Ye Yunshen hadn’t expected to run into Shen Qingqiu and the others here. He thought their next meeting would be at the civil affairs bureau, after cutting ties. But his attention wasn’t on Shen Qingqiu—it was fixed ahead, his expression frozen.
He was puzzled. Shen Qingqiu and the three heiresses were still nearly 100 meters away, yet he could hear their conversation clearly. That had never happened before.
“Could it be because of cultivating the Nine-layered Mystic Arts?” Ye Yunshen’s expression changed slightly.
Although he hadn’t even reached the entry-level stage of the Nine-layered Mystic Arts, he could already sense subtle changes. His hearing had become so acute that even the tiniest noises stood out clearly, and his vision had become sharper as well.
With that thought, he calmed his mind again and focused on hearing even more distant, fainter sounds.
“Qingqiu, Ruoxi, Anran, thank you for going to such trouble. Jiu Jiantang is a villa none of you were willing to buy before, yet you spent so much just to rent it for me…” Cheng Zewen said, appearing deeply moved.
“It’s what we should do. Didn’t the doctor say? Besides consistent treatment and blood transfusion, proper rest and environment are essential too. A good place helps recovery—it’s like a natural oxygen bar. There’s no better place than this in Sucheng!” said Lin Ruoxi.
“It’s all thanks to Anran. She pestered her father to help contact the villa owner and convince them to vacate. Her family even made compromises in business deals for it,” Shen Qingqiu added with a smile.
Listening to their conversation, Ye Yunshen let out a cold laugh.
For your dear Awen, you’re really willing to give everything…
You weren’t even willing to buy Jiu Jiantang before, yet now you’re paying such a huge price to rent it for Cheng Zewen?
This proves one thing—there’s no such thing as not being willing to give. It’s just that you don’t love enough.
“Originally, I wanted my dad to contact the owner of Villa No.1, the king of Jiu Jiantang… but I was told the owner had suddenly changed,” Xia Anran said, her voice laced with disappointment.
Ye Yunshen’s heart stirred. Villa No.1? That’s the one he was staying in.
“The previous owner was approached and forced to sell the villa at triple the original price! Terrifying!” Xia Anran said, clearly shocked.
Shen Qingqiu and the others also shivered. That was an insane move.
They couldn’t help but become curious about Villa No.1.
“So that’s what happened… Miss Xiao must have bought it temporarily for herself…” Ye Yunshen finally understood, and warmth welled up in his heart.
He stopped paying attention to the three heiresses and instead focused on cultivating the Nine-layered Mystic Arts deep in the mountains.
By the time evening came and Ye Yunshen returned, dusty and exhausted, he ran into Shen Qingqiu and the others out for a walk with Cheng Zewen.
“Hm? Shen Yunshen?”
“What’s he doing here?”
Even Cheng Zewen was stunned, just like the others. None of them expected to see Ye Yunshen here.
What was he doing in a place like this?
“It’s obvious—he must have followed us!” Xia Anran’s face turned cold as realization struck. “Sister Qingqiu was right—saying he had something urgent was a lie!”
“Maybe after leaving your house, he was hiding somewhere and spying on us. And now he followed us here!” The more she spoke, the angrier she became.
Shen Qingqiu and Lin Ruoxi’s expressions also darkened.
There was only one explanation for Ye Yunshen appearing here: stalking.
“Look at what Shen Yunshen’s wearing—and his hairstyle!” Lin Ruoxi was quick to notice.
At her words, Xia Anran and Shen Qingqiu also noticed. Get faster updates on g.com.
They were shocked.
Ye Yunshen had not only taken off the clothes they had carefully selected for him—he’d also changed his hairstyle. He looked completely unfamiliar. If not for his face, they wouldn’t have recognized him at all.
The change was too drastic.
At that moment, all three heiresses were filled with a nameless fury.
They quickly approached him, eyes cold. “Shen Yunshen, what are you doing here?”
“You weren’t at the hospital like you should be, then you went and complained to my family. And now this—changing your clothes and your hairstyle? Who gave you the nerve to do that?” Shen Qingqiu scolded sternly.
Cheng Zewen glanced at Ye Yunshen’s appearance and attire. It only confirmed his suspicions—Ye Yunshen had really made up his mind to leave.
