Chapter 26

“Weird. What are you doing standing here? Are you a door god?” It was unsure if she was trying to repay him for his good deeds, but Xu Yi was treating Ye Shaotang much better now. She even had a slight smile on her face. She was smiling at Ye Shaotang brightly.

Ye Shaotang felt Xu Yi’s smile was bone-chilling for some reason.

“You… What do you want?”

Ye Shaotang backed away. An unknown emotion washed over him and he felt extremely uneasy.

Xu Yi chuckled. She was like a fox that was trying to win favor by fawning on him. “Young Master Ye, look. I know when An Xin was alive, you guys would often argue and quarrel when you met each other. And I know too that you don’t like the crazy and barbaric An Xin.”

Ye Shaotang wanted so bad to retort, but Xu Yi interrupted him before he could say anything. She said with a grin, “But, once a person is dead, they’ll be gone forever. And the deceased is always the more superior. So, since An Xin is already dead, why don’t Young Master Ye be the bigger person and forgive her. What do you think?”

Watching Xu Yi’s hand touching his shoulder unconsciously, Ye Shaotang felt like he was being targeted by a black snake. He shivered and retreated a few steps from Xu Yi. He sat down on the sofa that he deemed safe and glanced at Xu Yi. He faked a calm voice and said, “Xu Yi, what’s wrong with you? Why don’t you be straightforward with me? It’s very annoying that you kept on beating around the bush.”

Finishing his words, he lifted his arm to look at the time. He said calmly, “I’ll give you five minutes max.”

Xu Yi scuttled hurriedly next to Ye Shaotang like a monkey. She started massaging his shoulders voluntarily and grinned, “No need. Five minutes is too much, I just need two. I want to attend An Xin’s funeral tomorrow.”

Ye Shaotang nodded and said, “Yeah, I know. You told me.”

Xu Yi chuckled and continued, "But, you know, I'm all alone, so I won't have that much power. I need someone strong and powerful to hold the lines for me."

Ye Shaotang became quiet.

He would definitely attend the funeral of his beloved woman.

Even if Xu Yi did not mention it, he would still go.

As Ye Shaotang recalled how the once lively person slowly turned cold and lifeless in his arms, his heart felt like it was experiencing death by a thousand cuts.

He tried his best to suppress the pain in his heart so Xu Yi would not sense his sorrow. "Yeah, what do you want me to do? Or, what can I do for An Xin?”

Xu Yi was astonished by Ye Shaotang’s calmness.

In Xu Yi’s memories, Ye Shaotang did not like An Xin, so naturally, he would not like Xu Yi as well.

But regarding this issue, why was he…

Perhaps he sensed Xu Yi’s concerns, Ye Shaotang added quietly, “You said that the deceased is always more superior. Just think of this as the last thing I do for her, since we know each other after all. It wouldn’t be good for me to be too emotionless. After all, nominally you’re Madam Ye. You’re going to attend her funeral, so it would affect my reputation if I, the perfect husband was absent.”

Ye Shaotang did not know if he was trying to convince himself or Xu Yi. In the end, he nodded his head like a clapper-board and said, “Right, I, Ye Shaotang is someone who loves his reputation. If I can gain a better reputation by showing my face, I will be willing to do it.”

Initially, Xu Yi was worried that Ye Shaotang would refuse to go, but for some unknown reason, he was willing to go now. She felt complicated. She could not shake the feeling that Ye Shaotang was being too deliberate.

He was using An Xin’s funeral to sculpt himself into the image of a perfect husband.

After Ye Shaotang was done showing off, he saw Xu Yi’s dark expression. He frowned and asked, “What’s wrong? Didn’t I agree to go to her funeral with you? Why are you unhappy?”

There was a hint of precaution in Xu Yi’s eyes. “Yeah? Why do I feel that you’re being dishonest? It’s someone’s funeral after all. It’s a sad occasion and you’re trying to leverage it to flaunt your image? Ye Shaotang, let me ask you, what else can you take advantage of in this world?”

Looking at Xu Yi’s angry face, Ye Shaotang could not help but chortled, “Xu Yi, you have to understand, I am a businessman, not a philanthropist. Everything I do has to have a return. Plus, don’t say that I’m taking advantage of her funeral. It doesn’t sound nice. Aren’t you also taking advantage of me? We’re mutually benefitting from each other. Why is your behavior justifiable and mine is heinous?”

“I come from a place of love, and yours is for benefit!” Xu Yi was fuming. She was looking at Ye Shaotang as if he was a vicious criminal.

Ye Shaotang did not get mad, but rather, he laughed lightly and said, “So you can do whatever by fair means or foul for love? Xu Yi, the love that you mentioned was just all in your head. But the things that you’re about to do feels like you’re creating trouble or trying to achieve something by hook or by crook in other people’s eyes.”

Watching Xu Yi who was about to argue with him, Ye Shaotang did not feel good. He got up and said to her, “Okay, it’s getting late. We should turn in soon since there’s a war waiting for you tomorrow. It’s settled. I’m just there to hold the lines for you, I won’t do anything else.”

Xu Yi felt extremely sad watching Ye Shaotang walking away, his movement swift and without a care in the world.

She roared toward his back, “You don’t know what is love. It’s like playing the lute to a cow if I were to talk love to you.”

Ye Shaotang’s body turned tense for a few seconds. He turned around and said to Xu Yi quietly, “So do you know? Do you think people want the thing that you think you understand? Xu Yi, not all love is with great fanfare. There is silent love. I won't blame you if you don't understand. But if you continue to be so opinionated, then I'm sorry. I don't want to talk with an opinionated idiot."

For some unknown reason, Xu Yi sensed a hint of sorrow in Ye Shaotang’s words. She wanted to say something to fix this but then she realized there was nothing she could say that would sound appropriate.

She did not expect Ye Shaotang to stop in his tracks when he went upstairs. He turned around and looked at Xu Yi calmly. “We’re going to An Xin’s funeral tomorrow. It doesn’t matter if you accept it or not, but An Xin is gone. I suggest that you rest early. If An Xin were to know about this in heaven, she would not want you to go there with your head hanging.”