Chapter 6: Clearing Up the Misunderstanding

“What are you doing here instead of cleaning the house? Go back at once! Don’t embarrass me any further!” Su Manman’s face twisted with hostility as she spoke.

“That’s right, you useless thing. If you’re not circling your tiny patch of land all day, what business do you have out here?” sneered her sister-in-law, Su Niannian.

“Niannian, that’s not quite fair,” Meng Qing interjected, her tone dripping with mockery. “Even a dog knows to stretch its legs after being cooped up too long. As for Ye Feng, the family disgrace, at least he’s a bit more advanced than a dog.” She took a deliberate sip of her coffee.

“Qing, you’re too kind. How can you even compare him to a dog? At least a dog knows how to guard the house—can he do even that?” Su Niannian’s voice was full of undisguised contempt.

“You have a point!” Meng Qing agreed.

With that, Meng Qing and Su Niannian burst into unrestrained laughter, ignoring all decorum.

Though their conversation hadn’t targeted her directly, Su Manman’s hands shook with rage. Ye Feng was, after all, her husband, and she felt as though he had utterly disgraced her. Her disappointment in him deepened, and she muttered in a low voice, “Why are you still here? Leave!”

Just then, someone entered the café—the very person who had come to sign the contract, Zhang Chao. He glanced around, searching for the person in charge, and was surprised to spot Su Manman and the others.

“Manman, what a coincidence! I didn’t expect to run into you here,” Zhang Chao greeted her cheerfully, stepping forward.

“Zhang Chao, what are you doing here? This really is a surprise.” Su Manman stood up, clearly startled.

Given that Zhang Chao’s company was far from this café, Su Manman hadn’t expected to see him here.

“Niannian, Qing, good to see you both!” Zhang Chao greeted the other women, deliberately ignoring Ye Feng.

Both women returned his greeting warmly.

“Zhang Chao, I really must thank you. If it hadn’t been for you, my company could never have resumed operations so quickly,” Su Manman said gratefully.

“I didn’t know you were so capable, Zhang Chao. To raise ten million in such a short time—impressive!” Su Niannian looked at him with admiration.

“Manman should have married you from the start. If she had, she wouldn’t be struggling so much now,” Meng Qing added with a sigh.

Zhang Chao couldn’t help but feel proud at their words, though he kept his composure in front of so many people. “There’s no need for thanks. Manman’s problems are my problems!” he said, casting a glance at her for a reaction.

Standing off to the side, Ye Feng finally understood the situation. “So, I’m the one who actually provided the money, yet this shameless man is taking the credit. And my own wife is running me down in front of everyone. Let’s see how he likes it when I expose him!”

Ye Feng stepped up beside Su Manman and addressed Zhang Chao, “And where did a mere general manager like you get that much money?”

Su Manman found Ye Feng’s question rude—after all, Zhang Chao had done them a favor. She shot Ye Feng a warning look, urging him to be quiet, clearly annoyed.

Zhang Chao, flustered by the question, snapped back, “You worthless fool! What nonsense are you spouting? Of course it was my money that helped Manman!”

“That’s right, you useless thing! Where could you possibly get ten million—even if you sold yourself, you wouldn’t be worth that much,” Su Niannian said with disdain.

“Ye Feng, shut up! All you ever do is create trouble!” Su Manman hissed through gritted teeth.

“Sorry, Zhang Chao, he’s always like this. Please ignore him,” Su Manman apologized sincerely.

“It’s nothing, Manman. Who would bother arguing with a loser?” Zhang Chao replied airily.

“Manman, are you really sure it was his money?” Ye Feng pointed at Zhang Chao.

Su Manman’s cheeks flushed with anger. “If it wasn’t Zhang Chao who lent me the money, are you saying it was you, you worthless wretch?”

“It really was me who lent you the money. Please, believe me this once,” Ye Feng said earnestly, looking straight at her.

“If you say you lent the money, do you have any proof?” Meng Qing raised her eyebrows.

