Suddenly, the door was yanked open again. Yè Yúnfēi's eyes were red and filled with tears. She stared at Ye Tianming with burning resentment and said through clenched teeth,
"Tell me! Did you know our little courtyard was going to be demolished, so you came crawling back? You bastard! Get out of our house! You have no shame facing my mom and dad as their son!"
With that, Yè Yúnfēi burst into tears again. Liú Cuìróng held her close, wiping away tears nonstop.
Nearby, Yè Jiànguó sat at the table, continuously wiping the corners of his eyes. This middle-aged man, who rarely shed tears despite enduring a lifetime of hardship, also had reddened eyes at that moment.
Ye Tianming's eyes were swimming with tears. Had Yè Yúnfēi not just said those words inside the room, he would never have known how his parents had survived the past three years!
So... so all of this was his own fault!
With a heavy thud, he dropped straight to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he said word by word,
"Dad, Mom, Sister, I, Ye Tianming, swear—I swear that starting today, I will make all of you live a good life! It is I who failed you, I am an unfilial son! It wasn't that I didn't want to come back, I couldn't come back!"
All four members of the family wept openly. Yè Jiànguó wiped his tears, walked over to Ye Tianming, and helped him up, saying through his tears,
"Tianming, your mom and dad know you must have had your own hardships. Say no more, as long as our family is reunited, that's what matters. Don't hold it against your sister, she has a knot in her heart..."
After helping Ye Tianming to the table, Yè Jiànguó said to Liú Cuìróng, "Mother, help our daughter over here too. This is the first meal our family is having together in three years. Let's not bring up past unhappiness; from now on, our family of four will live a good life."
Liú Cuìróng helped Yè Yúnfēi to the table, and both Yè Jiànguó and Liú Cuìróng kept piling food onto Ye Tianming's and Yè Yúnfēi's plates.
Though eating the fragrant dishes cooked by Liú Cuìróng, Ye Tianming felt as though he were chewing on wax.
Yè Yúnfēi remained completely silent. After taking a couple of bites, she limped back to her small room, not glancing at Ye Tianming once, her expression frozen in a cold stare the entire time.
Seeing Yè Yúnfēi enter her room, Ye Tianming could finally hold back no longer and asked,
"Dad, Mom, what happened to Yúnfēi's leg?"
Yè Jiànguó let out a soft sigh and exchanged glances with Liú Cuìróng. Liú Cuìróng forced a smile onto her face, picked up a piece of meat, placed it in Ye Tianming's bowl, and said,
"Tianming, eat your meat, don't ask about that."
Ye Tianming frowned and put down his chopsticks. "Mom, I am your son, and even more so, I am Yúnfēi's older brother. Is there anything you can't tell me?"
Liú Cuìróng glanced at Yè Jiànguó, who let out a heavy sigh and finally spoke:
"Tianming, it's not that we didn't want to tell you, we were just afraid it would break your heart. During the time you suddenly vanished, your sister cried her eyes out day and night, thinking something terrible had happened to you or that you'd been harmed. Back then, she printed copy after copy of your photo, scouring probably half of Longhai City day and night to track down news of you. Her leg... it got broken by a car while she was out putting up missing persons posters..."
Boom!
It was as though a bolt of lightning had struck right beside Ye Tianming's ear, making his entire body violently shudder.
Pain, self-reproach, guilt, and remorse—countless emotions churned within his chest!
A sharp pang hit the bridge of Ye Tianming's nose as he recalled how Yè Yúnfēi used to trot behind him, calling him "Big Brother" with such adorable affection...
He thought of how she would scrimp and save, denying herself good food and clothes just to pay his tuition...
He thought of the way she would go to school wearing his old hand-me-down clothes...
Heat flooded Ye Tianming's eye sockets, and unable to hold it back any longer, tears poured down his face.
"Yúnfēi... Big Brother is sorry..."
Yè Jiànguó sighed softly: "Child, things have reached this point, don't dwell on it. Eat your meal. You've just come back, and your sister still carries a knot in her heart for now. Give it some time and you'll get along fine once you spend more time together."
