Chapter 42: Argument on the Street

"This public uproar is a complete distortion of the truth, completely biased toward your Lin family! If you didn’t do this, someone else in the Lin family did! You all saw that Ye Xuan became my bodyguard and is living a thousand times better than before, so you got jealous! You were green with envy, which is exactly why you’re slandering him!"

Actually, what Yang Bingyu was truly angry about wasn’t how the outside world spoke of her, but that those people shouldn’t talk about Ye Xuan that way. During his five-year marriage with Lin Aoxue, Ye Xuan had always been the one making concessions. It would have been one thing if the Lin family thought he was trash and simply looked down on him, but even his own wife, Lin Aoxue, never gave him a good look. Ye Xuan had suffered every possible grievance in the Lin family.

Obviously, the true victim was Ye Xuan. Yet, through the reckless reporting and speculation of those media outlets, Lin Aoxue had ended up being portrayed as the victim and the object of everyone’s pity. What right did she have to play the victim?

"You! You’re talking nonsense!" Hearing this, Lin Aoxue was momentarily at a loss for words.

This matter was indeed strange. All the spearheads were pointed directly at Ye Xuan and Yang Bingyu. If someone said it had absolutely nothing to do with the Lin family members, even she wouldn’t believe it herself. But this situation truly had no connection to her! Yang Bingyu had stormed into the company, hurled a barrage of insults right to her face, and even smashed her things. Did she not even have the right to defend herself?

And Ye Xuan—he had just watched helplessly as Yang Bingyu acted so recklessly. Could it be that, just as the outside rumors claimed, he had really fallen in love with Yang Bingyu?

Thinking of this, Lin Aoxue couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. She looked at Ye Xuan with a complex expression, hoping to find an answer in his eyes.

"Bingyu, stop causing a scene. I don’t think she did this. She isn’t that kind of person," Ye Xuan said.

Actually, Ye Xuan saying this wasn’t to protect Lin Aoxue. Based on his understanding of her, she was someone who disdained using such dirty tricks. But these words sounded like something else entirely in the ears of the two women.

Yang Bingyu stomped her feet in anger, shoved Ye Xuan hard, and shouted in exasperation. "Ye Xuan! You spineless coward! After all I did to defend you, you actually side with her! I’m never caring about you again!"

With that said, Yang Bingyu ran out in a fit of pique. How could Ye Xuan dare to let her run around alone? He apologized to Lin Aoxue and quickly chased after her.

Watching his retreating back, Lin Aoxue’s heart felt like an overturned spice jar, filled with a swirl of complex emotions. He believed she hadn’t done it. Did this mean that Ye Xuan still cared about her deep down? Back then, Ye Xuan had practically obeyed her every word. He had been cautious at every turn in the Lin family and put his heart into everything he did, terrified of upsetting her. But now, the man who had treated her so incredibly well was gone—pushed to another woman’s side by her own hands.

"President Lin, should we continue this meeting?" the secretary asked hesitantly, looking at Lin Aoxue’s distressed expression.

"We won’t hold the meeting today. You are all dismissed. Report everything Yang Bingyu smashed to the finance department. The company will reimburse you." Lin Aoxue rubbed her throbbing temples and waved the others away in exhaustion.

Naturally, the employees didn’t dare to raise any objections and filed out of the conference room one by one.

"President Lin, that Yang Bingyu is simply going too far. She was already shameless to begin with. You just got divorced, and she couldn’t wait to hire your ex-husband as her bodyguard. If you ask me, those two probably hooked up a long time ago, just waiting for the day you brought up the divorce," the secretary said indignantly while gathering the documents scattered across the floor.

Hearing this, Lin Aoxue’s movements visibly paused. The bitter taste in her heart intensified, but she still scolded, "Stop talking nonsense! Ye Xuan is not that kind of person!"

Reprimanded, the secretary immediately shut her mouth, not daring to gossip any further. However, Lin Aoxue’s own thoughts began to run wild. If Ye Xuan and Yang Bingyu hadn’t known each other before, how could he have become her bodyguard just days after the divorce? Furthermore, their interactions were extremely intimate, nothing like a normal relationship between an employer and a bodyguard. Could it really be as the rumors said? Had Ye Xuan hooked up with Yang Bingyu long ago?

She thought, "Lin Aoxue! What am I thinking? How can I think of Ye Xuan like this? Don’t I know better than anyone whether he would do such a thing?"

Her mind grew more chaotic the more she thought about it. She frantically shook her head, tossing those messy speculations out of her brain.

"Bingyu, listen to me," Ye Xuan called out, having chased her all the way out of Lin Aoxue’s company. But Yang Bingyu had absolutely no desire to listen to his explanation.

"What’s left to explain? I know you still can’t let go of that woman, Lin Aoxue. After all, a five-year relationship isn’t something I, someone you’ve only known for a month or two, can compare with.

"Since you’re still obsessing over her, you might as well just remarry her! I don’t need your protection anymore. I don’t care if I live or die!"

Yang Bingyu was truly infuriated this time. Ye Xuan’s repeated defense of Lin Aoxue had left her deeply disappointed and incredibly jealous. Ye Xuan was her bodyguard now. Shouldn’t he side with her when something happened? What was the meaning of speaking up for his ex-wife?

"That’s not what I meant. Calm down and listen to my explanation first!"

Ye Xuan was completely helpless against her. A woman in a fit of rage was truly terrifying. She wouldn’t listen to any reasoning and loved to let her imagination run wild. When did he ever want to remarry Lin Aoxue? Furthermore, he hadn’t intentionally defended her; he was simply speaking the truth.

"Go away, stop bothering me!" In her fit of anger, Yang Bingyu gave Ye Xuan a hard shove and turned, wanting to walk in another direction.

But who could have known that right behind them was a street bustling with heavy traffic? Only a string of piercing HONKS could be heard as a light truck barreled straight toward Yang Bingyu.

Yang Bingyu’s mind instantly went blank, and she stood frozen in place like a statue. The truck driver was also scared out of his wits and frantically slammed on the brakes, but the truck’s momentum was too great, making a collision completely unavoidable.

Just when everyone thought Yang Bingyu was about to be sent flying, a powerful force yanked her aside. The speeding truck then roared past them.

Ye Xuan had shielded Yang Bingyu tightly in his arms while he lay on the hard pavement. The immense impact made him let out a muffled groan, his sharp brows knitting tightly together.

"My God! Are you two alright? Do you have any sense of safety, young lady?! How could you suddenly dash out onto the road like that! If this young man hadn’t reacted so fast, you’d be dead by now!"

After bringing the truck to a complete stop, the driver hurried out to check on them. Seeing that neither of them was seriously injured, he finally breathed a sigh of relief before immediately giving Yang Bingyu a stern lecture. He had been scared half to death just now. If that man hadn’t been quick enough to pull her away, things would have ended disastrously. Even though Yang Bingyu had dashed into the road on her own, running someone over would have been a massive ordeal regardless.