"I never said that. Don't blame me. I've always been friendly to you. Don't talk nonsense."
After Song Miaoyu finished speaking, she quickly rushed into Ye Tiancheng's room. At this moment, Ye Tiancheng remembered something Xiaopang had said and nodded in agreement. It seemed women indeed said one thing and meant another.
Having learned this truth, Ye Tiancheng instantly became much bolder. Not only did he sleep with Hou Mingzhu, but he also held her while sleeping, a closeness they had never experienced before.
Ye Tiancheng had never dared to dream that one day he would hold Hou Mingzhu in his arms to sleep. Naturally, the two of them also engaged in intimate activities.
Ye Tiancheng woke up still in a daze, thinking he really had to thank that dead frog. If it weren't for that dead frog monster arranging so many little frogs, Ye Tiancheng wouldn't have had the chance to get so close to Hou Mingzhu. It was truly a blessing in disguise.
Hou Mingzhu was still a bit shy. She left early in the morning without even eating breakfast, saying she had an appointment with her best friend. In reality, Ye Tiancheng knew Hou Mingzhu was a bit unable to face him.
What happened between them last night had indeed gotten a bit out of control. The speed of their relationship's progress had exceeded their expectations. After Hou Mingzhu left, Ye Tiancheng went to check Hou Mingzhu's room and found that the frog corpses were gone.
He asked the housekeeper, but no one had cleaned up. Ye Tiancheng strongly suspected that the frogs had run away after recovering.
The main reason was that Ye Tiancheng's true qi was severely scattered, and its effect on those frogs was minimal. Once they recovered even a little, they would immediately run away.
Ye Tiancheng had miscalculated and felt a pang of regret. He shouldn't have given those dead frogs any chance to breathe...
Ye Tiancheng tidied himself up and went to the company to work. Regardless of what other tricks the dead frog monster had up its sleeve, Ye Tiancheng had to do his job well and not give anyone any reason to criticize him.
Around noon, Hou Mingzhu suddenly arrived, which greatly surprised Ye Tiancheng.
Normally, if Hou Mingzhu had nothing to do, she would rather go shopping than come to the company to work. She was a self-serving individual who never made a mistake in front of others.
When Hou Mingzhu handed Ye Tiancheng a share transfer document, Ye Tiancheng was still taken aback.
"Hou Mingzhu, what do you mean by this?"
"You were calling me wife before. Why don't you cherish me now that you have me? Now you're calling me by my full name."
It turned out Hou Mingzhu still paid great attention to these small details. Ye Tiancheng quickly corrected himself, "Wife, I didn't mean it like that. Why don't you just tell me directly? I can't understand this pile of documents, and it's giving me a headache."
It was indeed a thick stack, and Hou Mingzhu had to admit that her move this time was a bit heavy-handed.
"Alright, the reason you think it's thick is because it's not just one document. Ye Tiancheng, I'm planning to transfer some of my real estate, two villas, three cars, and a company to you. Once you fill out the documents, you will officially become the owner of these assets."
Suddenly enveloped by immense surprise, Ye Tiancheng looked at Hou Mingzhu with confusion, "Wife, what do you mean? Are you really treating me as a kept man? Is this your way of keeping me?"
"Let me tell you the truth. Everything that happened last night was beyond my expectations. However, since it has already happened, I have to treat you as one of my own."
As Ye Tiancheng listened to Hou Mingzhu, he felt increasingly nervous, always sensing that things were not that simple.
"So, you want to buy me off?"
"Ye Tiancheng, I'm giving you these assets because I feel guilty. I accidentally caused the death of the woman you loved most, and I've regretted it ever since. I hope you won't hold a grudge against me, and let's start anew."
Ye Tiancheng finally understood. No wonder Hou Mingzhu had paid such a heavy price this time...
The main reason Hou Mingzhu gave so many assets to Ye Tiancheng was her fear that Ye Tiancheng still harbored resentment.
She wanted to give him plenty of good things so that Ye Tiancheng's resentment would naturally dissipate, and they could start over without dwelling on past revenge.
"I don't want these assets. What happened before is in the past. You helped me in my time of need, and you have a kindness towards me, so let's consider our debts settled. I won't seek revenge in the future."
Ye Tiancheng only said this on the surface because he needed to rely on Hou Mingzhu to advance. In reality, whether he would seek revenge for his beloved woman, Hou Qing'er, one day, Ye Tiancheng was not sure.
In fact, ever since he learned that Hou Mingzhu was the murderer of Hou Qing'er, Ye Tiancheng had gritted his teeth with hatred every time he saw Hou Mingzhu during that period, wishing he could rush over and fight her to the death.
Or perhaps, he could retaliate in kind, burning Hou Mingzhu to death with fire, and let everything return to peace.
However, many things had happened in between, and his mindset had changed. Ye Tiancheng couldn't live in an ideal world; he had to consider the actual circumstances.
Even if he had more integrity, what good would it do? He didn't want to spend another minute being trampled underfoot.
Integrity couldn't be eaten. As the saying goes, "He who understands the times is a wise man."
