Chapter 71: Husband and Wife at Odds?

At seven in the evening, at the Imperial Hotel.

Lan Ruoshuang was dressed in a sequined gown, glittering like a sky full of stars, dazzling and radiant. Her stunning features, exquisite makeup, and the perfect curves of her figure made her appear irresistibly alluring as she walked the red carpet.

“The last time I divorced Wushang, it was here. And now, the An family’s appreciation banquet is also here,” she mused. “Is this what people call revisiting an old place?”

Standing at the entrance, Lan Ruoxue was filled with a torrent of emotions.

Reflecting on her three-year marriage with Ye Wushang, she realized that although he had never supported her career, he had always kept their home meticulously orderly. He had taken care of everything—clothes, food, shelter, and transportation—so she never had to worry about a thing. But ever since the divorce, her home had become a mess, her life lost its rhythm. She was so consumed by her work that she nearly forgot to eat or sleep, leaving her disoriented and unable to keep her life in order.

For reasons she couldn't quite understand, she actually began to miss how things had once been.

“Sis!” Lost in her thoughts, Lan Ruoshuang suddenly called out, hurrying over with Zheng Yiren in tow.

“Ruoshuang, what brings you here?” Lan Ruoxue frowned slightly, glancing at Zheng Yiren, and said coolly, “Yiren, it’s been a while.”

“Ruoxue, it’s been a long time,” Zheng Yiren replied politely. “Tonight is the An family’s appreciation banquet, and they’ve invited all sorts of prominent figures. My boyfriend is among them. I’m here to attend the banquet with him, but I also want him to help teach that good-for-nothing, Ye Wushang, a lesson!”

“Wushang?” Lan Ruoxue’s breath caught. “What happened? How did you two get involved with Wushang? Ruoshuang, did you go looking for trouble over that small workshop again?”

“Bah!” Lan Ruoshuang spat, crossing her arms with fury. “Who cares about that rundown workshop? It’s something else!”

With righteous indignation, she quickly recounted the incident to Lan Ruoxue. Of course, she skipped over the details where she had insulted Ye Wuyou, instead painting a vivid picture of how Ye Wushang had forced her to kneel and apologize. In her telling, Ye Wushang became petty and villainous, deserving the scorn of all.

“Ruoshuang, really?” Lan Ruoxue was astonished. “Wushang actually made you kneel and apologize? Doesn’t he know you’re my sister? Even though we’re divorced, he shouldn’t go that far…”

Just moments ago, she had been reminiscing about all the little moments she and Ye Wushang had shared. Even if all he did was cook and clean, he had at least kept everything running smoothly at home. She didn’t regret the divorce, but looking back, she wondered if she’d treated him unfairly by ending things so casually.

But hearing what he’d done to her sister now, anger flared in her heart—she had to get to the bottom of this.

“Why not? There were so many witnesses! Are you going to need to check the security cameras to believe me?” Lan Ruoshuang stamped her foot angrily. “I don't care what you think, you have to stand up for me!”

“If it’s as you say, then Wushang truly went too far. Let’s wait until after the banquet. I’ll find him and talk to him then.”

She didn’t want to make a scene right now. After all, with Sun Chuanzhi suddenly in a coma, her plan to use him as a contact with the An family to secure the agency rights had fallen apart. The Lan family had been selected as one of three candidates by the An family, but the other two families had far more economic strength and power.

Truth be told, she felt uncertain.

“Wait, isn't that the good-for-nothing himself? What’s he doing here? And he brought his foolish sister with him?” Zheng Yiren suddenly exclaimed, having spotted Ye Wushang and his sister weaving through the crowd after getting out of a taxi.

“That bastard!” At the sight of Ye Wushang, Lan Ruoshuang’s anger erupted. She clenched her fists, ready to lash out, but her sister stopped her. “Ruoshuang, calm down. Let me find out what’s going on first.”

She took a deep breath and stepped forward, coming face-to-face with them.

“Sis… sister-in-law…” This was Ye Wuyou’s first time seeing Lan Ruoxue since waking up. She was always respectful, but after what happened at the office building, she now felt awkward and ashamed to face her.

Her discomfort only served to reinforce Lan Ruoxue’s belief that her sister’s story was true. Her expression darkened; she merely gave Ye Wuyou a polite smile and then said quietly, “Wushang, come with me. There’s something I want to confirm with you directly.”

