Chapter Six: Joy

"I think you can probably guess that my relationship with her is not exactly good; otherwise, she wouldn't have said those things just now."

Lin Ye’s brow gradually smoothed out, and he spoke in a tone of utter indifference.

As a 4S dealership manager, Wang Qing was no fool. Having reached such a position, he understood the subtext of Lin Ye’s words instantly. Compared to offending a client of such significant value, the newcomer Xu Xiaowei was, in his eyes, not even worth a feather on the scale.

Xu Xiaowei’s face turned deathly pale, panic gripping her heart. She realized that if Lin Ye didn’t speak up for her, she was truly finished.

"Mr. Lin, it was my fault before. I apologize to you here and now," Xu Xiaowei said, bowing her head, her voice trembling slightly. "Please, be the bigger person and don’t hold it against me."

Lin Ye smiled faintly but did not respond directly to her plea. He turned to Wang Qing and said calmly, "Manager Wang, I have never been one to dwell on the past."

Just as Xu Xiaowei began to smile, thinking Lin Ye was interceding on her behalf, his tone took a sharp turn, casting her directly into the abyss.

"Manager Wang, I am only here to collect my car. As for the unpleasantness that occurred in your dealership, handle it however you see fit. Regardless, after this experience, I can only say that my opinion of the Mercedes-Benz brand has been severely disappointed."

Lin Ye stepped forward and gave Wang Qing’s shoulder a light, meaningful pat, offering him a look of profound implication.

A thin layer of sweat instantly broke out on Manager Wang’s forehead. Anyone who could afford an AMG was already beyond the reach of the average person; if the dealership owner found out he had offended such a high-profile client... The consequences of that alone made Wang Qing’s limbs grow cold.

"I understand, Mr. Lin. I will certainly give you a reasonable explanation regarding this matter. I will have HR process Xu Xiaowei’s termination immediately. I guarantee you won’t see her here the next time you come in for service!"

Hearing Manager Wang’s words, Xu Xiaowei’s face turned even paler, her lips quivering. She couldn't fathom how things had spiraled so far.

The woman finally panicked. She stepped forward and grabbed Lin Ye’s arm, her eyes filled with desperate pleading, a stream of apologies and entreaties spilling from her lips.

Seeing the woman who had slandered him back in school reduced to this state, Lin Ye felt no sense of vindication; rather, he found it utterly tedious. For a fleeting moment, he was reminded of that pale, fragile figure lying on a hospital bed.

Realizing that wasting time on such meaningless trifles was pointless compared to getting his car and heading to the hospital to keep his nominal wife company, he decided to move on. After all, if one were to be technical, this Mercedes-Benz could be considered a gift from his wife.

"Forget it. Are the documents ready? Can I take the car now?" Lin Ye waved his hand dismissively and turned to Wang Qing.

Wang Qing let out a sigh of relief. "No problem, Mr. Lin. I’ll arrange for a consultant to give you a brief introduction to the car's features, and then you can take your new vehicle home."

Wang Qing wiped the dried sweat from his forehead and used the microphone on his collar to summon another saleswoman—a tall woman with a wavy hairstyle and square-rimmed glasses—while signaling for Xu Xiaowei to get lost.

It had to be said that this saleswoman was highly professional. After helping Lin Ye open the door and settle into the driver's seat, she smoothed her black hip-hugging skirt and crouched by the door, patiently answering all of Lin Ye’s questions.

Standing at the entrance of the 4S dealership, Xu Xiaowei watched as Lin Ye drove away in the Mercedes AMG—a car worth 1.2 million with all its options—her heart filled with a complex mix of emotions. She never imagined that the penniless Lin Ye from years ago would truly transform into a wealthy man.

Since things had reached this point, she couldn't afford to lose her job. Xu Xiaowei’s mind raced, and her eyes welled up with tears. "Manager Wang, I know I was wrong." She tilted her face to present her most alluring profile to him.

Wang Qing glanced at her, his gaze lingering on her chest for several seconds before he replied in a cold tone, "Xu Xiaowei, your behavior just now was a serious violation of store policy!"

Xu Xiaowei’s face paled. She couldn't leave this job; the commissions were high and the work was easy.

"I... I know I was wrong, Manager Wang. Please, give me another chance." Observing Wang Qing’s expression, she seized the opportunity to wrap her arms around his, pressing her chest against him intentionally as she spoke in a low, submissive voice.

Feeling the extreme softness against his arm, Wang Qing’s resolve wavered. He gave a cold snort, "I’ll arrange a transfer for you to a branch office, but remember: you must be polite to customers in the future. Do not let your personal grudges affect your work."

The woman wasn't ugly, and her figure was quite appealing. More importantly, she wasn't the type to hold onto her virtue. Keeping her around meant he would likely be able to enjoy himself before long.

Xu Xiaowei let out a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly, though she was already harboring other schemes. The current Lin Ye was not only handsome but potentially a "hidden" tycoon. She needed to think carefully about how to repair their relationship. Perhaps, if she played her cards right, she could even reap a huge reward from him...

As the accelerator was pressed to the floor, the Mercedes AMG’s 2.0T four-cylinder engine erupted in a low, guttural roar. The 408-horsepower output gave the car a sensation of inexhaustible power.

Watching the urban landscape blur past on both sides, Lin Ye felt a surge of genuine joy. Any man would be thrilled to own his own luxury car. He was hit with a sudden urge to share the news, but the circumstances of his marriage—the "lucky charm" union and living off his wife's wealth—were too difficult to explain. It was better to keep it a secret as long as he could.

He thought of his new wife lying on that hospital bed.

Weaving through the city’s dense traffic, Lin Ye arrived at the hospital half an hour later.

"Here to see your wife again?" The young nurse on duty in the hallway waved and greeted him as he passed.

The hospital staff were mostly aware of Lin Ye’s situation, and they didn't find it particularly strange; in a place like a hospital, even stranger things were common. Still, some of the nurses felt sorry for the young man—handsome and in his prime, yet married to someone lying in a coma, likely never to wake up.