"I'm not that petty, but I've already paid off the breach of contract penalty for your Su family, so there should be no more ties. You can choose not to come, but if you do, I, Ye Tiancheng, will still be a hospitable host. I won't treat you any differently."
For over ten seconds, Su Muxian remained silent, staring at Ye Tiancheng. Finally, she spoke.
"It seems you still hold a grudge against me. Honestly, I'm also very unwilling. I never expected Hou Mingzhu to sacrifice so much for you. If I had known, I could have increased my stakes. I lost so badly this time because I was outmatched."
Talking in the field felt rather odd. Ye Tiancheng, wanting a break, invited Su Muxian to the nearby lounge.
Someone came and poured tea. Ye Tiancheng, exhausted, drank it down in one gulp.
"Miss Su, I find what you just said rather strange. I'm not some object. It feels like you and Hou Mingzhu were fighting over me."
"I was indeed fighting with Hou Mingzhu over you, and I just happened to lose."
A chill ran down Ye Tiancheng's spine. Women these days, especially wealthy ones, were becoming increasingly assertive. The idea of them actually fighting over him, a son-in-law who relied on his own strength, made him question his place.
"What is it about me that isn't as good as Hou Mingzhu? If you think I have any issues, you can just say so directly."
As Su Muxian spoke, she suddenly reached out and grabbed Ye Tiancheng's hand.
"Brother Ye, I can change for you."
Ye Tiancheng regretted drinking the second cup of tea. The moment it reached his mouth, he spat it out, as if he hadn't drunk it at all.
"Miss Su, I don't have any intentions towards you. Please conduct yourself with propriety."
Ye Tiancheng wondered how he had managed to get into so much romantic trouble without doing anything. Now, this young lady was pursuing him. A normal person might feel proud, but Ye Tiancheng had no such inclination. He only wanted to focus on his career.
"Oh, what's going on? Is the esteemed eldest daughter of the Hou family so cheap that she's delivering herself?"
Hearing Hou Mingzhu's voice struck Ye Tiancheng like lightning. Why was this woman here again? Did she want him to have no peace? Ye Tiancheng feared no problems when pursuing his career, but now he felt a pang of apprehension.
Would these two spoiled and arrogant young ladies tear him in half and divide him?
"You two ladies are chatting, and it's inconvenient for me to be here. I'm going to be busy. I still have a lot of work."
Just as Ye Tiancheng was about to sneak away, he was simultaneously grabbed by Hou Mingzhu and Su Muxian. With an uncanny sense of synchronicity, they both spoke in unison.
"Don't go. Stay right here."
Ye Tiancheng wanted to leave, but neither of these women was easy to deal with. While they might show some gentleness normally, they had now transformed into fierce beasts, firmly holding him in place and preventing him from moving.
"Eldest Miss Hou, didn't you invite me here? Why are you shifting the blame and saying I delivered myself?"
"I invited you to attend the opening ceremony of the horticultural center. Who told you to come and pester Ye Tiancheng? Don't you know that Ye Tiancheng is mine?"
As Hou Mingzhu spoke, she reached out and stroked Ye Tiancheng's chin. This sent his heart into turmoil. What was this woman doing? Did she consider him a pet or a toy?
"Hou Mingzhu! Don't act all innocent after getting what you want. Everyone knows your intentions. Did you sincerely invite me to the opening ceremony of the horticultural center? You clearly wanted to flaunt your success!"
In front of Su Muxian, Hou Mingzhu openly put her arm around Ye Tiancheng's shoulder. "Yes, it's good that you understand. You failed in your underhanded tactics, so now you're just being angry. Look at me, I've spent my money, and I've gotten the person I wanted. Everything is going so smoothly. You must be very jealous, right?"
"Enough! You two can argue however you want, but don't involve me. I'm leaving."
Ye Tiancheng couldn't take it anymore. He had worked so hard to become strong through his own merits, only to almost become a plaything for these two women. He needed to escape quickly; it was too terrifying.
After Ye Tiancheng ran off, he glanced back. The two women were still arguing, clearly enjoying themselves.
As Ye Tiancheng returned to the fields, he heard Fatty arguing with those who were gossiping.
"I never thought you rich people would be so two-faced, saying one thing to our faces and another behind our backs. If you continue talking nonsense, I won't be polite."
"What can you do if you're not polite? Don't think you can be arrogant just because you've followed the right person. Isn't the person you're following also relying on a woman?"
The situation was tense, and a fight was imminent. Ye Tiancheng sighed, realizing that without achieving something significant, he would truly be looked down upon.
"Fatty, stop arguing with them. There's work over there. Go help quickly."
Ye Tiancheng sent Fatty away. He didn't even spare a glance for those who were speaking carelessly.
This time, Ye Tiancheng planned to make a big move, using his own heirloom seeds to compete with the widely circulated hybrid varieties in the market.
