Chapter 27: Expressing True Feelings

"Ye Xuan! You still have the nerve to show your face at the hospital? This is all your fault, you piece of trash! If you hadn’t held my daughter back, the Lin family would have married into the Su family a long time ago!

"What are you good for besides leeching off women? Don’t think that just because you’re cozying up to that Yang Bingyu now, you’ve suddenly struck gold. A piece of trash will always be a piece of trash!"

Lin Guodong’s loud voice echoed through the hospital corridor for a long time.

Ye Xuan’s eyes grew increasingly cold. He grabbed Lin Guodong by the throat, effortlessly lifting the 160-pound man off the ground with a single hand.

"COUGH... let... let go..." Lin Guodong’s legs kicked in the air. His face turned bright red as he slapped Ye Xuan’s arm, frantically signaling him to release his grip.

"Ye Xuan! Don’t!" Standing nearby, Lin Aoxue cried out in terror. She hurriedly hugged Ye Xuan’s arm, her eyes full of pleading.

Murderous intent had already flared in Ye Xuan’s heart, but he hesitated. He shot Lin Guodong a cold glare and ultimately held back.

"They say a man with nothing to lose fears no one. I, Ye Xuan, have no ties and no burdens. At worst, it’s a life for a life. I’m not terrified of death like you are." Ye Xuan threw Lin Guodong to the ground like a piece of trash. The oppressive aura radiating from him left the older man too terrified to even breathe loudly.

Having taught Lin Guodong a lesson, Ye Xuan turned to leave. He shouldn’t have stepped forward just now; he didn’t even know how to resolve this mess. He had explicitly told himself to draw a clear line between him and Lin Aoxue, yet he still couldn’t help but worry about her.

The more he thought about it, the more irritable he became. Ye Xuan quickened his pace, wanting to get as far away from Lin Aoxue as possible.

"Ye Xuan! Ye Xuan, wait for me!" But just as he stepped out of the hospital entrance, Lin Aoxue’s voice called out from behind.

Ye Xuan paused. He originally wanted to pretend he hadn’t heard her, but he ultimately couldn’t bear to ignore her and stopped. "What is it?" he asked flatly, turning his head to look at her with indifference.

Because she had run so frantically, Lin Aoxue was slightly out of breath. She half-squatted to compose herself for a long moment before her breathing finally steadied. Since it was the height of summer, and because she had attended a banquet today, she was wearing a plunging V-neck evening gown. From Ye Xuan’s vantage point looking down, he caught a perfect glimpse of her stunning figure. Coupled with her rapid, heaving breaths, the sight actually made Ye Xuan’s body run a little hot.

Realizing his thoughts were wandering, Ye Xuan hastily averted his gaze, but his reaction was completely misinterpreted.

A hint of hurt flashed through Lin Aoxue’s eyes. "Is he not even willing to look at me for another second?" she wondered.

"Ye Xuan, I want to ask you... does the Yang family’s collaboration with our Lin family have anything to do with you? Did you purposefully host this banquet just to spite my dad and the others?" Despite her heartache, Lin Aoxue still needed to clarify this matter. She couldn’t bring herself to believe that Ye Xuan was such a petty person.

Her words caught Ye Xuan slightly off guard, and a nameless wave of anger flared up in his chest. "So, in your eyes, that’s the kind of person I am?"

Meeting his furious gaze, Lin Aoxue panicked. Having spent day and night with Ye Xuan for five years, she obviously knew his character better than anyone. If he truly wanted to seek revenge against the Lin family, he would have had countless opportunities over the past five years. Why would he wait until after their divorce? She had been projecting her own petty malice onto an honorable man.

"I’m sorry, I... I just..." Lin Aoxue lowered her eyes, not knowing how to explain herself.

"Enough, you don’t need to explain. From now on, we won’t have anything to do with each other anyway. How you view me doesn’t matter anymore." Ye Xuan didn’t want to see her looking so pitiful and submissive. He was afraid he would soften and end up helping the Lin family yet again. Dropping those words, he hastily turned to leave.

His sheer desperation to get away deeply stung Lin Aoxue’s heart. Watching Ye Xuan’s unhesitating back, panic overwhelmed her.

"No, don’t go!" Driven by some inexplicable impulse, Lin Aoxue threw her arms around him from behind.

Ye Xuan’s body instantly stiffened. He didn’t know whether he should push her away or what else to do. Since she had already taken the first step, Lin Aoxue simply gritted her teeth and poured out everything that was in her heart.

"Ye Xuan, for the past five years, I’ve always treated you as a burden and viewed our marriage as nothing but a shackle. I constantly resented my grandfather for arranging this union. That’s why, the moment the time limit was up, I couldn’t wait to divorce you.

"But during our time apart, I’ve realized a lot of things. I’ve discovered that I think I’ve fallen in love with you. When I saw you walking with Yang Bingyu, I was so furious. When I heard you say you wanted to make a clean break with me, my heart ached so much I couldn’t breathe.

"You know I’m a proud and stubborn person. Seeing you with another woman, I intentionally said those awful things just to spite you. But truthfully, I didn’t mean a single word. I was just jealous."

Lin Aoxue’s confession stirred a chaotic mix of emotions in Ye Xuan’s chest. If she had said these words to him before the divorce, he would have accepted her without a moment of hesitation. But now, everything had changed.

"Lin Aoxue, words spoken are like spilled water—you can’t just take them back because you want to. For five years, you turned a blind eye to my meticulous care and devotion.

"The moment the time was up, you were desperate to divorce me. Five whole years... even a heart of stone would have melted by now! Now that you’re in trouble, you suddenly remember my good traits? What exactly do you take me for? A lapdog you can call and dismiss at your whim?"

His words left Lin Aoxue feeling terribly hurt. She knew she had crossed the line, but was it really necessary for him to be so vicious? Tears welled up in her eyes, but her innate arrogance flared up once again. Stiffening her neck, she retorted in a fit of pique.

"I already apologized! What more do you want from me? Do you want me to get down on my knees and beg? Can’t I just regret my actions? I know I was awful in the past, but there’s no need to speak to me so harshly!"

Hearing the slight sob in her voice, Ye Xuan couldn’t help but frown. "Lin Aoxue, is it true that you only ever think of me when you’ve hit a dead end?"

Ye Xuan’s words caused Lin Aoxue’s pupils to constrict violently. Her heart felt as if a massive hole had been gouged out of it, letting icy winds howl through the gap. Even in the dead of summer, she was so cold she trembled all over.

"Heh, you, Ye Xuan, are nothing but a piece of trash who relies on women to survive. How could you ever compete with Su Xiaobai? Just pretend I never said any of those things just now. Come to think of it, marrying Su Xiaobai is actually a great idea. The Su family is rich and powerful. I, Lin Aoxue, will be the one striking gold."