Ye Tiancheng had thought his psychological resilience was already quite strong, but he hadn't expected Su Muxian to be the true king. In such a predicament, she seemed unfazed, happy and cheerful as if nothing was wrong.
"Su Muxian, you're a pampered young lady. You think it's fun to have a taste of a good life, but I'm afraid you'll have a mental breakdown if this goes on for too long."
"Brother Ye, don't make me sound so fragile, okay? I'm not afraid of anything, except you ignoring me." Su Muxian held onto Ye Tiancheng's arm. "Just accompany me out for some fresh air."
"Alright, if I don't agree, I'm afraid you'll just pull my arm off. Tell me, where do you want to go?"
"Back to my hometown."
Ye Tiancheng had also considered it. The biggest problem now was the lack of money. He was still under investigation, and all his businesses couldn't operate. If he could find a place that provided food and lodging, it would actually be quite good.
"Okay, but I don't have any luxury cars anymore. I can only drive my two beat-up pickup trucks."
When the pickup truck was mentioned, Su Muxian didn't show any disdain. Instead, she was quite happy. "Brother Ye, that car is amazing. I really like it. I've never ridden in such a stable car my whole life. I find it very novel and super interesting."
Ye Tiancheng knew Su Muxian was being sarcastic, but he didn't expose her. As long as the little girl was happy, and since she was following him now, Ye Tiancheng couldn't let his beautiful little fairy suffer any grievances.
"Alright, I'll listen to you. From now on, you're my manager. So, when should we set off?"
"Brother Ye, why wait for a good day? Let's leave right now. I can't wait any longer."
Ye Tiancheng wondered what extraordinary treasures Su Muxian's hometown held that made the young girl so eager, her heart already longing for it. Since she was so captivated, her hometown must hold significant meaning for her.
Anyway, Ye Tiancheng had nothing else to do. Su Muxian had already paid off his debts, so he wasn't under as much pressure. Going out for a change of scenery was perfectly normal.
"Okay, I'll do as you say. Since you helped me pay off my debts, you're my boss now. I wouldn't dare disobey you, or I'm afraid the boss will fire me."
Su Muxian truly got into character, nodding with a smile. "As a good employee like you, I will definitely take special care of you and won't fire you."
And so, Ye Tiancheng drove the pickup truck with Su Muxian, heading towards Su Muxian's hometown.
Ye Tiancheng was filled with anticipation for the unknown journey. Indeed, traveling could improve one's mood. Leaving the small shack that he thought could provide him with a sense of security, he had expected everything to be terrible, but instead, he found another extraordinary world.
"Su Muxian, I didn't expect the scenery along the way to be so beautiful. These trees are so green, they're a feast for the eyes."
"Brother Ye, I know you're tired from driving. If you're too tired, I'll take over later."
"It's fine. I'm a man, how can I get tired so easily? If I'm as delicate as a girl, how can I be considered a man? Don't worry, leave it to me. I won't get tired until we reach your home."
The curse of the frog monster was still active. As soon as Ye Tiancheng finished speaking, the god of misfortune quickly descended. Midway through the journey, the tire suddenly exploded with a bang.
This was a disaster. The car was broken and couldn't move forward. Ye Tiancheng tried to fix it, but he knew nothing about car repair. Moreover, all four tires being ruined at once was too exaggerated.
"Stinky rock, big green snake, where have you two run off to? I haven't seen you for days. Are you really going to ignore me? You're not even coming out to share my bad luck. You two are truly terrible friends."
Regardless of whether Ye Tiancheng praised, cursed, or used provocation, he couldn't seem to move these two divine beings who had helped him overcome obstacles and achieve victory. They had completely disappeared.
"Alright, it seems you're not going to help me. Fine, if you don't help, so be it. It doesn't matter. I don't believe I can't overcome this current difficulty on my own."
The weather was quite hot. Ye Tiancheng asked Su Muxian to wait in the car, then he walked. After walking for half an hour, he finally reached a repair shop.
Then, Ye Tiancheng didn't have much money in his pocket. He couldn't be as extravagant as before. In the past, he could easily buy a car, but now he had to bargain with the repair shop owner.
After bargaining, he rode back in the repair shop owner's small three-wheeled vehicle. It was a miserable experience, a real-life version of "Lost in Thailand."
"Brother Ye, this repair shop owner's three-wheeled vehicle is quite fun. It's really interesting, isn't it?"
"Alright, stop making fun of me. I already feel miserable enough, and you're still so happy. It seems the growth path of young ladies like you is truly different from ordinary people. You haven't suffered any hardship since childhood, so a little bit of suffering makes you overjoyed."
"Oh, Brother Ye, you're the one who shouldn't tease me. I'm watching the owner repair the car. Look how skilled his technique is. It's so fun!"
Su Muxian seemed quite happy, and Ye Tiancheng didn't have the heart to dampen her spirits. As long as the little girl was happy, that was what mattered most when traveling – relaxing the mood.
Even if some unfortunate things happened, they wouldn't affect the overall situation.
