No one had ever brought this up to Ye Tiancheng before, especially his close friend, Little Fatty. If Little Fatty had said Hou Mingzhu was a perfect woman, Ye Tiancheng might have considered it.
But after Su Muxian said it today, Ye Tiancheng suddenly realized that while Su Muxian was like a female celebrity to other men, she held no real attraction for him. He found this rather strange.
"I can't answer that. Perhaps the feeling is wrong, or the beginning was wrong. Back then, she threw me into Dahe Village, completely disgusted with me, intending for me to fend for myself. Who could have imagined I'd reach this point? So, everything was predestined. This must be fate."
"Then, if it hadn't been for that particular way, Brother Ye, would you have possibly liked Hou Mingzhu?"
"I don't know. I never consider alternative scenarios. I always feel that no matter how I change or try to find a new path, I'll eventually be drawn back into the normal track by the vortex of destiny."
Su Muxian had long been curious why Ye Tiancheng always seemed to see through the mundane world, despite being so young. This was the height of a great thinker, and it was also why Ye Tiancheng was so appealing to her. She always felt he was different from ordinary young men; mature men were more charming and attractive.
"Brother Ye, I actually came to talk to you about investing. I know I shouldn't mix personal and professional matters, but I want to be closer to you. Otherwise, I have no chance of competing with Hou Mingzhu. I don't want to fail like this."
Su Muxian was quite direct, and Ye Tiancheng could understand. If the agricultural product exchange conference had caused such unpleasantness, and they had been competing behind the scenes before, the Hou family would definitely keep an eye on Su Muxian. Being considered an enemy by such a prominent family would make life difficult. Even if the negative impact wasn't apparent now, it would soon manifest.
"I understand that, but everyone knows I'm a piece of fat meat, and too many people want to invest. If I agreed so casually to everyone, I wouldn't be able to manage anything."
"Brother Ye, you know, I just want to invest in your pharmaceutical factory. It's not about making money; I want to have a deeper cooperation with you. Consider it repayment for when I bought that basket of pears from you, and our past favors will be settled."
Previously, when he was doing farm-to-table cuisine, Ye Tiancheng had chosen to let Su Muxian invest because of their connection. Now, the same reason couldn't convince Ye Tiancheng.
Ye Tiancheng worried that after the first time, there would be a second, then a third. As a businessman, one must have principles; otherwise, it would harm oneself and cause more trouble later. Ye Tiancheng still refused Su Muxian's request.
"Perhaps you can consider other ways of repayment. Investing is not very realistic. I won't let anyone else invest in my pharmaceutical factory. The factory I'm building must have pure bloodlines; I won't allow any impurities to be mixed in."
In his dreams, Ye Tiancheng had been greedy for wealth, but now he was more driven by fame.
"Alright, Brother Ye. Since you disagree, I won't make things difficult for you. I want to cooperate with you deeply, but it must be on your terms. If I force you, then such cooperation would lack soul."
Su Muxian saw through it. Ye Tiancheng was reluctant; otherwise, he wouldn't hesitate so much.
"It'll be like before. I don't want to disappoint you too much. How about you come and manage it for me? You can be the factory manager."
Hearing Ye Tiancheng say this, Su Muxian was very confused. She wondered why he said "like before," but now she didn't need to dwell on it. Ye Tiancheng's agreement was a blessing.
"Okay, I'll definitely do a good job as the factory manager for you."
Although this was different from her expectations, she was at least getting closer to Ye Tiancheng. Su Muxian was no longer focused on position or money; this woman had grander plans in mind.
Now that Su Muxian had successfully infiltrated the pharmaceutical factory, she could later release news about her deeper cooperation with Ye Tiancheng. Not only Su Muxian herself but also the Su family would soar with her. This was Ye Tiancheng's current influence.
When Hou Mingzhu heard this news, she would surely be furious. The thought of it made Su Muxian feel incredibly pleased.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Su Muxian. I think you're a very meticulous person, perfectly suited for long-term cooperation with me. I hope our cooperation will be increasingly pleasant in the future, undisturbed by others."
The "others" Ye Tiancheng referred to was specifically Hou Mingzhu. The main reason Ye Tiancheng was reluctant to have a deeper cooperation with Su Muxian was Hou Mingzhu's interference.
Ye Tiancheng was fed up with this situation and didn't want to continue this twisted love triangle. He had suffered enough in his dreams, which might be why he couldn't accept Hou Mingzhu now; she hadn't left him a good impression in his dreams either.
Hearing Ye Tiancheng's apparent strong desire for cooperation and his good attitude, completely unaware that it was just polite talk, Su Muxian lowered her head and smiled faintly, her face blushing.
Su Muxian's prediction was correct. From the day she became the general manager of the pharmaceutical factory, everything began to change.
Upon hearing the news, Hou Mingzhu was so angry she almost twisted her mouth and fainted on the spot. She had thought Ye Tiancheng was cold to everyone, as if he were naturally averse to women.
But who would have thought Su Muxian would be the exception? Hou Mingzhu had no idea that Ye Tiancheng had always made exceptions for Su Muxian due to her early recognition of his potential.
