Chapter 36. Be a Decent Human, Will You?

Thud!

Another verbal knife stabbed straight into Bai Xiyi’s heart—so deep it felt like it might pierce right through her.

She trembled with rage, her steps unsteady as she walked away.

“Hey, at least give me an answer!” Ye Chen muttered under his breath.

When he turned around, he noticed everyone staring at him, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.

“Holy shit! This guy is ruthless.”

“Damn, bro, have some mercy. That was a brutal follow-up.”

“Wow, that was a lethal finishing move.”

“Am I the only one who caught the ‘Zhongliang Yihao’ part? That’s a luxury estate—each unit costs over a hundred million!”

“No wonder he’s a self-made rich guy.”

“No wonder the sisters were fighting over him.”

Ye Chen clicked his tongue and glanced down at Zhang Kai, who was still curled up on the ground, clutching his crotch.

“You bitch, my balls—” Zhang Kai groaned weakly.

A cold glint flashed in Ye Chen’s eyes. He bent down and grabbed Zhang Kai’s arm.

“Hey, buddy, you okay? Let me help you up.”

But the moment he pulled, Zhang Kai let out a blood-curdling scream.

“AHHHHH!”

“IT HURTS! IT HURTS!”

“LET GO! LET GO!”

Ye Chen released him and smirked.

“Dude, you’re way too weak. I just pressed your kidney reflex point—normal people wouldn’t even feel that. You should really cut back on the late-night activities before your body gives out. You’ll regret it when you’re older.”

Zhang Kai lay on the ground, his entire body aching, his dignity shattered. And now, even Ye Chen was mocking him.

Life was truly unfair.

Bai Xiyan walked over and wrapped her arms around Ye Chen’s, shooting Zhang Kai a disdainful look.

“Hubby, should we really invite my sister to the housewarming?”

Ye Chen raised a brow.

“Of course. It’s about manners—whether she comes or not is her problem.”

Bai Xiyan thought for a moment and nodded.

“You’re right. We should at least invite her.”

Then she added, “Since we’re at it, maybe I should invite a few classmates too?”

Ye Chen chuckled.

“Sure, no problem.”

As the two chatted casually, Zhang Kai remained sprawled on the ground, utterly ignored. He slowly dragged himself up, hunched over like a defeated martial artist, his expression bleak.

If not for sheer stubbornness, he would’ve just left.

“Alright, let’s get back to eating. We’re not even full yet.”

Ye Chen wrapped an arm around Bai Xiyan’s slender waist and led her back to the grill.

Watching the affectionate couple, the crowd’s expressions turned even weirder.

The men were a mix of envy and resentment.

“What kind of black magic does this guy have? He turned sisters against each other!”

“The craziest part? Both sisters still care about him.”

“Exactly! That’s the real kicker.”

“If you could afford a place in Zhongliang Yihao, you’d pull it off too.”

“Ouch. Too real, bro.”

Meanwhile, the women had a different reaction.

“Honestly, I like his attitude.”

“Yeah, once it’s over, it’s over. No dragging things out.”

“Compared to most men, he’s way more decisive. And he really dotes on his wife.”

“No wonder Xiyan was willing to fight her own sister for him. I’d do the same.”

“A man having an ex isn’t scary—what’s scary is when the ex still has a key to his place.”

Hearing the whispers and her classmates’ praise, Bai Xiyan felt a warm glow in her chest. She gazed up at Ye Chen, her eyes full of love.

Ye Chen scratched his head, feeling like this whole situation was surreal.

“Huh. So this works too?”

Meanwhile, Nini let out a long sigh.

“Well, damn.”

“He’s ice-cold to his ex but spoils his wife rotten. At this rate, I might as well start calling Xiyi ‘Mom’.”

Her friends twitched.

“Nini, be a decent human, will you?”

“Xiyi already left. Let’s go after her.”

“Yeah, we can’t let her be alone right now.”

“Wait—let me grab some food to go!”

A few minutes later, Nini and her friends returned to their cars.

Inside one of them, Bai Xiyi was slamming her hands against the steering wheel in frustration.

The cars in front and behind her were parked too close—she couldn’t move.

“Assholes!”

“Even the cars are bullying me!”

“AAAAHHH!”

She vented for a while until—

Knock knock knock!

A friend tapped on her window.

“Xiyi, open up.”

Bai Xiyi took a deep breath and rolled down the window, her voice flat.

“What?”

Her friend held out a takeout box.

“We packed some food for you. It’s past noon—eat something, and then we’ll find another spot to camp, okay?”

Without waiting for a response, she shoved the box into the car and walked away.

Bai Xiyi stared at the steaming barbecue, tempted to throw it out.

But the rich, mouthwatering aroma made her swallow hard.

Gulp.

“Fine. Just a bite.”

“Just one bite!”

She pulled out a chicken wing and took a small nibble.

Instantly, her vision blurred.

It tasted exactly the same as before.

Memories she had tried to bury rushed back—vivid, like slides flashing before her eyes.

Before their marriage, during a road trip, she had clung to Ye Chen’s arm just like Bai Xiyan did now, watching him grill with anticipation.

She had taken bites of the food, then fed him some too.

It had been perfect.

But when had it all changed?

Her eyes welled up, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

She sniffled and took a shaky breath.

“I’m not crying! It’s just… spicy!”

But the ache in her chest refused to fade.

The soft, vulnerable part of her—the part she had locked away—was still there.

She devoured the rest of the food and tossed the skewers out the window.

A few minutes later, she threw the empty bag into the trash.

“Xiyi actually ate it all!”

“Denial is a river in Egypt.”

“She just can’t let go, can she?”

“If only she’d realized sooner.”

“Nini, stop provoking her.”

“I was just trying to make her face the truth! But she keeps running away.”

“Let’s just go get her. We’ll camp somewhere else.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”