Now, relying on Hou Mingzhu's powerful backing, Ye Tiancheng's life had a new lease on life. Everything was going smoothly now, and Ye Tiancheng had to cherish this good life and not act foolishly again, lest he fall into the abyss once more.
If he failed again, there might not be anyone willing to help him.
"Ye Tiancheng, I know you were very wealthy before and didn't care for these assets. But things are different now. You don't have money anymore, and these assets are very important to you. Think carefully. Don't miss out on such a huge fortune due to a moment of impulse. You might regret it."
Ye Tiancheng smiled faintly, "I won't. If I accept your assets, wouldn't it seem like I'm with you just for the money? Actually, to be honest with you, I did have grievances against you before, and a large part of it was exploitative. But after everything that happened last night, many things have changed. I hope we can truly be like a couple and overcome difficulties together."
Perhaps only by walking hand in hand together could they overcome the dangers ahead and live their lives.
Hou Mingzhu had heard enough and understood Ye Tiancheng's words were quite sincere.
"Alright, Ye Tiancheng, I understand your intentions. It's normal that you don't want to be a kept man. Every man has this flaw, but it's okay. The documents are in the office. You can sign them and give them to me whenever you've made up your mind. Everything is still valid."
Hou Mingzhu, being a true rich woman, added before leaving, "Anyway, what I'm giving you is just a drop in the ocean for me. As you know, I don't feel any pain about it."
Ye Tiancheng was already accustomed to Hou Mingzhu's bold pronouncements. The young lady always maintained her pride; perhaps no one could change her.
"Alright, then leave them here. I'm not that principled. I might sign them too. Everything depends on the situation."
After Hou Mingzhu left the company, Xiaopang came to hear the news. Upon learning that there were asset transfer documents on Ye Tiancheng's desk, Xiaopang quickly said to his good brother,
"My goodness, Brother Ye, you're about to get rich! Don't be foolish. Opportunities like this aren't common. You must seize them. A young man doesn't know the value of a rich woman, mistaking a young girl for a treasure. You need to be smart about this."
Under Xiaopang's brainwashing, Ye Tiancheng pondered and pondered. Thinking that they were family with Hou Mingzhu anyway, he decided not to stand on ceremony.
Ye Tiancheng quickly convinced himself, signed his name with a flourish on the documents, and handed them to Xiaopang to give to Hou Mingzhu.
The step he had taken now was a surrender to money. However, fortunately, Hou Mingzhu was not an outsider, so it wasn't too embarrassing. Hou Mingzhu was very happy to receive the documents. It seemed things were now stable because Hou Mingzhu knew that if he didn't sign, Ye Tiancheng's hatred for her would never truly disappear from his heart.
The longer it was buried, the more dangerous it would be. Who knew when this seed would sprout and grow into a towering tree? This outcome was the best.
Now that Ye Tiancheng had accepted Hou Mingzhu's kindness, it was said that one who accepts favors finds it difficult to retaliate. Ye Tiancheng would feel embarrassed to seek revenge in the future.
This was Hou Mingzhu's perfect plan. Now that it had been successfully implemented, she could also calmly accept the reality that she was a married woman.
Ye Tiancheng held the treasure, the Marriage Mirror, thinking that since someone had gone to such great lengths to get it for him, it would be impolite not to use it.
So, following Lin Xue's instructions, he took out the Marriage Mirror precisely at midnight to see the person deepest in his heart, his true love.
To see the person deep in his heart, Ye Tiancheng stayed up until midnight without sleeping. Then, he took out the Marriage Mirror and took a look.
In the mirror, Su Muxian's smile appeared. It turned out that fate was predetermined, and it truly couldn't be escaped.
At that moment, Ye Tiancheng missed Su Muxian immensely...
It seemed that his destined soulmate was Su Muxian, but now he was married to Hou Mingzhu. Ye Tiancheng glanced at Hou Mingzhu, who was already fast asleep. Suddenly, he realized how chaotic this world truly was, how his red strings had all become entangled.
Ye Tiancheng should have been with Su Muxian, but instead, he had become entangled with Hou Mingzhu, even marrying her and sleeping together. What a tragedy.
The more Ye Tiancheng thought about it, the more distressed he became. Many memories of being with Su Muxian flashed through his mind from time to time. He stayed like this until two or three in the morning, and finally, exhausted, Ye Tiancheng fell asleep.
The next day at work, the voice of Nuwa Stone suddenly sounded in his spiritual space.
"You brat, didn't the big green snake tell you? As long as you sacrifice your beloved woman, you can break the curse, and your scattered true qi can be gathered bit by bit. Aren't you going to try it?"
"No need. I'm living a very happy life now. I have a beautiful and rich wife, and I own quite a few assets. My life is already perfect. I don't need to sacrifice anyone."
"But are you willing? You've already reached the highest level of the Golden Core stage. With just a little more effort, you can cultivate into an immortal. Have you forgotten all your ambitions? I still remember that you always wanted to become an immortal and see the Heavenly Palace. But now you'd rather be a mortal."
Bringing these things up stirred Ye Tiancheng's heart, as well as his fear of a mediocre future.
He actually knew that mortal lives were only a few decades long, and after death, nothing remained. He only had this one chance, and he wasn't seizing it properly.