After all, if Su Muxian hadn't recognized his talent back then, and without that initial capital, Ye Tiancheng wouldn't have been able to develop so rapidly. He had always remembered Su Muxian's kindness.
Hou Mingzhu was at her wit's end and had to consult her best friend. After hearing the whole story, her friend began to analyze Su Muxian.
"Su Muxian is no simple woman. She must be using some strategy now, otherwise, she wouldn't be able to capture all of Ye Tiancheng's attention. For example, that suitor of hers, although not from the four great families, is quite decent-looking and wealthy. How could he possibly be interested in that undeveloped, young girl like Su Muxian? I suspect she's playing hard to get, finding a man to make Ye Tiancheng jealous. Her scheming is truly terrifying."
At this moment, Hou Mingzhu was beside herself. She believed whatever her friend said, having lost her ability to think independently and relying solely on others' opinions.
"Perhaps that's true. What should we do then?" Hou Mingzhu always felt Ye Tiancheng should like her; there was no reason he shouldn't, as all men were willing to be her admirers. "How about I find someone to make Ye Tiancheng jealous too?"
"Sister, I think your method is very feasible, and I can recommend a man for you. I have plenty of high-quality resources around me. For a woman like you, who is both rich and beautiful, it's not about true love, but about the exchange of high-quality resources. Of course, this man can also act with you, or if you prefer, you can skip the acting and go straight for the real thing."
Hou Mingzhu listened, stunned. Her friends came from all walks of life. Daughters of wealthy families, having seen more, naturally had broader perspectives. They were all hidden dragons and crouching tigers, their depths impossible to gauge at a glance.
"Alright, I can try."
Thus, on her friend's advice, Hou Mingzhu found a fake lover, or more accurately, a boyfriend. This boyfriend was quite satisfied with Hou Mingzhu; not only was he rich, but he was also generous and willing to spend money on women. Since being with Hou Mingzhu, he hadn't enjoyed any of the privileges of a boyfriend, but he was truly good to her. The Hou family had been facing many issues lately, and their financial situation had been precarious. After finding this boyfriend, he generously injected a lot of capital into Hou Jia, reviving the sluggish market. Hou Jia slowly regained its former glory.
To outsiders, this man appeared to be Hou Mingzhu's pillar of support. To Ye Tiancheng, however, he couldn't stir even a ripple of emotion.
Ye Tiancheng and Hou Mingzhu had already broken off their engagement, and this person had existed in his dreams. Ye Tiancheng was long accustomed to such things.
However, upon hearing this news, Little Fatty immediately found Ye Tiancheng.
"Brother Ye, this is bad! That woman Hou Mingzhu is truly ungrateful, daring to cuckold you."
"Little Fatty, let me remind you, Hou Mingzhu and I are no longer engaged, so there's no question of cuckolding. Therefore, your expression is inaccurate. I suggest you rephrase."
"Aren't you two just having a spat? Many outsiders are saying you're faking the breakup. As for Hou Mingzhu's boyfriend, I heard she deliberately found him to make you jealous. How long are you going to drag out this awkwardness?"
Seeing that Little Fatty was still thinking in the wrong direction, Ye Tiancheng was speechless. He could only reach out and pinch Little Fatty's chubby cheek.
"If you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll pinch harder and take off the flesh from your face."
"Understood, Brother Ye. I won't dare to speak again."
Little Fatty was sensible. Seeing that Ye Tiancheng was about to get angry, he didn't dare to be presumptuous and quickly apologized to Ye Tiancheng, thus escaping the fate of having his cheek pinched.
"Brother Ye, you're just going to swallow this insult of being cuckolded? People outside are saying that Hou Mingzhu looked down on you and got together with someone else, which is why she dumped you. In the rumors, you're portrayed as pathetic, worse than a dog."
Perhaps everyone felt that no matter how rich Ye Tiancheng was, he had the air of a nouveau riche, having started from being a farmer and gradually becoming a billionaire. Hou Mingzhu, on the other hand, was a born young lady from a wealthy family, seemingly destined to be supported by others. Naturally, when they broke up, especially with Hou Mingzhu holding a press conference, everyone assumed Ye Tiancheng was the one who was dumped.
Especially now that Hou Mingzhu had found a new lover, his arrival almost confirmed everyone's suspicions.
"So what? It's just gossip about love affairs. After people talk about it during their leisure time, they'll quickly forget. I've never taken myself seriously. If I can become someone's topic of conversation and provide them with amusement, I'll let them say whatever they want. I won't come out to refute any of it."
"But that woman Hou Mingzhu is too much. How dare she be so brazen? Even if you parted amicably, Hou Mingzhu should at least have waited a year before finding a boyfriend for your sake. It's only been a few days since the breakup, and she's already rushing to find a replacement, and a wealthy one at that. It feels deliberate, just to embarrass you, Brother Ye. No matter what, Hou Mingzhu shouldn't be so hasty; she should have taken more time so everyone could maintain some dignity, and you wouldn't be slandered so badly."