Ch. 211..220

Chapter 211: Shi Youjin, You Act So Well The criminal investigator was about to ask another question when a female officer came in, “Chief Zheng, we’ve found Tian Qiugui’s second mobile phone, and it contains crucial evidence!”

Chief Zheng’s spirits lifted, and without regards to Ye Chuyi, he immediately went out.

Ye Chuyi didn’t know what evidence they had found, but with Tian Qiugui’s capability, they were likely not to disappoint the police.

Indeed, before long, Chief Zheng returned, and he unlocked her handcuffs, “Your suspicions have been cleared, you can go now.”

Ye Chuyi looked up at him, “Who is the killer?”

“Shi Youjin.”noveldrama

“Did he confess?”

“He didn’t confess, he insists that he didn’t kill anyone. But it seems Tian Qiugui had sensed the danger before her death; she hid her phone in a holly tree, which recorded the entirety of her being murdered.”

Ye Chuyi’s face turned paler than during the interrogation, and her voice grew hoarse with intensity, “It really was him, it really was…”

After all these years, she had always believed that Shi Youjin was innocent; she felt that her father had been wrongfully accused.

Only today did she learn that he had not been wronged, that it was indeed he who had killed Du Yu’s father.

And now, not long after being released from prison, he had killed another!

What’s more critical is that the reason Shi Youjin killed was the same, eighteen years ago, Du Yu was killed for blackmailing him, and now, eighteen years later, Tian Qiugui was also killed for the same reason!

This was no coincidence!

Blackmail was definitely not as simple as it appeared on the surface!

Her thoughts churning, she couldn’t keep calm, “Chief Zheng, may I see Shi Youjin?”

“That’s against procedure.”

“Just for a moment, you can have someone accompany me.”

During the interrogation, Chief Zheng had already noticed that she wasn’t close with her parents; she didn’t even call them mom and dad the entire time, only referring to them by their names.

Years of experience in criminal investigations made him exceedingly sharp, “Do you also think there’s something fishy about Shi Youjin’s murder, so you want to ask him about it?”

“Yes.”

Ye Chuyi stopped hiding the truth, “Eighteen years ago, Shi Youjin killed a doctor named Du Yu; surely you’ve already checked his record, but what you may not know is that Shi Youjin killed him because he was also blackmailed.”

“Du Yu blackmailed Shi Youjin?”

“That’s likely, you can interrogate Shi Youjin again. If you follow the lead of blackmail, you should be able to find his real motive for murder.”

Chief Zheng thought she was unnervingly composed, he looked at her for a good while, finally saying, “Let’s go, I’ll take you to see him.”

“Thank you.”

Ye Chuyi followed him to the outside of a detention room.

The door of the detention room was made of stainless steel bars, and through it, Ye Chuyi saw Shi Youjin curled up in the corner, motionless.

Under the dim yellow light, he appeared so honest, so innocent, just as he had eighteen years ago.

Upon hearing movement, Shi Youjin slowly turned his head, and when he saw Ye Chuyi, he froze, then quickly stood up and came to the front of the door, “Xiaoyi, why have you come? Are you here to get me out? I didn’t kill anyone, Xiaoyi, really I didn’t!”

Ye Chuyi watched him intently; in the past, she had been deceived by this very display of innocence, she believed that her father wouldn’t lie to her, that he couldn’t lie.

But she never thought that the biggest liar of all was him.

Her eyes slowly reddened, “Shi Youjin, so you’ve been lying to me all along, deceiving me for so many years. Du Yu, he really was killed by you. How ridiculous, to think that I kept begging the Du family for a letter of forgiveness on your behalf.”

Shi Youjin shook his head frantically, “Xiaoyi, have you listened to some nonsense these detectives told you? Don’t believe them, Xiaoyi, you have to believe Dad, I’m the only person in this world who would never lie to you!”

Ye Chuyi suddenly laughed, and as she laughed, tears fell, “Shi Youjin, you put on quite a show, playing innocent, claiming you didn’t kill anyone, tell me, was even your love for me just an act?”

“Xiaoyi, don’t do this, don’t cry, it breaks Dad’s heart, I didn’t put on an act, you are my only child, how could I possibly not love you?”

Chapter 212: Strangers from Now on Ye Chuyi looked at his hypocritical face, and the last vestige of childhood kinship in her heart vanished completely.

She wiped away her tears, her voice becoming cold, “You killed Tian Qiugui and Du Yu for the same reason, didn’t you?”

“No, I did not kill them, I’m innocent!”

“It was not because they were blackmailing you that you killed them, but rather because they knew a secret of yours. I’m quite curious now, what secret could it be, that you would rather take such a risk and kill two people in a row rather than let it be exposed.”

Shi Youjin’s pupils suddenly constricted, but then he put on a sorrowful expression and said, “Xiaoyi, do you also refuse to believe me? I really didn’t kill anyone!”

“No matter what this secret is, I will find it out.”

After saying that, Ye Chuyi turned around and left.

Shi Youjin’s face turned rather ugly, and he fiercely gripped the bars of the gate as if in the next second he might tear down that gate and rush out to stop Ye Chuyi.

Unfortunately, this gate was specifically designed to detain major suspects, unusually strong, and no matter how much strength he used, it wouldn’t budge.