She knew Ye Wuyou’s health was fragile, and she was still young. Even if there was a dispute, she didn’t want to argue in front of her. But Ye Wushang’s expression was indifferent as he replied, “Say what you need to say here. There’s no need to keep things from my sister.”

“Useless trash!” Lan Ruoshuang stepped forward, scolding, “You’ve got some nerve to even show your face here. What, you want me to apologize to your sister and kneel before you again? Even in front of my sister, you dare bully me? I’ll fight you!”

She lunged at him, but Han Xu simply raised a hand and pushed her aside, making her stumble. Zheng Yiren quickly caught her, preventing her from falling.

“Talk all you want, but don’t lay a hand on me,” Ye Wushang said coldly. “Your sister and I are divorced. You’re not my sister-in-law. I won’t show you any courtesy. Even if you’re a woman, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“Enough!” Lan Ruoxue interrupted sternly.

Ye Wuyou’s awkwardness, and Ye Wushang’s readiness to rebuff her sister, convinced Lan Ruoxue that the kneeling incident was real. She knew her own sister’s temperament—she must have said something harsh, but no words should have led to such a scene.

“Ye Wushang, that’s enough! I never thought you’d become this kind of person after our divorce—so petty and narrow-minded. And now you’ve even resorted to violence, and against my sister, no less! If you have any regard for our former relationship, I demand you apologize to her!”

Lan Ruoxue’s voice was icy as she glared at him—all trace of their former intimacy gone, replaced only by the coldness of strangers.

“And you should kneel and apologize!” Lan Ruoshuang chimed in fiercely. “That’s exactly what he forced me to do! If I didn’t, he would have had all the merchants blacklist me—”

“Enough!”

Ye Wushang had no patience for their theatrics. He had security matters to discuss inside with Baldy and the others. Tonight’s banquet was crucial—both the selection of the agency and a direct confrontation with the Pei family. To him, Lan Ruoshuang was nothing but a noisy clown, not worth his attention. As for Lan Ruoxue, their marital bond had long been severed; nothing she said could change that.

He pushed past Lan Ruoshuang and, taking his sister with him, headed for the hotel.

In desperation, Lan Ruoshuang ran to block his way, threatening, “If you don’t kneel and apologize, I’ll have my sister stop giving you the bath medicine! Isn’t it true that whenever it rains, you’re in unbearable pain? Without the bath medicine, I’ll make sure you suffer!”

Ye Wushang sneered and shook his head. “That won’t work on me. I’ve already been to your house. Grandfather gave me the recipe for the Heavenly Fire Water. Rainy days don’t bother me anymore.”

“I’m only letting things go for Grandfather’s sake. But if you keep making trouble—”

“Grandfather may have given you the prescription,” Lan Ruoxue interjected coldly, “but the core ingredient is in my hands. Without it, the prescription is worthless.”

She hadn’t kept the ingredient to blackmail Ye Wushang; she simply had doubts about the formula and wanted to consult a traditional medicine specialist. She’d felt guilty about the hasty divorce. But now, seeing his harsh attitude, his violence, and forcing her sister to kneel—he’d become a stranger. The pain in her heart was sudden and sharp.

“What did you say?” Ye Wushang’s eyes widened, his expression darkening to the extreme.

No wonder that, even after soaking in the Heavenly Fire Water, his pain had eased only slightly but was never truly relieved. He had thought it was due to the age of the well or the lack of the right atmosphere—but now he realized it was because the core ingredient was missing. Grandfather had already agreed, but she’d kept it back, just to use it against him one day?

“You heard me,” Lan Ruoxue replied bitterly. “The core ingredient is with me. I don’t want to threaten you, but you must do as I say. My sister may have been wrong, but you shouldn’t have made her kneel. Now, I want you to apologize to her. As for kneeling, we’ll discuss that later. Don’t test my patience, do you understand?”

Ye Wushang trembled, nearly losing his footing.

He’d always thought their values simply didn’t align—she was ambitious, he preferred a simple life. Divorce was best for them both. Even if they couldn’t be husband and wife, they could still be friends. But now, for her sister’s sake, she was using the core ingredient to threaten him. This was a matter of character.

“Who dares make Wushang apologize?” A familiar, thunderous voice suddenly rang out. “If I don’t agree, no one will lay a finger on him!”