Chapter 49: Returning to the Old Place

"Bingyu, go home with Grandpa first. I’m going to look for Lin Aoxue."

After helping Yang Bingyu and Yang Zhennan into the car, Ye Xuan decided to find Lin Aoxue. Those photos had been heavily doctored to look far too intimate. He had to explain things clearly to her, otherwise, heaven knows what crazy ideas that silly woman would come up with.

"Ye Xuan! Isn’t it better to just let her give up on you completely? Why do you still need to explain yourself!"

Hearing that he was going to find Lin Aoxue, Yang Bingyu’s heart tightened instantly. She grabbed Ye Xuan’s hand, refusing to let him go.

"Don’t worry, I’m just going to clear things up. There’s nothing more to it." Ye Xuan patted Yang Bingyu’s shoulder, offering a brief word of comfort, before gently pulling his hand free. He got into a taxi by the side of the road and drove off.

"Ye Xuan! You bastard!"

Watching Ye Xuan disappear into the distance, tears instantly welled up in Yang Bingyu’s eyes. She slammed her hands furiously against the car seat, cursing through gritted teeth. This man had truly disappointed her. What was so great about Lin Aoxue anyway? Why couldn’t he just let her go!

"Bingyu, it’s alright. I believe Ye Xuan isn’t the type of man to two-time. Since he said he has no other intentions toward Lin Aoxue, we should trust him," Yang Zhennan comforted her softly. Looking at his heartbroken granddaughter, his eyes filled with distress, and he reached out to pull her into a gentle hug.

It seemed his granddaughter had truly fallen for Ye Xuan. However, with Lin Aoxue standing between them, things were certainly going to be complicated.

"Why isn’t this woman answering her phone!"

In the taxi, Ye Xuan called Lin Aoxue over and over again. After several unanswered attempts, he grew increasingly worried. Left with no other choice, he asked Zhu Hui to help track Lin Aoxue’s phone location. To his surprise, she had actually returned to their old marital home.

Ye Xuan stood before the familiar door. Over the past five years, he had walked through this entrance countless times, yet he had never felt as hesitant as he did today. As far as he knew, Lin Aoxue had moved back to the Lin family home after their divorce. This house had been empty ever since, so he had no idea why she had come back now.

Just as he was debating whether to knock, a sudden crash of shattering objects echoed from inside.

Ye Xuan’s heart instantly leaped into his throat. He glanced around before finding a spare key hidden in a gap between the tiles of a nearby planter. This had been a little habit of Lin Aoxue’s for years. Despite her decisive and commanding presence at the company, she was actually quite scatterbrained at home and constantly forgot her keys. Because she never wanted to call Ye Xuan to open the door for her, she had taken to hiding a spare key right here.

"Aoxue? Where are you?"

He quickly unlocked the door. The house was a complete mess, and faint sobs could be heard coming from the bedroom. Growing anxious, Ye Xuan stepped over the clutter on the floor and rushed straight for the back.

Inside, he saw Lin Aoxue lying face-down on the bed, crying her heart out. The wedding portrait that used to hang on the wall had been snipped in half with a pair of scissors. Items were strewn all over the floor, most of which were things he used to own. Ye Xuan froze. He never expected that Lin Aoxue would have actually kept his belongings.

"You bastard! What are you doing here? Get out!"

Seeing him barge in, Lin Aoxue frantically wiped away her tears. With eyes as red as a rabbit’s, she glared fiercely at Ye Xuan and roared.

Ye Xuan walked over and began picking up the scattered items one by one. It seemed that what Lin Aoxue had said last time was true—she really did love him. However, there was no way for them to go back to the past, was there?

"Those photos aren’t entirely real. The intimate ones were doctored by someone else, so don’t take them seriously. There really is nothing between me and Bingyu. We’re strictly friends," Ye Xuan explained as he cleaned up.

But Lin Aoxue was currently consumed by rage and couldn’t listen to a single word. Seeing that he refused to leave, she grabbed a random object and hurled it at him.

"I told you to get out! I don’t want to see you ever again!"

The object struck Ye Xuan directly on the head. He couldn’t help but let out a muffled grunt as a streak of bright red blood slid down his forehead.

Lin Aoxue froze on the spot. Her towering fury vanished the moment she saw Ye Xuan bleeding. Panic filled her eyes as she nervously wrung her clothes and stammered, "W-Why didn’t you dodge!"

"It’s fine. Just a scratch." Unbothered, Ye Xuan used his shirt to wipe the blood from his brow and went back to picking up the items on the floor.

Seeing this, Lin Aoxue sprang up from the bed, grabbed him, and forcefully pushed him toward the door.

"Hurry up and go to the hospital, and don’t come looking for me anymore. Have a good life with Yang Bingyu. I’m going to sell this house, and from now on, the two of us are completely done."

Hearing those last words, a sharp pang shot through Ye Xuan’s heart. This was the place where they had lived for five years; could she really bear to sell it?

"Aoxue, do you honestly want me to be with Yang Bingyu?" Ye Xuan turned around, looking at her with a complicated expression.

"I..."

Meeting his gaze, Lin Aoxue panicked once again. She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. Of course she didn’t want Ye Xuan to be with Yang Bingyu. But those photos and the rumors spreading outside—everything was telling her that Ye Xuan no longer belonged to her. What else could she do but let go?

"L-Let me treat your wound first."

Unable to find an answer, Lin Aoxue hastily came up with an excuse and began rummaging through the cabinets for the first-aid kit.

Ye Xuan watched her frantic back and sighed helplessly. He walked over to her side, pulled open a drawer in the TV stand, and took out the kit.

"You’re still the same as before. You don’t know how to take care of yourself at all. Didn’t I tell you that the first-aid kit goes in this drawer?"

Hearing his words, Lin Aoxue couldn’t help but blush. She really was somewhat inept at managing household matters. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that without the servants, she was utterly clueless about daily life.

"I haven’t lived here since the divorce, so why would I remember that? Just be quiet and let me apply the medicine." Even though Ye Xuan was telling the truth, Lin Aoxue stubbornly refused to yield and snapped back defensively.

Ye Xuan knew how contrary her personality could be, so he didn’t expose her bluff. He obediently sat down on the sofa and waited for her to treat his wound.

This was the closest they had been since their divorce. Ye Xuan could even smell her familiar fragrance, leaving him in a momentary daze.

"Done. The wound is treated. Remember to keep it dry for the next few days, and have Yang Bingyu change your dressing regularly." Lin Aoxue finished the simple bandaging, her words still carrying an obvious edge of displeasure.

Ye Xuan’s eyelid twitched. Why was a jealous woman so terrifying? He had already explained it multiple times, yet she just wouldn’t let it go.