Ye Chuyi had already left the police station and stood outside its main entrance.

She had just steadied herself when a figure hurried out of the police station, passing by her without even recognizing her.

Ye Chuyi spoke up indifferently, “Lin Yueqin, you’re in such a hurry to leave, where are you going?”noveldrama

At the sound of her voice, Lin Yueqin abruptly stopped, whirling around: “You little beast, so you haven’t left yet?”

“Oh, I went to see Shi Youjin, which delayed me a bit. He has already killed two people; you should know the reason, shouldn’t you?”

“What does his killing have to do with me? I don’t know anything!”

Lin Yueqin glared at her menacingly, “And you, you even changed your surname behind my back! If the police hadn’t told me you’re now called Ye Chuyi, I wouldn’t have known you’re no longer a Lin! You little beast, who allowed you to change your surname?!”

“If I want to change it, I’ll change it. You’ve never treated me like a daughter anyway, why should I bear your name?”

“Even if you don’t want to bear my name, you should at least take Shi Youjin’s name! Who gave you permission to change to Ye? Do you think you deserve it? Daydreaming all the time, don’t think I don’t know what plans you’re harboring! Get this through your head, you will never be Lady Wen’s daughter in this life; even if you change to her surname, it’s useless!”

“Even if I dream I want to become Lady Wen’s daughter, so what, is that not allowed? No one would want to be your daughter, including Wen Nianyou, whom you raised as if she were your own flesh and blood. That’s how much of a failure you are. You can ask Wen Nianyou, if she gets a chance to be reborn, would she still choose Lady Wen, or would she choose you?”

Lin Yueqin was so blocked by her words that she couldn’t utter a reply for a moment, and her expression turned ghastly.

There was no need to ask; if Wen Nianyou had the choice, she would definitely choose Lady Wen and not Lin Yueqin.

Seeing that Lin Yueqin remained silent, Ye Chuyi felt a slight sense of satisfaction. Recalling that Lin Yueqin had also been swindled out of fifteen million, she asked lightly, “Where did you get so much money to give to Tian’s mother? Did Wen Nianyou give it to you?”

“Money? What money? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Fifteen million. That sum isn’t small change even for Wen Nianyou; why would she be willing to give you so much all at once?”

“She didn’t give me any money, I borrowed it from someone else!”

“Borrowed from whom?”

“Relatives and friends!”

“You’re lying.”

“You little beast, do you think everyone is like you, without a single friend? I have plenty of friends and a whole lot of relatives, unlike you, alone and friendless, with no one wanting to associate with you!”

“You do have quite a few relatives and friends, but where could you find wealthy ones? You and Shi Youjin’s relatives in your hometown are poorer than the other; they come to you for money every year, how could they possibly lend you any?”

“Why are you asking so much? What has it got to do with you? You’ve changed your surname, so don’t even think about having me recognize you as my daughter anymore!”

Ye Chuyi sneered, “Do you think I wanted to acknowledge you as my mother? Shi Youjin has killed twice, and you definitely knew about it, you may even have been an accomplice. You’ve lost all semblance of humanity. I feel ashamed to even have a mother like you. You’d better not recognize me as your daughter anymore; from now on, it would be better if we treated each other as strangers.”

Chapter 213: Of Course the Couple Can’t Be Separated “Nonsense! Shi Youjin’s murder is his business; I’ve said it before, I don’t know anything. How could I possibly be his accomplice? If I were his accomplice, would the police have let me go?”

Lin Yueqin looked at her annoyed: “And don’t think you can rid yourself of parents like Shi Youjin and me. I intend to disgust you for life. You will always be the murderer’s daughter! The fifteen million debt I’ve taken on, you’ll be filling that hole for me in the future!”

“In your dreams, I won’t give you a penny,” she retorted.

Lin Yueqin was about to say something else when her mobile phone suddenly rang. She answered it and, after listening for a moment, said, “I’ll be right back.”

Then she no longer paid attention to Ye Chuyi, hailed a taxi, and left in a hurry.

Ye Chuyi stood still, watching her leave, guessing it must have been Wen Nianyou who called her.

She hadn’t forgotten that Wen Nianyou had said before that she was certain Shi Youjin had killed Du Yu and that she knew the real reason for Shi Youjin’s murder.

This reason was probably not told to her by Shi Youjin, but by Lin Yueqin.

Which means Lin Yueqin absolutely knew Shi Youjin’s real motive for murder.

It seemed that she still had to act through Lin Yueqin to find that secret.

While Ye Chuyi was mulling this over, waiting for a cab, she didn’t catch a taxi; instead, a Bentley pulled up.

The luxurious Bentley stopped in front of her. The door opened, and Sheng Tingyuan got out.

Ye Chuyi’s heart skipped a beat: “How did you know I was here?”

Could he already know that she was the daughter of Shi Youjin and Lin Yueqin?

“I transferred the five million to Tian Qiugui, and the police questioned me about it,” he explained.

“Oh, I see,” she replied.

“Are you alright? You seem distracted.”

Ye Chuyi shook her head: “I’m fine. It’s just that the person who was blackmailing me suddenly died, and I’m feeling a bit conflicted.”

