Ch. 311..320

Chapter 311: When will you divorce me? Sheng Tingyuan finished speaking, exited the bathroom, and closed the door behind her.

Ye Chuyi stood in the bathroom, a little at a loss, wondering how he was going to settle accounts with her?noveldrama

She considered herself fairly adept at discerning people’s emotions, but she couldn’t penetrate his heart; he seemed very angry, yet somehow not that angry.

Ye Chuyi felt anxious, as if a sword were hanging over her head once again.

Carrying this anxiety, she quickly took her shower, not wanting to make Sheng Tingyuan wait too long and get even angrier.

But after showering, she realized she hadn’t brought any clothes to change into.

She had no choice but to wrap herself in a towel and cracked open the door a little, “Sheng Tingyuan, could you step out for a moment, until I’ve changed my clothes, then you can come back in.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Sheng Tingyuan came over and handed her a set of pajamas, with underwear on top.

Ye Chuyi’s face flushed crimson, and she quickly snatched the underwear and pajamas, shutting the bathroom door.

After a while, when she had changed and the redness on her face had subsided, she reopened the door and stepped out.

Sheng Tingyuan was somehow standing on the balcony, watching the downpour outside and the occasional flashes of lightning.

Ye Chuyi hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she still went over to him.

The sword hanging above her head was bound to fall sooner or later; better sooner than later.

She stood by his side and apologized softly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stand you up tonight, I really was delayed because something came up.”

Sheng Tingyuan turned to look at her, “Am I that last on your list of priorities? Ye Chuyi, did you forget about me again tonight?”

He guessed right; she had indeed forgotten about him again.

Ye Chuyi lowered her eyelashes, now fully aware she had made an additional mistake on top of another and had no excuse left to defend herself.

But compared to standing him up tonight, the earlier betrayal of deceiving him into marriage was a more serious matter.

“President Sheng, deceiving you into marriage was my fault, but there’s a clear perpetrator for this debt, if you need revenge, take it out on me alone, do not involve the innocent. I won’t complain whatever you do to me, I deserve whatever comes my way, but please, do not harm Dome or Jungle.”

Sheng Tingyuan spoke indifferently, “It seems to me that you don’t care much about Dome and Jungle either, otherwise, you wouldn’t have forgotten to come home tonight. Even if those two went bankrupt, it wouldn’t affect you much.”

Ye Chuyi became somewhat agitated, “How can it not affect me a lot? It’s a big deal to me! If you’re angry, you can hit me or scold me, I’ll take it.”

“Hit you or scold you, either is fine?”

“Yes!”

“Alright, then come here. You’re standing too far away, I can’t reach you.”

Ye Chuyi stepped forward.

“Closer.”

Ye Chuyi moved another step closer, almost right up against him.

She touched her face and said with a hint of hesitation, “If you’re going to hit me, could you please not be too harsh? I need to see people tomorrow, and if the swelling doesn’t go down by the second day, it might affect my image…”

She was mainly thinking about going to see Ye Jinyu tomorrow, and it wouldn’t be good if Ye Jinyu saw her with a swollen face.

Sheng Tingyuan lifted his hand, his fingertips gently tracing her cheek. She had just showered, carrying the fragrance of shower gel, and her skin was soft to the touch, glowing with a moist luster.

She was beautiful, but a bitter taste welled up in his heart.

Why did she think he would hit her? Did she think he had the heart to do it? Did she think he was such a cruel and brutal man? She had never opened her heart to him, nor had she ever trusted him.

He had spent the entire day thinking about her, angry that she had deceived him, angry that she had readily and unhesitatingly told him to marry Ye Shuangyin, angry that she had stood him up.

Yet, he had never been more vividly aware of how much he liked her.

And her, she hadn’t taken him seriously at all.

Sheng Tingyuan, reining in his turbulent emotions, withdrew his finger, his tone distant, “It’s late, go to sleep.”

Ye Chuyi was surprised, “That’s it? You’re not going to punish me?”

“I’ll punish you later.”

“Then… when are you going to divorce me?”

Sheng Tingyuan’s expression suddenly turned cold, “When did I say I wanted a divorce?”

“But I’m not Ye Zhengrong’s daughter.”

“It doesn’t matter whose daughter you are, divorce is not an option, stop thinking about it!”

Chapter 312 I thought you didn’t care about me at all “Don’t you want to marry the real daughter of the Ye Family? Only the true daughter of the Ye Family can fulfill the role of a marriage alliance and give you support. I can’t help you with anything.”

Sheng Tingyuan’s face soured, “Ye Chuyi, in your eyes, am I someone who only cares about benefits? To discard you once I realize you’re useless, and marry someone useful to help grow my group?”noveldrama

Seeing him angry, Ye Chuyi quickly said, “No, that’s not what I mean. I think marriage alliances among wealthy families are serious matters. There are too many interests involved, and I don’t want you to jeopardize your career and the family’s development by marrying an imposter.”

“Even without an alliance with the Ye Family, Shengling Group will still be the number one multinational group! I married you not to form an alliance with the Ye Family, but because I wanted to fulfill my mother’s wish. She chose my bride!”

Ye Chuyi was speechless.

How could she have forgotten that Sheng Tingyuan came to her in a hurry due to his mother’s critical illness and forced her into marriage.