Forcefully blinking back his tears, Ye Tianming took a deep breath, pressing down the churning emotions in his chest:
"Dad, what happened to the driver who hit Yúnfēi back then?"
Yè Jiànguó shook his head and sighed, "Nothing happened to him."
"What?!"
Ye Tianming's expression changed abruptly. "Why wasn't anything done?"
Chapter 22: I Can Cure It
A look of helpless bitterness appeared on Yè Jiànguó's weathered face. He pulled out a cheap cigarette, lit it, and took a deep, dragging puff.
Ye Tianming's expression shifted slightly. He knew Yè Jiànguó rarely smoked unless he was faced with some unspeakable, agonizing torment.
Taking another drag, Yè Jiànguó spoke in a hoarse, sluggish voice, "Tianming, you have to promise your dad one thing."
"Go ahead, Dad."
Flicking the ash from his cigarette with a trace of bitter sorrow, Yè Jiànguó slowly said:
"We are a working-class family. Your mother and I have no power or influence, and these past few years have been hard on both you and your sister. Now that you're back, our greatest wish is for the four of us to live in peace and safety, without stirring up any more trouble. Dad hopes you can understand this. This city is huge, but the space that can hold our family of four is terribly small. Your mother and I don't want to see you or your sister come to the slightest bit of harm ever again."
With that, Yè Jiànguó finally recounted that agonizing past.
"When your sister had her accident, the driver had already fled the scene. It was a passerby who picked up your sister's phone and called us. We called the police afterward. Logically speaking, there were surveillance cameras at that location; within a day at most, that driver should have been caught. Yet, we waited for over a month. In truth, I already had my suspicions back then—that driver must have had powerful backing, otherwise the arrest wouldn't have been dragged out for so long..."
"After they finally caught that hit-and-run driver, everything was handled by officials from above. We never even got to catch a single glimpse of the driver who hit your sister from start to finish. We waited and waited, only to finally be handed a no-liability agreement issued by the authorities. It actually stated that your sister was entirely at fault, while the driver was completely blameless! Can you imagine how absurd that is?"
Ye Tianming slowly narrowed his eyes, glints of icy light flashing deep within his pupils.
Hearing this, he instantly guessed that someone was pulling strings behind the scenes!
"Your sister was standing by the roadside putting up missing persons posters when she was struck by the car, and the driver was very likely drunk at the time. Yet, the blame was pinned entirely on your sister. When we went back to retrieve the surveillance footage, it had all been completely wiped. Unconvinced, we prepared to appeal. However, the authorities dropped subtle hints, warning us that if we kept pursuing the matter, it wouldn't just be our daughter's broken leg we'd have to worry about. Over the next few days, every morning when we opened our doors, we'd find a dead dog or cat with broken legs and slit throats! Once, a basin of blood was even dumped right into our small courtyard! On the very last morning, a note was left in the yard, saying that if we let the matter drop right there, they'd leave our family a way out; but if we insisted on appealing, they'd... they'd make sure we never saw your sister again..."
By this point, Yè Jiànguó had slowly closed his eyes, his face etched with grief and heartache.
"Tianming, it's your dad who's useless! Your dad has no power. If I had the ability, I'd risk my old life to make those people pay the price! But... but your dad is powerless, I couldn't protect your mother and sister! In the end, your dad had no choice but to sign that settlement..."
As he finished speaking, a single tear slowly slipped from the corner of Yè Jiànguó's eye.
At that moment, Ye Tianming clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. A bloodthirsty, crimson gloom surged in his eyes, and a wrath hot enough to incinerate the heavens burned within his chest!
He was the commander of the Tianmen Army and the sole successor to Tianmen, possessing peerless power in the outside world, yet his own family had suffered such torment!
Ye Tianming's gaze was as cold as millennial ice. He would make those people pay the ultimate price!
Sensing the dangerous shift in Ye Tianming's emotions, Yè Jiànguó spoke softly, "Tianming, you must promise your dad. Just let this matter go, never bring it up again. Since the person behind this can influence the authorities, it's destined to be something we cannot afford to provoke. No matter how hard we fight, we can't make waves. Tianming, promise Dad, okay?"
