Chapter 23: The Price of Provocation

Mo Linbai was filled with regret.

‘Why had he uttered those words just now?’

As he drew closer, and his gaze landed on Ji Wenyan’s face, his legs began to tremble uncontrollably from fright.

‘He had only just seen this little King Yama off yesterday; how was he back again now?’

‘Was he deliberately challenging him?’

Yet, seeing his nephew’s girlfriend in such a pitiful state, looking at him with desperate hope, Mo Linbai found himself in a profound dilemma.

Although he had already spoken, he felt compelled to protect Wen Ruo, even if it meant facing the consequences.

But…

‘He was no match for Ji Wenyan!’

‘If he dared to oppose Ji Wenyan, the outcome would undoubtedly be disastrous!’

‘However, if he failed to protect Wen Ruo, his nephew would surely be heartbroken.’

‘What was he to do?’

“Uncle! You don’t need to bother with her. Wen Ruo and I have already broken up; she has nothing to do with me now! She’s acting like she’s possessed, insisting on provoking Young Master Ji’s girlfriend. Hurry over here!”

However, before Mo Linbai could agonize much longer, Ren Hao, upon seeing his uncle being forcibly dragged into the mess by Wen Ruo, felt a sharp pang of anger in his chest. ‘This woman is truly malicious,’ he thought.

‘Ji Wenyan was like a black hole; anyone who touched him would be annihilated!’

‘And now, she even wanted to drag his uncle down with her!’

‘Wen Ruo, why didn’t she just die?!’

“Ahem, so that’s how it is! Young Master Ji, I truly apologize; I wasn’t aware of the situation.”

Upon hearing this, Mo Linbai immediately breathed a sigh of relief, simultaneously thinking to himself that his nephew was quite commendable.

‘A man should be decisive, knowing when to cut ties.’

‘While a snake with legs might be hard to find, women with two legs were everywhere. There was no need to hang himself on Wen Ruo’s tree.’

As for his earlier arrogant declaration and his current subservient demeanor, Mo Linbai paid them no mind.

‘A true man knows when to bend and when to stand firm.’

‘Besides, facing Ji Wenyan, his defeat was no injustice.’

‘In U City, no one was Ji Wenyan’s match… After all, Ji Wenyan’s father was an untouchable magnate.’

‘Sometimes, having a powerful father was also a display of capability, and Mo Linbai, at least, didn’t have such an influential dad.’

“That’s enough. There’s nothing for you here; quickly move aside.”

“Yes, yes, yes, I’ll move right away.”

Witnessing Mo Linbai’s obsequious bowing and scraping before Ji Wenyan, Wen Ruo’s last glimmer of hope vanished.

‘This time, she had truly kicked an iron plate.’

‘How long had it been since Bai Mengze’s parents died in that car accident? How had Bai Mengze managed to find such a formidable figure as her backer?’

‘Ever since childhood, Bai Mengze had always effortlessly obtained things others couldn’t.’

‘How could she not resent her?’

‘Why did she deserve it?!’

‘Bai Mengze always had such good fortune; not even Young Master Liang could get rid of her!’

‘And now, another Young Master Ji had appeared.’

“Bai Mengze, I’m your cousin! You wouldn’t actually try to beat me to death, would you?”

Unable to rely on outsiders for rescue, Wen Ruo immediately tried to play the emotional card, hoping Bai Mengze would spare her out of kinship.

However, upon hearing those words, Bai Mengze’s eyes instantly turned cold.

‘Wen Ruo truly had the audacity to speak.’

‘Wasn’t it Wen Ruo who had threatened to send her to prison before?’

‘Why hadn’t she thought about their familial relationship then?’

Facing Wen Ruo, Bai Mengze felt no trace of softness.

With no one left to stop her, she stepped forward and delivered a dozen resounding slaps.

Wen Ruo’s face instantly swelled up, resembling a pig’s head.

Witnessing Bai Mengze’s violent display, not only did Ji Wenyan wince, but the onlookers standing nearby also felt a deep reluctance to continue watching.

Among them, Ren Hao and Mo Linbai both drew a sharp breath.

‘They had almost misjudged her,’ they secretly thought. ‘This woman is truly fierce!’

‘Her strikes were vicious, more brutal than a man in a fight.’

‘Only someone like Ji Wenyan could possibly tame such a woman.’

‘Look, her nose was completely crooked…’

“Wen Ruo, how do you know that bastard Liang Quan?”

After her flurry of blows, Bai Mengze finally ceased her assault.

Then, her gaze, cold as ice, fixed on Wen Ruo, who lay sprawled on the ground, as she uttered the name of the man who deserved a thousand cuts.