The driver from the Yi family came at the worst possible time. Whether for Xu Xinyi, Yi Yang, or for Qin Yan, it was all bad timing.
When Qin Yan heard from a friend that Yi Yang was waiting for her in a room on the second floor, she thought it was just a little joke from her friend. What she didn't expect was that they actually drugged Yi Yang.
"Yan Yan, don't hesitate. Who doesn't know that Xu Xinyi has intervened in your relationship with Yi Yang? Xu Xinyi is the third party, let alone the fact that Yi Yang doesn't like her at all."
"They will get divorced sooner or later. If you want to wait a few more years, that's fine, but if you don't want to wait, go to the second floor now. You don't have to really do anything with him. Just stay in the room for a while, and we will take care of it for you."
Just as Qin Yan was about to be swayed, Yi Yang's driver arrived with hotel staff in tow and went straight to the second floor.
They were all panicked.
"What are you doing here?"
The hotel staff explained, "Miss Qin, this gentleman says he is Mr. Yi's driver. Mr. Yi called him and asked him to come."
Qin Yan guessed that Yi Yang in the room must have woken up, and regret flashed across her face.
The door opened.
There was a small lamp on the bedside that illuminated only part of the room, but the scene at the bedside was clear.
Yi Yang was drenched, and Xu Xinyi was standing at the bedside holding a belt.
The situation was explosive.
The quick-witted driver closed the door behind him.
"Sorry to disturb."
They stood outside the door, all looking at each other, still in shock from what had just happened.
The driver coughed softly and said, "Mr. Yi and Mrs. Yi are still very much in love." The crowd had different expressions. Qin Yan knew clearly that from the situation inside, the matter was probably already exposed. If Yi Yang didn't believe that she wasn't involved, she needed to come up with a plan.
Five minutes later, Xu Xinyi came out of the room and mocked, "Miss Qin, you are young, how could you do such a shameless thing at your own birthday party?"
"Watch your language," the loyal friends defended Qin Yan.
"I'm being polite now, you better think about how to explain this later."
Ah, she had really overestimated Qin Yan. She thought she was a master, but she turned out to be just an amateur. She even thought she could handle Yi Yang, but in the end, she might end up implicating herself.
From the current situation, it would be strange for Yi Yang to like her.
"Xiao Zhang," Xu Xinyi instructed the driver, "go and find a suit, and bring some large-sized band-aids."
"Yes, Mrs. Yi."
Nervously, Qin Yan asked, "What's wrong with Yi Yang? Is he okay?"
"He's fine, just ate something he shouldn't have," Xu Xinyi glanced at the various expressions of the people, especially the friends who drugged the drink, then turned and closed the door behind her.
The room was in disarray, the wet bed dripping with water, forming several puddles spreading around.
After calming down, Yi Yang sat on the sofa with his head lowered. Xu Xinyi glanced at him, turned on the indoor heating at the entrance, and then went to the bathroom to get a towel for him.
"You go to the bathroom and take off your clothes, there's a bathrobe inside. Remember to dry your hair, don't catch a cold."
Yi Yang remained silent for a while. Xu Xinyi really wanted to throw something at him.
But considering that Yi Yang was also a victim tonight, and also, she was the one who poured the three buckets of water on him earlier, she dismissed the thought.
Forget it, I won't be petty considering how pitiful he looks.
Xu Xinyi walked over and used a clean towel to dry his wet hair.
Yi Yang's body trembled slightly as he lifted his head, gazing unwaveringly at Xu Xinyi. In his dark and shiny peach blossom eyes, a warm orange light reflected, as if a cluster of fire was burning.
Xu Xinyi blinked and stared back at him.
Yi Yang's head hung down, devoid of the arrogant pride he displayed during the day, replaced by a pitiable expression.
"..."
Xu Xinyi couldn't stand that look. She was a fan of good looks, and Yi Yang's appearance didn't disappoint. Under this gaze, she found herself unable to resist the anger that had built up in her heart, which dissipated instantly.
Argh, that scoundrel Yi Yang actually used the handsome trick on me!
"Feeling cold? Wait a moment, I've turned on the heater, it'll be warm soon." Xu Xinyi muttered as she dried his hair, "Look, how could you have friends like that? Putting medicine in your drink. Is that something to take lightly? You should go to the hospital to get checked later, in case there's a problem. Also, even if it's a friend you haven't seen in many years, you can't be so careless."
After his hair had finally stopped dripping, she said, "Go to the bathroom and take off all your clothes, put on the bathrobe first, otherwise, you'll catch a cold. I'll have the driver bring you a suit, you can change into it later."