Sheng Tingyuan stepped forward, grabbed her wrist, and then gently held her hand saying, “Her death is not your fault. You are the victim. Stop thinking about it; let’s go home.”

Ye Chuyi let herself be pulled into the car, her hand still in his palm.

She stared absently at their clasped hands, thinking about what he had just said, shaking her head inwardly.

He was wrong; Tian Qiugui’s death was deeply related to her.

If it hadn’t been for her deal with the Ye Family, getting the letter of forgiveness from Du Xiaoguang, allowing Shi Youjin to be released early from jail, Tian Qiugui might not have died.

Now, Shi Youjin had been incarcerated again, and this time, the sentence would be heavier. There was a high possibility he would be sentenced to death.

Her deal with the Ye Family had lost all its meaning.

“Sheng Tingyuan.”

“Hmm?”

“Take me to the Ye Family’s place. I want to stay there tonight.”

Sheng Tingyuan tightened his grip on her hand. After a while, he instructed the driver, “To the Ye Family.”

Half an hour later.

The Bentley drove into the Ye Family’s luxurious villa and stopped in front of the white marble steps.

Ye Chuyi got out of the car and walked toward the house. Halfway there, she realized Sheng Tingyuan was following her. “You should go home. I can manage on my own here…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Madam Ye’s voice interrupted her: “Oh, Tingyuan is here too, come in quickly!”

As she spoke, she patted Ye Chuyi on the back: “Child, how can you let Tingyuan leave? A young couple shouldn’t be apart. Stay at the house tonight!”

Ye Chuyi fell silent.

Ye Zhengrong also came out and greeted Sheng Tingyuan with a smile, ushering him inside.

Once the two of them were inside, Madam Ye pulled Ye Chuyi aside and asked in a hushed voice, “What happened? Why did you suddenly come back?”

Ye Chuyi’s voice was also very low: “Shi Youjin killed someone again yesterday and was caught.”

Madam Ye was momentarily shocked, but she quickly grasped the reason for Ye Chuyi’s return: “He’s locked up again. You’re not thinking of breaking the agreement and ending your marriage with Sheng Tingyuan, are you?”

Ye Chuyi felt somewhat guilty, yet she didn’t want to continue deceiving Sheng Tingyuan and his mother. She nodded, “I’m a fraud after all. This can’t go on.”noveldrama

 

Chapter 214: Hurry Up and Have a Child for Him Madam Ye felt both anger and urgency, “What counterfeit, haven’t we already accepted you as our adopted daughter? You are now a Miss of the Ye Family, and even if the Sheng Family finds out, with our support, they wouldn’t dare to make things difficult for you.”

“Being an adopted daughter is just a nicer-sounding term, at the end of the day, it is still deception. If the Sheng Family knew I was the daughter of a murderer, they wouldn’t let it go easily, and Sheng Tingyuan would never acknowledge me as his wife.”

Madam Ye’s brows deeply furrowed; Ye Chuyi had hit the nail on the head now, her father was indeed a huge hidden threat like a malignant tumor.

If she were the daughter of a commoner, it wouldn’t be much of a problem; considering the Ye Family’s face, the Sheng Family might not refuse to accept Ye Chuyi’s status as an “adopted daughter”.noveldrama

But Shi Youjin had killed twice, it was no longer an ordinary case, but a major criminal case. Having such a cruel and bloodthirsty father, she would never be able to hold her head high in her lifetime, and even her genetics might be problematic.

Not to mention the Sheng Family, even Madam Ye now felt like she needed to keep a distance from Ye Chuyi, as bad genes are hereditary. Deep down inside, Ye Chuyi might have a tendency towards violence and bloodshed.

However, some things, like an arrow shot from a bow, cannot be recalled.

The best plan for now was to continue hiding Ye Chuyi’s identity. Otherwise, the deep ties recently established with the Sheng Family would instantly fall apart, and her son would completely lose the massive support of the Sheng Family in the future.

Madam Ye thought for a while and then said softly, “Who did Shi Youjin kill this time? I can have someone talk to the victim’s family, offer several million in compensation, and get them to issue a letter of forgiveness. Maybe we could get Shi Youjin out.”

Ye Chuyi spoke firmly, “No, there’s no need to get him out. Before, I thought he hadn’t killed anyone, so I tried everything to help him, but now I’m sure of it, he did the killings. He doesn’t deserve the forgiveness of the victims’ families, he should be punished by the law!”

Madam Ye was surprised; she hadn’t expected Ye Chuyi, who had been so filially pious before, would now be able to disown her family for righteousness with such clear-headed rationality.

She had a strange and familiar feeling, “Why do I feel that you don’t quite resemble the daughter of a murderer like Shi Youjin? You’re a bit like…”

Like her father-in-law, the real power-holder of the Ye Family, Ye Chongzun.

However, she did not continue with what she was about to say.

What was important now wasn’t who Ye Chuyi resembled, but to dispel her worries, and to keep her helping the Ye Family with the marriage alliance.

“Xiaoyi, don’t worry about your identity; the Sheng and Ye families are now tied together, and you are firmly the daughter-in-law of the Sheng Family. If you’re still not at ease, I will have someone erase all traces of your past, no one will know your true identity. From now on, as long as I say you are my daughter, no one will dare to question it.”

