Chapter 201 - What a surprising development...

As they were getting ready to leave, they bumped into Han Ye, who was walking out of Xiao Lei's apartment with a grin on his face while Xiao Lei was hitting him on the shoulder. 

"Oh?" Lu Ziyan gasped softly. He then smirked and said, "Ohhhhhhhh~ What a surprising development... And here I thought where you went last night..." 

Xiao Lei and Han Ye exchanged glances before they said in unison, "It's not what you think!" 

"A-and, you have An Xin!" Xiao Lei pointed out. When she realized what she said, she cursed inwardly while facepalming herself. They had done nothing wrong, so why was she trying to defend herself?! It would only make it suspicious! 

Lu Ziyan laughed softly and took An Xin's hand in his before he said, "She's my girlfriend now. What's wrong with her spending the night over at my place?" 

He might be fine with it, but An Xin could not help but blush slightly from the implication of his words. She gently slapped his arm as she frowned at him for trying to make others think that something happened last night.

Unfortunately, he was a slow learner, as shown by the way he smirked mischievously at her.

"There's nothing between us," Han Ye said with a wave of his hand. "Where are you guys going?" 

"Breakfast, then hospital," Lu Ziyan replied. "I think Kai Xin should be strong enough for visitors today."

"I'll join you guys after I shower... That is, if you're fine with me third-wheeling you guys."

"It's fine," An Xin said. She then turned to Xiao Lei and said, "Do join us if you want, Xiao Lei." 

Xiao Lei took a brief glance at Han Ye before replying An Xin, "I think I'll sit out today. I'm a little tired, so I want to rest for today... hehe..."

When he heard Xiao Lei's excuse, Han Ye scoffed, "She's lying. She just robbed me, so she's probably going to eat on my dime later and doesn't want us to see her pigging out." 

"Huh?" An Xin looked at them in confusion. "Robbed?"

"Since Mr. Lu here was busy last night," Han Ye shot an accusatory glance at his housemate, who was feigning ignorance, as he said, "and I was too drunk to do anything... My drinking companion decided to send me to her instead. She took me back to her place, and I vomited all over her floor..." He decided to play along instead of pointing out her lie. It was a lot safer this way. Otherwise, with her intelligence, she would know that he was faking it last night.  

He then continued in a rather dejected manner, "Rather than letting her remind me constantly about it, I decided to give her my wallet and pay her off. I thought that at most, she would just take all the money, but she took my credit card instead."

When he thought about the fate of his poor credit card, he sighed loudly. At least, that credit card had a lower limit. It was his "drinking" card. Basically, it was the card he brought out with him whenever he wanted to go out for a drink.  

Looking at his dejected manner, Xiao Lei chuckled as she patted him on his back slowly. "Don't worry, Mr. Han. I'll spend them wisely." 

He waved his hand nonchalantly and murmured, "Do whatever you want with it, but I'm never getting drunk again."

An Xin smiled as she looked at the two of them. She thought that the playful Xiao Lei brought out the fun part of Han Ye. She had never seen Han Ye in such a state. In the short period of time since she met him, he was always proper and focused on his work.  

After exchanging a short glance with Lu Ziyan, An Xin said, "Alright then. Hope you have fun spending your boss' money, Xiao Lei." 

She then looked at Han Ye and said, "We will go to the restaurant first. Ziyan will send you the address later. Take your time."

...

When they were at the restaurant, Lu Ziyan and An Xin were eating and chatting happily when suddenly, they heard a voice saying, "Isn't that Mrs. Ou?"

An Xin froze, and she slowly turned her head around, only to see a couple of well-dressed women looking at her with disdainful expressions. An Xin recognized one of them. One of the women was her ex-husband's friend... and she was the same type of person as her ex-husband; arrogant, haughty, and completely disregard the feelings of those they deemed beneath them. 

As a matter of courtesy, An Xin stood up and greeted her. "Mrs. Yue." 

"Oh wait, you're no longer Mrs. Ou. I think I should call you by Ms. Zhen now," Mrs. Yue said with a disdainful glance.

"Looks like Thomas was right. You did have another man outside," Mrs. Yue sneered as she took a glance at Lu Ziyan. When she noticed his wheelchair, she scoffed, "At least get a better man. You cheated on Thomas to be with a cripple?"

