There was no sign of emotion.

No trace of compassion.

Ye Chen shook his head with a sorrowful smile.

"Classmate sentiment? If she truly cared about that, she wouldn't have exposed my shameful past, turning me into the subject of public scorn. If she cared about our past, she wouldn't have resorted to deception and extortion to obtain the Wuxia ointment formula! Doesn't she realize that once the formula is leaked, Yiren Ru Xue will collapse? No, she knows. But to get the formula and to exact revenge on me, she chose this so-called two-birds-with-one-stone approach!"

Revenge.

The word alone left Fan Jingyan and Lin Fangfei stunned.

Even Chen Yinuo was at a loss.

Lin Mengxi extorted the Wuxia ointment formula not only for its value but also to get back at Ye Chen?

What was going on here?

Ye Chen's voice continued, "As for giving her a chance—sorry, I can't. If you really want to help her, you should go to the police, the prosecutor's office, or the court."

"You really won't let this go? Is this because you held a grudge after being rejected by Mengxi in the past?"

Ye Chen's firm stance was like a bucket of cold water poured over Lin Fangfei.

Her teeth began to chatter.

A grudge from rejection?

Ye Chen chuckled.

He turned to Fan Jingyan. "Aren't you Lin Mengxi's lawyer? Hasn't she explained everything to you while in detention? If not, let me clarify. In high school, I pursued her, but she politely turned me down. After that, we had no contact for ten years. A few months ago, I was house hunting, and she happened to be the salesperson. That's how she got my number. She expressed her feelings several times, but I eventually deleted her contact out of frustration. Not long after, she dug up my embarrassing past and spread it online, hoping to destroy me.

Unfortunately, it didn't work. Afterward, she seduced my company's deputy manager to set up a trap and blackmail me for the Wuxia ointment formula. The formula's value and the damage its leakage would cause to Yiren Ru Xue—and to me—shouldn't need further explanation. That's the whole story.

Moreover, Lin Mengxi's arrest and case were handled through proper legal channels by the police. In this era of judicial transparency, we don't have the power to add false charges against her. Her sentencing will be determined by evidence and the court, not by our will. Now, will you leave on your own, or should I call security?"

Ye Chen initially didn't want to explain.

It wasn't worth it.

He could have just had security throw them out.

But since he needed to explain to Chen Yinuo and didn't want endless disputes, he laid it all out.

Hearing this, Fan Jingyan's expression shifted several times.

If he had known the background, he wouldn't have come.

With such a story behind it, asking for leniency was impossible.

"President Ye, President Chen, I apologize for the disturbance."

Fan Jingyan bowed slightly and left without another word.

"It's fine," Ye Chen smiled faintly.

But just as Fan Jingyan was about to leave, Lin Fangfei persisted.

"President Ye, I divorced Mengxi's father when she was in elementary school. Life hasn't been easy for her. Can't you show some mercy? I'm not asking for her to avoid punishment—just a lighter sentence."

"Not easy? Has she had it harder than me? I grew up as an orphan with no one to rely on, barely surviving to get where I am today. Just as I was starting to turn my life around, your daughter tried to destroy me. She was determined to drag me back down. Tell me, how am I supposed to be magnanimous?" Ye Chen shook his head indifferently.

Lin Fangfei's gaze turned vacant.

In the end, Fan Jingyan led her away.

The general manager's office fell into silence.

Ye Chen watched his wife with amusement.

But he said nothing.

After a while, Chen Yinuo finally broke the silence.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

"Huh? Say what? Didn't I say everything just now?" Ye Chen smiled, feigning ignorance.

"Don't play dumb! You never mentioned any of this to me!" Chen Yinuo said, gritting her teeth.

"What's there to mention? Should I tell you that I got rejected by a girl in high school because of my tragic background? Doesn't that tarnish my glorious image?" Ye Chen joked.

Chen Yinuo was momentarily stunned.

Then, unable to resist, she asked, "Do you resent her?"

Ye Chen shook his head. "What's there to resent? I was an orphan with nothing, daring to confess to the class beauty. Getting rejected was normal. If anything, I lacked self-awareness. I've always been at peace with it."

"Then why didn't you mention her pursuing you after the reunion at the housing complex?" Chen Yinuo shifted the topic.

"I wanted to, but it didn't seem necessary. If I were still broke, she wouldn't have spared me a glance. She pursued me only because I bought a house outright with two million and drove a Mercedes G-Wagon. So, there was nothing worth mentioning. Besides, I ignored her and eventually blocked her on everything."

"If her pursuit wasn't about your wealth but your charm, would you have rekindled the old flame?" Chen Yinuo asked.

Even she had to admit Lin Mengxi was stunning.

It was natural to feel a twinge of something.

Ye Chen smiled bitterly.

"Come on! A woman who would scheme and seduce for a formula—do you think she'd be drawn to my 'charm'?" Ye Chen laughed helplessly.

Before Chen Yinuo could respond, Ye Chen pulled her into an embrace.

"Yinuo, I endured five years of darkness. Fortunately, fate smiled upon me, and I emerged anew. I've seen it all. No matter how many women try to come my way, I have one thing to say—out of all the waters in the world, I only drink from your cup. I will never fail you."

Hearing this, tears welled in Chen Yinuo's eyes as she nestled closer to him.

She gently punched his chest.

"Idiot."

As the couple shared their moment—

In a distant town in the northeast—

Three men sat in a small rented room.

On the table lay a few photos.

They were of none other than Ye Youyou, smiling innocently.