The Wealthy and Influential Fiancé Has the Ability to Read Minds
Chapter 44
“…These are the gifts I received while working: a watch worth over two million, a brooch worth one hundred and fifty thousand, a custom-made dress worth two hundred thousand, and when I became a permanent employee…” Tang Xing listed each item one by one, not even giving Shen Jinhua a chance to speak. “As for pocket money, I have five properties in my name, with an annual rent of about one million. Over six years, that’s over six million. When I got into university, I received sixty thousand in red envelopes… After winning third place in the English competition, I received twenty-three thousand in red envelopes…”
The more the crowd listened, the wider their mouths opened. They were all stunned, looking at Tang Jinxin’s family, clearly not expecting them to be so wealthy.
Tang Xing, too, listed each item in detail, without any particular order or categorization. It seemed like she just put whatever she found in the short time she had.
Unlike Tang Nuan, who remembered each gift clearly because she received so few, Tang Xing had received so many that each one seemed incredibly precious at this moment. By the end, her voice was almost choked with sadness.
The onlookers fell silent. Just from these gifts and pocket money, it was evident how much Tang Jinxin’s family loved her.
“Enough, enough!” Shen Jinhua finally couldn’t hold back her tears. “Tang Xing, stop reading.”
Tang Jinxin and Tang Fei both turned away, unable to bear watching any longer.
Tang Xing took a deep breath and, like Lin Yue’e, distributed the booklets to everyone. She smiled and said, “See for yourselves. I’m not mentioning the small stuff. I didn’t attend any prestigious schools, so the education expenses weren’t much. These are just gifts and pocket money. After I turned eighteen, transfers became easier, so there are transaction records. I calculated the total, and it’s about twenty million.”
Everyone silently passed the booklets around. The atmosphere was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Each item in the booklets was a testament to the love Tang Jinxin’s family had for their child. And Tang Nuan? Born into a wealthy family, yet deprived both materially and emotionally, it’s no wonder she had such a reputation. Everything she fought for was just to get what little she had. If she hadn’t fought, her life would probably be worse than that of Tang Yi, the illegitimate child.
So, who was the real fake heiress? Who stole whose life? Everyone couldn’t help but look at Tang Sheng’an’s family.
The composure and superiority that the Tang Sheng’an family had when they arrived were utterly shattered in this silence. All three of them felt like they were sitting on pins and needles.
Lin Yue’e, unwilling to believe it, slammed the booklet on the table and scolded Tang Xing, “Stop spouting nonsense! How could their family have so much money? Four children and all five properties are yours? Have they been secretly contacting you? Are they trying to scam us out of money? Think clearly, which family is really yours?”
Before Tang Xing could respond, Shen Jinhua suddenly took out a thickly bound book and hurled it at Lin Yue’e. Unprepared, Lin Yue’e felt a sharp pain on her face, tears springing to her eyes.
Shen Jinhua’s voice rang out loudly, “Our family doesn’t have money?”
Lin Yue’e was stunned by the hit, and Tang Shuang furiously slammed the table, “You—”
Before she could finish, Shen Jinhua raised her hand and threw another booklet, hitting Tang Shuang squarely on the face with a resounding “smack.” Tang Shuang followed in Lin Yue’e’s footsteps, letting out a scream. Shen Jinhua then slammed a third booklet onto the dumbfounded Tang Sheng’an’s face, completing the set for their family.
No one had time to react as Shen Jinhua stood up, hands on her hips, pointing at them and yelling, “I knew you wouldn’t want to acknowledge it. Look closely with your dog eyes. My family owns over twenty properties, including the Glorious Tower. How are we not wealthy?”
“If you dare accept it, I can bury you in money, believe it or not?”
The onlookers finally snapped out of their shock. Seeing the uniform red noses and tears of the Tang Sheng’an family, someone couldn’t help but laugh.
The wealthy wives in their circle were always poised and elegant; none were as fierce as Shen Jinhua. For many, this was their first time witnessing such a display, but surprisingly, it wasn’t off-putting. Against some disgusting worms, a rough and direct approach was precisely what was needed.
Tang Sheng’an’s family felt utterly humiliated as if they had been stripped naked. Tang Jinxin also threw the organized list at Tang Sheng’an, “Now that everything is settled, you have no objections to making up the money, right?”
“Our Nuan Nuan only needs to cover the cost of education and shares, right? Oh, and add those two pieces of jewelry and the bag. Let me see… a total of eight hundred and… let’s just round it up to 8.1 million. The extra can be charity to you; hope you make good use of it.”
