When Ye Tiancheng spoke, he looked at Hou Mingzhu with such tender affection, as if he were pouring all his love into her. That kind of love was undeniable.
"Brother Ye, cough cough cough, watch your eyes. It's too sickening, I can't stand it!"
The fat man wasn't just eating; he was also being force-fed dog food. He truly couldn't stand it and suddenly chimed in. However, he didn't really expect Ye Tiancheng to restrain himself. He just wanted to tease him, finding it particularly amusing to see Ye Tiancheng flustered.
"I've already decided to remarry your sister-in-law, so there's nothing wrong with looking at her like this. I'm looking at my own wife, and no one can interfere with me."
Ye Tiancheng held Hou Mingzhu's hand, his expression deeply affectionate. He had decided to abandon all other relationships and focus on being with Hou Mingzhu, as she was his destined love.
She was the life partner chosen by heaven. Ye Tiancheng sometimes believed in fate and felt it was better to obediently stay with Hou Mingzhu.
"Help! I haven't even eaten my meal yet, and I'm about to throw up. How can there be such an ugly woman in this world? She looks so bizarre!"
These words weren't from the fat man. While the fat man could joke around occasionally, daring to say something bad about Hou Mingzhu in front of Ye Tiancheng would be pure madness.
"Judging from the source of the voice, I realized it wasn't the fat man, but a nearby diner. We were just eating at the same congee stall."
Ye Tiancheng immediately became angry. Even if a friend joked around, this kind of joke was unacceptable, let alone from a stranger. He truly didn't know where these people got the courage to comment on others so carelessly; it was incredibly rude.
"Please stop your remarks. The way you're judging my wife shows a great lack of respect for me. However, since we don't know each other, I'll let this slide. If there's a next time, I will not be so lenient."
Ye Tiancheng wasn't like his past self, who was eager to stir up trouble and intervene in anything he found displeasing. Now, Ye Tiancheng tried to avoid trouble as much as possible. If something didn't concern him, he would sometimes turn a blind eye and let it go, seeing no need to be so serious.
"At first, I felt sorry for you, a normal man finding such an incredibly ugly woman. Now I understand; you two are a perfect match, like a turtle and a green bean. One is sickly, and the other is incredibly ugly. You two are so compatible."
The person's words were quite harsh, hitting the most sensitive spot. Hou Mingzhu, having lived for so long, had rarely been called ugly. This experience was novel, and naturally, very hard to accept.
"You're the ugly ones! Your whole family is ugly! I'm not ugly at all; I'm very beautiful. Don't dampen my spirits."
Hou Mingzhu had always been this formidable. No matter who tried to bring her down, it was impossible to succeed. In any case, no matter what anyone thought of Hou Mingzhu, she herself felt she was fantastic.
"I can't believe you ugly woman have turned out looking like this! You're an offense to everyone's eyes, yet you dare to shout like this. I'm truly impressed by your audacity. You have such a thick face, thinking you're something special. You're just an invincible idiot!"
Seeing Hou Mingzhu's defiant attitude, the person's anger flared. In the congee stall, they completely disregarded their image, showing no gentlemanly demeanor of a man yielding to a woman. They started shouting loudly, as if afraid others wouldn't hear.
At this moment, Ye Tiancheng felt a sense of responsibility to protect Hou Mingzhu properly and not let her be bullied by these people. But before Ye Tiancheng could step forward, the fat man directly intervened.
As the fat man stepped forward, he held a shovel. "Interesting. I see some people who appear human on the surface are actually worse than beasts. This shovel of mine is quite effective when hitting people. I'm just afraid some people won't be able to take it and might get directly bludgeoned to death. What then?"
Upon seeing the fat man's sturdy build, looking as robust as a bodyguard and holding a shovel, the person felt a degree of apprehension. However, even if they were scared, they wouldn't back down verbally.
"I truly don't understand why healthy men would think so illogically, associating with an ugly woman. It simply lowers your standards. No matter how poor a man is, he shouldn't be with such an ugly woman. Once this starts, the situation will become unmanageable and only get worse."
"Alright, I understand. I can't say your theory is wrong, but this woman is my wife. She used to be a stunning beauty of unparalleled allure, but she fell ill recently and became this way, and it happened because of me. No matter what my beloved woman looks like externally, in my eyes, she is the most beautiful, with an irreplaceable beauty."
Ye Tiancheng said these words not to portray himself as a deeply devoted lover, but because he genuinely felt this way. He felt that having Hou Mingzhu by his side was enough.
"It seems you are still deluded, completely possessed to speak such words. Fine, then you can embrace your beauty and cherish her. We, however, find it disgusting. Such an appearance is an insult to public decency. If you like her, keep her at home and treasure her; there's no need to bring her out. She's simply a blight on our eyes."
