Chapter 8: Sweeping Through the Business World, Becoming True to Oneself

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Ye Xingchen and Liu Ruyan got off the car and headed toward the shopping mall. Along the way, Liu Ruyan was still happily imagining which beautiful clothes she would pick out later, while Ye Xingchen silently muttered to himself, hoping the author would have more sense and not trap him in those frustrating storylines again.

As soon as they entered the mall, the luxurious and grand decoration failed to impress Ye Xingchen much, as he had already experienced many grand occasions. Before they even reached the women’s clothing section, a sarcastic voice came from nearby.

“Isn’t this Ruyan? Why are you still dressed so shabby? You’re already married and still don’t know how to dress yourself properly.” A woman clad in designer clothes and carrying a limited-edition handbag sashayed over, eyeing Liu Ruyan from head to toe with a sneer that practically oozed disdain.

Liu Ruyan’s face flushed slightly, and just as she was about to respond, Ye Xingchen frowned and stepped in front of her, utterly speechless inside. He cursed silently: “Is this author a broken record? Another one of these scenes? Can’t I even have a peaceful shopping trip?”

The woman was relentless. Turning to Ye Xingchen, she mocked, “So this is your husband? Not much to look at either. The clothes here aren’t cheap—you probably can only afford to look, not buy. Ha!”

Her companions burst into laughter, their jeers piercing through the mall’s calm atmosphere. Holding back his anger, Ye Xingchen recalled the system’s earlier warning, gritted his teeth, and tried to remain calm as he said, “Whether we can afford it or not is none of your concern. You’d better mind your own business.”

But the woman only grew more emboldened. Crossing her arms and raising her voice, she said, “Still so stubborn! With your shabby looks, it’s clear you don’t have much money. I’m just kindly warning you—don’t end up trying on a bunch of clothes you can’t buy. That would be a huge embarrassment.”

Liu Ruyan tugged on Ye Xingchen’s sleeve quietly, “Xingchen, let’s just leave. Don’t pay them any mind.” Seeing her distressed expression, Ye Xingchen felt a pang of sympathy but feared upsetting the original story and causing trouble. He reluctantly nodded, preparing to leave with her.

Unexpectedly, the women still wouldn’t relent, shouting from behind, “Ah, so you’re guilty after all. If you’re broke, don’t come to such a high-end mall. Go window shop at street stalls instead! Hahaha!”

Clenching his fists in fury, Ye Xingchen cursed inwardly, “Damn author, did you even revise the story? If this keeps up, my temper’s really going to snap.”

As they turned to leave, they ran into a male classmate who had mocked them at a reunion before. Spotting Ye Xingchen and Liu Ruyan, he brightened with pride and swaggered over, loudly sneering, “Well, well, Ye Xingchen. Thought that reunion made you a big shot, huh? What are you playing at here in this mall? Let me tell you, this place is no playground for bluffers like you.”

Ye Xingchen was utterly speechless. Glaring at the man, he snapped, “Are you ever going to stop? You’re everywhere. What I do isn’t your business. Stop looking for trouble.”

The classmate sneered, “Getting defensive, huh? I’m just stating facts. You couldn’t afford a thing in here, not even a sleeve on a shirt, right? And bringing your wife along to make a fool of yourselves.”

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Ye Xingchen took a deep breath, thinking, “I’ll hold back, I’ll hold back. Once the author fixes this plot, I’ll deal with all of you jokers.” But he couldn’t help but retort, “Don’t go too far. I suggest you watch your tongue.”

By now, a small crowd had gathered, whispering and pointing at Ye Xingchen and Liu Ruyan, making Ye Xingchen feel embarrassed and stifled. He had never been made to feel so much like a spectacle.

Liu Ruyan lowered her head, tears welling up. Ye Xingchen held her gently, whispering comfortingly, “Ruyan, don’t be afraid. Let’s not stoop to their level. It’ll be over soon.”

But the tormentors only grew more vicious. Ye Xingchen’s patience snapped; he thought, “Forget the original storyline. Today, I’ll make sure you all know who I really am. If worse comes to worst, I’ll have the system back me up.”

With that, Ye Xingchen released Liu Ruyan and strode over to a high-end boutique. At the entrance, he called out loudly to the clerk, “Wrap up every piece of clothing in your store—men’s and women’s—I want them all. Don’t worry about sizes. Got it?”

The clerk was stunned but quickly recovered with a forced smile. “Sir, are you sure? Our clothes aren’t cheap. The total cost would be—”

Ye Xingchen waved him off imperiously. “Enough talk. I’m sure. Hurry up. Money’s no object.”

The mocking group was dumbfounded, their smiles frozen. The designer-clad woman stammered, “Are you crazy? Can you really afford this? Don’t get arrested for not paying! Hahaha, still playing big shot.”

Just as Ye Xingchen waited for the clerk to start packing, the system’s cold voice suddenly sounded in his mind:

“Warning, warning. Your actions deviate from the original storyline. Forcing this may result in unknown consequences. Cease immediately, cease immediately!”

Ye Xingchen’s eyes widened. He was so angry he almost jumped. Cursing inside, “What kind of broken system is this? It won’t even let me fight back. Am I just supposed to keep getting bullied? When will the author fix the story? It’s infuriating and so unfair.”

But he dared not outright defy the system. If something bad really happened, it would be a disaster. So, gritting his teeth, he forced himself to back down and awkwardly said to the clerk, “Uh… sorry, I was joking. I won’t buy anything for now. Sorry.”

The clerk’s face immediately soured, snorting in disdain before turning away, muttering, “If you can’t afford it, don’t pretend. Don’t waste my time.”

The tormentors erupted with laughter again, doubling over. The male classmate laughed until tears came, pointing at Ye Xingchen, “See? I told you—just a bluff. Still playing the part? Hilarious.”

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Ye Xingchen’s face flushed red and pale in turn, overwhelmed with helplessness and anger. He grabbed Liu Ruyan’s arm and, head bowed, walked out of the mall, silently vowing to find a way to pressure the author into fixing the story. Life like this was unbearable.

Liu Ruyan held tightly to his arm, whispering, “Xingchen, don’t be angry. Let’s not bother with them. It doesn’t matter what I wear, as long as I’m with you.”

Her words moved Ye Xingchen deeply, mixed with guilt. He stopped and looked at her. “Ruyan, it’s my fault you had to suffer like this. I promise, I won’t let this happen again. I’ll find a way to fix this.”

As they spoke, a commotion rose behind them. The mall security approached, calling out, “Hey, you two! You caused a disturbance in the store just now, didn’t you? Come with us. This mall doesn’t tolerate disorderly conduct.”

Ye Xingchen’s eyes widened in disbelief. Pointing at the mocking crowd still laughing behind them, he shouted, “Are you blind? They were the ones mocking us the whole time. We didn’t say a word. Is there any justice here?”

The security ignored him, stern-faced. “We only saw you causing trouble inside the store and disrupting business. Come with us now. No more arguments.”

Ye Xingchen was completely crushed, despair overwhelming him. He looked up and shouted helplessly, “Is there no justice? Why am I so unlucky? If this author doesn’t fix the story soon, I’m going to be tortured to death!”

At that moment, the familiar system voice sounded:

【Plot has been revised. Please immediately complete the new task: Sweep the mall clean.】

A faint smile curved Ye Xingchen’s lips. Throwing his head back, he laughed loudly, “I, Ye Xingchen, ninety-first-generation heir of Dragon Ao Tian, have returned!”

Raising his hand, he delivered a slap to the security guard, then turned to the store clerk and said, “You don’t really think I’m serious, do you?”

…