Sheng Tingyuan walked towards the door with a cold face.

Ye Chuyi opened her mouth wanting to call him, but unsure what else she could say, she could only watch as he left in anger.

The door closed, his tall figure disappeared, and the room fell silent.

But Ye Chuyi’s heart wasn’t the slightest bit at ease; his displeasure made her unable to feel happy either.

She had intended to have a proper talk with him, but for some reason, they had fallen out once again.

She stood on the balcony, watching as Sheng Tingyuan left the apartment, sat in his car, and stayed a long time without leaving, not even starting the vehicle.

Ye Chuyi felt conflicted. Wasn’t he going home? Wasn’t he going to sleep?

He didn’t leave, and she didn’t move, just standing on the balcony watching his car.

Who knows how much time passed before he opened his car door, looked up, and then re-entered the apartment.

Moments later, there was a knock on the door.

Ye Chuyi walked over and opened it, “You…”

Before she could finish a word, Sheng Tingyuan entered, took her into his arms, and hugged her tight.

Ye Chuyi stiffened.

She hadn’t expected him to hug her, especially after seeing how angry he seemed earlier, as if he no longer wanted anything to do with her.

After being rigid for quite a while, she finally spoke, “Sheng Tingyuan, the door isn’t closed.”

Sheng Tingyuan closed the door with the back of his hand, then pushed her against it, his voice low, “Why haven’t you gone to sleep, standing on the balcony all this time? Acting like a door deity?”

Ye Chuyi’s voice was even softer, “Why didn’t you go home? I just wanted to see when you would leave.”

“I thought you didn’t care about me at all.”

A jolt struck Ye Chuyi’s heart.

It was impossible for her not to care about him at all; his mood could even sway her own emotions.

This was a situation she had never experienced before, even after trying hard to restrain herself and maintain a distance from him.

“Sheng Tingyuan.”

“Hmm?”

“Aren’t you angry anymore?”

“What do you think?”

“I don’t know. I lied to you about the marriage, I told such a big lie, you couldn’t possibly not be angry.”

“I’m not angry about that.”

Ye Chuyi couldn’t help but look up from his embrace, staring at him blankly, “Not about that? Then what is it?”

Sheng Tingyuan caressed her face, “Because you wanted to leave me, wanted me to marry someone else. From now on, never speak of such things again.”

Ye Chuyi looked at him as her heart began to beat fiercely again.

She wanted to press her hand against her chest to calm the intense pounding, but as she lifted her hand, Sheng Tingyuan grasped it.

Holding her hand, he placed it over his heart, “I don’t care about your identity, nor do I need you to be a heiress to form a marriage alliance with me. I, Sheng Tingyuan, don’t need to rely on a woman, nor do I need the Yue Family. If you don’t believe me, starting tomorrow, I’ll cut off all collaboration with the Ye Family. From then on, there will be no association with the Ye Family whatsoever.”

Chapter 313: Can’t Bear to Let Him Go to Someone Else Ye Chuyi said anxiously, “I believe you, don’t break off the collaboration with the Ye Family. Just continue the partnership as you should.”

Up to this point, her uncle Ye Zhengrong hadn’t done anything to wrong her. On the contrary, he had been quite good to her.

She couldn’t let the Sheng Ye families turn against each other and stop associating from then on.

After she finished speaking, she belatedly realized something Tingyuan had said: He didn’t care about her identity.

“Do you… really not care about my identity? It doesn’t matter if I’m the daughter of a maid? Or a murderer’s daughter?”

“You’ve been resisting me because of this? You think I would care about your identity?”

“It’s very rare that someone doesn’t care.”

“Then I am that rarity. It doesn’t affect my feelings for you, what sort of people your parents are. The murderer isn’t you, and you don’t have to blame yourself for it.”

Ye Chuyi felt like crying.

For many years, she had lived in the shadow of being a “murderer’s daughter”. Everyone who heard that her father was a murderer and in jail would stay away from her. No one wanted to be her friend, and if there were any, they had ulterior motives.

Although she was no longer the daughter of a murderer now, she was still deeply moved by Tingyuan’s response.

She choked up and said, “Thank you…”

“Thank what? This should be the case, right?”

Sheng Tingyuan encircled her waist and hugged her tightly, “We can’t choose our origin, but we can choose our path in life. I’ve chosen you, and I hope you’ll choose me too.”

“Our marriage is a sham, but the blame isn’t solely on you. The members of the Ye Family are at fault, and so am I.”

“From the first time I met you, you kept telling me I was mistaken.”

“It was I who desperately sought a cure in my illness, who stubbornly refused to believe you, who forced you into marriage.”

“But you haven’t blamed me for my mistake up until now, always apologizing and admitting you were wrong. Ye Chuyi, you can blame me.”

Ye Chuyi’s heart trembled, her eyes slightly moist.

She had imagined countless consequences and many endings, but she never envisioned this one—where he doesn’t blame her; instead, he blames himself.

Before the marriage, she did feel the mistake was on his part.

But after the marriage, the mistake was no longer his because he was the one deceived. She had used him and was always ready to leave him; she essentially treated him as a tool.

All of this he knew, yet he still took all the responsibility onto himself.