"Then for dinner tonight, let's just eat something simple. I've already spent two hundred yuan on car repairs, and we don't have much money. We must spend it carefully. If we run out, your Brother Ye might have to take you begging."
Nuwa Stone and the Big Green Snake had both disappeared. Now Ye Tiancheng had no one to rely on but himself. He only had strength that could be used to fight people. Unless he worked as a bodyguard, he couldn't earn much money.
"I'm not scared. Even if I have to beg with Brother Ye, I'll still be happy."
This Su Muxian truly didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, always happy and cheerful. Ye Tiancheng also felt happier with such a joyous girl by his side. Otherwise, with all this bad luck, he didn't know if he could get through such difficult times.
After all, he had a cheat code before, and everything felt exhilarating. Being so stifled now was truly miserable, and it was difficult to adapt.
"If it's two hundred yuan, the tires are too expensive for me to afford. Why don't you go to that tire shop on the street over there and buy some cheaper tires? Yours are all broken and unusable, completely deflated."
"Then how much more do you want to charge?"
"I'm not deliberately ripping you off because this place is remote. It should be at least another hundred yuan. That makes it three hundred yuan in total."
"You're clearly ripping me off. I'll go buy tires somewhere else then."
Ye Tiancheng, a boss who could earn billions at will, was now haggling with someone over a hundred yuan, and the negotiation was unpleasant. It seemed life was truly like a dream, with success and failure happening in an instant.
"Brother Ye, don't bother. I have money."
Su Muxian, as if she had a little treasure trove, took out more cash. There were hundred-yuan bills, fifty-yuan bills, and some twenty and ten-yuan bills. Finally, she gathered three hundred yuan and handed it to the repairman.
"Master, please repair it well. You'll definitely get all your money."
"Your young lady is generous, unlike this man who is so stingy. He's exhausted himself trying to save a few dozen yuan. What great success can such a man achieve?"
Although the repair shop owner's contempt was harsh, Ye Tiancheng didn't intend to retaliate. They were just minor figures, and Ye Tiancheng didn't take them to heart.
If he had to deal with minor figures himself, it would be too exaggerated. He hadn't fallen to that extent.
"Don't say that, boss. My Brother Ye is very powerful, more powerful than you can imagine. You're not on the same level as him. It's not that I'm mocking you, but even if I told you, you wouldn't understand what I mean."
When the repair shop owner heard Su Muxian say that, his fighting spirit was instantly ignited. Perhaps this was a man's fundamental need to save face.
"Don't think I'm ignorant. I've seen rich people before. Judging by your brother's demeanor, I think calling him a contractor would be an exaggeration."
"Hurry up and fix the car. I've never seen you treat a customer like this. We spent three hundred yuan, after all, supporting your business, and you insult me. Brother Ye is too easily bullied. I should have chosen someone else."
Su Muxian was a die-hard fan of Ye Tiancheng. Hearing others belittle Ye Tiancheng so much, Su Muxian felt indignant.
"Alright, little girl, it seems this man has truly captivated you. I won't say any more. Following such an unpromising man is a waste of your beauty. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
Hearing the repair shop owner praise her like that, Su Muxian's face finally showed a smile again.
"Since you're praising me like this, I won't blame you for now. But don't talk about my Brother Ye like that again. He's very good, you just don't know it."
Ye Tiancheng stood by with his arms crossed, waiting for the repairman to fix the car, remaining silent throughout.
Su Muxian noticed he was unhappy and deliberately teased him. After finally making Ye Tiancheng happy, they playfully bickered for a while.
Their flirtatious banter finally passed the time.
After the car was repaired, Ye Tiancheng got into the pickup truck and continued to take Su Muxian towards her hometown.
Ye Tiancheng's car was really not performing well. As they slowly drove to a small town a few kilometers away from Su's hometown, it was already getting dark.
"The road to your hometown should be difficult to travel. Why don't we stay at a hotel in the small town for the night?"
"Okay. Actually, I've been here a few times when I was little and ate in the small town, but I've never stayed here. My family was very wealthy when I was young, and my parents wouldn't allow me to stay in such a simple place."
Su Muxian truly lived the life of a young lady. Those born with a silver spoon in their mouths were different. They had confidence in everything they did, as if they were fearless of the world.
Unlike Ye Tiancheng, who would become very dejected with even a small setback, Su Muxian was full of positive energy.
The two casually found a small hotel. Although it wasn't luxurious, the environment was quite clean. After settling in, Ye Tiancheng took Su Muxian to eat.
Although the town was small, the pancakes sold there were quite famous. Ye Tiancheng planned to take Su Muxian to eat some local specialty pancakes and have some soup, making the best of their situation.
Shortly after they sat down, before the food arrived, the news was already on TV.
The Su family and the Ouyang family had put in great effort to find the missing bride, Su Muxian. The news was already being broadcast in such a small place. When the waiter brought the pancakes to the table, he stared at the two of them for a long time, with an expression as if he had seen a ghost.
"Stop guessing. Although my girlfriend looks very similar to the missing young lady of the Su family, she's not the same person. There have already been several misunderstandings. I don't want any more false alarms."