Seeing Ye Tiancheng being wronged in the Su family's public setting, no matter what, Ye Tiancheng was her husband. Although they had registered their marriage, they hadn't held a wedding, but the legal relationship already existed.
In front of so many relatives, Su Muxian had to establish her stance. Anyone who was against Ye Tiancheng was essentially slapping her in the face.
"I'm not trying to say anything, but Su Muxian, you are the most honored young lady of our generation. I heard you've always been picky about everything since you were little. I can't believe you've gotten yourself into such a muddle with a husband like this, he's simply not worthy of you."
"Don't say that. I think it's fine. You can show off if you have money, but you can't judge my life."
Su Muxian had always been sensible and had never argued with her elders. Today, she completely overturned her usual image of a well-behaved girl, not giving her aunt any face at all.
"Xian'er, how can you talk back to me for someone who's a freeloader? He's wearing a fake watch, and you know it yet you still defend him. You're simply shaming the Su family."
The aunt's mouth was twisted with anger. It was because Su Muxian insisted on speaking up for Ye Tiancheng that she was so furious, wishing she could fight Ye Tiancheng herself.
"Alright, Auntie, don't be angry. You're getting old, and getting angry is bad for your health. Relax. No matter what, I'm the one being shamed, it has nothing to do with you." Su Muxian had already prepared for being ridiculed by everyone and had a strategy for how to respond. "You all go check the charity list. Ye Tiancheng's charitable donations are still ranked first. If you want to mock him for farming in the past, please surpass his charitable work before you start mocking him. No matter what industry he's in, he's finding ways to help those in need, unlike you all who just talk big here."
After Su Muxian finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone was stunned. After all, they spent their money on themselves and rarely donated to charity, sometimes just putting on a show. How could they compare to Ye Tiancheng? They couldn't even make it into the top one hundred, let alone be mentioned in the same breath as Ye Tiancheng, who ranked first on the overall list.
"Alright, it was just a joke. Today is a good day, and we relatives and friends are gathered to celebrate. Don't let such a small matter ruin the mood."
The elder aunt was adaptable and quickly found a way to save face. Su Muxian rolled her eyes at her aunt and then took Ye Tiancheng's hand.
"Husband, remember to stay away from people like this in the future. To put it bluntly, they are petty people, and we can't afford to offend them."
Ye Tiancheng was a man and wasn't that fussy. However, being protected by Su Muxian felt quite good. Perhaps it was a genuine expression of affection that made him feel warm inside.
The birthday banquet officially began. The host gave a speech on the stage and introduced many peculiar segments. Su Muxian didn't want to participate in any of them. She preferred spending time with Ye Tiancheng, so she pulled him to a corner.
"There's a buffet here, and the buffet at this hotel is very delicious. We did give a gift, a full ten thousand yuan. No matter what, we must eat more this time and try to get our money's worth."
"It looks good. I saw the big crabs just now, so plump, and the roe was quite large."
Ye Tiancheng stopped thinking about those unpleasant matters and focused all his energy on the food. After all, good food brings happiness.
Like children, the two of them ignored the gazes of others and searched for food throughout the venue. After eating their fill, they left directly without socializing.
On the way home, Ye Tiancheng didn't forget to thank Su Muxian. "Thank you for defending me."
"Isn't that normal? Don't forget your current status. If I were to kick you while you're down like everyone else, it would be a loss of face for me too."
Su Muxian was quite insightful in this regard. She didn't do something foolish like joining in the ridicule. Ye Tiancheng's feelings for Su Muxian had always been complex. It was certainly more than liking, but not quite deep love. Even when he was with Hou Mingzhu, Ye Tiancheng could never forget Su Muxian.
Previously, Su Muxian was the one he felt most indebted to. Now, that had changed, and Hou Mingzhu had become the one he owed the most. Ye Tiancheng slept in separate rooms from Su Muxian at the Su family's home. At night, he often couldn't sleep and would think of Hou Mingzhu.
"You brat, it's already two in the morning. You've been lying in bed since eleven and still haven't fallen asleep. Honestly, I pity you."
Just as Ye Tiancheng was forcing himself to stay awake, a voice suddenly echoed from his spiritual space. It was the Nuwa Stone, which hadn't appeared for a long time. Its sudden appearance shocked Ye Tiancheng.
"You didn't show up when the Su family's ancestors were chasing me relentlessly. How dare you show up now?"
"It's because your true qi was too depleted. I came to see if you were dead. If you were, I would turn into a stone and find a new host."
The Nuwa Stone's words were quite heartless. Ye Tiancheng didn't know how much truth they held.
"Alright, I haven't been smooth sailing lately, so don't provoke me. If you don't want to appear, I won't force you. Hurry up and enter a dormant state."