“That’s right, if you have the guts, show us the evidence!” Su Niannian scoffed, never imagining the so-called loser could have produced the money.

“Fine, if you want proof, take a look at this.” Ye Feng pulled a remittance slip from his pocket and slapped it on the table.

The moment Ye Feng presented the slip, the three women and Zhang Chao were stunned, scrambling to examine the evidence.

“You really gave this money to my sister?” Su Niannian gasped.

“Where did you get so much money? You do nothing all day—how could you possibly get your hands on this sum?” Su Manman was incredulous. The man everyone regarded as useless had come up with such a large amount—she truly hadn’t expected it.

She stared at Ye Feng, waiting for an explanation.

“I borrowed it from a close friend,” Ye Feng replied smoothly, having already prepared this story. He didn’t want them to know his true identity, to avoid unnecessary complications.

He turned to Su Niannian. “Do you remember our bet?”

Su Niannian’s face darkened as she recalled that she’d promised to wash this loser’s feet for a week if he succeeded. The thought made her sick, and she snapped in embarrassment and anger, “Don’t even think about it! That’s never going to happen.”

“And let me be clear—the money you borrowed is your own responsibility. The Su family won’t clean up after you, and don’t expect us to repay a cent!” With that, Su Niannian turned and stormed out.

Ye Feng merely smiled, unbothered.

Watching her leave, Su Manman felt a pang of guilt. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back as soon as possible,” she said, her attitude toward Ye Feng softening a little.

Zhang Chao stood by, his face burning with shame at being exposed in front of everyone. He wished he could crawl into a hole. If not for the contract he still had to negotiate, he would have left already. “It’s all Ye Feng’s fault. If not for him, I wouldn’t be so humiliated. Maybe by now I’d be drinking with my goddess,” he thought bitterly.

Zhang Chao shot Ye Feng a venomous look before making an excuse to head for the restroom.

Ye Feng watched him go, a mysterious smile playing around his lips.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Ye Feng’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, then walked to a quiet corner to take the call.

On the other end, Zhang Chao’s voice was excessively polite. “Hello, is this the person in charge of Evergrand Group?”

“Yes, it’s me,” Ye Feng replied, deliberately lowering his voice.

“I’ve already ordered coffee for you. May I ask where you are? How much longer before you arrive?”

“Oh, I won’t be coming. The contract is off, and our cooperation is terminated.” With that, Ye Feng hung up in style, leaving Zhang Chao alone to stew in the restroom.

When Su Manman saw Ye Feng taking a call behind her back, she suspected he was hiding something, but this was hardly the time to ask. Instead, she said, “Since you’re home all day with nothing to do, why not help out at Meng Qing’s company for a while?”

“All right. I’ll do as you say,” Ye Feng replied without hesitation.

Having misunderstood him earlier, Su Manman now felt a little guilty and agreed readily.

“No problem. Be there on time tomorrow,” Meng Qing said with a smile, grabbing her bag and leaving.

“Let’s go home, then,” Su Manman said.

The two made their way to the parking lot.

Out of habit, Ye Feng went for the back seat, but Su Manman stopped him. “I’m a bit tired today. Why don’t you drive?”

As she watched Ye Feng handle the car with such skill, Su Manman began to wonder if perhaps he wasn’t completely useless after all. “You drive really well. Where did you learn?” she asked in confusion.

“Ah… I used to work as a driver,” Ye Feng replied, making up an excuse, and Su Manman didn’t press further.

Closing her eyes, Su Manman reflected, “I shouldn’t expect too much from Ye Feng. At least now I can see some good sides to him, and he listens when I ask him to do something. That’s enough for me.”

Back at the Su family villa.

As soon as they got home, Ye Feng washed his hands and set about preparing Su Manman’s favorite dishes in the kitchen, bustling back and forth. Watching him, Su Manman felt a warmth she hadn’t known before. Instead of irritation, she found herself thinking, perhaps this is what home is supposed to feel like.