chapter 36 Xiguan Antique City

Ye Group Tower, CEO's Office. "Mr. Ye, you need to sign these documents." Cece Deng walked in with a few papers and saw Cindy Ye supporting her head on the office table. Her pretty face was pale, and she looked tired. Cece asked with concern, "Mr. Ye, what happened? Are you sick? You look terrible." "I'm fine, just a headache. Maybe I caught a cold from the air conditioner last night. Give them to me." Cindy Ye lifted her head, her complexion looking very poor. She took the documents from Cece Deng and asked, "Are those people still at the construction site?" "Yes, Mr. Ye. No matter what we say, they won't leave. They clearly intend to delay our construction schedule," Cece Deng nodded in response. Cindy Ye's eyebrows furrowed in frustration. Trying to hide her discomfort, she said coldly, "It seems it's time to have a clear talk with Luca Li!" Cece Deng was startled and replied with concern, "But Mr. Ye, you almost had an accident last time. What if he tries something unreasonable again? Should I inform Mr. Jiang?" "No, you can't tell him." Cindy Ye raised her head, giving Cece Deng a sharp look. She was clearly displeased that Cece had gone behind her back to inform Noah Jiang last time. She eventually relented and said, "First, contact Luca Li and see when he's free. I want to know what he's really up to." "Alright, I'll contact him now." Cece Deng nodded and left the room. Cindy Ye held her forehead, looking extremely pale and in pain. She couldn't understand why she felt this way recently, experiencing severe headaches as if someone was drilling into her skull, sapping all her energy. Unbeknownst to her, a mysterious red cloth emitting a dark aura hung inside the balcony window of her office. The cloth had a mysterious symbol drawn on it, which influenced the entire office's energy field. Traditional Chinese Medicine Street, Jiang Clinic. Noah Jiang prepared another pot of beauty tea. He watched the passers-by, accustomed to the quiet around him. He sat with a medical book, starting to research other tea formulas. An SUV zoomed by, and Oscar came running with a big smile, shouting, "Brother, I'm here!" "Alright." Noah Jiang looked at him and asked with a smile, "Feeling better?" "Heh heh, it's almost fully recovered." Oscar laughed heartily and playfully asked while sitting next to Noah Jiang, "Can I start dating women again?" Noah Jiang gave him a look and replied, "If you want it to rot off, go ahead." Oscar looked confused and frustrated, "Then when can I play?" "Two weeks, wait till it's completely healed." As Noah Jiang returned to his reading, Oscar reluctantly nodded. Suddenly, he mentioned, "Isn't the CEO of Ye Group your wife?" "What happened?" Noah Jiang nodded in acknowledgment. "She seems to be in some trouble." Noah Jiang paused and set his book down, looking at Oscar, "What kind of trouble?" Oscar shrugged, "I don't know how she offended Liam Cao, but now his people, pretending to be the locals of that land, are blocking the entrance to the Lindong Area Worksite, preventing the Ye Group from starting their construction. They're demanding 100 million to move the locals. This issue has been going on since yesterday, and it's pretty big. Didn't you know?" Noah Jiang frowned. He genuinely didn't know about this. Cindy Ye had been ignoring him; how could she tell him these things? "Luca Li!" He said with utmost confidence. Noah Jiang was certain in his heart without a doubt that Luca Li was behind this, seeking revenge on Cindy Ye. "Brother, do you want me to lend you a hand?" Oscar patted Noah Jiang's shoulder, "After all, we're mortal enemies with Liam Cao. Uncle Alfie also said that as long as you speak up, we'll help you handle this." However, Noah Jiang shook his head, smiling, "No need, I believe she can handle it on her own." Oscar nodded in understanding. Ye Group wasn't just any ordinary company. Cindy Ye's abilities in Yulin City's business circle were clear for all to see. Perhaps they didn't even need anyone to step in; they could solve things on their own. "Brother Oscar, can you keep an eye on Luca Li, the chairman of Li Enterprises Real Estate Group for me? He wants to mess with my wife's company. Let me know if he's up to anything lately," Noah Jiang seriously said to Oscar. "Sure, no problem. I'll keep a lookout on him for you," Oscar readily agreed. "Thanks. I'll pour you a cup of herbal tea to strengthen your constitution. It'll help with your kidney deficiency," Noah said as he poured a cup of tea. Just then, Ruth Chen walked out and burst into laughter at the sight of Oscar. Feeling embarrassed, Oscar quickly got up and declined, "Never mind that. My kidneys are in great shape. I should go now. I'll catch up with you later." Noah Jiang was taken aback, watching as Oscar drove off in a hurry. He could only pour the tea back with a smile. Ruth Chen handed him lunch and chuckled, "Here, your favourite roast duck rice." "Thank you." Noah Jiang began eating without hesitation. Ruth sat beside him, watching him eat. Her hands nervously rested on her fair knees. She seemed to have something difficult to say, gathering courage before asking, "Brother Noah, you and Miss Ye..." Just then, Noah's phone rang. He quickly picked it up, gesturing an apology to Ruth, and answered, "What's up?" It was Cindy Ye on the line, her voice weak, "Can you go to Xiguan Antique City right away? My mom is arguing with someone there. I can't leave right now, can you go and mediate?" "Okay, I'm on my way now." Noah seemed to know why his mother-in-law and father-in-law were arguing with someone—it was about that fake painting from last night. "Ruth, are you busy now? If not, can you look after the clinic for a bit? I'll be back soon." Noah stood up and Ruth nodded. He took his electric scooter out. Xiguan Antique City was not far from Traditional Chinese Medicine Street, and he'd get there quickly on his scooter. As she watched Noah ride off, Ruth let out a sigh of disappointment. Xiguan Antique City was the largest antique market in Yulin City. The place was teeming with antique dealers. Antique shops of various sizes lined the streets, selling a wide array of antiques. Among them was the Painted Treasure Pavilion, specializing in ancient paintings. Its owner was known as Fatty Wang. At the moment, a crowd had gathered in front of the store. Leo Zhang and Junko Ye were berating a man dressed in traditional clothing, pointing at Fatty Wang, "You deceitful merchant! You sold a fake painting to my husband! Refund us our money!" "Refund?" Fatty Wang glanced at Leo Zhang and sneered, "Mr. Zhang, you chose the painting yourself, didn't you? And you willingly paid for it. Now you're claiming it's a fake. Are you treating this place like a vegetable market, haggling over prices?" Leo Zhang's face reddened, "But this painting is obviously a modern imitation! It's not worth 1.2 million at all." "An imitation? Why didn't you say so yesterday? Are you trying to scam me by claiming the original was fake and the one you brought back is an imitation?" Fatty Wang sneered at Leo Zhang and then shouted to the onlookers, "Don't you all agree with me?"