Chapter 139: How Dare They Provoke the Tiger?

That evening, Ye Tianlin drove back from the hospital to find Su Rulan already home from work. As for Su Weimin, he had taken his turn to stay at the hospital, keeping Gao Yulan company through the night.

After a simple dinner, Ye Tianlin accompanied Su Rulan for a stroll through the villa complex. The path was lush with greenery, and the scenery was refreshing and soothing. Ye Tianlin walked with a light step, savoring the tranquility of the moment and the sweetness of their time together. After so many twists and turns, being able to settle down for a quiet walk felt truly precious.

Linking her arm with his, Su Rulan looked a bit troubled. As they walked, she said, "Tianlin, did you know that the Matriarch personally visited the Yunhai Chamber of Commerce today?"

"I am well aware, but the outcome was already set. No matter how much she questioned it or what excuses she tried to invent to deny it, it was all in vain," Ye Tianlin replied calmly.

Su Rulan couldn't help but say, "But the Matriarch’s attitude is so infuriating. She keeps harping on about your identity. Zhao Qing came up with an idea!"

"What kind of idea?" Ye Tianlin raised an eyebrow.

Seeing his reaction, Su Rulan quickly explained, "Zhao Qing suggested that instead of completely crushing the Ye family, we should play along. We can bring the Ye family under our control, and that way, the Matriarch will have nothing left to say!"

"Play along?" Ye Tianlin looked intrigued.

Su Rulan swallowed hard and continued, "This 'playing along' means agreeing to have the Ye family fully submit to the Shangjing Consortium, and then having you take complete charge of managing the Ye family. If that happens, the Matriarch naturally won't dare to say anything more."

Hearing this, Ye Tianlin understood and smiled. "Actually, I had considered this myself, but the Matriarch was being so extreme that I chose a more radical approach at the time."

Su Rulan looked conflicted. "The problem is, this is a double-edged sword. The Matriarch will surely think you aren't the true 'Supreme Master,' but even if she isn't convinced, she will be powerless to do anything about it. Of course, I wanted to seek your approval before we proceed."

Ye Tianlin shook his head. "There is no need to prove my identity to the Matriarch anymore, because no matter what I do, she will never accept the truth. Even if the Ye family were to collapse, she would always find some excuse. So, if this is merely to make her keep quiet, it’s not a bad method."

"Tianlin, what do you mean?" Su Rulan asked.

Ye Tianlin stopped walking and smiled leisurely. "There have been too many troubles lately. It’s time for everything to settle down so we can live a good life. I don't want to see you back in the hospital, and I want our child to be born safely."

"But..." Su Rulan remained conflicted. On one hand, she wanted the Matriarch to be silent; on the other, she couldn't bear the thought of Ye Tianlin continuing to live under others' misconceptions.

Ye Tianlin said, "Rulan, don't overthink it. Let's arrange it that way. The Matriarch’s way of thinking is already absurd—it’s like trying to prove whether I am myself, which is utterly ridiculous. I don't need to, nor should I, care about her opinion of me. If we keep arguing endlessly, it will never end. One day, she will understand and regret her actions."

After hearing Ye Tianlin’s stance, Su Rulan felt a sense of clarity. She realized she had been worrying too much about the Matriarch’s opinion, which was the source of her frustration. Just as Ye Tianlin said, there was no point in dwelling on this any further and creating unnecessary stress that would affect their lives. Let people say what they want; their lives belonged only to them.

Thinking this, Su Rulan felt much lighter. Just as she was about to speak, a white Toyota Land Cruiser suddenly sped toward them and screeched to a halt right in front of them.

"Does this person not look at the road while driving?" Su Rulan was startled. If not for Ye Tianlin, she would have fallen to the ground.

Ye Tianlin looked closely and immediately recognized the driver. The car door opened, and Lin Kaiyang stepped out, followed by several burly henchmen.

"I was worried I wouldn't find you, but to think I’d bump into you here! Let's see if I don't break your legs this time!" Lin Kaiyang, his head wrapped in bandages, looked utterly resentful.

His henchmen immediately began posturing aggressively, rolling up their sleeves.

"You must be blind to dare cross the wrong person!"

"Don't you know who is standing in front of you? You must be tired of living!"

Su Rulan turned pale, feeling overwhelmed by their shouting. Ye Tianlin quickly pulled her behind him and said coldly, "I see you just won't learn, will you?"

Lin Kaiyang glared, his eyes wide. "This isn't over so easily! I’ve never suffered such a loss in all these years. If I don't give you a brutal lesson, how am I supposed to hold my head up? Beat him! Beat him to a pulp! Hit that pregnant woman too—if she dies, that's on me!"