Chapter 156

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Chapter 156: Woman, You’re Playing With Fire!

Ye Chen was a bit dissatisfied with Liu Nanxi’s reaction.

His brow furrowed slightly—he couldn’t figure out where things had gone wrong.

Ever since that day at the cinema, when his attempt to show off backfired and was ruined by Ye Xiao, he had gone back home and seriously studied all kinds of books about how the rich should appear elegant, domineering, and classy.

But it seemed he’d accidentally read the wrong kind of book.

He hadn’t picked up anything useful about subtly flaunting wealth like a real elite. Instead, what he learned was pure “overbearing CEO” nonsense.

After revealing his wealth and pulling off some so-called CEO-style moves, many beautiful women had started looking at him differently.

Confidence is key, they say—but in truth, those women were just looking at Ye Chen like he was a complete idiot.

But, alas, Ye Chen was rich—so none of them showed what they were really thinking. Instead, they played along with his antics.

That kind of exaggerated, over-the-top “CEO dominance”? For the past few days, it had been Ye Chen’s go-to move, and it never seemed to fail. It was as if his humble, average-guy aura had completely vanished under layers of boss-like bravado and money.

This pleased him greatly, like he had discovered a whole new world.

Right up until the charity gala tonight, he had still been smug about how he had mastered the “essence” of being rich.

But now? The very routine that had never let him down before suddenly didn’t work. The woman in front of him wasn’t fazed by his domineering lines at all.

“Mr. Ye, I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your gift. If there’s nothing else, please don’t interfere with the progress of the auction.”

Liu Nanxi looked at Ye Chen and spoke seriously.

If possible, she didn’t want to have much interaction with him, and certainly wouldn’t accept such an expensive gift just to save face.

After all, as Secretary He’s niece, she was representing the city’s top official tonight. Accepting something like this in public would be handing others ammunition against her.

“Hah.” Ye Chen suddenly let out a self-satisfied, “cool” laugh, clearly thinking he was being dramatic and impressive.

In the brief time just now, he had already carefully gone over in his mind why Liu Nanxi would reject him.

But Ye Chen’s brain had already been overtaken by “CEO logic.” Normal thinking no longer applied.

To him, Liu Nanxi’s refusal was just due to her status—or maybe her deliberate show of restraint.

In reality, she must be totally head over heels for him. If they were in private, she definitely wouldn’t say no.

From his perspective, she was just trying not to get accused of taking a bribe, and doing it for his sake.

“Woman, why do you care what others think about us? Since you won’t accept it now, I’ll just keep the Heart of the Ocean with me for the time being.”

Hearing that, Liu Nanxi’s frown deepened.

They had just met today for the first time, and now he was saying stuff that made it sound like they had some secret relationship already.

He was like a clingy leech—it was starting to seriously irritate her. If Ye Chen didn’t back off, she was about ready to leave altogether.

Sitting behind Liu Nanxi, Ye Xiao could barely stay seated. If Su Ruoxue hadn’t been holding her back, she would’ve charged up already.

Now, she couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up from her seat, strode to Liu Nanxi’s side, and stepped in between her and Ye Chen.

Ye Chen had been so focused on Liu Nanxi, he hadn’t noticed the other guests in the auction hall. Except for the first row, most of the eyes had been on Liu Nanxi the whole time.

She stood out in this event more than anyone else, so he didn’t realize until now that the very same Ye Xiao—who had humiliated him in the movie theater—was also present.

“Mister Small Fry, that’s enough. Sister Liu already made her rejection clear, and you’re still pestering her like this?”

Ye Xiao suddenly raised a hand to cover the mocking smile on her lips and continued, “Heh, turns out Mister Small Fry’s comprehension skills are just as small fry as your fashion sense—matching the security guards tonight, weren’t you? So small fry~ so small fry~”

Seeing Ye Xiao pop out with that sarcastic grin, a vein bulged on Ye Chen’s forehead.

She had just roasted him on two things:

One—his unfortunate outfit choice. Earlier today, nobody had brought it up again, but Ye Chen had accidentally worn the exact same suit as the event’s security guards. Talk about embarrassing.

If the CEO of Tang Group hadn’t helped smooth things over and ordered the staff to change their uniforms, Ye Chen wouldn’t have been able to recover.

Two—she had voiced what everyone was silently thinking.

Ye Chen, though a member of the Ye family, acted like someone who didn’t understand human speech or basic social cues.

The woman had clearly turned him down, and he still tried to force her to accept the gift?

Everyone knew Liu Nanxi wasn’t just Secretary He’s niece—she was also a public official herself. Ye Chen was practically trying to force her to commit a crime in public.

Aside from a few love-struck women, most of the audience was now growing impatient with Ye Chen—and more than a little disgusted.

Ye Chen’s fists clenched with rage. He wanted to lash out.

But doing so here, at a formal event and against someone as charming as Ye Xiao, would be a disaster even for a Ye family heir.

“Woman, you’re playing with fire!”

“Ah-hah? That’s it? Really now~ I think Mister Small Fry should just head back to his seat. If someone wants to be a sucker, nobody’s going to stop you. Right, everyone?”

Even though Teacher Wang Gang felt Ye Chen’s behavior had been improper, after Ye Chen paid in full without hesitation, he couldn’t stop grinning.

Not far away, Feng Yin had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

This little girl (Ye Xiao) really knew how to stir up some fun.

Others around them were also starting to laugh quietly.

Ye Xiao had nailed it—Ye Chen really was just a sucker.

After all, who doesn’t like a sucker?

To them, this “Heart of the Ocean” would’ve been a stretch even at tens of millions. Yet Ye Chen had paid four hundred million. What else would you call that but a sucker?

“Everyone, we still need to continue with the auction. Since no one’s been harmed, why don’t we let this matter drop?” Teacher Wang Gang stepped in, trying to mediate.

“Woman, don’t push your luck.” Ye Chen held in his fury, threw out one last threat, gave Teacher Wang a meaningful look, and then returned to his seat.

Ye Xiao then took Liu Nanxi by the hand. The seats beside Liu Nanxi had been reserved for someone who couldn’t attend last minute, so Ye Xiao took the opportunity to sit next to her.

The moment she sat down, Ye Xiao instantly felt two burning stares.

One came from Ye Chen—she ignored that completely.

The other one, though, made her squirm a bit.

That’s right—the glare came from Su Ruoxue.

Ye Xiao, you little rascal. Still claiming there’s nothing going on between you and Liu Nanxi? You’re already holding hands!