In fact, Madam Ye had already had someone erase all of Ye Chuyi’s past traces, but she didn’t tell her because she was afraid she wouldn’t like it.

She was even more unwilling than Ye Chuyi for the Sheng Family to discover that this daughter of the Ye Family was an impostor.

“And, you need to develop a good relationship with Sheng Tingyuan and have a child with him as soon as possible.”

“No, to have a son. With such a huge family business for the Sheng Family to pass on, how can you do it without a son? You’re not going to leave it all to Sheng Huai’an, that illegitimate child, are you?”

“Sheng Tingyuan would never agree to that. He has invested a lot in competing with that illegitimate child for the inheritance rights. As long as you bear him a son, no matter what happens in the future, he will not make things difficult for you for the sake of his son.”

Listening made Ye Chuyi’s head ache; was she supposed to deceive Sheng Tingyuan into having a son with her? And then use the son to get Sheng Tingyuan to let her off the hook?

This was too—despicable.

Seeing that Madam Ye was about to mention having a son again, she hurriedly interrupted, “I’ll think about it, we’ve stood outside for too long, it’s time to go in. I haven’t eaten yet, and I suppose Sheng Tingyuan hasn’t eaten either. Is there anything to eat at home?”

“Yes, there’s everything at home, what do you want to eat? I’ll tell someone to make it for you.”

“I’d like some soup.” She had talked too much at the police station today; she just wanted something soupy now.

Madam Ye immediately called out to the servant, “Nurse Liu, Xiaoyi wants some soup. Quickly make some soup for the young miss!”

 

Chapter 215: I Was Not Good-looking When I Was Young The servant responded and hurried off to the kitchen to get busy.

After Madam Ye called out, she affectionately took Ye Chuyi into the living room. She smiled at Ye Zhengrong and said, “This child was craving the soup made by Mama Liu, so she specially came back to have some today.”

Ye Zhengrong glanced at Ye Chuyi and called to the butler, “The night-blooming cereus I planted should bloom tonight. Go check on them and pick all the flowers for Xiaoyi to make soup.”

The butler responded promptly and trotted off to pick the night-blooming cereus that Ye Zhengrong treasured most.

Ye Chuyi had never had soup made with night-blooming cereus, nor did she know it could be used for soup. However, she knew about night-blooming cereus, and the ones planted by Ye Zhengrong were surely not ordinary. Were they all being picked for her to make soup?

The Ye couple were acting more serious than she ever did.

She didn’t speak anymore, just sat quietly beside Madam Ye, playing the role of a good daughter, listening to their idle chatter.

After a while, the butler brought back the night-blooming cereus. He showed them to Ye Chuyi, “Miss, look, they’re all the freshest.”

Ye Chuyi picked up a flower. It was still blooming. Ye Zhengrong didn’t even appreciate the flowers and was willing to use them to make her soup. Truly fitting of the second master of the Ye family, very much in the style of wealthy families.

She put the flower back, “Go make the soup.”

She was curious to taste what soup made from night-blooming cereus was like.

The kitchen soon wafted with fragrances, and the dishes were served one by one at the dining table.

Madam Ye and Ye Zhengrong had already eaten their dinner. She, linking arms with her husband, said smilingly, “You two go ahead and eat. We’re going for a walk. By the time we come back, you’ll probably be done eating.”

Ye Chuyi guessed she wanted to take the opportunity to discuss Shi Youjin with Ye Zhengrong, so she nodded, “Mhm, okay.”

After they left, Ye Chuyi turned to Sheng Tingyuan, “Let’s go, it’s time to eat.”

The two of them went together to the dining room and sat down to eat dinner.noveldrama

In front of her and Sheng Tingyuan, each had a bowl of night-blooming cereus soup. What surprised Ye Chuyi was that the soup also contained wolfberries and red dates, which she liked.

Was it a coincidence?

Or did Madam Ye find out even this small preference of hers?

Ye Chuyi pondered as she bowed her head and started drinking.

The taste was unexpectedly delicious, soft and tender. After one sip, the lingering fragrance of the night-blooming cereus remained between her lips and teeth, greatly reducing her fatigue from the day.

Sheng Tingyuan also took a sip, “It’s quite unique. Do you like drinking this?”

Ye Chuyi nodded, “Like.”

Seeing that she quickly finished a bowl, Sheng Tingyuan took her bowl and served her another.

After dinner, they went to take showers separately.

Madam Ye had already returned from her walk. She brought Ye Chuyi a set of pajamas and instructed a servant to bring a new set that her son had never worn to Sheng Tingyuan.

Only after taking a shower did Ye Chuyi realize a problem: she was now at the Ye family’s home and couldn’t sleep in separate rooms with Sheng Tingyuan.

Indeed, not long after, Sheng Tingyuan had finished his shower and came to her room.

Originally, she thought the bedroom Madam Ye prepared for her was quite large, but once Sheng Tingyuan entered, the room suddenly felt a bit cramped. No matter what she did, Sheng Tingyuan was always by her side, which made her somewhat uncomfortable.

On the other hand, Sheng Tingyuan was as at ease in her bedroom as if he was in his own. He didn’t treat himself as an outsider at all and even used her moisturizer and face cream.

