes, what happened last night was actually an opportunity? Were those even words a human being could say? Were these people really her family?

"Exactly! If it weren’t for Ye Xuan’s meddling, we’d be relatives with the Xiao family right now. The Xiao family of Jingcheng! Countless people would kill for a chance to curry favor with them.

"It’s all that loser Ye Xuan’s fault. He just can’t stand to see our Lin family thrive. He’s probably trying to get revenge on us because of the divorce.

"We should find a chance to apologize to Young Master Xiao. Aoxue is just too ignorant. Catching Young Master Xiao’s eye is a tremendous honor!"

Following the old lady’s lead, the rest of the Lin family chimed in with their agreement. Everyone believed that Ye Xuan and Lin Aoxue were in the wrong, causing Lin Aoxue’s heart to grow even colder.

Looking at the stubborn Lin Aoxue, Mrs. Lin let out a heavy sigh and gestured for her to stand. "Enough, get up. I know you feel wronged about this, but you need to look at the bigger picture. If you really got together with Young Master Xiao, even just as his companion, the benefits it would bring to the Lin family would be monumental."

Her granddaughter was extremely proud and ambitious. If she had been born into one of the great Noble Families like the Yang family, she would undoubtedly become a powerful woman revered by all. Unfortunately, the Lin family was simply too weak.

Mrs. Lin believed that with Lin Aoxue’s capabilities, the Lin family could eventually become one of the top entities in Jianghai City, but that would take decades—perhaps even Lin Aoxue’s entire lifetime. But now, as long as Lin Aoxue could cling to the Xiao family’s coattails, she would instantly transform into a phoenix soaring high among the branches.

The Lin family’s rapid ascent to power would be just around the corner. These were things that a piece of trash like Ye Xuan could never provide.

"Grandma! How could you say such a thing? I am your granddaughter! Are profits and glory really more important than my purity and happiness?"

Being Xiao Ran’s companion.

Heh, it sounded nice to call it a companion, but to put it bluntly, it just meant being Xiao Ran’s kept woman. Even if it killed her, Lin Aoxue would never sell her body for profit.

The Lin family had truly disappointed her to the core.

"Lin Aoxue, watch your tone! Grandma is doing this for your own good. You’ve already rejected Su Xiaobai; do you want to reject Xiao Ran too?" Lin Guodong harshly reprimanded her, his face darkening when he saw her defiance.

Failing to latch onto the Su family was already a source of immense regret for him. This time, no matter what, they could not afford to miss out on the Xiao family.