Chapter 40: Too Ashamed to Face Anyone

Ouyang Chen emerged with the first aid kit, putting a stop to Li Mingye’s forceful grip on Zhang Xiluo. Blood was still seeping from her wound, her body unsteady, clearly unable to withstand any further torment.

“What are you doing here?” Li Mingye’s temper was already frayed, and seeing Ouyang Chen step out from the house only fueled his rage. “How I treat her is none of your business.”

Realizing his own lapse in composure, Ouyang Chen furrowed his brow, struggling to hold back his anger. He set the first aid kit on the table, glanced at Zhang Xiluo, and reminded her, “The wound is quite deep; it must be treated promptly.”

“Zhang Xiluo, I’ll be going now.”

“Stay right there.” Li Mingye’s voice was cold as he stopped him. He set Zhang Xiluo down in a chair and faced Ouyang Chen, his tone chilling. “From now on, keep your distance from her.”

Meeting Li Mingye’s icy gaze, Ouyang Chen forced a slight smile. “That doesn’t sound like you. She and I are just friends—nothing improper.”

“Even if I wanted more, I’d wait until you’ve lost her for good.” A flicker of longing passed through Ouyang Chen’s eyes, then he taunted, “And from what I see, that won’t take long.”

Bang!

Li Mingye’s fist crashed into Ouyang Chen’s face—he was right to suspect him of coveting her.

Ouyang Chen wiped the corner of his mouth, then retaliated with a punch of his own. “You don’t cherish her, so don’t blame others.”

“Well done! Hit him! Beat that heartless bastard to death!” Zhang Xiluo cheered, waving her arms and egging them on.

Li Mingye’s face darkened, his glare fierce. She shrank back, cautiously asking, “Are you two done fighting?”

Ouyang Chen burst out laughing. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen Zhang Xiluo drunk, but it was the first time he realized how adorable she became after drinking.

“We’re done. No need to worry yourself.” Ouyang Chen replied with hidden meaning, then left on his own.

Zhang Xiluo tried to get up and follow, but was immediately scooped into Li Mingye’s arms.

Her nose bumped hard against his chest, making her cry out in pain.

“It hurts so much,” Zhang Xiluo wailed, clutching her nose, unleashing every grievance in her heart. “Li Mingye, you bastard! I hate you, I hate you!”

“Why did you treat my family like this? Have you no conscience?”

“You scoundrel, do you think you deserve all the love I’ve given you all these years?”

“You have no idea what I’ve sacrificed for you…”

“If you love Zhou Yao, just let me go. I don’t love you anymore!”

Li Mingye listened to her tearful cries, his heart weighed down as if by a stone. All the disdain and indifference he’d once felt became suddenly precious.

He held her tightly, his brow furrowed deeper and deeper, letting Zhang Xiluo vent all her sorrows in his embrace.

Exhausted from crying, Zhang Xiluo soon fell asleep, lulled by the effects of alcohol.

The next morning, she woke in the villa, her mind blank, with no memory of how she’d returned. Her arm was bandaged, a clean robe covered her, and a half-finished cup of hangover tea sat on the table.

Did Li Mingye bring her back?

Her head throbbed from the excesses of the night before. After a shower and a change of clothes, she went downstairs and saw Li Mingye talking business with someone in the living room.

Zhang Xiluo greeted them briefly and made for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To the hospital.”

“Wait ten minutes, I’ll go with you,” Li Mingye replied, bowing his head to continue his discussion.

In the dining room, Aunt Li brought her a bowl of congee. “Madam, Mr. Li asked me to make this, and here’s some tea to ease your headache.”

“Thank you,” Zhang Xiluo replied, eating a few spoonfuls. She glanced at her phone—she didn’t want to wait any longer.

She and Li Mingye hadn’t reached any agreement the night before. He wouldn’t help her; even if he offered, she wouldn’t accept. She would find her own way to solve this crisis and keep the company afloat.

Just as she was about to leave, Li Mingye approached, expressionless, signaling her to go.

They scarcely spoke, as always.

Zhang Xiluo had no intention of asking where he’d been the night before, nor why she’d ended up in the villa.

“Dad, has Mom woken up yet?” Zhang Xiluo looked at her father with concern; in a single night, he seemed to have aged years.

He sat with his computer, handling affairs, phone vibrating constantly, while keeping an anxious eye on her mother’s condition.

“The doctor said she might wake up today.” Her father looked up, and upon seeing Li Mingye, his expression changed. “Have you forgotten what you promised me?”

“Dad,” Li Mingye interjected, “the consulting specialists will be here in ten minutes. I’ll handle the company’s problems.”

Her father looked puzzled. His impression of Li Mingye was mixed. In business, the young man was sharp and formidable, earning respect; but in life, his reckless ways and betrayal of Zhang Xiluo made it hard to like him.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Li Mingye, don’t try anything,” Zhang Xiluo couldn’t believe he would be so kind, given how much he despised her.

“Dad, let me fix this, and I’ll explain everything to you. Let’s go.” Li Mingye took Zhang Xiluo’s hand, wanting only to put her father at ease.

This matter involved not just the Zhang family, but also a disgrace to the Li family.

“Let go of me, Li Mingye!” Zhang Xiluo tried to wrench her arm away, reopening her wound. Blood seeped through her sleeve, pain biting deep.

He really was her nemesis.

“You’re such trouble.” Li Mingye let go, then took her by the other arm and dragged her to the treatment room.

“What do you want from me!” Zhang Xiluo was exasperated—would she bleed if he didn’t drag her around?

Li Mingye said nothing more. He dressed her wound, then took her to the Liuzhou North Gardens.

Passing by a café, they noticed a new floral arch outside, with a swing seat inside. Lin Yiming was busy greeting customers.

Zhang Xiluo smiled faintly—Lin Yiming hadn’t been dragged down by Zhou Yao and was living a normal life.

Catching her smile, Li Mingye glanced out the window, seeing nothing.

“There’s an event tonight. Mother will be waiting at home. At five, you’ll go to the venue together,” Li Mingye said—not a suggestion, but a command.

“We’re about to get divorced. There’s no reason for me to go.”

“Are you stupid?” Li Mingye snapped. “If I wanted to ruin the Zhang family, I wouldn’t need such cheap tricks.”

“So it wasn’t you?” Zhang Xiluo was shocked. Who else in the Li family but him would dare spread such rumors? “If it wasn’t you, then who?”

Li Mingye didn’t answer. In her eyes, he was always the villain, the one to blame for every sordid deed.

“Why didn’t you say so sooner? Did you just want to see me humiliated?”

“I didn’t want to before. After last night—maybe I do.” Remembering her drunkenness, his thoughts wandered, though they’d been interrupted.

Ashamed and angry, Zhang Xiluo turned away, refusing to speak another word to him.

Li Mingye’s mother attended the event with Zhang Xiluo. Dressed in matching gowns, she kept Zhang Xiluo close, escorting her to the lounge and telling her to wait inside.

“Aren’t you the ninja turtle? What are you doing here? If I were you, I’d have hidden myself away long ago. How could you still have the nerve to show your face in public?”

No sooner had she parted from Li Mingye’s mother than three people blocked Zhang Xiluo’s path.