Ye Tianming took a deep breath, looked at Yè Jiànguó, nodded earnestly, and said,
"Dad, don't worry! I won't do anything foolish."
"That's good, that's good..."
Yè Jiànguó smiled with relief, completely unaware of the murderous intent raging inside Ye Tianming's heart at that very moment.
"All right, go talk to your sister. Though she has a grudge in her heart, it's only because she cares about you. Go talk to her."
Ye Tianming nodded, walked over to Yè Yúnfēi's bedroom door, and knocked gently.
"Yúnfēi, can I come in?"
Yè Yúnfēi's icy voice came from inside: "What are you coming in for? I don't want to see you."
"I want to talk to you."
"No need!"
Ye Tianming sighed softly: "Yúnfēi, I know you hate me in your heart—hate me for leaving back then without a word and making you all worry so much. But Big Brother had no choice either; I was suddenly taken away by people, and these past three years I simply couldn't come back... Can you forgive Big Brother?"
Inside, Yè Yúnfēi said nothing more. Curled up under the blanket, she wept in silence, biting her lip hard to keep from making a sound.
Right outside the door stood the older brother she had missed with every fiber of her being. How she longed to throw herself into her brother's arms and pour out her grievances just like the old days.
Yet, she truly felt hatred! She harbored deep suspicion!
She hated him for leaving without a goodbye back then, and she hated him for destroying her home!
Even more suspicious was the timing: why did he return precisely when an official notice announced that the courtyard was soon to be demolished?
This forced Yè Yúnfēi to suspect that Ye Tianming had only come back for the sake of this demolition compensation!
Ye Tianming sighed lightly and reached for the doorknob, intending to push it open. But the moment his hand touched the handle and was about to turn it, he slowly pulled it back.
"Yúnfēi... Trust me, from now on, Big Brother will compensate you and Mom and Dad a hundredfold. I'm going to make sure our family lives a wonderful life! Besides, Big Brother has a way to cure your leg. Don't be too sad."
Inside the room, Yè Yúnfēi's body gave a violent start, almost unable to believe her ears. Her leg... could be cured?
Outside, the sound of footsteps faded into the distance. Yè Yúnfēi bit her lip, wiped away her tears, and a cold sneer formed on her face.
How hypocritical. Cure her leg, indeed? Her leg had been dead for three years, and even top-tier doctors couldn't fix it. How could he possibly cure it?
In the main room, Yè Jiànguó and Liú Cuìróng's faces were plastered with shock. Liú Cuìróng's voice trembled with overwhelming excitement as she asked,
"Tianming, what did you just say? Did you say... Yúnfēi's leg can be cured? Really?"
Ye Tianming smiled: "Mom, don't worry. Would I lie to you? I have to step out for a bit, but I'll be back shortly."
With that, Ye Tianming left the courtyard alone and made a phone call. Lóng Zé's respectful voice answered from the other end.
"Head of the Dragon, is there something you need?"
Ye Tianming said calmly, "Where are you? I have something to discuss with you, so I'm coming over."
Lóng Zé replied respectfully, "Head of the Dragon, I am at the Longhai Chamber of Commerce. Shall I send someone to pick you up?"
"No need, I'll go by myself."
"Understood! This subordinate awaits your arrival."
Lóng Zé hung up the phone, then turned toward the office door and said indifferently, "Come in."
As the words fell, a woman walked in—none other than the eldest miss of the Xiāo family who had gone to cancel her engagement with Ye Tianming earlier that day, Xiāo Chūrán!
Chapter 23: A Lost Cause
At that moment, Xiāo Chūrán nervously twisted her hands together, hardly daring to breathe as she carefully walked forward.
Looking at Lóng Zé, her pretty face clearly showed a hint of tension, while her eyes held an unspeakable reverence.
She felt uneasy even standing still, acting as submissive and courteous as humanly possible in Lóng Zé's presence.
Lóng Zé glanced at her and smiled faintly, "Sorry, Ms. Xiāo, I just took a call. Go ahead, what business does your Xiāo family have with me today?"