Laughter erupted from the crowd.
Tang Sheng’an’s face flushed bright red, but Tang Jinxin didn’t give him a chance to speak. He directly took the booklet from Tang Xing. “For Tang Xing…” He paused for a moment, clearly finding it difficult, before quickly turning to the last page. “It’s 23.5 million.”
“You owe us 15.4 million,” Tang Jinxin said. “Did I get that right?”
Tang Sheng’an’s family was shocked. Not only did they fail to claim any money, but they also found out they owed over 15 million! They were, of course, unwilling to accept this.
With so much at stake, Tang Shuang put aside her pride and insisted, “How can it be just two pieces of jewelry and a bag? Even though those were gifts from Young Master Ye, Tang Nuan was only able to get engaged to him because of our family…”
“I think you misunderstand something,” Ye Shuyan, who had been silently sitting at the head of the table, finally spoke. He was looking through Tang Xing’s booklet without even glancing up, his tone indifferent. “My engagement to Tang Nuan was never about family background. If I were choosing based on family background, your Tang family would be the first to be excluded.”
He finally placed Tang Xing’s booklet on the table, aligning it with Tang Nuan’s, and looked up at the Tang Sheng’an family trio.
Ye Shuyan’s phoenix eyes remained cold and emotionless, but there seemed to be a brewing storm within them. Everyone could feel it: Ye Shuyan was angry.
“It’s because of Tang Nuan that I haven’t pursued this further with you,” Ye Shuyan stared at them. “Since the engagement, how many projects have you used my name for? How many investments have you secured? Do I need to personally address this?”
The faces of the Tang family trio instantly changed.
Ye Shuyan fixed his gaze on Tang Sheng’an. “I remember telling you last time that Tang Nuan is my fiancée. Bullying her is bullying me. There wouldn’t be a next time. It seems your memory isn’t very good?”
A chill rose in Tang Sheng’an’s heart. Forgetting his dignity, he quickly said, “No, President Ye, that’s not what we meant. Today was just a continuation of an argument from the other day. When you set the time and place, we couldn’t…”
“You couldn’t disobey?” Xie Feizhe sneered. “So, it’s all Ye Shuyan’s fault. If it weren’t for him, your Tang family wouldn’t have to pay compensation and could even extort one or two million, right? It’s all Ye Shuyan’s fault for being too powerful. No, it’s Tang Nuan’s family’s fault for being too wealthy and spoiling their daughter. Your family is the most innocent and pitiful, isn’t it?”
The crowd echoed his sarcasm, leaving Tang Sheng’an speechless.
The result was clear. Ye Shuyan didn’t want to waste more time. He glanced at his watch and said, “15.4 million. I’ll give you three days to pay it back. Handle the household registration within a week.” Then he turned to Tang Nuan, his tone softening, “Let’s go home.”
With that, he gently took Tang Nuan’s hand and led her out, leaving the Tang family standing there in their disgrace.
Shen Jinhua gently held Tang Nuan back. “President Ye, you go ahead. We need to talk with Nuan Nuan for a bit. We’ll send her back later.” Her tone was much softer this time.
Seeing Tang Nuan nod, Ye Shuyan said, “Alright, I’ll leave then. Call me if you need anything.”
Xie Feizhe’s gaze flickered between the two of them, and then he flashed a mischievous smile and followed Ye Shuyan out.
The remaining crowd started to point and gossip about the Tang Sheng’an family, but they were too preoccupied to care. The loss of 15 million was huge, and if Ye Shuyan decided to retaliate against them… they needed to come up with a plan.
Before they could think further, a gentle voice spoke up, “A large company like Tang Li Group should be paying all its taxes properly, right?”
The three Tang family members were startled and turned around to see Tang Yue standing up from her seat next to Tang Jinxin, smiling sweetly at them.
Their eyes momentarily flickered with unease. Lin Yue’e, trying to sound fierce but with a hint of weakness, said, “Of course, our family doesn’t engage in illegal activities!”
Tang Yue smiled gently, “Oh, that’s good. I’m particularly fond of justice. I believe you know about my law firm.”
Of course they knew, and so did almost everyone in their social circle.
Not long ago, there was a high-profile apology campaign on Weibo that still hasn’t ended. Every day, someone new steps forward to apologize to Tang Nuan. If at first, these apologies seemed forced, they are now incredibly sincere because the initial influential figures have already publicly paid their compensations.