She wavered.noveldrama

She couldn’t quite bring herself to let go of such a man.

She looked up slightly, looking into Sheng Tingyuan’s eyes. His eyes were truly beautiful, as deep as the starry sky, always focused when gazing at her, as if she was the only one in his eyes.

Seeing that she finally was willing to look at him properly, Tingyuan felt a bit happier.

He lowered his head and kissed her lips.

Her lips were so soft and so sweet. Ever since he kissed her last time, he couldn’t forget it.

Last time, when he kissed her, she pushed him away. But this time, she didn’t.

Had she revealed her true identity and no longer had reservations, so she didn’t resist him any longer? Or was it because he said he liked her?

Sheng Tingyuan turned off the light, then picked her up and headed toward the bedroom.

Ye Chuyi was somewhat nervous, “Sheng Tingyuan, why did you turn off the light? You, you can’t sleep here, go back to your own home to sleep.”

Sheng Tingyuan laid her on the bed and then pressed down on her, “You’ve been ignoring me for many days now. Are you still going to send me away today?”

“I didn’t mean to ignore you. It’s because Ye Shuangyin came back, I…”

“Stop mentioning that name to me. There is no Ye Shuangyin here, only Ye Chuyi.”

Sheng Tingyuan said this and kissed her again.

Feeling her body quiver gently, he held her tight.

Not wanting to crush her, he held her and rolled over, letting her be on top and himself underneath.

Then, he held her head and continued to kiss her.

Not until she was sprawling limp on top of him did he let her go.

His body was crying out, but he restrained himself as much as he could, fearing he would hurt or scare her.

He let her rest in the crook of his arm and gently soothed her, “It’s already two in the morning. Go to sleep.”

Chapter 314: You Are Not My Daughter of the Ye Family Ye Family ancestral home.

In days past, at this time, everyone in the ancestral home would have been resting, but today, the entire ancestral home was brightly lit.

In the study, Ye Chongzun was practicing calligraphy.

The butler knew that the old master would practice calligraphy whenever he felt upset, using it to suppress his foul mood to the lowest point.

Seeing him writing sheet after sheet, the butler couldn’t help saying, “Old Master, the eldest master and the second master have both arrived, and the young miss has been kneeling in the ancestral hall for three hours already. It’s cold and raining at this late hour, her health might not hold up!”

Ye Chongzun paused his brush, “She is no longer our Ye Family’s young miss. From the moment she chose that man over the family, I considered her no longer my daughter. Tell her to leave, she does not deserve to kneel in the Ye Family ancestral hall!”

But the butler knew he was speaking in anger. Otherwise, Ye Jinyu wouldn’t have been allowed through the door when she returned.

Now that she was allowed inside, it showed that the old master didn’t really want to expel her.

The butler tried to speak well of Ye Jinyu, “Old Master, the young miss already knows her mistake, she has cried in the ancestral hall for a long time. Furthermore, I heard she just had surgery recently and isn’t in great health. You should go and see her!”

“When did you start asking around about her affairs again? Haven’t I said not to meddle with her anymore? She has severed ties with the family over a man!”noveldrama

Ye Chongzun’s anger could not be suppressed, not even by practicing calligraphy.

He threw his brush down and walked out of the study.

The butler hurriedly followed.

Descending the stairs, Ye Chongzun saw that his two sons were already seated in the living room.

The younger son’s face looked even worse than his, obviously, even after so many years, he was still holding a grudge against Ye Jinyu.

The elder son was much more composed. Seeing him coming out, he urged, “Dad, don’t make Jinyu kneel in the ancestral hall anymore. Let her come over. In the end, we are still a family. She is willing to come back and admit her mistakes, you have to give her a chance. It can’t go on like this.”

Ye Chongzun was furious, “Was it I who made her kneel in the ancestral hall? Did I permit her to kneel? Butler, tell her to get out of my sight!”

The butler hesitated, uncertain about what to do.

As the standoff continued, the living room door was suddenly pushed open, and Ye Jinyu walked in.

Her eyes were swollen from crying, and upon entering, she knelt before Ye Chongzun, “Dad…”

“I am not your dad!”

Ye Chongzun’s voice was incisive, his tone bone-chillingly cold, “In your eyes, there has never been me as your father, nor the Ye Family! You only have eyes for that man who is good for nothing but his looks! Get out, you are not my daughter of the Ye Family! From now on, I forbid you from setting foot in the Ye Family ever again!”

Ye Jinyu trembled, “Dad, it was all my fault before, I don’t dare to ask for your forgiveness. I only wish to ask your permission to enter the family cemetery once, to pay respects to my mother.”

“You still have the face to enter the family cemetery to pay respects?!”

Ye Chongzun stepped forward and slapped her across the face, “Before your mother died, I sent people to call you back, but you didn’t come! She refused to take her last breath on her deathbed, waiting for you, hoping against hope. And you? You didn’t come back to see her one last time! She died with her eyes open, do you understand?!”

Ye Jinyu’s face instantly paled, and she shook even more violently, “My mother… before she passed away, you sent for me?”

Ye Chongzun, remembering the scene of his wife’s death, shook with rage, almost unable to stand.

The butler hurriedly brought over a chair and helped him to sit down.

