Volume One, Chapter 1: I Served Four Years in Prison for You, and This Is How You Treat Me?

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Southern City Prison.

Two prison guards opened the gate.

Ye Tian walked out through the slowly opening prison doors.

He stretched lazily, greedily breathing in the air that symbolized freedom. “I’m finally out.”

Four years ago, his wife, Shen Yuwei, had killed someone while driving under the influence. Worse, she had fled the scene afterward.

At the time, her company was entering a crucial period of growth. After his wife’s desperate pleas, Ye Tian agreed without hesitation to serve four years in prison in her place.

Now that his sentence was complete, he had finally been released.

“Four years passed so quickly. I wonder how Yuwei is doing now.”

Ye Tian sighed with emotion.

Still, he was not particularly worried.

After all, money was nothing more than a number to him.

Confidence filled Ye Tian’s features.

With the skills he possessed, making his wife the richest person in the world would be effortless.

He had not spent the past four years in prison aimlessly.

While there, he had met an old man who spoke in a mysterious, rambling manner, claiming that Ye Tian possessed the exceedingly rare bloodline of a Divine Emperor.

The old man had insisted on taking him as a disciple and had passed down to him the Divine Emperor Manual.

Ye Tian had not believed a word of it. But prison life was terribly dull, so he had decided to become the old man’s disciple simply to see what would happen.

Yet the more he practiced, the more he sensed that something was amiss.

The instant he opened the Divine Emperor Manual, an immense ocean of knowledge surged into his mind: medicine, martial arts, alchemy, formations, immortal cultivation techniques, feng shui secrets, and countless other disciplines.

Ye Tian immediately understood.

The old man was no charlatan. He truly possessed extraordinary abilities.

After studying under him for four years, Ye Tian had acquired powers that could reach the heavens.

Today, the day of his release, would mark the beginning of his upheaval of the world.

Ye Tian composed himself and looked toward the young man standing before him. The man wore designer clothes and sunglasses.

He was Li Cheng, the heir of the Li Group.

Behind him, several luxury cars stood in a neat line, apparently waiting to welcome Ye Tian home.

“Not bad. The kid still remembered to come pick me up.”

A smile touched Ye Tian’s face as he walked toward him.

Li Cheng removed his sunglasses, burst into hearty laughter, opened his arms, and gave Ye Tian a warm embrace.

“Brother Tian, it’s been a long time. Welcome back.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand. The bodyguards behind him bowed in unison.

“Welcome back, Brother Tian!”

“Haha, a year has passed, but you’re still as reckless as ever.”

Ye Tian rubbed Li Cheng’s head without the slightest hesitation and teased him with a laugh.

“Brother Tian, I just had my hair permed. Don’t mess it up.”

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Li Cheng’s eyes were filled with resentment.

Seeing this familiar scene, a trace of remembrance appeared in Ye Tian’s eyes.

Back in prison, Li Cheng had been exactly the same.

He was easygoing about everything except one thing: no one was allowed to touch his head.

He had even claimed that a man’s head represented his dignity, and that Li Cheng would never bow his head to anyone.

But the more he cared about it, the more Ye Tian wanted to touch his head.

The two of them had often wrestled and bickered over that very matter.

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed. Time truly flew.

“Forget it. Today is a joyous occasion. We have to celebrate Brother Tian’s release properly.”

Li Cheng grinned broadly, bent at the waist, and gestured invitingly.

“Brother Tian, get in. Let me give you a proper welcome.”

Ye Tian laughed and made no attempt to refuse. He bent down and climbed into the Rolls-Royce Phantom in the middle.

He had never been formal with Li Cheng.

After all, he had done Li Cheng a tremendous favor—one that had given him an entirely new lease on life.

Four years earlier, Li Cheng had been sentenced to three years in prison for manslaughter.

In prison, the two men had gotten along well. Upon learning that the Li family was in the cosmetics business, Ye Tian had given him the formula for the Youth-Retaining Pill.

He possessed many formulas like it.

To Ye Tian, giving away one formula was nothing.

But to Li Cheng, it was a different matter entirely.

Even a formula Ye Tian produced casually could crush every cosmetics company on the market.

Everyone knew that women’s money was the easiest money to earn.

After his release, Li Cheng reported the formula to his family and mobilized all their resources to mass-produce the Youth-Retaining Pill.

A single formula had successfully created a market worth hundreds of millions.

Li Cheng had originally been a member of a collateral branch of the family, but thanks to this achievement, he had been allowed to return to the main line.

Inside the car, Li Cheng opened a bottle of 1982 Château Lafite, brought out two wineglasses, filled them with red wine, added ice, and drank with Ye Tian.

“The wine isn’t bad, but it lacks strength.”

Ye Tian took a sip from his glass and shook his head regretfully.

“I also have forty-year-old Maotai. Shall I pour you some?”

Ye Tian shook his head and politely declined. “Forget it. It wouldn’t look good to get drunk right after being released.”

Li Cheng did not press the matter. Instead, he said excitedly, “Brother Tian, when I heard you were getting out today, I arranged two long-legged beauties for you in advance. Tonight, you can have a little fun.”

“No need. I want to go home first.”

The corners of Ye Tian’s mouth lifted slightly, and a warm smile appeared on his face. “I’ve been in prison for four years. She must have been terribly worried about me. I want to go home and let her know I’m safe.”

“About that…”

Li Cheng’s expression grew complicated. He hesitated, wanting to speak but unable to do so.

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Ye Tian glanced at him but paid no attention.

At that moment, he was completely immersed in the joy of seeing his wife again.

…

Heavenly Residence.

Several luxury cars drove in one after another.

Ye Tian stepped out of the Rolls-Royce Phantom and entered the apartment building, his heart filled with excitement.

His thoughts began to run wild.

What expression would appear on his wife’s face when she saw him?

Would she be excited?

Happy?

Or perhaps overjoyed?

Seeing him again would surely be an enormous surprise for her.

Eighteenth floor.

Ye Tian took out his key and opened the door.

With a click, he pushed it open and stepped inside.

“Honey, I’m home.”

The next moment, the smile on Ye Tian’s face froze.

His wife, Shen Yuwei, was sitting on the sofa with another handsome man. Both were dressed in loungewear, their arms wrapped intimately around each other.

The scene struck Ye Tian as utterly absurd.

That man looked like the true master of the house, while he—the legitimate husband—seemed nothing more than a guest.

The moment they saw Ye Tian enter, the two people on the sofa were startled.

They quickly separated, as though nothing had happened.

But their loungewear could not conceal the truth.

A look of shock appeared on Shen Yuwei’s face. “Ye Tian, weren’t you in prison? Why did you suddenly come back?”

“What? Are you blaming me for interrupting your good time?”

Ye Tian clenched his fists, a profound sorrow threaded through his voice. “I was released early because of a sentence reduction and didn’t tell you. I wanted to surprise you. I never expected you to surprise me first.”

“Don’t misunderstand. It isn’t what you think.”

Shen Yuwei summoned her courage. “Ye Tian, listen to my explanation.”

“An explanation? To hell with your explanation!”

Ye Tian pointed forcefully at Shen Yuwei, as though trying to vent all the fury in his heart.

“Shen Yuwei, I spent four years in prison for you. Is this how you repay me?”