Roses in Flames

Ye Yuntang gasped.

She closed her eyes, then opened them again, and saw the enormous amount of checks.

She suddenly looked at Xiao Lin, who was driving, her eyes wide with surprise and bewilderment. "Xiao Lin, your older brother gave me tickets to Chi Wang's concert and a check for 108 million! This is...this is too valuable!"

Tickets to Chi Wang's concert are very hard to get, especially VIP seats.

She knew that Xiao Lin must have told his older brother that she liked Chi Wang's songs.

She looked at the man who didn't say a word but remembered all her preferences, and a thin layer of mist welled up in her beautiful eyes.

"I'll take the tickets, but I don't want the checks; they're too much."

Ye Yuntang returned the red envelope to Xiao Lin, who pushed her hand away. He said earnestly, "This red envelope is my heartfelt gift, not just a formality, but a sign of my approval."

Ye Yuntang looked at the red envelope in her hand. She felt that it was too heavy. "But... it's too much. I can't accept something so valuable."

Xiao Linjun smiled and coaxed her softly, "It's not much, just accept it. If you really feel bad about it, let's go shopping this afternoon, will you buy me some clothes?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Yuntang nodded vigorously, "Okay, I'll buy you clothes, I'll buy you whatever you want."

Xiao Lin drove the car to a large shopping mall.

Ye Yuntang directly led the man to a high-end men's clothing store.

She chose a well-tailored coat in a sophisticated and elegant color, followed by a solid-color sweater and a pair of sleek, slimming trousers.

After entering the fitting room, Xiao Lin squatted down in front of the jewelry counter and picked out a pair of cufflinks with a simple yet exquisite design.

Just as she was about to ask the sales assistant to take it out for her to see, a male voice rang out, "Tangtang."

Ye Yuntang paused, her brows furrowing instantly. She looked up.

Not far away stood a handsome and upright figure, dressed in a suit and tie, with a refined and elegant face. It was none other than her ex-husband, Fu Shili, whom she did not want to see at all.

She never expected to run into him here.

Fu Shili strode up to Ye Yuntang, his gaze falling on her with a mixture of inquiry and surprise. "Are you here in Beijing on a business trip? I'm also here to discuss business with a client. What a coincidence! I thought I had mistaken you for someone else, but it really is you."

Ye Yuntang's expression was indifferent, her tone devoid of any warmth, "Is there something you need?"

Fu Shili glanced around. This was a flagship store of a men's clothing brand, and the clothes and accessories inside were all quite expensive.

She received 100 million yuan in her divorce settlement, so she has the means to shop at this store.

But for which man will she buy luxury goods?

Fu Shili wouldn't presume to think that she bought it for him.

After all, she had blocked him for the past six months and had never contacted him.

He regretted it and wanted to win her back, but she was incredibly cold and wouldn't give him any chance.

Unable to get close to her, he tried to speak kindly to her mother, Song Xuan. However, as soon as he arrived at her door with gifts, Ye Mo chased him out with a broom.

Ye Mo said that he had a new brother-in-law who was more handsome, better, and ten thousand times better than him.

When he was with Ye Yuntang before, Ye Mo couldn't speak. He never expected that when he saw Ye Mo again, he could actually speak.

Ye Mo said it was all thanks to his new brother-in-law.

He had been curious for a long time about who Ye Yuntang's new boyfriend was.

Fu Shili glanced at the closed fitting room and his heart tightened.

Is her boyfriend in the fitting room?

Just as Fu Shili was wondering what was going on, the door to the fitting room opened.

A tall, upright figure walked out.

The man wore a dark gray long coat, his posture was upright and his lines were neat. He wore a beige soft sweater underneath, and his trousers hugged his long legs. Every inch of the lines was tailored just right.

The light fell on his handsome face with its distinct features, high nose, thin lips, deep black eyes, and powerful aura that made him impossible to ignore.

Fu Shili recognized the man at a glance as the captain of the criminal investigation team at Ye Yuntang's workplace.

Why is Xiao Lin here?

Could it be that he and Ye Yuntang came to Beijing together on a business trip?

Are the two so close that Ye Yuntang has to accompany him to a men's clothing store to buy clothes and pick out cufflinks?

When Xiao Lin came out, he saw Fu Shili.

Their eyes met. Xiao Lin's expression was cold and stern. He only glanced at him briefly before looking away.

Xiao Lin walked up to Ye Yuntang and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"

Ye Yuntang looked up at the tall, handsome man, her beautiful eyes sparkling. She gave him a thumbs up and praised him generously, "Good-looking, especially handsome."