Ye Canghai sighed, “Jinyu, before Mom’s last moments, not only did Dad send someone to call you, but Zhengrong and I each also sent someone. Didn’t you receive any message at all?”

Ye Jinyu’s tears welled uncontrollably, “Big brother, I really didn’t receive any message. Otherwise, how could I not have come back? How could it be like this? How could I… I…”

Ye Zhengrong’s icy scorn was evident, “Useless! You don’t think for yourself, and you don’t listen to the family. You insisted on marrying Wen Xingye, and as a result, he brainwashed you completely, controlling everything inside and outside the family. You couldn’t even meet the people sent by the family! What else can you do?! Calling you useless is an overstatement!”

Chapter 315: She’s Been Wrong for So Many Years Ye Jinyu looked up at him, her voice hoarse as she called out, “Second Brother…”

“Don’t call me Second Brother, you’re not worthy, Ye Jinyu! You didn’t even come back to the Ye Family when Mom passed away. What are you coming back for now? Go spend a lifetime with that greedy, shameless man, and don’t come back! If you were steadfast to the end, I might have had some respect for you!”

Ye Jinyu burst into tears, “Second Brother, I didn’t know about Mom’s passing, I really didn’t know…”

“You think, one ‘I didn’t know’ can offset all your mistakes? Mother loved you the most, and the last thing she worried about before she passed away was you! How stupid can you be to have the people sent by the family to deliver the message all turned away from your door!”

Ye Jinyu collapsed, her whole body chilling.

She couldn’t understand, why had this happened? Who had intercepted their family’s messages? Was it Wen Xingye?noveldrama

But why would he do that?

Why wouldn’t he even give her the chance to see her mother for the last time?

What kind of man was he, really?

Had she ever really understood him at all these years?

“Why have you thought to come home now, Ye Jinyu? Didn’t you want your so-called love? Why don’t you want it now?! What, have all your dowry been squandered and you have no money to spend, so you come back home to ask for money?”

Ye Zhengrong’s gaze was sharp, “If you can take a single penny from the Ye Family today, I’ll no longer carry the Ye surname!”

Ye Canghai sighed, patting his brother on the shoulder, “Alright, we’re all adults, why make such a poisonous oath? If you don’t carry the Ye surname, what else could you possibly have?”

“Big Brother, the family gave her fifty billion as a dowry. But do you know, she doesn’t have a cent left now! Even the villa prepared for her as a wedding house was mortgaged by Wen Xingye and Wen Nianyou, father and daughter!”

Ye Zhengrong’s eyes reddened, “When I was managing her dowry, there was an income of tens of millions every month. I didn’t take a single penny of that money; I gave it all to her. But she actually thought I was coveting her dowry, quarreling with me every day, demanding the dowry back every day, wanting to give it all to Wen Xingye to manage!”

“What does that waste, Wen Xingye, know? He can’t even produce ten thousand yuan in his own hands, how could he manage fifty billion in assets! He just wants to swallow that fifty billion!”

“We are blood siblings, I watched her grow up, yet she’s so guarded against me! How could I not be angry? Wen Xingye is the only good person in the whole world, and all of us real relatives are the bad guys!”

Even Ye Canghai found himself at a loss for comforting words at this point.

Because he didn’t understand either, why his sister didn’t trust Ye Zhengrong and instead trusted that Wen Xingye.

After all, Ye Zhengrong was the second master of the Ye Family. He had lived in wealth since childhood; when he turned eighteen, his father gave him one billion to start a business. By the time he was twenty, he had turned that one billion into fifty billion through his own efforts.

He didn’t lack money, there was no way he was greedy for it, and it was even less likely that he coveted his sister’s modest dowry.

On the other hand, Wen Xingye came from a poor background, his life was extremely difficult, and even when he was pursuing his sister, the money was borrowed from here and there. Ye Zhengrong was right; Wen Xingye really did want to embezzle his sister’s dowry!

After a long while, Ye Canghai finally spoke slowly, “The money lost can be earned back. The Ye Family doesn’t lack that fifty billion. Jinyu, consider that money spent on a lesson for you. You’ve never suffered since you were young and have always been under the endless protection of your family. You’ve always been naive and unable to see through people. I don’t blame you.”

“However, you need to tell me why you have come back this time. After all these years, you cut ties with your family and wouldn’t come home. Suddenly reappearing without warning, there must be a reason.”

Ye Jinyu’s face was streaked with tears. She opened her mouth but was unable to say a word.

She had made so many mistakes over the years, too terrible to bear; she no longer had the face to talk about Wen Xingye’s betrayal.

But without her speaking, the three men of the Ye Family also remained silent. Their faces were tense as if the atmosphere would remain deadlocked if she didn’t open her mouth.

She had no choice but to speak up, “Wen Xingye, had an affair. He has another woman outside, and he’s had a son with her. The child is already one year old.”

Chapter 316: Chuyi is Your Daughter Ye Canghai couldn’t help but frown as he listened, “Hasn’t he always been revolving around you? When did he go out to find other women?”

Ye Zhengrong, however, let out a cold laugh, showing no surprise.

Because, back then, Wen Xingye had crazily pursued Ye Jinyu, even though he had a fiancée. But when he told Ye Jinyu about Wen Xingye’s fiancée, Ye Jinyu simply wouldn’t believe it.