He sneered inwardly, but outwardly he pretended to sympathize. “Qingqiu, don’t blame Brother Shen. I understand how he feels. He just wants more of your attention, that’s all.”
With just a few words, he painted Ye Yunshen as a pitiful clown desperately begging for attention, weak and insecure, changing his appearance only to get noticed by the three heiresses.
The three of them grew even angrier.
“Shen Yunshen, how many times have we told you? We saved your life—you must never disobey us. If you do again, there will be consequences!” Xia Anran practically exploded.
Even the usually gentle Lin Ruoxi roared, “Ye Yunshen, what happened to the Bvlgari necklace and ring I bought you? You took them off? Who gave you permission?”
They could tolerate his rebellion again and again, but they couldn’t accept him making decisions on his own.
They had chosen all his outfits for him, yet he changed into something else.
It made the three heiresses feel betrayed—utterly unacceptable!
“Shen Yunshen, kneel,” Shen Qingqiu growled through gritted teeth.
This was Ye Yunshen’s most rebellious act in three years.
And the one who started it all—Cheng Zewen—hid behind the three women with a cold sneer, clearly waiting for a show.
But Ye Yunshen didn’t kneel. He just looked at them calmly and said, “Why should I kneel to you? Who do you think you are?”
“…”
Those words stunned Shen Qingqiu.
Lin Ruoxi and Xia Anran were speechless.
Even Cheng Zewen looked at Ye Yunshen with disbelief.
Did he really just say, Who do you think you are?
“You… what did you just say?” Shen Qingqiu began to doubt her own ears.
“Deaf, are you?!” Ye Yunshen shouted this time. “I said—why should I kneel to you? You don’t deserve it. And don’t call me ‘Shen Yunshen’ again. My surname is Ye. Ye Yunshen.”
BOOM!
The words exploded like thunder, shaking the three heiresses to their core.
Lin Ruoxi and Xia Anran stared at him like he was a stranger.
Was this still the Shen Yunshen they knew?
He had actually shouted at them?
“You—”
Xia Anran, known for her hot temper, instinctively wanted to scold him. But when she looked up and met Ye Yunshen’s cold, sharp eyes, a chill ran down her spine. She instinctively stepped back, swallowing her words.
In that moment, all three heiresses had only one thought—what happened to Shen Yunshen? He was no longer the same person.
While the three women stood frozen, Cheng Zewen stepped forward with a pained expression. “Brother Shen, how could you say that to Qingqiu and the others? Did you forget? They’re the ones who saved your life three years ago. If not for them, you’d be dead.”
“I know you’ve suffered a lot lately because of me, but can’t you bear it a little longer? In six months, when I’m gone, you can go back to how things were and be with Qingqiu and the others again. Cough… cough…”
His sudden outburst caused him to cough violently, his face turning even paler.
Shen Qingqiu, Lin Ruoxi, and Xia Anran hadn’t expected Cheng Zewen to speak up for them. Seeing his pale face and labored breathing, their eyes suddenly turned red.
“Awen, you’re wrong! You’re not going to die! And even if you did—no matter what—we would never keep Shen Yunshen around again!” Shen Qingqiu shouted.
Lin Ruoxi and Xia Anran nodded firmly.
Ye Yunshen laughed.
So this was how they truly felt.
A stand-in was still just a stand-in.
If Cheng Zewen really died, they would never keep him around.
In fact, they might even go mad…
While coughing, Cheng Zewen gently grabbed Ye Yunshen’s hand.
To outsiders, it looked like he was just reaching out for balance. But from Ye Yunshen’s view, Cheng Zewen looked up at him with eyes full of murderous intent.
He lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear and hissed, “Ye Yunshen, you bastard born of parents who didn’t raise you, you actually dare show up in front of us again? Don’t think I don’t know—you’ve already decided to leave them. If you’re going to go, then leave completely!”
“I’ll draft a public severance statement, claim you tried to embezzle shares of the Shen family estate, got caught, and were kicked out! I’ll ruin your name and reputation!”
Swish!
The moment those words landed, Ye Yunshen’s cold eyes turned deadly.
Without warning, his body moved like a machine, his fist shooting forward like lightning and smashing into Cheng Zewen’s face with a powerful arc.
BANG!
Blood splattered.
Cheng Zewen was sent flying, as if hit by a speeding car.