Organic vegetables could provide people with fresher energy, and over long-term consumption, they could even improve one's immunity and ultimately change their physique.
This was what Nuwa Stone had said: a frail person who ate Ye Tiancheng's vegetables for a long time could become very strong and resist viruses.
On a small scale, it could make people healthier. On a larger scale, it could even prevent diseases and refine food. This was an inevitable trend, and Ye Tiancheng was well aware that he had to use this divine power to benefit humanity.
Soon, the meal ended, and the guests gradually departed. Hou Mingzhu, having an urgent matter, left without even bidding Ye Tiancheng farewell.
Ye Tiancheng heard that Hou Mingzhu had just flown back from abroad and a friend wanted to go shopping with her. At that moment, Ye Tiancheng wondered if Hou Mingzhu was reliable. She spent her days eating, drinking, and having fun. Such a large project would surely encounter problems.
If things went smoothly, it would be fine. But if setbacks occurred, he hoped this young lady could be more capable and not just cry.
After all, in Ye Tiancheng's memory, Hou Mingzhu hadn't achieved anything significant. Perhaps her strongest skill honed over the years was swiping cards.
Swiping cards referred to shopping. After all, the card Hou Mingzhu held was a black card that could never be maxed out.
Rich people were truly willful. Ye Tiancheng couldn't be bothered. The horticultural center had just started operating, and there were many things to do. He didn't have time to manage whatever mischief Hou Mingzhu was up to. Let her do as she pleased, as long as it didn't involve him.
He thought everyone had left, but to his surprise, Su Muxian appeared. Seeing Su Muxian approach, Ye Tiancheng was shocked.
"You haven't left yet?"
"Brother Ye, it seems you truly despise me now. Did I make one wrong step and have no chance to turn things around? Will you never forgive me and give me a chance?"
Ye Tiancheng felt like he was going crazy. How had the once ethereal Miss Su become so persistent?
"Let's not talk about this. I think in terms of romance, you should find a more proactive man. You're too proactive towards me, and I can't handle it. Although we had some unpleasant things happen between us, I don't really care. Regardless, I earned my first pot of gold from you. Even if we don't cooperate in the future, we can at least be friends. I can guarantee you that."
Su Muxian could see that Ye Tiancheng was saying all this to push her away.
"Brother Ye, you are truly heartless. But it's alright, I don't intend to discuss feelings with you. What I want to say today is that Hou Mingzhu has deceived you, and your plan is destined to fail."
Ye Tiancheng was completely bewildered by Su Muxian's sudden, baseless statement.
"What do you mean by that?"
"You don't understand Hou Mingzhu's character at all. The number of men who have been deceived by that vicious woman is countless. If you were to line them up, they would stretch all the way to France."
Since they had just argued, Ye Tiancheng felt that Su Muxian's words about Hou Mingzhu were heavily influenced by personal emotions and lacked much credibility.
"Unless you have concrete evidence, I don't think you should slander others casually. Even if it's Hou Mingzhu, she still has human rights."
What Ye Tiancheng said was reasonable, but it carried a different meaning in Su Muxian's ears.
"Brother Ye, I know your heart has already swayed elsewhere. But I must remind you, what you're doing now is like pulling up seedlings to help them grow. Not only has your Boya Horticultural Center just started, and its future operations are uncertain, but you're also cooperating with Hou Mingzhu on her catering business. Don't you think this is unrealistic?"
So, this was what Su Muxian wanted to express. Ye Tiancheng had never feared or worried about this aspect.
"Doing business inherently involves risk. I can turn imaginary things into reality. You probably won't believe this, but I can harvest a batch of vegetables in half a month, whereas conventionally, it takes several months. And if the weather is bad, even after months, the harvest might be nothing. I must innovate. I won't do what others have done. Even if I invest a lot in what others have left behind, I will never become a leader. If I want to be a leader, I must take risks."
Initially, Su Muxian felt that Ye Tiancheng's step was not solid enough. However, seeing Ye Tiancheng speak so assertively about his future vision, Su Muxian suddenly felt that perhaps her perspective was too narrow.
"Alright, I understand what you mean. You're taking a leading role. If this batch of your vegetables can truly be produced, and it's unique, you can quickly capture the market. Then, making money will be very easy for you. Money will pour down from the sky into your pockets."
Su Muxian clearly had more business acumen than Hou Mingzhu. After Ye Tiancheng finished speaking, Su Muxian began to look favorably upon Ye Tiancheng's future development.
"How about this, after your first batch of vegetables is successful, I can also cooperate with you."
Ye Tiancheng would not refuse anyone who came to help him, even if this woman had previously tried to snatch him away and might still harbor resentment. It didn't matter. Ye Tiancheng had long known that he couldn't rely solely on Hou Mingzhu. That woman was too unpredictable.
"Okay, then let's cooperate after I achieve some results."