Ye Chongzun got so angry that he stood up from the chair, “He dares to have an affair? He dares to have an illegitimate child?! Ye Jinyu, is this the ‘good man’ that you went on a hunger strike for, yearning to marry to the point of seeking death? I said from the very beginning that he was not to be married, not to be married, but you just wouldn’t listen!”

“You wouldn’t marry the He Family’s eldest son, He Yan, whom I chose for you, insisting on marrying that Wen last-name! He Yan later married a daughter from the Jiang Family; when he discovered she was infertile after marriage, he still treated his wife well as always, neither divorcing nor remarrying, and certainly didn’t have affairs to father any illegitimate children!”

“Back then, you even said to not look down on a poor youngster, that one shouldn’t bully the poor youth, believing that Wen Xingye would surely make something of himself! I’ve waited for a whole twenty-six years, and what did I wait for?! The entirety of your fifty billion dowry, gone without a trace, you drained of blood, squeezed of all your value, weeping and wailing back home!”

Ye Chongzun’s chest was filled with rage, and he wished he could slap his daughter twice more.

But, he knew that even if he beat her to death, it would be useless; time can’t be reversed, and mistakes can’t be corrected. Even if time could be turned back, he still wouldn’t be able to wake his daughter, who had been infatuated back then.

When she ran away to marry Wen Xingye, willing to die for it, it’s not like he hadn’t beaten her before.

It was utterly futile.

The more he beat her, the more he obstructed her, the more she believed her love was noble and precious, willing to pay any price to be with Wen Xingye, even if it meant making enemies of the entire world.

Ye Canghai, worried that the old master would be too enraged, stepped forward to support him, “Please sit down first. Fifty billion gone is gone, it’s not a lot, so don’t be angry. Later, I will find someone to deal with that Wen surname.”

Ye Chongzun, however, spoke coldly, “No need for dealing with him. The man was her own choice, facing such a consequence is her own fault! Be careful not to end up like the second one; you could help her and still be blamed by her. Her heart is all for her man, if you handle that Wen surname, she will be heartbroken, and in the end, you might be hated by both sides, she’s just an ingrate!”

Ye Jinyu knelt on the ground, her legs numb without sensation, but her heart was filled with immense pain and regret.

That things turned out this way today was all her own fault; what her father said was right, facing such a consequence was her own fault.

Because she had never doubted Wen Xingye, she truly believed that even if the whole world betrayed her, he would never betray her.

But reality brutally slapped her in the face!

He was the first to betray her.

As she was steeped in regret, she suddenly heard Ye Zhengrong speak up, “There’s one more thing, you might not know.”noveldrama

Ye Canghai frowned slightly, “Zhengrong, what else is there? Dad is so angry, can whatever you want to say wait until tomorrow, just me and you?”

Ye Zhengrong shook his head, “No, this matter can’t wait until tomorrow, nor can it be just between you and me.”

He glanced at Ye Chongzun’s face, feeling that even though the old master was so angry his face had turned blue, he had lived through many big storms and his psychological endurance was actually very strong, most likely not so easily collapsing from the anger.

“Dad, you know about Jinyu’s daughter, right?”

Ye Chongzun snorted coldly, “What exactly are you trying to say? Of course, I know she has a daughter. Brought her here once when she was young, with a thieving look, cowering, eating like a starved ghost once she arrived, gobbling everything as if she would die of hunger, even broke a plate! Lacking any manners at all, nothing like members of our Ye Family!”

Ye Zhengrong nodded, “Her name is Wen Nianyou, indeed she’s not one of our Ye Family.”

Ye Chongzun was startled, “What are you saying?”

Ye Jinyu turned stiffly, “Second brother, you… Youyou is my child.”

“She’s not.”

Ye Zhengrong looked at her, the fury and malice in his eyes uncontrollably surfacing again, “Foolish thing, even your daughter was switched without you knowing! Wen Nianyou is not your daughter, she is the daughter of Lin Yueqin and Shi Youjin! Chuyi is your daughter! Are you blind? She looks so much like our Ye Family, can’t you see it?”

Chapter 317: Is She Willing to Acknowledge Our Family? Ye Jinyu’s entire body felt as if her blood had frozen, “Impossible!”

Ye Zhengrong couldn’t be bothered with her anymore; she was indeed blind. He had already told her that Chuyi was her daughter, yet she was still going on about the impossible, stupidly obstinate.

He looked at Ye Chongzun, “Dad, the one she has been raising at her home, isn’t her biological child, so your first instinct was right—she’s truly not a member of the Ye Family. Her biological child, who looks very much like our Ye Family members, is beautiful and imposing.”

“Only, that child was swapped at birth by a maid hired by Ye Jinyu, raised under the care of a murderer, endured much hardship, and suffered frequent beating and torment from that maid.”noveldrama

Ye Chongzun was both shocked and enraged; he pointed a trembling finger at Ye Jinyu, “Fool! It was bad enough you chose the wrong man, but how could you get our own Ye Family flesh and blood wrong? Can’t you even keep your own daughter safe?! Having you as a mother, the child has truly suffered terrible misfortune for eight lifetimes!”