"How did you know?" Yi Yang finally spoke after a long silence.
"The waiter who spilled wine on you told me. He saw someone put something in your drink and asked another server to give it to you. You drank it, that's how I knew. Are you okay now?"
Another long silence. Yi Yang wearily rubbed his brow and stood up, "I'm fine, I'll go change my clothes."
As soon as he entered the bathroom, the driver brought the suit over, along with the large band-aid Xu Xinyi had asked for.
As the room gradually warmed up and Yi Yang put on the suit and came out of the bathroom, the warm air enveloped him, completely dispelling the chill.
"Qin Yan just came and said that Mr. Qin wants to see you. What do you want to do about this?"
"Deal with it as it comes," Yi Yang said as he fastened the button of his shirt at the cuff, his expression silent and inscrutable. "Let's go."
"Wait!" Xu Xinyi walked up to him, smiled, then raised on her tiptoes and firmly placed a large band-aid on Yi Yang's neck where she had accidentally hit him with her belt, covering the red swelling, "There, all set, let's go."
The show was about to begin!
Qin Yan's birthday party was grand, but the conclusion was rushed. After Mr. Qin sent the guests off, he stayed with some of the younger generation.
The hotel checked the surveillance footage and found the waiter who had served the drink to Yi Yang. Under intimidation and coercion, the waiter spilled everything, pointing at Qin Yan's four friends, saying, "They asked me to serve it."
At first, Qin Yan's friends denied it, but after finding the drugs on one of them, they couldn't utter a word of defense.
"Yi Yang is here?" Mr. Qin looked at Xu Xinyi and Yi Yang walking side by side, with a somewhat worried look, "Is everything alright?"
Yi Yang did not look away from Mr. Qin as he walked over, "It's nothing serious, sir, are you well?"
"Fine, very well," Mr. Qin smiled and said, "As long as you're okay. I just heard about this, I'm furious too."
He glared at those people, "You guys need to explain this to Yi Yang clearly."
Qin Yan's friends looked around, then blurted out what they had agreed on before.
"Yi Yang, don't be so petty, we were just joking."
"Yeah, we haven't seen each other in so many years, no need to make a big deal out of this little thing."
"We apologize, okay?"
Qin Yan also said, "Yeah, Yiyang, this is really just a joke, I don't know why it's been blown out of proportion. Today is my 25th birthday. Just for my sake, can we let it go?"
Xu Xinyi felt a cold sweat, fearing that Yiyang, that jerk, would let it go just to save face in front of Mr. Qin.
"The old fox and a bunch of young foxes. If they can't handle it, why stay here? Aren't they just trying to show off, use their prestige, and let Yiyang off?"
Mr. Qin sighed, "Yiyang, I know this is unfair to you, but today is Yan Yan's birthday. If it becomes a big deal, it won't look good on our faces. Let them apologize to you, and let's call it even, okay?"
"I knew it."
"A bunch of bastards, teaming up to bully my husband? Bah!"
Xu Xinyi couldn't hold her anger like Yiyang, "Mr. Qin, you are the elder, I understand that you want to protect the younger ones, but sometimes you also need to be reasonable. This matter hasn't been investigated properly, how can you just dismiss it like this?"
"Is there something unclear?"
"Of course, Xu Xinyi said, "Everyone knows that your granddaughter likes Yiyang. Who knows if her friends drugged Yiyang to matchmake the two of them?"
"You're talking nonsense! It's true that we drugged Yiyang, but we didn't have any other intentions, it was just a joke. Moreover, you and Yiyang are already married, how could we possibly try to matchmake Yan Yan and Yiyang?"
Xu Xinyi rebutted, "Why is it impossible? Qin Yan even told me before that she couldn't forget about Yiyang and asked me and Yiyang to divorce, wanting to reconcile with Yiyang."
Qin Yan's face changed instantly, "You're talking nonsense! I never said that!"
In front of her, Xu Xinyi took out her phone and played the recording.
"I've known Yiyang since I was a child. When I was very young, I used to play with him... He said he would marry me when he grows up... This bracelet was given to me by him on my 18th birthday. I've been wearing it for years. I can feel the difference in how he treats me. I believe he loves me..."
The recording was of a conversation between Qin Yan and Xu Xinyi in the terrace garden.
Qin Yan's face changed dramatically, looking at Xu Xinyi incredulously, extremely flustered, "You..."
"I accidentally pressed the recording button and it got recorded."
"You're going to be angry, aren't you? I recorded it! You didn't expect that, did you?"
"I'm lucky I'm smart and foresighted. When dealing with a rival, I have to leave some options."