Ye Chuyi watched him apply skincare products in astonishment, “I thought you didn’t use these.”

“I don’t usually, but I was a bit curious about your cosmetics, so I tried them.”

Actually, it was because he always felt that there was a subtle, pleasant fragrance on her. Even though they used the same shower gel and shampoo, the scent on her was different.

So, he suspected it might be from the moisturizer.

But after using it, he realized it wasn’t related to the cosmetics either.

Sheng Tingyuan looked around her room, then asked her, “Why are there no photos from your childhood in your room?”

Ye Chuyi really wanted to say it was because she was an impostor.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t say that.

“I wasn’t good-looking as a child.”

Sheng Tingyuan shook his head, not believing her, but he didn’t ask further and lay down on the bed.

Seeing Ye Chuyi still sitting on the sofa, he didn’t hurry her, instead closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

 

Chapter 216: Unable to Fall Asleep While Hugging Ye Chuyi propped her chin in one hand, holding her cell phone in the other, scrolling through news, but in fact, she hadn’t taken in a single word.

She remembered when she was a child, she had begged Lin Yueqin to take a photo of her because every year on Wen Nianyou’s birthday, Lady Wen would dress her up extravagantly and hire a photographer to take lots of pictures of her.

Wen Family’s walls and cabinets were filled with photos of Wen Nianyou at various ages, and she even had many thick photo albums, each clearly documenting her growth.

Ye Chuyi envied Wen Nianyou for having beautiful princess dresses, envied her for her massive, tiered birthday cakes, and envied her ability to pose like a little model in various cute ways for photos.

But she knew that dresses and cakes were something Lin Yueqin would never buy for her, so she just begged her to let her take a photo on her birthday too.

However, Lin Yueqin still refused.

But one year, when Lady Wen found out that Lin Yueqin was not celebrating her birthday, she suggested that she celebrate with Wen Nianyou and even took a joint photo of her and Wen Nianyou.

That was the only birthday she ever celebrated.

That joint photo was also the only photo from her childhood.

Unfortunately, she never got to keep that photo, because it had Wen Nianyou in it, Lin Yueqin took it for herself and didn’t give it to her.

Time passed, and she didn’t know how long it had been until she came back to her senses from the memories.

Sheng Tingyuan on the bed had already fallen asleep, she got up, turned off the light, and crept into bed, pulling up a corner of the thin blanket over herself, ready to sleep with her back to Sheng Tingyuan.

The central air conditioning in the villa was on and since she was far from Sheng Tingyuan, there was a gap in the middle of the blanket where the cold air crept in, making her slightly annoyed.

Should she adjust the air conditioning temperature, or should she call a maid to bring another blanket?

As she was pondering, an arm reached over and drew her into an embrace.

Ye Chuyi was startled, “Sheng Tingyuan, you’re not asleep?”

Holding her from behind and smelling the faint scent coming from her body, Sheng Tingyuan finally felt content, “How can I sleep if you don’t?”

Ye Chuyi stiffened, trying to remove his arm, but the more she exerted force, the tighter he held her.

The burning heat from his skin penetrated through her silk nightgown, and she was no longer cold, in fact, she began to feel hot all over.noveldrama

She tapped on his hand, “Let go, I can’t sleep like this.”

Embracing her, Sheng Tingyuan was also wide awake, “You’ll get used to it.”

Ye Chuyi struggled, “I can’t get used to it.”

Seeing that she was unwilling, Sheng Tingyuan didn’t force her and retracted his arm from around her waist.

With the warmth gone, Ye Chuyi breathed a sigh of relief.

Being held by him had made her heartbeat abnormally fast; it took a while for her heart to calm down, and then, without realizing it, she fell asleep.

However, when she woke up the next day, she found herself unknowingly back in Sheng Tingyuan’s arms.

One of his arms was on her waist, her head nestled in his chest, one leg atop his, their position intimate and ambiguous.

Ye Chuyi’s face instantly flushed—her sleeping posture had always been good, how had it become like this?

She lifted her leg, about to move away, when she heard the man beside her say, “Didn’t you say you couldn’t sleep while being held? Looks like you slept quite well, didn’t you?”

Ye Chuyi’s face turned beet red, she pushed away Sheng Tingyuan and hurriedly climbed out of bed, darting into the bathroom.

Behind her, came the light laughter of Sheng Tingyuan.

Ye Chuyi decided that from now on, she would definitely not share a bed with him.

No, she would definitely not stay in the same room with him!

After breakfast, Ye Chuyi went to the hospital; yesterday’s surgery was delayed, so today she had to work extra hours to complete all the surgeries.

By the time she was off work, it was already past ten at night.

But she didn’t go home; she went to the Du Family’s.

The Du Family’s lights were still on, they had not yet rested, but Ye Chuyi lingered downstairs, without knocking on the door as she used to.

She had no face to knock on the door anymore.

Perhaps she had been standing downstairs too long, Du Xiaoguang saw her, and he came out.

He still wore an aggressive demeanor, impatiently saying, “Why are you here again? What do you want?”

: Chapter 217: Don’t You Hate Me Anymore? Ye Chuyi looked at him, then lowered her head, “I’m here to apologize to you and your family, I’m sorry.”