Lawyers have analyzed that having a record from this case will likely affect their future employment and education opportunities. Even those with lighter offenses, who only received a reprimand at the police station, will have their foolish actions known to their relatives and friends, becoming a permanent stain on their lives.
Regarding this, Mingyue Law Firm’s statement on Weibo was: “The apologies are received, but we will not withdraw the lawsuits. Hurting someone and then wanting to atone with a mere apology? That’s not how it works. Since you did it, you must face the consequences.”
Those who had participated in the online harassment were naturally furious, but all they could do was suppress their anger and continue to beg for forgiveness, not daring to utter any more extreme words.
Many other victims of online harassment also contacted Mingyue Law Firm, and now the online environment has significantly improved.
At first, everyone thought this was Ye Shuyan’s doing, but it turned out to be Tang Nuan’s older sister. No wonder the efforts were so relentless; it also revealed how formidable she was.
Once targeted by her… tax evasion and fraud would be much easier to prove in court than online harassment. Tang Li Group itself had always been plagued by internal conflicts, leaving plenty of loopholes to exploit.
If they didn’t want their company to get into trouble, they would have to obediently pay up.
The farce was resolved neatly, and Tang Jinxin’s family prepared to leave. Along the way, Shen Jinhua held Tang Nuan’s hand tightly.
When Tang Xing was reading the booklet and Shen Jinhua couldn’t help but stop her, she instinctively grabbed Tang Nuan, as if afraid she would run away.
Sitting in the car, Tang Nuan flipped through the list they had organized. It wasn’t as detailed as Tang Xing’s, but it included all the major items and transaction records. The total was slightly less than Tang Xing’s, but not by much.
She was somewhat surprised. Despite the Tang family’s deep emotional ties to Tang Xing over the past twenty years, organizing this booklet must have been painful for her.
Tang Xing likely understood this too. She was afraid the Tang family wouldn’t do it properly, so she made the list herself…
Shen Jinhua sighed, “Nuan Nuan, I’m sorry…”
Tang Nuan finally asked, “Why did you do this?”
Shen Jinhua was taken aback for a moment and then slowly said, “Nuan Nuan, life is full of difficult choices. The dilemma between loyalty and duty happens often, and it comes down to making a choice. In this situation, it was inevitable that almost everyone would get hurt, but one thing is certain: the person who shouldn’t be hurt is you. You are the most righteous one.”
So, in the end, they chose to endure their own pain and hurt Tang Xing, just to give her a sense of justice.
Shen Jinhua gently patted her head, “Since we said we would look forward, let’s all look forward. Tang Xing will also need to move past this hurdle, just as you have over the years. We believe she will grow stronger.”
“Right now, you are the most important to us.”
Tang Nuan saw Shen Jinhua’s slightly reddened eyes and the silent support from Tang Yue and Tang Fei. She suddenly felt a sense of relief, realizing that at this moment, she wasn’t as resentful of Tang Xing.
Tang Nuan said to Tang Yue, “Eldest sister, maybe you should check on Tang Xing. I’m worried she might be in trouble.” Knowing the character of Tang Sheng’an’s family, they wouldn’t let Tang Xing off easily.
Tang Yue was taken aback, then patted her head, “Nuan Nuan, thank you.”
Seeing the smiles on Tang Jinxin and Shen Jinhua’s faces, Tang Nuan’s mood also lifted. Tang Fei joked, “Nuan Nuan, get your account ready. You’re about to be rich!”
Tang Nuan felt even brighter.
However, Ye Shuyan’s mood wasn’t as good. He looked down at the tablet in his hands, trying hard to ignore the annoying person next to him.
“Hey? Why the long face? Still mad?” Xie Feizhe curiously examined Ye Shuyan. “Tsk, tsk, are you upset because the Tang family treated Tang Nuan badly, or because Tang Nuan didn’t come back with you?”
Ye Shuyan continued to focus on his document, ignoring him.
Xie Feizhe clicked his tongue and snatched the tablet away, “Oh, stop pretending. You were just flipping the pages back and forth.”
Ye Shuyan turned to him with an expressionless face, “What exactly do you want?”
Xie Feizhe propped his elbow on the car window and looked at Ye Shuyan as if he were a rare animal. “I’m here to see the legendary Ye Shuyan, who swore he’d never fall in love, actually falling in love.”
Ye Shuyan couldn’t help but comment, “Are you still in high school? How can you be so childish?”