"I didn't take it out at that time to give you face. Who knew you would actually want to cuckold me. I'll kill you!"
Feeling righteous, Xu Xinyi raised her voice. If the atmosphere at the scene had allowed it, she might have even used a loudspeaker to make her point.
"Mr. Qin, you see, there's a motive, there's evidence. I have reason to believe that this is not just a joke. They are all in this together, deliberately drugging Yiyang, trying to cuckold me and Yiyang and take advantage of the situation to have me divorce Yiyang!"
Xinyi sighed and clung tightly to Yiyang's arm, "It's said that 'better to destroy ten temples than to break up one marriage.' Mr. Qin, I'm not dead yet. Do you think your granddaughter's intentions are appropriate?"
Even Mr. Qin was greatly alarmed by the recording.
He looked at Qin Yan, then at Xu Xinyi, and hesitated without speaking for a while.
Tears streamed down Qin Yan's face, and whether the surrounding eyes were good or bad, they felt like sharp blades piercing her heart.
She never expected those words to be recorded by Xu Xinyi, and to be played back in public like this, tearing everything apart.
Unable to bear the shame in front of everyone, Qin Yan lifted her skirt and left, crying.
"Mr. Qin, your granddaughter hasn't denied anything. It seems that this matter is indeed as such."
Mr. Qin was incensed by Xu Xinyi's eloquence and pointed at her, "You...you have no right to speak here!"
Xu Xinyi grinned, "I have no right to speak? Do I have to bring my grandfather here - only then is he qualified to speak with you?"
Mr. Qin took a deep breath and no longer tangled with Xu Xinyi. He asked Yiyang, "Yiyang, this matter must be a misunderstanding. You know Qin Yan, she is kind-hearted and has no other intentions towards you."
Xu Xinyi said faintly, "Indeed, no other intentions, she just wants to become Mrs. Yiyang."
"You..." Mr. Qin's face changed dramatically, pointing at her as if he might collapse.
"Fake, if you can't argue your way out, you pretend. You're much younger than grandpa and you act like you have a heart condition."
Qin Yan's four friends hurried forward to help the old man.
"Mr. Qin, are you okay? Sit down and rest for a while."
"Xu Xinyi, Mr. Qin is not feeling well. Can you please say less?"
"I was wrong in this matter, we admit it. But it has nothing to do with Mr. Qin. Don't speak randomly!"
Mr. Qin took a sip of water, feeling better, and looked at Yiyang, with a touch of weariness in his eyes. "Yiyang, just one sentence from you, can we let this matter go today?"
Yiyang, who had been watching silently for a long time, looked at his childhood playmates in front of him, remaining silent for a long time.
Yiyang's childhood can be said to have been spent with these people in front of him.
He had a happy childhood, his parents were loving, and Mr. Qin, in his old age, protected him, allowing him to do whatever he wanted, without the heavy burden of study like other children.
At that time, the Yi family had not yet passed completely into the hands of Yiyang's father. Mr. Qin and Yiyang's father worked together to build the Yi family's empire.
Until later, in an accident, Yiyang's father tragically died, leaving Mr. Qin bereaved in his old age, and his health began to decline.
With his father's death and his grandfather's illness, Yiyang, as the only heir of the Yi family, lost the qualifications to play with his friends.
Starting from elementary school, junior high, high school, and college, besides specific studies, there were heavy study tasks.
Single-handedly, Mr. Qin supported the family for over a decade, until Yiyang could take over the company, and then he retired.
Yiyang, at a young age, achieved more than his peers had, holding the Yi family, which was also the reason why Mr. Qin was wary of him.
"If he dares to say 'let it go', slap my face, today I'll fight this man even if it costs me my life!"
Ye Yang lowered his eyebrows, concealing the smile in his eyes. When he lifted his eyes, they were full of sharpness. "Old man, you are my elder, so I should give you this face. I should play down the situation and let it go, but what I didn't expect is that Qin Yan would actually say such things to my wife. I find it difficult to accept, so this matter cannot be easily dismissed."
Mr. Qin's voice was deep and solemn, "Can't you just let it go? With you being so insistent, the cooperation between the Qin family and the Yi family..."
"The matter of cooperation between the Yi family and your Qin family might need to be reconsidered. Also," Ye Yang held Xun Xinyi's hand with a cold and disdainful tone, "Xinyi and I have a good relationship and we will not divorce, not in this lifetime."
"Let's leave it at that for today. There will be lawyers and police following up on this matter, so for now, we'll take our leave."
Xun Xinyi almost couldn't keep up.
——"Ye Yang, this scumbag actually repaid kindness with enmity!"