Du Xiaoguang crossed his arms over his chest and said sarcastically, “How rare, you actually came to apologize to us? Has the sun risen from the west? Tell me, what is it that you want my help with this time? Do you need another letter of forgiveness?”

“No, not anymore.”

Ye Chuyi’s voice was very low, “I’ve learned that Shi Youjin was the murderer who killed your father.”

“Really? You no longer think he is innocent and has been wronged?”

“He’s not innocent; he killed another person the day before yesterday, and this person was also killed because of extortion.”

“What?! He killed another?”

Du Xiaoguang couldn’t help but exclaim, and then looked at her annoyedly, “I said it was him who killed my dad, but you wouldn’t believe it and were hell-bent on getting him out of jail. Now, look what’s happened, you’ve released a demon.”

Ye Chuyi’s face turned pale, “I’m truly sorry.”

“I always believed he was a good person. When I was little, he always stopped my mom from hitting me. When my mom punished me by not letting me eat and forced me to wash everyone’s clothes, it was he who would secretly slip me an egg so that I wouldn’t starve, he would secretly help me wash the clothes, he would give me pocket money, and he would buy me candy.”

“I really thought he was the best person in the world; I never thought he could be a murderer… I’m sorry…”

Her tears fell unconsciously, and no one could understand the agony and pain she felt inside.

The image of the good father she held in her heart had completely collapsed since yesterday, but she had no one to confide in, nor dared to tell anyone that her father had killed another person.

The only person she could tell was Du Xiaoguang.

“Hey, don’t cry, this…”

This was the first time Du Xiaoguang saw her cry. Every time she visited their house before, he would scold her harshly, even hit her with a broom and told her to get lost.noveldrama

But no matter how he had scolded her before, she remained calm and composed, neither talking back nor shedding tears.

He didn’t expect that knowing Shi Youjin was truly a murderer would make her fall apart.

He hesitated for a moment, and finally stepped forward, gently patting her shoulder, “Alright, you didn’t kill anyone, why apologize? It’s normal for you to think your dad is a good person. I can understand you because, after all, I think my dad was a good person too. But if he really was a good person, he wouldn’t have gotten involved in blackmail and extortion, nor would he have lost his life over it.”

Ye Chuyi couldn’t control her tears, sobbing uncontrollably, “It’s all my fault, if it wasn’t for me insisting on your writing the letter of forgiveness to get him released early, the second victim wouldn’t have died.”

“I don’t think it’s your fault; the second victim was also extorting, which shows that he wasn’t a good person either. There’s no loss in him being killed, so you shouldn’t feel guilty.”

Ye Chuyi looked up at him, staring blankly.

This was the first time Du Xiaoguang had spoken to her so gently, even comforting her, contrasting greatly with his previously harsh attitude.

“Do you no longer hate me?”

Du Xiaoguang looked at her tear-streaked, pitiful face and sighed, “I didn’t really hate you, I hated Shi Youjin. I might have hated you as a child, but that went away as I grew up.”

“The killer was him, not you. When he killed, how old were you? Seven? Eight? You were so small, what did you know? What’s the use of hating you?”

“But you always refused to admit that your dad killed my dad, and kept wanting a letter of forgiveness, of course I’d take my anger out on you. Now you’ve admitted it, and you’ve apologized, it would be too much for me to scold you still.”

Ye Chuyi didn’t know what to say for a moment. She had known Du Xiaoguang for so many years but had never realized that deep down he was such a gentle and tenderhearted person.

She took a business card out of her bag and handed it to Du Xiaoguang, “I work at Dome Hospital, I’m a doctor. You can come to me if you need anything, of course, I don’t hope you’ll need to, it would be best if you never had to.”

Chapter 218: I Don’t Want to Be Strangers with You Du Xiaoguang took the business card with a smile, “There’ll definitely be a day when I need your help, I’m not immortal, how could I never get sick? It’s late, go home. And don’t cry anymore when you get back, or your eyes will be swollen tomorrow.”

“Okay, I will.”

“Also, next time don’t wander alone downstairs this late. Girls should be more careful; it’s very unsafe at night.”

Ye Chuyi’s eyes began to water again. She never cared when others were unkind to her, but she always felt grateful and wanted to repay them when they were good to her.

She thanked him again and then drove off.

Sometimes, the person you think is good might not be good, and the person you think is bad might not be bad.

When she got home, it was already midnight.

In the living room, Sheng Tingyuan was sitting on the sofa, with a computer in front of him and documents in his hand, working.

Ye Chuyi was surprised, “You haven’t gone to bed yet?”

Sheng Tingyuan looked up, “You said you’d be working late, so I decided to get some work done and wait for you.”noveldrama

He put down the files, stood up, and walked over to Ye Chuyi.

“Why are your eyes swollen? Have you been crying?”

Ye Chuyi turned her face away, “No.”

She wouldn’t say, and Sheng Tingyuan didn’t press her. He asked softly, “Are you hungry? Auntie Wang has prepared some late-night snacks.”

Ye Chuyi shook her head, “I’m not hungry, I don’t want to eat anything.”

Sheng Tingyuan gestured to Auntie Wang to take her leave.