She then pointed to a pair of cufflinks in the counter. "Do you like these cufflinks? They can be worn with a suit."

Xiao Lin glanced down at it and nodded, "If you think it's good, then it's good."

Fu Shili stood not far from the two of them and heard their conversation, which made his heart pound with fear.

That tone, that attitude, how could they be like an ordinary colleague?

They clearly have an extremely close relationship!

"This is the set I'll take. I'll go pay."

After Xiao Lin went into the fitting room to change back into his own clothes, Fu Shili walked to Ye Yuntang's side with a gloomy expression.

"Are you crazy? You're using the divorce settlement I gave you to support a colleague at work?!"

Ye Yuntang turned and glanced at Fu Shili, her eyes looking at him as if he were an idiot. "Are you sick in the head?! Haven't you heard the saying, 'A good ex should be like they're dead'?"

Fu Shili was furious with Ye Yuntang. His face turned ashen as he said, "You took the divorce money and bought luxury goods for your male colleague. You're both in the system. If I report you, do you think you can keep your jobs? Aren't you afraid of the consequences? How can you be so shameless?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Ye Yuntang, unable to bear it any longer, raised her hand and slapped Fu Shili hard across the face.

Her eyes were as cold as ice. "Shut up!"

The sales assistants and cashiers immediately fell silent.

Fu Shili stared wide-eyed at Ye Yuntang, who had hit him in public, in disbelief. He was both ashamed and angry.

"Ye Yuntang, don't go too far!" Fu Shili grabbed Ye Yuntang's wrist, trying to pull her away, but the next second, Xiao Lin came out of the fitting room, grabbed Fu Shili's hand, and forcefully shook him off.

Xiao Lin's skills were far beyond Fu Shili's reach. With that flick of his wrist, Fu Shili staggered back several steps.

I almost fell.

Xiao Lin, tall and imposing, stood in front of Ye Yuntang, his gaze sweeping coldly over Fu Shili. "What are you doing?"

As the captain of the criminal investigation team, his eyes are as sharp as a hawk's, and his aura is powerful, with an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Fu Shili shivered involuntarily. Forcing himself to sound tough, he demanded, "What's your relationship with Ye Yuntang? How can a criminal investigation captain like you afford such expensive clothes? It's obvious she's using her divorce settlement to support you. Have you no shame? When I get back to Ye City, I'm going to report you!"

Ye Yuntang was absolutely furious with Fu Shili. She retorted directly, "Fu Shili, are you some kind of mortal with a cursed destiny? I have nothing to do with you anymore. Why should I tell you my private affairs? Is your IQ out of service? If you have nothing better to do, go and recharge it. Stop barking here!"

Fu Shili felt as if he were being pricked by needles as he looked at Ye Yuntang, who was defending Xiao Lin and angrily confronting him.

Xiao Lin took out his phone and sent a message.

He gently patted Ye Yuntang's arm. "Don't get angry over someone like that. It's not worth it."

Ye Yuntang looked at Xiao Lin, "He said I'd take care of you, and I'd like to take care of you too, but can I afford it?"

A short while later, the mall's general manager rushed over.

The boss was followed by two security guards, who looked respectful and nervous. As soon as they saw Xiao Lin, they bowed and saluted, not daring to breathe.

Xiao Lin raised his chin and glanced in Fu Shili's direction. "Disrupting order and speaking rudely, get out."

The boss immediately nodded and ordered the security guards to take Fu Shili away.

Fu Shili panicked completely. He looked at the mall's CEO, "Mr. Wang, don't you recognize me? I'm the young CEO of Yecheng Fu Group. We've done business together before."

After having security guards escort Fu Shili outside the mall, President Wang said coldly, "This mall belongs to the Xiao family. You've offended the second young master of the Xiao family, and you still dare to talk about cooperation?"

Fu Shili was momentarily stunned. "What, the second young master of the Xiao family? Isn't Xiao Lin just an ordinary criminal police captain?"

President Wang looked at Fu Shili with disdain. "First of all, Xiao Lin is the second young master of the Xiao family, the most powerful family among the four great families in Beijing. No one in the entire Beijing business and political circles dares to give the Xiao family face."

"Secondly, the Second Young Master is the captain of the criminal investigation team, but he is never an ordinary criminal investigation captain as you describe him. Do you think anyone can sit in that position at such a young age? Since he joined the police force, he has solved numerous major, important, dangerous, and unsolved cases, and has risked his life in dangerous situations many times. He has made meritorious contributions and is the youngest and most capable backbone elite of your city bureau. It is a position he truly earned with his life."

"The man you're talking about who can't afford clothes and is being kept by someone actually comes from a top-tier family, has solid skills, and is full of integrity."

