C5 Let's Divorce

In the restaurant, Wang Ying had just finished ordering when she and Huang Yong were strategizing on how to give Ye Fann, the backstabber, the boot.

Bang!

The door was suddenly kicked open, and a group barged in.

Leading the pack was a man with a knife scar, flanked by a dozen burly men armed with knives and clubs.

"Huang Yong, you're too broke to pay off debts but you've got the cash to dine out? You've got some nerve!" he sneered.

Huang Yong's face drained of color as he scrambled to take cover behind Wang Ying.

The scar-faced man closed in swiftly, pressing his knife against Huang Yong's throat. "1.5 million. Today, you either cough up the cash or pay with your life. Make your choice, and don't say I didn't offer you a chance."

Huang Yong gaped, "1...1.5 million?"

With a menacing glare, the man punched Huang Yong hard in the stomach. "What, you think you can skip out on the interest? Hand it over, and not a penny less than 1.5 million!"

Meanwhile, Wang Ying snapped back to reality, leaping to her feet as she spat out, "What the hell is this about 1.5 million? Who the hell are you people?"

After her outburst, Wang Ying pointed at the scar-faced man, commanding him with the same authority she used on Ye Fann at home. "Drop that knife, or I'm calling the cops. I've got connections at the station, and you'll regret crossing me, you little twerp!"

Her words rang with conviction, and Wang Ying's tirade was nothing short of formidable.

The man with the scar paused, then let out a laugh. "Oh, look at that, connections at the station, huh?"

"And who's Huang Yong to you? Your sugar mama? No wonder you're acting so high and mighty."

"Fine, let's see if your sugar mama will..."

"Shut your damn mouth!" Wang Ying erupted, charging forward to deliver a stinging slap across the man's face. "You listen here, punk—I'm his mother!"

Mistaken for a kept woman, Wang Ying was beyond furious.

Her slap sent the scar-faced man reeling, and his entourage stood in shocked silence. It had been years since they'd seen their boss take a hit, especially from a woman with all the fire of an indignant mother.

They had the audacity to slap him right in the face.

The issue was more severe than an international financial crisis.

The man with the knife scar glared at Wang Ying with fiery eyes. "You hit me?"

His rage was sky-high, and a hint of murderous intent lingered.

A piercing coldness filled the air, chilling to the bone.

Wang Ying, gripping Huang Yong, couldn't help but retreat a few steps, her back turning icy. She clenched her teeth defiantly, "Hit... What if I did hit you? I..."

"Strip this damn woman naked and throw her out!" the knife-scarred man bellowed suddenly.

In an instant, a dozen burly men lunged at Wang Ying.

"What's going on here?" A man's voice rang out from the doorway.

Ye Fann had arrived.

The knife-scarred man's henchmen halted, all turning to look at the entrance.

Ye Fann had instructed Huang Xinying to wait outside while he entered alone.

"Brother-in-law, save us, please!" Huang Yong, already collapsed on the floor, cried out in desperation.

Wang Ying shot a glance at Huang Yong, her heart seething with frustration at her son's weakness.

"Ye Fann!" she snapped, turning her glare on him. "Did you bring this trouble upon us? What's this about 1.5 million? You owe me an explanation!"

1.5 million? Ye Fann's icy gaze swept over the knife-scarred man's minions before settling on him. "Wasn't it just 1 million? When did it become 1.5 million?"

At that moment, Huang Yong got to his feet and hurriedly pulled Wang Ying to a corner. "Mom, you don't understand. Ye Fann racked up a debt of 1.5 million at the casino, and these guys are here to collect."

Wang Ying's face drained of color. One... 1.5 million?

Ye, Ye Fann, you bastard!

Ye Fann was oblivious to Huang Yong's panic. He was also concerned about Wang Ying's safety, knowing that if a fight broke out, Huang Xinying would surely rush in, and the thought of her getting hurt pained him deeply.

"Can we step outside to talk about this, okay?"

The man with the knife scar scoffed, casting a glance at Huang Yong. "Fine, let's talk outside. I seriously doubt you'll get far!"

Before long, Ye Fann and the scar-faced man, along with his crew, had stepped out.

Huang Xinying, her face etched with concern, rushed in only to be met by Wang Ying's fury, who slapped her across the face. "Ye Fann is in for 1.5 million in gambling debts, and you thought you could keep that from me?"

"What do you take our family for? Paying off that loser's debts?"

Huang Xinying, cradling her stinging cheek, turned to Huang Yong with tear-filled eyes.

Huang Yong wasted no time in speaking up. "Sister, you've really crossed the line here. Do you realize the magnitude of 1.5 million? It's not something you can just hide! This could cost lives. Ye Fann's debts could drag us all down."

"Huang Yong, you..." Huang Xinying felt a chill in her heart and tried to argue back.

"Huang Xinying, you better listen!" Wang Ying's voice boomed, cutting her off. "Let me make this clear: our family doesn't support freeloaders or bottomless pits like you. Get a divorce from that deadbeat immediately, or our family will disown you!"

Disownment.

The word pierced Huang Xinying's heart like a needle, and she finally broke down in tears.

"Why the tears? I'm doing this for your own good. Do you want to be ruined by Ye Fann's 1.5 million gambling debt? Or would you rather see our entire family go down with you? Huh?"

Wang Ying's voice was laced with frustration and disappointment. Her face flushed, her neck bulging with anger that she couldn't quell. She slapped Huang Xinying once more before grabbing Huang Yong and storming out, slamming the door behind them.

Outside the restaurant, in a secluded corner of the square, the scar-faced man watched Ye Fann with a smirk. Lighting a cigarette, he took a long drag and exhaled smoke rings in Yang Ming's direction. "Let's talk. 1.5 million. Are you paying in cash or by card?"

"In three days, I want the full 1.5 million delivered into my hands."

The man with the knife scar chuckled as he casually grabbed a knife from nearby, too impatient for idle chatter. Just as he was about to press it against Ye Fann's neck, the knife inexplicably ended up in Ye Fann's grip.

Ye Fann swiftly reversed their positions, the knife now at the scarred man's throat.

The blade's icy chill made the man freeze, not daring to make the slightest move.

"You..."

"I said three days, and I mean it. If the money isn't there in three days, go find whoever you need to. I won't be involved."

His voice was stern, brooking no argument.

The scarred man clenched his teeth for a moment, then relented, "Fine, you've got your three days!"

"But there's a condition."

"You... you have the nerve to set conditions? Do you really think that just by holding a knife to my neck, you can..."

"Keep going after Huang Yong for the debt over the next three days. Just don't kill him or maim him. Whatever else you do is your business. In three days, I'll deliver the money myself."

The man with the scar studied Ye Fann for a few seconds, his frown slowly giving way to a knowing smile. "Alright, it's a deal."

Later, Ye Fann returned to the restaurant to find that Wang Ying and Huang Yong had already left, leaving only Huang Xinying waiting for him.

"What happened to you?" he asked, noticing her tears. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her delicate waist, his eyes filled with concern.

Through her sobs, Huang Xinying murmured, "I... let's get a divorce."