Ye Jinyu’s mind was buzzing, and she felt like her soul had left her body, “How could this be? Chuyi is my daughter? How is this possible? Yueqin… Yueqin couldn’t possibly do such a thing, there must be some mistake, second brother, you must be mistaken…”

Ye Zhengrong needed tremendous willpower to restrain himself from splitting open her head to see if it was filled with nothing but water.

Even now, she still believed that maid instead of her own second brother!

Ye Zhengrong forcefully suppressed his rage and continued to Ye Chongzun, “Dad, don’t be angry. Although the child was taken away by a vicious maid and a murderer, luckily, she didn’t turn out twisted. I’ve checked—she has a good character, is positive and aspirational, and has a strong sense of career without being love-struck.”

Ye Chongzun clutched his painfully sharp chest and took a breath, “Good, as long as she doesn’t resemble her.”

“Dad, there’s an interesting twist. Unaware of the child’s identity, I took her in as my foster daughter, and had her marry Sheng Tingyuan in place of Shuangyin.”

Ye Chongzun was stunned, “The child who completed the marriage alliance with the Sheng Family instead of Shuangyin is Jinyu’s daughter?”

Ye Canghai was also stunned, “What a coincidence?”

Ye Zhengrong said, “Actually, it’s not that much of a coincidence. Chuyi, the child, looks quite similar to Shuangyin, and since their ages are close, Sheng Tingyuan mistook her for the wrong person.”

“It was Sheng Tingyuan who brought Chuyi before me, and I had no other choice at the time but to have Chuyi replace Shuangyin and marry over. That child has suffered and is much more sensible than Shuangyin. After the marriage, she’s been very good at making her mother-in-law happy, and Lady Sheng is very fond of her.”

“I know you’ve always been against this arrangement, Dad, which is why you feigned illness to skip the wedding. However, Dad, now it turns out we didn’t substitute Chuyi in the marriage; she is indeed a member of the Ye Family. I’ve already had her change her surname back to Ye, and by marrying her to Sheng Tingyuan, we’ve fulfilled the original agreement between our two families.”

Ye Chongzun’s eyes reddened; after a whole night, there was finally something worth being joyful about, “Good! Zhengrong, you’ve handled this matter well! If your mother knew about this, she would be able to rest easier in the netherworld. After all, the marriage agreement was originally made between her and Lady Sheng.”

Originally, Ye Zhengrong had found an imposter to replace Ye Shuangyin in the marriage, and this had angered him, so much so that he refused even to attend the wedding.

But now, the imposter turned out to be his own granddaughter, which finally dissolved the knot in his heart; he could face his wife underground with pride.

He even regretted not attending the wedding, for missing the chance to see what his granddaughter looked like in person, and for not witnessing her marriage.

“Where is the child now? Does she know about her origins?”

“She knows; I just told her tonight. I’m not sure where she is at the moment, but don’t worry, she’s doing well.”

“Is she willing to acknowledge our family?”

“Yes, she’s willing. She even called me uncle! Dad, you don’t know, but she resembles me the most. Wen Ying and Ziran even suspected for a while that she was my daughter. To prove my innocence, I had Ziran do a paternity test, and that’s how we discovered she was related to me by blood.”

Chapter 318: You Should Apologize to Your Daughter! Ye Chongzun inexplicably detected a hint of smugness in his tone. He shook his head and looked at Ye Jinyu, who was kneeling on the ground, completely stupefied.

After staring at her for a moment, he irritably shifted his gaze away.

He simply couldn’t bear to look at her; the sight of her infuriated him.

Pressing against his temples, which throbbed with anger, Ye Chongzun said to his son, “Zhengrong, have that child come to our house tomorrow and ask her to marry in place of Shuangyin. It’s unfair to her, but when you ask her to come, I’ll give her some shares in the corporation as a bridal dowry.”

“Alright, Dad.”noveldrama

Zhengrong knew his father liked obedient children. Marriages that formed alliances within large families were quite common, and essentially, all the children involved in such unions were making sacrifices for their families.

Ye Shuangyin wasn’t willing to make that sacrifice, but Chuyi had taken her place, so Ye Chongzun would undoubtedly offer her some additional compensation.

After finishing his statement, Ye Chongzun headed upstairs. Just before he entered his bedroom, he couldn’t help but glance at Ye Jinyu, still kneeling on the ground, “You, hurry up and scram! Even a child you lost is better than you; that child helps the family with marriage alliances, maintaining the family’s interests, while you know nothing but romance! One of these days you’ll be the death of me!”

With that, he entered the bedroom and slammed the door shut with a “bang.”

The butler hurriedly went to help Ye Jinyu up, “Miss, please get up. The floor is cold, careful not to injure your knees.”

Ye Canghai also came to help her. Once she was seated on the sofa, he commanded the servant, “Bring a cup of hot tea, and get some snacks.”

The servant complied immediately, bringing hot tea and pastries.

However, Ye Jinyu couldn’t eat anything; she looked blankly at Ye Canghai, “Elder brother, was my daughter really switched by someone else? I’ve raised a child for twenty-six years, who isn’t mine?”

Ye Canghai slightly frowned, “You still don’t believe it? You think your second brother could make a mistake even with something like this?”

“I…”

“Forget it, I understand that you might find this hard to accept. Your second brother will have the child come over tomorrow, then you can take her for a paternity test.”