"Ye Tiancheng, my cultivation is profound, so it's fine. Even if you die, it doesn't matter. However, you consumed a lot of true qi to repair the Pure Land. You need to cultivate again. The Great Green Snake was almost recovered, but to help you secretly, it also lost a hundred years of its cultivation. You should become stronger, otherwise, the Great Green Snake might never wake up."
The guardian had said back then that repairing the Pure Land required a lot of energy. Ye Tiancheng had wondered how he, with his limited cultivation, could achieve it even with the fragments of the Fuxi Qin. It turned out the Great Green Snake had been helping him behind the scenes.
This Great Green Snake seemed quite reliable, unlike the Nuwa Stone, which only knew how to make sarcastic remarks and didn't seem to offer any actual help.
"I will definitely go save the Great Green Snake. As for you, did you not help me and still have the nerve to speak? If I were you, I'd find a hole to crawl into."
"You brat, I knew you were ungrateful. How could I not help you? I consumed quite a bit of true qi for you. Otherwise, after all these hardships, you might have already perished. Have you ever thought about why you're still alive? Of course, it's because the Great Green Snake and I blocked it for you. Without us, you, a mortal, would have died countless times."
The Nuwa Stone had a point. Perhaps Ye Tiancheng had been powerful for too long and had forgotten that he had no cultivation at all in the beginning, just a farmer working in the fields. It was inappropriate for him to be so arrogant now.
"Alright, I've just been going through a rough time, so my temper isn't great. Don't pick on me. Take good care of yourself."
"It's not good for me to take good care of myself. You'd better go to the Pure Land. In your spiritual space, the Great Green Snake and I can also benefit from you and recover better there."
Ye Tiancheng finally understood. So, after all this talk, they just wanted him to go to the Pure Land. This roundabout way of speaking could easily confuse people.
"Okay, I also feel unwell and should go to the Pure Land to recuperate. Moreover, I'm worried that Ouyang Xinuo will continue to attack there with dark energy. If I'm personally there in the Pure Land, I can be more at ease."
"Fine, I've already used too much energy talking to you and can't continue. Remember to call me if anything happens. This time, the Great Green Snake and I will do our best to protect you and prevent you from getting hurt."
Ye Tiancheng didn't believe this. It was just polite talk. If they really needed help, these two would have already run far away. How could they show up? The last time, Ye Tiancheng had felt abandoned and didn't dare to be arrogant again, nor did he dare to blindly trust them. It was better to rely on himself.
Ye Tiancheng planned to inform his uncle tomorrow. He also needed to go back to the Hou family's company to complete some procedures. He could no longer be the financial director there. He was no longer the son-in-law of the Hou family, so it was inappropriate to continue as a senior executive in the company. However, Ye Tiancheng was broke now. The two million he earned from collaborating with the big star had almost all been spent on buying a diamond ring and flowers for Su Muxian.
So, the next day, when he told Su Muxian that he would be going to the Pure Land for a while, Su Muxian also offered her opinion.
"My job at the company is quite leisurely. Why don't I go with you?"
"The conditions there are not good. I only went there to escape last time. You don't need to go with me. You're living quite comfortably here, and it's more suitable for you."
"I still want to accompany you."
Seeing Su Muxian's sincere expression, "Alright, if you want to go, then go. If you find it unsuitable, just give me a call, and I'll have Little Fatty pick you up."
Ye Tiancheng's endless pampering of Su Muxian made her smile knowingly. "Then it's settled. But before that, you have to go with me to visit my aunt, the one we met on the leaf. Her son is having a promotion banquet, and I must attend such family matters."
The mention of that aunt gave Ye Tiancheng a headache. He didn't want to see her again. That old woman always had some strange theories. Ye Tiancheng worried that he might lose his temper and get into a conflict with her.
"Last time at the birthday banquet, she called me a freeloader. I don't think there's any need to keep in contact with such a person. I'm afraid my appearance in front of your aunt will cause her blood pressure to rise. I don't want to be scolded again."
"Aunt specifically asked for you to go. I don't know if she has something important to tell you. I think it's best if you go, otherwise, it's quite disrespectful to Aunt."
Since Su Muxian said so, it would be rather improper for Ye Tiancheng to not give any face at all.
"Alright, I'll go. No matter what she says, I'll just play dead. As long as I remain silent, I believe she won't push me too hard. Must she force me to jump off a building to be satisfied?"
This remark amused Su Muxian. "Don't worry, I made it very clear last time. If those people can't match your charity, they won't dare to show off to you. Just hide next to me, and I'll handle anything that comes up. Just remember that."
Su Muxian gave Ye Tiancheng a sense of security. Although hiding behind a woman was a bit embarrassing, Ye Tiancheng didn't overthink it. As long as he was comfortable, that was enough.