“Yes,” Xie Feizhe replied proudly, “People say love makes you stupid, so I’ve always been like this.”
Ye Shuyan rubbed his forehead in frustration, “I mean, it’s been so many years. Is it really worth it for one woman?”
Xie Feizhe looked at him and suddenly asked, “And you? Are you going to break off the engagement with Tang Nuan?”
Ye Shuyan was bewildered, “Why would I break off the engagement with her?”
Xie Feizhe said, “Why not? Previously, she was a suitable choice, but now that you’re considering marriage, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to choose someone from a similar background? I can’t believe your smart, rational brain hasn’t reached that conclusion.”
Ye Shuyan replied calmly, “She is the most beneficial to me.”
Xie Feizhe grinned, “Ye Shuyan, stop deceiving yourself. She is definitely not the most beneficial.” Without waiting for Ye Shuyan to respond, he suddenly asked, “Did you just want to bring her with you?”
He continued, “Come on, you’re going back to work. Why would you want to take her along? Her parents are there, and they clearly love her very much. She won’t suffer. Why did you want to take her? Are you reluctant to leave her?”
Ye Shuyan was momentarily stunned.
“Do you realize that wanting to have her with you all the time is one of the signs of love?”
Ye Shuyan found him unreasonable.
Xie Feizhe rested his chin on his hand and continued, “And what about the carnival the day before yesterday? There was no reason for you to attend, but I saw you were quite happy accompanying Tang Nuan. When her family caused trouble, you even went over personally. That’s another sign of love…”
Ye Shuyan, unable to bear it any longer, said, “That’s something I should do as her fiancé.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Xie Feizhe looked at him curiously. “Do you think she’s exceptionally beautiful? Do you feel particularly happy when you see her? Do you keep thinking about her when you don’t see her?”
Ye Shuyan suddenly felt irritated. “Why did you come along?”
Xie Feizhe laughed at his expression, “To see you make a fool of yourself. Back when you were high and mighty, calling me a lovesick fool, I told you that one day you would get your retribution…”
Ye Shuyan took a deep breath, “I never called you that.”
Xie Feizhe waved dismissively, “Whatever, that’s not important. You meant it anyway.”
Ye Shuyan didn’t want to continue this nonsense and said coldly, “Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t feel like I’m getting my retribution.”
“Oh?” Xie Feizhe said with interest, “Then let me ask you this: if Tang Nuan fell in love with someone else and wanted to break off the engagement, would you calmly let her go?”
As the car drove into the underground parking of the Ye Corporation building, Ye Shuyan immediately got out and walked straight to the elevator, instructing the driver, “Get rid of him.”
The driver looked at Xie Feizhe awkwardly, but Xie Feizhe remained unbothered, leaning against the car and watching Ye Shuyan’s hurried steps. He whistled and called out, “Ye Shuyan, don’t deny it! If you’re in love, just admit it. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. A lovesick CEO can be quite cute!”
Ye Shuyan ignored him and entered the elevator, his mind troubled by Xie Feizhe’s words. As the doors closed, he couldn’t help but wonder about his feelings for Tang Nuan.
Ye Shuyan returned to his office on the 20th floor with a cold expression, almost storming in. Assistant Wen, peering through the office glass, was puzzled. Hadn’t he gone to witness something for Miss Tang? How did he end up angry? In his mind, the Tang family, especially with Tang Sheng’an, wouldn’t dare provoke his boss, even if given a hundred chances.
Maybe he was mistaken? As Assistant Wen pondered this, he prepared the documents, waiting for Ye Shuyan to call him in for a report. However, after half an hour of silence, he decided to take the initiative.
As he approached the office door, he remembered something and returned to his desk to retrieve a USB drive and a manila envelope before heading back to the CEO’s office.
The secretaries seemed to sense something amiss and warned him, “President Ye seems to be in a bad mood.”
Assistant Wen raised the manila envelope, indicating he had a secret weapon to counter this.
Ye Shuyan sat behind his desk, coldly reviewing documents, looking very much like the icy work machine Assistant Wen had always known.
Quickly, Assistant Wen handed over the USB drive and manila envelope. “President Ye, these are from Li, the reporter at Metropolitan Daily. They include the photos, and the article sent to your email for your review.”
Without looking up, Ye Shuyan responded coldly, “Leave them there. Anything else?”
Assistant Wen frowned. Why did he seem even angrier? Could it be that Miss Tang upset him? It was possible; after all, it’s normal for couples to quarrel.