Ye Canghai remained his usual steady and composed self, showing uncommon patience toward his sister.

Zhengrong, however, didn’t have that kind of patience, and even sounded a bit annoyed, “Elder brother, why bother with her? She doesn’t have a bit of brains in her head. It’s one thing to be duped by her man, but to be toyed with by a maid to such an extent? Everyone in our family is clever, yet she, she’s got the brains of a donkey!”

“Zhengrong, mind your words.”

“I am controlling myself! Otherwise, I’d have given her a piece of my mind already! You’ve seen Chuyi too; she resembles our family so much, and this fool never once suspected her child could have been switched by the maid!”

“That’s enough. Jinyu has always been simple and kind-hearted, which you know full well. She never thinks ill of anyone, so it’s normal for her not to suspect the maid. Didn’t you also adamantly claim that you had no relationship with Chuyi?”

“That’s because I know I’ve never messed around, and I also knew you couldn’t possibly have a daughter out of wedlock, so I didn’t think she could have any blood connection to our family. But who would have thought the problem lay with this idiot!”

Zhengrong was so angry veins throbbed on his forehead, “If I had known sooner that Chuyi was blood of the Ye family, my niece, would I need to be so anxious dealing with Sheng Huai’an? Would Chuyi need to feel like she’s deceiving Sheng Tingyuan every day, constantly feeling uneasy? She’s brought up several times that she wants to come clean to Sheng Tingyuan about her being the maid’s daughter!”

Ye Jinyu, pale-faced, looked at him, “Second brother… It’s all my fault, whether it’s you handling my bridal affairs before or the situation with Chuyi. I was too foolish, I’m sorry…”

Zhengrong coldly replied, “You don’t need to apologize to me. Whether or not you handle your bridal affairs, I can live my life just fine. If I didn’t handle them, I might even live a few years longer. But because of your maid, Chuyi was kidnapped, and she almost didn’t survive!”

“The maid’s husband didn’t hesitate to kill two people, so he must have considered killing Chuyi countless times! Chuyi survived only because she’s lucky to be alive!”

“You should be apologizing to your daughter!”

Chapter 319: The Biological Daughter Lives Like a Beggar Ye Jinyu shuddered.

She remembered what Shi Youjin looked like.

She had only seen him two or three times, and remembered him as being very honest and dull, always submissive to Lin Yueqin, even smiling foolishly when Lin Yueqin scolded him, without showing any fierceness.

He would even give all the money he earned to Lin Yueqin, leaving himself without enough money to buy a pack of cigarettes.

Yet such a man had killed two people.

What in the world was going on, why did everyone wear false masks? Why did everyone have to deceive her?

Had she not been good enough to Lin Yueqin? Why in the world did Lin Yueqin switch her daughter?

No wonder Lin Yueqin loved Wen Nianyou to the core of her bones, preferring to let her own daughter go hungry, just to feed all her breastmilk to Wen Nianyou.

So, Wen Nianyou was her biological daughter?

All along, she had been immensely grateful to Lin Yueqin, for during the infancy and childhood of her daughter, Lin Yueqin had provided meticulous and devoted care, more dedicated than her, the mother, herself during Wen Nianyou’s illnesses and fevers, even staying up all night until the fever subsided.

She almost treated Lin Yueqin as a real sister; what she ate, Lin Yueqin would eat, what she wore, Lin Yueqin would wear too, and she not only spared Lin Yueqin from household chores but also gave her hefty bonuses every year.

Yet Lin Yueqin allowed Wen Nianyou to enjoy the best life while mistreating Ye Chuyi.

She still remembered that as a child, Ye Chuyi didn’t even have one outfit that fit properly, wearing only the worn-out clothes that Lin Yueqin discarded.

Back then, she couldn’t stand it and had bought new clothes for Ye Chuyi too, but Lin Yueqin just took them and gave them to Wen Nianyou to wear.

She also remembered that Ye Chuyi was skinny and always seemed very hungry, even going so far as to secretly pick up the food Wen Nianyou threw in the trash can to eat, and even the coconut shells Wen Nianyou tossed aside after drinking from them, Ye Chuyi would treasure them like precious finds.

Thinking of this, Ye Jinyu’s heart felt tormented.

This was her daughter!

She lived like a little beggar, always hungry and cold, even struggling to get an education. If she hadn’t insisted that Lin Yueqin send Ye Chuyi to school, she probably wouldn’t have been able to complete even elementary school!

She had trusted Lin Yueqin so much, yet Lin Yueqin had been mistreating her daughter behind her back!

For the first time in her life, Ye Jinyu felt this angry, even angrier than when she found out about Wen Xingye’s betrayal.

A sweet, metallic taste rose in her throat; her vision darkened, and she fainted.

Ye Canghai was startled, “Jinyu! Butler, quickly call the doctor over!”

The butler hurriedly made a call to the doctor.

Ye Zhengrong snorted coldly, “She fainted just from getting upset, her mental resilience is still so poor, no progress over all these years!”

“Enough, she has fainted, yet you still curse her, she can’t hear you. I told you to hold back, but you didn’t listen, what if you really cause some serious harm? Are you going to take care of her afterward?”

“Am I crazy? Why would I take care of her? She’d drive me to death every day!”