"And you, you're not even worthy to carry his shoes."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Shili froze on the spot.

He felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and his whole body was swaying precariously.

The burning pain on my face was a hundred times more humiliating than when Ye Yuntang slapped me earlier.

God.

He never imagined that Xiao Lin was actually the second young master of the Xiao family.

That's a top-tier circle that even the Fu family can hardly reach.

It is a truly lofty and unattainable existence.

He couldn't understand why Xiao Lin, with such a powerful family background, would still fall for Ye Yuntang.

Didn't he know she was divorced?

Top-tier wealthy families probably wouldn't let a woman with a previous marriage marry into them, right?

Also, when Xiao Lin was with Bai Chuwei, he must have concealed his identity, right?

……

After shopping and having dinner, the two headed to the concert venue.

The venue was brightly lit, bustling with people, and filled with deafening music.

Ye Yuntang and Xiao Lin were sitting in the front row of the VIP section. When Chi Wang appeared, Ye Yuntang held a glow stick and screamed loudly.

Xiao Lin sat beside her, watching her excited and happy expression, and surprisingly, he didn't feel a pang of sadness.

Her smile was so bright and radiant that his lips unconsciously curved upwards, and his deep eyes held an unyielding tenderness.

Amidst the noise, he took her hand.

He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "Yun Tang, you must always be this happy."

As the concert reached its climax, Chi Wang suddenly stepped off the stage and shook hands with fans in the front row.

When it was Ye Yuntang's turn, she was overjoyed.

After Chi Wang left, she excitedly rushed into Xiao Lin's arms, hugged his waist, and exclaimed joyfully, "I shook hands with my idol!"

She looked up, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter. "I've decided I'm not washing my hands tonight."

Xiao Lin raised an eyebrow slightly. "Not going to wash your hands?"

Seeing the man's expression, Ye Yuntang immediately changed her tune, smiling ingratiatingly, "Wash! Wash! I'll wash when we get back!"

Xiao Lin chuckled softly, then reached out and hugged her even tighter.

……

After the concert, Xiao Lin took Ye Yuntang to his large apartment in northern Beijing.

"The password is your birthday. You can stay here when you come to Beijing for business in the future."

Upon entering, Ye Yuntang was stunned.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows offer a panoramic view of the most bustling area in northern Beijing.

The exquisite decor exudes a high-end feel, and every detail tells the story of the social circle of the owner.

"Ah Lin, you were so low-key when you were in Ye City. If you hadn't brought me here, I would never have imagined that your social circle and your family background were like this."

Xiao Lin reached out and gently touched the top of her head. "It's not too late to know now. This place will be your home from now on."

He took Ye Yuntang on a tour of the large apartment.

After the visit, the two went to take a shower.

Xiao Lin took a shower in the guest bathroom, and after he finished, he sat on the bed looking at his phone.

About twenty minutes later, Ye Yuntang came out of the master bathroom.

She was wearing a V-neck nightgown, revealing her fair collarbone, and was holding a towel, drying her long hair.

"Rin, I had a great time tonight, thank you."

The man put down his phone, raised an eyebrow, and his usual serious and cold demeanor softened, replaced by a hint of wickedness. "How should I thank you?"

Ye Yuntang threw away the towel, leaned over, placed her hands on his well-defined chest, and pushed him back with a little force.

His back hit the headboard. As she leaned over, he saw that she was going commando under her nightgown. His gaze fell on her fair, delicate skin below her collarbone, and his eyes suddenly darkened and deepened.

He pursed his lips, his gaze towards her deep and intense, carrying an understated yet powerful control.

One glance is enough to make your ears burn and your heart race.

Ye Yuntang placed her hands on his shoulders and gracefully straddled his waist.

The fresh scent of her after her bath wafted through the air, carrying a fragrance that was both innocent and alluring.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his blood surged.

She cupped his cold, handsome face in her hands, gently inhaling the scent of his masculine hormones. "Ah Lin, you smell so good."

It's not just the smell of shower gel, but a masculine scent that emanates from within.

Xiao Lin's muscles tensed as he gripped her slender waist tightly with his large hand. "What do you want to do, hmm?"

Ye Yuntang leaned down and whispered in his ear, her pink lips gently biting his earlobe.

She bit him lightly, her lips and teeth enveloping his earlobe, making him feel both tingly and itchy. He groaned and suddenly increased the pressure of his large hand gripping her waist.

She was in pain from his pinch and fell into his arms.

She tilted her head back, her eyes alluring, and said, "Tonight, I will be the queen and rule everything."