Ye Shuyan glanced at him, and Assistant Wen, thinking he had guessed the reason, wisely stepped back to a distance of three meters before starting his report.
Ye Shuyan listened with a blank expression, which was unusual for Assistant Wen to witness.
“…The preliminary evaluation of the Nuanyang System has been completed. We need to engage with their team to finalize the financing plan.”
Ye Shuyan seemed lost in thought.
“President Ye?” Assistant Wen called out.
Ye Shuyan frowned, “Financing plan?”
Assistant Wen was caught off guard. Wasn’t it a financing plan? Or could it be an acquisition plan? But wasn’t that misleading the Jiang family? Surely, he wouldn’t want Miss Tang to suffer any loss.
Ye Shuyan then coldly said, “Acquisition plan.”
Assistant Wen: ???
Wow, is this what a capitalist looks like? They have a fight and then hit his fiancée where it hurts the most? That’s really harsh!
However, Ye Shuyan showed no signs of changing his mind. “If there’s a need to negotiate, contact Tang Nuan. If there are any issues, come to me.”
Completely business oriented, Assistant Wen felt as if he had been transported back to a few months ago when his boss treated himself merely as a fiancé without any personal attachment.
After Assistant Wen left, Ye Shuyan stared at the document for a while, realizing he couldn’t focus on a single word. His gaze drifted to the envelope beside him, and after a moment’s hesitation, he picked it up and opened it.
Inside, besides the USB drive, were several developed photos.
Ye Shuyan pursed his lips, his eyes unconsciously falling on the beautiful woman in the pictures. She was intimately holding his arm, her head slightly tilted against his shoulder, her eyes glancing sideways in his direction, and her lips slightly pouted. Ye Shuyan could vividly imagine her secretly glaring at him, looking lively and adorable…
His fingers unconsciously brushed against the black pearl hairpin in her hair. It suited her well, complementing her long hair…
A tingling sensation spread through his fingers as he recalled the feeling of running his fingers through her hair that day. Ye Shuyan’s gaze shifted to his hand…
A knock on the door brought Ye Shuyan back to reality. He realized he had been lost in thought again and frowned. He quickly put the photos and USB drive back into the manila envelope and tossed it into a nearby drawer.
“Come in,” he said, composing himself.
When the executive came in to report on the work, Ye Shuyan realized that he hadn’t had time to review the materials submitted.
Ye Shuyan rubbed his forehead, took a deep breath, and focused entirely on his work. This time, he was not distracted at all. By the time he looked up again, it was already afternoon.
Assistant Wen came in with a thick stack of documents and also mentioned the schedule for the next day. As he was about to leave, he hesitated for a moment and then said, “President Ye, I saw that Miss Tang posted on her WeChat Moments. It seems she’s planning to celebrate completely breaking away from Tang Li Group. Should we prepare flowers and a gift?”
Hearing this, Ye Shuyan looked up and stared at him with a distant gaze.
Assistant Wen felt a chill, “No, it’s not necessary?”
Ye Shuyan said coolly, “Thank you for keeping such close tabs on her.”
Assistant Wen: …
Isn’t this part of my job? What’s with the resentful tone? Are you asking me to keep watching her or to stop?
Weighing the pros and cons, Assistant Wen finally cleared his throat and said, “I overstepped.”
However, as he was leaving, he heard Ye Shuyan’s voice again, “I’ll be working late today. Prepare the flowers and the gift for me.”
Assistant Wen: …
Being a corporate drone is tough!
Half an hour later, while handling the workload that had been shifted back to him, which originally should have been Ye Shuyan’s responsibility, Assistant Wen received a cautious call from the jewelry store manager, “Hey, why did President Ye come in person? Does he have any specific preferences or taboos we should be aware of?”
Assistant Wen replied expressionlessly, “I don’t know. He’s just a capricious capitalist. Don’t feel sorry for him.”
Jewelry store manager: …
The author has something to say:
Ye Shuyan: I am a calm and rational CEO, and I haven’t fallen in love with Tang Nuan.
Assistant Wen: So, like before, should I go choose a gift for Miss Tang?
Ye Shuyan: Go… No, come back! Choosing a gift for my fiancée is the responsibility of her fiancé. What does this have to do with you, Assistant Wen? Leave!
Assistant Wen: …
Assistant Wen: A capricious capitalist indeed. No wonder you are misunderstood and have no sympathy, humph!