“If you won’t take care of her, I don’t have the time either, then we’d only have to let Chuyi take care of her, do you really want her to just recognize her family and then have to take care of a mother sickened by your anger?”noveldrama

Ye Zhengrong fell silent; his older brother always had a way of precisely pinning him down.

The doctor arrived soon and, after checking Ye Jinyu, said, “She fainted from anger, nothing serious, just very weak and severely malnourished, she needs to recuperate well for some time.”

Ye Canghai nodded, “Thank you, Doctor Qiao, please start her on a nutrition infusion!”

Ye Zhengrong covered his severely aching head, “She’s really something, leaving home with a dowry of fifty billion, and returning malnourished! Her body at over forty is even less healthy than our father’s! That bastard Wen Xingye couldn’t even bear to buy her nutritious food, didn’t he even let her eat?!”

Ye Canghai slightly furrowed his brows, “It might not necessarily be Wen Xingye’s doing; he was having an affair behind Jinyu’s back, not daring to openly be hostile, so he probably wouldn’t dare overtly skimp on food. It’s very likely that it was the malicious maid by her side who did it.”

 

Chapter 320: Think You’re Somewhat Handsome Ye Zhengrong heard this and felt there was merit to the idea, his anger growing, “Useless trash, she’s clearly the lady of the house, yet she’s completely suppressed by a mere maid, failing even to protect her own daughter, and she can’t even get a decent meal for herself! That maid dares to exploit her so, who knows how much she must’ve secretly made Chuyi suffer. That child has had it tough growing up!”

Ye Canghai gave a slight sigh, “Indeed, it’s not been easy for her. Since dad has said he wants to give her shares, we can’t just do nothing. The kid even calls you ‘uncle,’ shouldn’t you give her something?”

“I plan to give her something. I’m not sure how much dad will give, but I’ll just give a little less than him.”

Ye Canghai knew Ye Zhengrong wouldn’t be stingy; after all, when they didn’t know Ye Chuyi was a blood-related niece, he had already offered a dowry of ten billion. In the end, Ye Chuyi had not taken it.

A rare hint of anticipation colored his tone, “I haven’t even heard the kid call me ‘uncle’ yet. You’ve beaten me to it; that’s not right. Tomorrow, I must take the time to hear it for myself.” Of course, he wouldn’t let the child call him ‘uncle’ for nothing.

Ye Zhengrong: “…”

It really wasn’t easy, there were moments when he could get ahead of his older brother and be the object of his envy.

…

Early morning.

Ye Chuyi woke from her dreams.

She had slept restlessly that night, often seeing the faces of Lin Yueqin and Wen Nianyou in her dreams, and then she would wake up.

Upon waking and finding herself in Sheng Tingyuan’s embrace, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

Now, having slept until this moment, she found that he was still holding her, his position almost unchanged throughout the night.

He was still sleeping, his face less cold than when his eyes were shut.

Ye Chuyi examined him closely and sighed again that his features really were handsome and perfect, captivating at a glance and hard to forget. No wonder she harbored feelings for him; he truly had attributes worth longing for.

She reached out to lightly touch his face and, seeing that he did not awaken, she stroked his chin.

The short stubble on his chin was slightly prickly to the touch but also ticklish, an unusual sensation.

As she was touching him, her head was suddenly held in place and then he kissed her.

Ye Chuyi was startled, “You’re awake?”

Sheng Tingyuan opened his eyes, “This is the second time you’ve touched my face.”

Ye Chuyi quickly retracted her hand, her cheeks involuntarily flushing, “I…I just thought…”

“Thought what?”

“Thought that you… look somewhat handsome.”

“Just somewhat?”

“No, not just somewhat, a lot.”

Sheng Tingyuan chuckled lightly, relieved to have a face that barely made the cut for her, he had thought she preferred the likes of Cong Ningyuan and Qi Yunfan, but apparently he was wrong.

Ye Chuyi took advantage of his momentary amusement to slip away from his arms and headed to the restroom to freshen up.

Her apartment had only one restroom, unlike his villa, which had several, allowing two people to use them at the same time.

Now, she had to go first and he had to wait.

Sheng Tingyuan wasn’t in a hurry. The novelty of taking turns to use the restroom amused him. He waited outside, listening to all the sounds she made within, unable to suppress a smile on his face.

He smiled and felt increasingly like a pervert, yet he had no intention of walking away.

When Ye Chuyi finished and came out, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her, “Auntie Wang has made breakfast, and Yang Hai is already on his way here.”

Ye Chuyi was still not quite comfortable with such intimacy; she awkwardly responded, “Oh, okay.”

Sheng Tingyuan kissed her again and then let her go, entering the restroom to freshen up himself.

When he came out, Yang Hai had already delivered the breakfast.

Ye Chuyi sat at the dining table waiting for him.

He walked over, placing her favorites in front of her, then patted her head, “Go ahead and eat.”

Ye Chuyi felt his gesture was very indulgent and couldn’t help but glance at him, then she began to eat.noveldrama

It had been days since she had Auntie Wang’s cooking, and now that she could finally enjoy it again, she felt a strong sense of happiness.

No wonder they say if you want to capture a man’s heart, you must first capture his stomach!

It seems it’s the same for women, too!