After Auntie Wang left, he took Ye Chuyi’s hand and led her to sit down on the sofa, “I’ll get you a glass of water, wait here for me.”

Ye Chuyi nodded, watching him pour water, watching him come back, handing her the glass.

She took the water but didn’t drink.

She wondered, if Sheng Tingyuan knew she was the daughter of a murderer, would he still be so good to her?

Based on her past experiences, people distanced themselves from her once they knew her father was a murderer. When she was in school, not even one classmate wanted to be her desk mate.

The only person who hadn’t stayed away from her after finding out about her father was Qi Yunfan.

Unfortunately, Qi Yunfan also had impure motives.

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t react until Sheng Tingyuan held her.

She looked up at him, “Can I ask something of you?”

Sheng Tingyuan took her glass of water and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, “What do you want to ask?”

“I hope you can be colder to me in the future, better yet, treat me like a stranger.”

“What kind of strange request is that?”

Sheng Tingyuan frowned, “Why are you different from others? Shouldn’t you be asking me to be warmer to you? What upset you today?”

Ye Chuyi didn’t speak because even she didn’t know how to explain it to him.

Now, she had an indescribable fear of intimate relationships.

Sheng Tingyuan pressed her head against his chest and embraced her, “I can’t agree to this request. Ye Chuyi, we are husband and wife. Even if it is a contractual marriage, I don’t want to be a stranger to you.”

After a long while, when he did not hear any response from her, he looked down and found that she had fallen asleep.

He had called her assistant during the day and knew she had been in surgeries all day long, scheduled back to back.

She must have been exhausted.

Sheng Tingyuan did not move, just held her like that, letting her sleep on his chest. It was a rare moment of closeness; if she wasn’t asleep, she wouldn’t have let him hold her so honestly.

After she fell deeply asleep, Sheng Tingyuan carried her upstairs.

Knowing she didn’t like to sleep with him, he didn’t take her to the master bedroom but to her own.

He gently placed her on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and then he left the room.

She seemed different today, not as resilient and optimistic as before; she seemed a bit fragile.

Yet the more fragile she appeared, the stronger his urge to kiss her.

But Sheng Tingyuan was unwilling to take advantage of her while she was asleep; he would wait until she was awake to kiss her, even if he risked being rejected.

: Chapter 219: Not Destined to Be a Wealthy Family’s Wife Wen Family villa.

It was the dead of night, at one in the morning, when Lin Yueqin finally finished all her chores. Her back aching, she left the kitchen and returned to her servant’s room with a dark expression on her face.

With Tian Qiugui gone, all the responsibilities of the villa had fallen solely on her. These past two days, she had been close to collapsing from exhaustion. She never knew there could be so much work to do!

She had to rise before dawn to prepare breakfast for the Wen family. Once they finished, she had to tidy up the dishes, clean the dining area and kitchen, wash the dishes and plates, and after that, put them in the sanitizer for disinfection.

After these tasks, she had to mopped the floors of the three-story villa and empty the trash bins from each room, replacing them with new bags.

Before she could even finish these chores, it was already time to prepare lunch.

Another frenzy of activity ensued as she prepared lunch as if she were going to war. Then, she hid in the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat, only to face Mr. Wen’s criticism that her cooking was half-hearted. He complained that she only knew how to take shortcuts by cooking rice, unwilling to put in the effort to make pastries. He demanded hand-pulled noodles and beef-stuffed pastries.

There was no time to make hand-pulled noodles and stuffed pastries. She could only hurriedly cook a bowl of dumplings that had been previously frozen in the fridge, managing to pass it off as sufficient.

Mr. Wen was still not satisfied, criticizing the vegetable dishes as well and complaining that the braised pork ribs were so tough they were nearly inedible. He threatened to dock her pay.

That lunch, he lost his temper in a major way and then left, stating that if such measly meals continued to be served at home, he would never come back for meals again.

Even the usually good-natured Lady Wen was not pleased. On one hand, she was upset that Mr. Wen had stormed out over a poor lunch, and on the other, she also did not like rice. She had a preference for soupy dishes like chicken noodle soup or mushroom noodle soup.

Barely making it through lunchtime, Lin Yueqin started laundering the family’s clothes and went to change the bed sheets and covers in each bedroom, then washed and hung them out to dry.

Following that, she once again had to mop the floors of the entire villa.noveldrama

Lady Wen liked cleanliness. Mopping the floors twice a day was a firm rule.

However, there used to be three servants in the house to handle these tasks.

But now, with one killed by Shi Youjin and another chased away by Lin Yueqin herself, she was left alone to do the work that was meant for three.

All day long, she cursed Lady Wen in her mind, wishing she could swap places with her or, even better, that Lady Wen would drop dead so she could take her place.

Unfortunately, no amount of cursing helped. She did not have any less work to do, and Lady Wen was still alive and well, seemingly even more energetic after her surgery.

She wasn’t destined to be a wealthy wife. She could only look on with envy and jealousy at Lady Wen.

As she lay down on her bed, just about to rest, the door made a soft noise as it was pushed open.

Lin Yueqin quickly sat up, asking warily, “Who’s there?”

Wen Nianyou entered, closing the door behind her, and whispered softly, “It’s me.”

