Chapter 72: No Match for Li Mingye

Early the next morning, Zhang Xiluo was jolted awake by Jiang Xueting’s piercing scream. She forced herself out of bed, enduring the pain in her knee, and slowly stepped outside.

Jiang Xueting stood at the doorway, hands over her mouth, her face pale with terror.

Alarmed, Zhang Xiluo hurried to her side and followed her gaze—only to be stunned herself.

The courtyard was blanketed with red roses. A massive red banner hung from the gate, emblazoned with the words, “I’m sorry.” In the center of the roses sat an enormous princess doll, cradling a heart-shaped box in its hands.

Zhao Chengyi was leaning against the doll, fast asleep, shivering from the cold.

“Get up!” Jiang Xueting stormed over, grabbed him by the ear, and yanked. “You’ve trespassed on private property! Take all your junk with you, I don’t want any of it.”

“Xueting, I’m sorry.” Awakened, Zhao Chengyi immediately began apologizing. “I shouldn’t have said those things. I’m an idiot, please don’t hold it against me.”

Unmoved, she let go of his ear and kicked him. “Leave. If I want to avoid more heartbreak, I have to end this right now.”

“Why?” Zhao Chengyi looked utterly aggrieved. “I know I shouldn’t have spoken out of turn. I’ll never do it again. Don’t break up with me—I can’t live without you.”

Her resolve faltered. She truly cared for him. “I can never tolerate ‘green tea’ girls around you, and you can’t even recognize them. We’re not suited for each other.”

Zhao Chengyi clung to her hand like a kitten, leaning against her. “From now on, whoever you say is a problem, I’ll believe you. I swear, I trust you unconditionally.”

“You’re not lying to me?”

“If I lie, may I be hit by a car!”

A smile broke through Jiang Xueting’s stern expression. “Alright, I’ll trust you this once.”

“Marry me. I want to build a happy home with you. From now on, you’ll be my queen, my world.” Zhao Chengyi presented the new heart-shaped box, dropped to one knee, and said, “Jiang Xueting, my queen, will you marry me?”

Xu Xinyi emerged from the house and stood beside Zhang Xiluo. “Xueting, hurry up and say yes!”

“Only if you agree to my three conditions,” Jiang Xueting insisted.

“I’ll obey you unconditionally,” Zhao Chengyi replied at once.

She accepted the box, and Zhao Chengyi took out a ring, slipping it onto her finger. The two embraced in happiness.

Love comes in the most unexpected ways, and only mutual longing can truly be called love. Even though Zhao Chengyi’s proposal was, frankly, a bit lowbrow, it was still enviable.

Zhang Xiluo couldn’t help but smile. She found herself yearning for such a moment—she, too, had once dreamed of a romantic proposal.

Her thoughts drifted to Li Mingye. How would he propose to Zhou Yao? Surely it would be grand and romantic.

“You have no idea, she cried for half the night. Thank goodness Zhao Chengyi showed up,” Xu Xinyi said, yawning. She’d barely slept, having comforted Jiang Xueting for hours.

Zhang Xiluo snapped back to reality. Why was she thinking about Li Mingye?

“Xueting may act carefree, but after her last heartbreak, she’s been steadfast in love. She really does love Zhao Chengyi,” Zhang Xiluo remarked.

“Exactly,” Xu Xinyi agreed.

At that moment, Li Mingye and Ouyang Chen appeared at the gate, carrying bags of breakfast. They pushed open the door and entered.

Li Mingye, dressed in a black tailored suit with his hands in his pockets, walked through the sea of flowers toward Zhang Xiluo.

Her heart fluttered unexpectedly. Perhaps it was regret—she let her gaze linger on him for a moment longer.

“Come eat,” Ouyang Chen called out, setting the food on the table and beckoning to the newly engaged couple.

Li Mingye said nothing, merely glanced at Zhang Xiluo before looking away. It was their first encounter since the divorce, and they tacitly pretended to be strangers.

Xu Xinyi helped Zhang Xiluo turn around. “Careful with your knee.”

“You’re hurt?” Ouyang Chen frowned slightly, his eyes on her leg. “How did it happen?”

“Pushed by a certain someone,” Jiang Xueting replied, glaring at Li Mingye. “Zhao Chengyi, if you ever keep a little viper by your side, I’ll tear you both apart.”

Zhao Chengyi shrank back, nodding vigorously.

Li Mingye’s expression darkened. He caught the veiled barb in Jiang Xueting’s words but said nothing, brushing past Zhang Xiluo.

They all sat in the dining room. Ouyang Chen set the food on the table, then placed a differently packaged breakfast in front of Zhang Xiluo.

“This one’s for you.”

“Thank you.”

Jiang Xueting watched his actions with a knowing smile and raised her eyebrows at Zhang Xiluo. “Ouyang Chen, you’re playing favorites!”

“At least you’re thoughtful—unlike some people,” she added, glancing pointedly at Li Mingye.

Zhao Chengyi, thinking she was talking about him, hurried to set food in front of her, even opening it for her with a fawning expression.

Li Mingye’s face turned even colder, anger flickering in his sharp gaze.

“If you ask me, Luo Luo should just be with Ouyang Chen.” Jiang Xueting sipped her porridge, deliberately provoking Li Mingye.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Zhang Xiluo quickly interrupted. She couldn’t let her start rumors. It was true that she and Li Mingye were divorced, but he would never allow her to be with Ouyang Chen—and she didn’t want that either.

Li Mingye sat right beside her. Without a word, he took Zhang Xiluo’s breakfast, opened it, and began to eat, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

He acted as though nothing had happened, eating with his usual grace and poise.

Zhang Xiluo had never seen him behave this way. Had they not come together, she would have thought this wasn’t the real Li Mingye. He, the mighty CEO, was stealing her breakfast!

After breakfast, Jiang Xueting and Zhao Chengyi went out to have fun, Li Mingye headed next door, and Xu Xinyi retired to her room to catch up on sleep.

Only Zhang Xiluo and Ouyang Chen remained in the living room. She sat quietly, eating grapes.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving Long City?” Ouyang Chen asked in a low voice. Zhang Xiluo looked up, catching a hint of hurt in his eyes.

“I left in a hurry and forgot. You know I had to get away from that place,” she stammered, feeling guilty.

“You changed your number and stopped replying to my messages. Are you sure you just forgot?” His tone turned cold, a trace of anger on his face.

Zhang Xiluo was baffled—what was he angry about?

“You don’t trust me at all, do you?” Ouyang Chen pressed, his expression falling.

“I do,” she replied at once. Whatever else could be said, Ouyang Chen had always been good to her—apart from his aloofness, he’d helped her a great deal. Their relationship, though, wasn’t close enough to share everything. “But you didn’t come here just for Zhao Chengyi, did you?”

“No,” he admitted.

So he still hadn’t given up on Zhou Yao—he’d chased her all the way here.

“If you don’t act soon, you’ll really lose your chance. Li Mingye is right next door. If you wait any longer, you won’t be able to compete with him.”

“Compete for what?” Before Ouyang Chen could answer, Li Mingye returned…