Chapter 50: Even the Air Was Tainted with Desire

He was the biggest weasel of them all!

Unable to reach her phone, Zhang Xiluo simply left it where it was. She shifted her body, leaning toward the window. All the way to their destination, she didn’t spare Li Mingye a single glance. After the car came to a halt, she finally found her phone under the seat.

Lin Yiming had sent her a slew of messages, deeply analyzing Ouyang Chen’s feelings for her. She read them as jokes, replied with an impossible, and put her phone away.

Li’s mother had brought them to Zhou Yao’s neighborhood, which Zhang Xiluo recognized. She glanced at Li Mingye and quietly asked, “Why are we here?”

Li Mingye frowned deeply, giving her a look but remaining silent.

Li’s mother made a phone call, and soon several people arrived, including Zhou Yao’s uncle.

“This neighborhood itself is an illegal construction. The sale of these properties is not protected by law and must be handled by the developer,” the lawyer explained, holding a document. “Humanitarian resettlement is proceeding smoothly.”

“This is Zhou Ligong, the property owner.”

Zhang Xiluo listened in a daze, unable to figure out what Li’s mother was up to. All she could sense was the coldness emanating from Li Mingye growing heavier and heavier, chilling her to the point of shivering.

She shuffled her feet away from him, surveying the surroundings. The place was quite different from her last visit—many areas were under construction.

Early in the morning, people bustled in and out, busy moving their belongings.

Just then, Zhang Xiluo received another message from Lin Yiming.

“Sis, Zhou Yao is with me. Can you come over?”

Wasn’t Zhou Yao supposed to be hidden away by Li Mingye?

“Mom, I have something urgent to take care of. Can I meet up with you all later?” Zhang Xiluo tried asking Li’s mother, who covered her mouth and coughed a few times.

“Mingye will go with you. Handle things here with him first.”

“I’m in a hurry, and it’s not convenient for him to come with me,” Zhang Xiluo had no choice but to lie, “My best friend’s in trouble. I have to go help her.”

Li’s mother backed off, instructing Li Mingye to drive her.

After getting in the car, Zhang Xiluo quickly sent Jiang Xueting a message, telling her to wait at home.

“Zhang Xiluo, your lying skills are improving,” Li Mingye mocked coldly as he fastened his seatbelt.

Zhang Xiluo felt somewhat guilty and didn’t argue with him. “Take me to Jiang Xueting’s place, and step on it.”

She found herself feeling more and more suffocated in Li Mingye’s presence. The cramped car, filled with a biting chill, made the air feel thin and hard to breathe. She opened the window, but the cold wind made her shiver so badly she hurried to close it again.

She glanced at her phone—Lin Yiming had sent many more messages, begging for help and urging her to hurry.

“In a rush?” Li Mingye’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. Zhang Xiluo had seen him like this many times—wanting to say something but holding back, which almost made her laugh.

“Yes, very urgent,” Zhang Xiluo nodded. For once, the man was acting normal. “Drive faster.”

“Speed limit.”

At his words, Zhang Xiluo’s face darkened. She finally lost patience. “Then stop asking!”

Jiang Xueting was waiting downstairs. The moment she saw Li Mingye, she rolled her eyes at him.

“Xiluo, hurry up and get in.”

“Coming!” Zhang Xiluo quickly got in, and Jiang Xueting floored the gas, leaving Li Mingye behind.

Following Zhang Xiluo, Jiang Xueting entered a coffee shop. A sign hung at the door: Temporarily Closed. Zhou Yao and Lin Yiming sat at the innermost table.

Zhou Yao wore a blue down jacket, her face unnaturally pale. Even though the room was warm, she was still wrapped up tightly.

“Sis, I’m sorry to trouble you again,” Lin Yiming hurried over to Zhang Xiluo, lowering his voice. “I really can’t handle her, I…”

“I understand.”

Zhang Xiluo didn’t blame him. When you’ve truly loved someone, you can’t treat them like an enemy, no matter how badly you’re hurt.

“I knew you’d come,” Zhou Yao said without standing, turning to look at Zhang Xiluo. “He has no one else to ask for help except you.”

“Aren’t you the same?” Zhang Xiluo retorted. Whenever something happened, she sought out Lin Yiming—knowing it would hurt him, yet refusing to let go.

Zhou Yao’s expression shifted. “Sis, you and Yiming have nothing to do with each other now. Why are you interfering in our business?”

“You shameless woman! You stole someone else’s husband, abandoned your boyfriend, and still act like you’re the most wronged person in the world. Disgusting!” Jiang Xueting couldn’t stand it, pointing at her nose and scolding her.

“Forget it, it’s pointless,” Zhang Xiluo held Jiang Xueting back. “What do you want?”

Zhou Yao explained that the school had an anniversary event next week, and she hoped Lin Yiming would cooperate by clearing her name—admitting he was the one who abandoned her.

Such an outrageous request—only she could make it.

“Young lady, have you no shame?” Jiang Xueting was always Zhang Xiluo’s most outspoken voice. “For things like this, go find Li Mingye. He could make it all disappear with one word!”

“Don’t play the victim here. You’re nauseating,” Jiang Xueting said with a look of utter disdain, waving her hand. “You’re polluting the air.”

Zhou Yao’s face alternated between green and white as she bit her lip, eyes brimming with tears.

When Lin Yiming didn’t speak up for her, she hung her head in grievance and walked toward the door, stopping in front of Zhang Xiluo. “If you want me to ask Mr. Li for help, then as you wish.”

“My temper!” Jiang Xueting grabbed Zhou Yao’s arm, shoving her aside. “I’ve seen shameless people, but never one like you. So what, you mean to say she made you seduce her husband?”

“Is he blind, to actually like you?” Jiang Xueting used to think Li Mingye was just a jerk. Now she thought he was blind as well.

“All right, calm down,” Zhang Xiluo patted Jiang Xueting’s back, worried she might resort to violence.

Zhou Yao suddenly laughed. “Sis, you put on quite an act. Isn’t it you who told her to scold me?”

“Zhou Yao, my patience has limits,” Zhang Xiluo’s face turned cold as she warned, “Stay away from Yiming, and don’t show up in front of me. My ways of dealing with mistresses are much harsher than my mother-in-law’s. When I give you face, you’d better take it.”

Zhou Yao was so intimidated by Zhang Xiluo’s aura that she stepped back, bumping into the table and frowning in pain.

“Yao Yao, are you all right?” Zhuo Tongtong rushed in, pushing aside Lin Yiming, hugging Zhou Yao and checking her over. She glared fiercely at Zhang Xiluo. “If anything happens to our Yao Yao, I won’t let you off.”

Following behind her was Li Mingye. The moment Zhou Yao saw him, she looked delighted.

“Oh, here comes the backup,” Jiang Xueting mocked Li Mingye. “So, President Li, how do you plan to handle the mistress provoking the wife?”

Li Mingye’s gaze fell on Zhou Yao. Zhang Xiluo, sensing the situation, stepped aside—she wouldn’t dare block this man’s beloved.

“Something’s wrong at home!” Zhou Yao’s phone buzzed with a message from her family, her face instantly drained of color.

She broke free from Zhuo Tongtong’s grasp and dashed out the door, Zhuo Tongtong hurrying after her.

“President Li, aren’t you going?”

“Li Mingye, get this straight—Xiluo is your legal wife!” Jiang Xueting blocked his path. “If you want to chase after someone, at least give Xiluo her freedom.”

“You need freedom?” Li Mingye raised an eyebrow, his tone full of provocation.