Only then did Lin Yueqin breathe a sigh of relief. “My dear Miss, why aren’t you sleeping? What brings you to my room? Take care not to let Madam find out!”

“She’s asleep, and Wen Xingye hasn’t come back. No one will know I’m here to see you.”

Wen Nianyou sat down on the sofa and said disdainfully, “Besides, what does it matter if I come to see you? Is there a rule that says a young mistress can’t chat with a servant?”

“It’s just that what Tian Qiugui did left me very anxious. I’m afraid that our secret might be discovered again, and then we won’t have anyone to help us get rid of the problem.”

Wen Nianyou was still very anxious though. Tian Qiugui was dead, but her sense of crisis was greater than ever before.

“Do you think that with Tian Qiugui dead, we can rest easy? You couldn’t be more wrong. Do you understand?”

“What’s wrong? Is there someone else who knows our secret? But didn’t you say that since Tian Qiugui died, we haven’t received any more extortion texts? Doesn’t that prove that the person blackmailing you was Tian Qiugui, and no one else?”

Chapter 220: Go to Ye Chuyi to Ask for Money “How could you be so stupid!”

Wen Nianyou looked at her with disgust, “There are no walls without cracks in this world. If Tian Qiugui could find out my identity, others could too! Just like that doctor Du Yu who was killed by Shi Youjin before!”

Lin Yueqin was anxious and restless, “What should we do? Should you quickly take all of the Wen Family’s assets and flee abroad to hide?”

“Why should I hide?”

Wen Nianyou glared at her, “I’m still the young lady of the Wen Family. Running away now would be like admitting guilt. I refuse to hide. Not only can I not hide, but I also need to take advantage of the situation before my identity is exposed and marry into a wealthy family as soon as possible!”

“Yes, yes, yes, you should hurry and marry into a wealthy family. That way, even if your identity is exposed, it won’t matter. Besides, when that time comes, you can just push everything onto me. You can say you knew nothing!”

“Hmph, as if I needed you to tell me that. I didn’t know anything to begin with. When they switched me with Lin Chuyi at birth, I was just a newborn baby, I can’t be blamed for that!”

Lin Yueqin anxiously wrung her hands, “Who are you planning to marry? Qi Yunfan?”

“Who else but him?”

“But, hasn’t the Qi Family’s hospital gone bankrupt? The new hospital hasn’t been opened either. Can the Qi Family still be considered a wealthy family?”

“What do you know? A starving camel is still bigger than a horse. The Qi Family’s hospital may have gone bankrupt, but it hasn’t hurt their core. They still have a lot of assets.”

Lin Yueqin already looked down on the Qi Family, “I think you should choose someone else. You’re so outstanding, and the Wen Family is so rich. You’re truly a wealthy heiress. I think Qi Yunfan is a bit unworthy of you.”

“You make it sound so easy. If I had other options, why would I choose Qi Yunfan? His attitude towards me is really not that great right now.”

“You could try the heir of Shengshi Group, or that president of Jungle Pharmaceutical, Cong Ningyuan. That little wretch is eagerly being their mistress, right? Even she could hook these two men; you can definitely do the same, and even better. I believe in you!”

Speaking of this, Wen Nianyou got angry, “Do you think I haven’t tried? Forget about Sheng Tingyuan, he’s already married, and he married the Ye Family’s heiress. I don’t want to be his mistress; there’s no future in that. Once he gets tired of me, he’ll just throw me away.”

“As for Cong Ningyuan, I suspect he doesn’t even like women! I deliberately made excuses to get close to him several times, but he’s like a block of wood, totally missing my hints. I gave him my phone number, and he never called me once.”

Lin Yueqin was dumbfounded, “Is that so? But how did that little wretch manage to hook Cong Ningyuan? If Cong Ningyuan doesn’t like women, how could he let her be his mistress?”noveldrama

“How would I know? Maybe Lin Chuyi isn’t even his mistress. Perhaps she’s just releasing such signals to raise her own value!”

Wen Nianyou was increasingly agitated, “Stop talking about useless things. Give me all your money. Qi Yunfan asked me for fifty million, and I must give it to him.”

Upon hearing the huge figure of “fifty million,” Lin Yueqin’s heart trembled, “I don’t have any money left. I’ve sold my house. Isn’t all the money already given to you? Why are you giving him so much?”

“I knew you were stupid, and you really are! Short-sighted and penny-wise but pound-foolish. Once I give him this fifty million to resolve the immediate conflicts, when I marry into the Qi Family, won’t everything they have become mine? Their assets are worth far more than fifty million.”

“You have a point, but I really don’t have any money. Ask it from Madam, or from Mr. Wen. Didn’t you say you had something on him? Now is a good chance to squeeze a large sum out of him.”

“I’ve already asked, and there’s no money!”

Wen Nianyou was frustrated and grinding her teeth, “Each and every one of them looks glamorous on the surface but is actually broke as can be, not even able to come up with fifty million!”

“I don’t care; you must help me raise the money this time. If you don’t have any, go and ask it from Lin Chuyi! She’s become Sheng Tingyuan’s mistress and must have gotten a lot of benefits. She’s even started wearing Chanel. She must have money in her hands!”