"Shut up!" An Xin snapped as she slapped a hand down on the table, startling the group of women. "Ziyan is a thousand times better than that lying piece of thrash!" 

She had no desire to sit by while others were insulting the man that she... cared for. 

"An Xin..." Lu Ziyan called out worriedly. "I'm fine." 

"I'm not!" An Xin snapped. She then glared at Mrs. Yue and demanded angrily, "Apologize to Ziyan now, Mrs. Yue!"  

Mrs. Yue smirked. "I'm glad Thomas found out about you guys when he did. Thank God everything happened before his company goes public. Otherwise, with a wife like you, his company's bound to flop!" 

An Xin glared at her. "Get the fact right, you dumb woman. I divorced his a*s, not the other way around." 

Mrs. Yue laughed coldly. "Sure. Whatever you say..."

"What the hell is going on here?" 

When they heard a man's voice, everyone turned to look in a certain direction. 

"Han Ye," An Xin called out. "Sorry you have to see this." 

Han Ye looked at Mrs. Yue, who averted her glances. "You are?" 

"N-nothing..." she stammered. She knew who Han Ye was, and she knew that he was not someone to mess around with, especially since he was a trusted person of DX.

Everyone had heard of how Han Ye had publicly humiliated a woman of status just to help his secretary. She knew that An Xin was DX's sister-in-law, but she didn't think that they were close since Thomas Ou told her that An Xin barely talked to her sister.

If she had known that An Xin was close to DX or Han Ye to the point of eating breakfast with either of them, she would have never spoken to her the way she did.  

Han Ye walked past the group of women and sat down opposite Lu Ziyan. Just as Mrs. Yue and her friends were about to walk away quietly, Han Ye spoke up.

"Oh, I remember now. You're Director Yue's wife, aren't you? From Yue Corporation."

"Yes, Mr. Han." 

While he picked up a piece of siew mai, he said in a nonchalant manner, "You can tell your husband that the meeting next week is canceled."

Du Corporation was supposed to sign a cooperative agreement with Yue Corporation next week. This was a project that DX handed over to Han Ye and everything was at the latter's discretion. 

Han Ye had chosen to cooperate with Yue Corporation because of the company's reputation, but Yue Corporation was not the only company Han Ye had in mind. Giving up on this contract would not affect the project in the slightest. 

He had overheard what Mrs. Yue said to An Xin and Lu Ziyan earlier, and he did not like what he was saying. Even though An Xin and him were not close, Lu Ziyan and him were brothers, and he was angry when he heard what Mrs. Yue said about Lu Ziyan earlier.

"But the meeting next week is for..." Mrs. Yue gasped when she realized what the cancellation of the meeting meant. "Mr. Han, this is unfair!" 

The contract with Du Corporation would bring their family up another rank on the social ladder. She had been bragging about it to her friends. To lose it now would mean losing her face!

"Mrs. Yue, with or without Thomas Ou, An Xin is still President Du's sister-in-law. As President Du's capable assistant, am I supposed to let his sister-in-law suffer in the hands of another?" 

"It was her fault! I didn't say anything wrong!"  

"If I find you wrong, then you're wrong," Han Ye said with a smile. "Now, please leave before I call your husband. I don't like to eat in such a noisy environment."

Mrs. Yue was about to say something, but her friends stopped her and dragged her out. None of them wanted Han Ye to turn his eyes on them, and the faster they got out of there, the better. 

Once they left, Lu Ziyan said calmly, "I could've dealt with them my way." 

"I think your way is a little too cruel. Just keep it for your woman." 

Lu Ziyan smirked as he placed a braised chicken feet on An Xin's plate. "Don't let those women bother you. They're not worth your time." 

"I know..." An Xin sat down next to Lu Ziyan and said, "I just hate it when she called you a... you know." 

"That's going to be a very expensive C word for her," Lu Ziyan said with a chuckle. "And next time, let me deal with it."

Han Ye agreed. "Yeah, let Ziyan deals with it next time, An Xin. He's your boyfriend now."

An Xin blushed, and she poked the braised chicken feet with her chopsticks as she mumbled, "I can handle my own problems." 

xxx

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