The person was relentless. Ye Tiancheng's tone had softened, but this person continued to attack Hou Mingzhu's appearance, reaching an all-time low.
"I warn you, stop talking. I have a bad temper, and if you continue, I really won't be able to hold back from hitting you. Don't wait until you're the one being hit to beg for mercy; it will be too late."
Ye Tiancheng's anger, however, did not alert the group. They were more afraid of the fat man because of his imposing physique. Ye Tiancheng, on the other hand, looked pale and weak, as if he could die at any moment, certainly not giving off any impression of being able to fight.
"This is hilarious. You, a sickly person, look like you're about to die any second, yet you dare to threaten me. I think you're tired of living. Even if you didn't want to hit me, I'd want to hit you."
As the person spoke, they stood up, rolling up their sleeves, clearly intending to confront Ye Tiancheng. Ye Tiancheng was not afraid at all. Before the fat man could charge forward with the shovel, Ye Tiancheng flicked a stream of true qi with his fingertips. This true qi flowed through the group and finally settled on the person who had spoken so disrespectfully.
The person let out a shout, followed by a ghastly scream, a sound so unpleasant it felt like it would rupture eardrums.
"It hurts so much! Why does it hurt so much? I feel like fire is burning inside me. Save me, I don't want to die yet!"
The person was now cowed. Moments ago, they had been acting like they could conquer the world, and now they were rolling on the ground helplessly. They felt like an idiot. Although incredibly embarrassing, the burning sensation and the inability to breathe from the pain made it impossible for the person to maintain their composure. They could only wail in helpless agony.
Ye Tiancheng stood with his arms crossed, sneering. No matter how weak he seemed, or how scattered his true qi was, dealing with such a minor character was effortless.
It's a pity that some people are short-sighted and judge others by their appearance. Seeing Ye Tiancheng, who looked frail and weak, triggered something in them. They felt such people were easy to bully, to be molded and shaped as they pleased, which is why they acted so aggressively.
Ye Tiancheng's attitude immediately alerted the friends of the man rolling on the ground. Since no one else had acted, the person who had taken action must have been Ye Tiancheng, the mastermind behind the scenes.
"Please, esteemed sir, save my friend! He's not a bad person, just sometimes speaks harshly. I hope you can spare him this time. Magnanimity covers minor faults. I'll do anything you ask, just please don't harm my friend anymore."
This person was somewhat loyal. They immediately knelt and kowtowed in plea. Ye Tiancheng felt it was enough. An ordinary person could not endure such torment.
If it continued for too long, not only would there be indelible psychological scars, but physiological effects would also occur. In short, it was terrifying and should not be done lightly, to plunge someone into eternal damnation.
"Alright, considering you've admitted your mistake and your friend is so loyal, I truly can't bear to punish you further. Let's leave it at that. Remember this lesson and don't casually pass judgment on others."
Ye Tiancheng's expression was indifferent, but the other person was filled with gratitude, wishing they could kneel before Ye Tiancheng, appearing extremely emotional.
"Thank you. I will definitely control my mouth from now on and never speak nonsense. This mouth has caused me a lot of trouble; I should have learned my lesson long ago. This is my fault. I'll slap myself a few times to express my sincerity and apology."
This person's attitude seemed genuinely good. Ye Tiancheng, considering the bigger picture, felt that one thing was correct: it's better to forgive when possible. There was no need to stoop to the level of such people; a casual response would suffice.
"Alright, you don't need to apologize anymore. As long as you truly realize your mistake in your heart, I'm not someone who holds grudges. We can consider it a case of 'not fighting, not knowing each other.'"
After apologizing, the person lingered for a while. Before leaving, they even settled the bill for Ye Tiancheng's table, showing full sincerity.
Ye Tiancheng noticed Hou Mingzhu watching him intently, her eyes seeming to glow. He felt a bit confused.
"Is there something on my face? Why do you keep looking at me?"
"I feel like I'm seeing the old you, radiating with energy. I used to dislike your arrogant demeanor and wanted to oppose you whenever I saw it. But now I suddenly realize that perhaps that's the most authentic you."
Hou Mingzhu suddenly had a new realization, finding this Ye Tiancheng incredibly handsome. She couldn't find the words to describe it, feeling shy even to praise Ye Tiancheng.
"I understand. I will become even stronger. Before, I became strong to be competitive, to trample on those who looked down on me. But now I also understand that such competitiveness and aggression are useless; they only prove one's insecurity. Now, I have only one purpose for becoming strong: to protect the people I want to protect."
Ye Tiancheng's words were clear enough, and there was no need to say more. Hou Mingzhu shyly lowered her head. Although the scene was somewhat difficult to bear, Ye Tiancheng still embraced Hou Mingzhu. It had been a long time since they had shared such deep affection.