Xiāo Chūrán cast a sidelong glance at Lóng Zé, her palms breaking out in cold sweat. Even though she had been standing outside the office just moments ago,
she had vaguely overheard Lóng Zé speaking to the person on the other end of the line... addressing him as the Head of the Dragon?
And he had actually called himself a subordinate, awaiting the arrival of that big figure!
This was nothing short of earth-shattering!
In Longhai, Lóng Zé was not only the richest man but also the president of the Longhai Chamber of Commerce.
He could be considered a figure at the very pinnacle of the pyramid, someone even the Six Great Influential Families dared not cross.
All the family enterprises of the Six Great Influential Families combined could not match Lóng Zé's Longhai Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce not only set the commercial rules of Longhai but also stood at the head of every enterprise, big or small, in the city.
Many orders and trade deals from outside Longhai City required Lóng Zé's nod before they could enter the market.
Only then would the Longhai Chamber of Commerce distribute them and find business partners.
It was fair to say that Lóng Zé was not just the leader of Longhai's business world, but its god of wealth as well.
Therefore, Xiāo Chūrán was utterly shaken beyond belief. She knew all too well how terrifyingly prestigious Lóng Zé's status was.
Yet, he was so deferential to the person on the phone, even lowering his own status to call himself a subordinate!
If word of this got out, at least half of Longhai's enterprises would instantly go into a frenzy.
Xiāo Chūrán swallowed hard, a fine layer of sweat beading on her fair forehead as she momentarily forgot how to speak.
Lóng Zé raised an eyebrow, checked his watch, and said coolly,
"Ms. Xiāo, you have only five minutes. I'm meeting an important person shortly, so please say whatever you came to say quickly."
At this moment, Lóng Zé had no idea about the five influential families collectively going to Ye Tianming's house to break off the engagement earlier that day.
In Longhai, his intelligence network was practically ubiquitous, and he could easily find out about almost anything.
However, when it came to Ye Tianming, he wouldn't dare investigate him even if he were given a hundred times his courage.
Thus, he had no way of knowing that Xiāo Chūrán had gone to Ye Tianming's house that morning to call off the wedding.
Had he known, let alone Xiāo Chūrán, even the matriarch of the Xiāo family would have been shown the door.
Xiāo Chūrán cautiously glanced at Lóng Zé again, a tense yet respectful smile finally appearing on her somewhat pale face.
"Mr. Lóng, it's like this. I recently heard that the Longhai Chamber of Commerce holds an order and is currently recruiting partners. I came to..."
Before she could finish, Lóng Zé waved his hand with a smile: "I know what you're here for. That's right, the Longhai Chamber of Commerce currently has a contract worth ten billion, and we happen to be short of a partner. According to preliminary estimates, regardless of which family or enterprise takes on this order, the net profit will be close to three billion. Naturally, it's a hot commodity, and to be frank, quite a few people have already approached me before your Xiāo family."
Xiāo Chūrán bit her lip, forced a smile, and said, "Mr. Lóng, our Xiāo family is one of the Six Great Influential Families. You know our strength, and we have a serious attitude toward our work. Therefore, I hope you will give serious consideration to our Xiāo family..."
Lóng Zé smiled faintly: "As of today, including your Xiāo family, five of the Six Great Influential Families in Longhai have already approached me regarding this matter. So... let's talk about this another time. I will consider it carefully, and it's not like your Xiāo family has zero chance."
Xiāo Chūrán bit her red lips, nervously smoothing the hem of her dress with her hands. Biting her lip once more, a look of entanglement crossed her beautiful face:
"Mr. Lóng... I'll have to trouble you with this matter."
Lóng Zé took a sip of tea, nodded indifferently, and said nothing further. Understanding this as a hint for her to leave, Xiāo Chūrán didn't dare harbor the slightest bit of resentment.
Being granted a personal audience by Lóng Zé was already a massive favor to her.
Just as she turned to leave, she suddenly spun back around and said,
"Oh, Mr. Lóng, let me ask you one more presumptuous question."
"Go ahead."
Xiāo Chūrán's eyes flickered evasively as her face flushed slightly:
"My grandfather mentioned before that when you dined with him, you said you wanted to introduce a match for me..."
Lóng Zé was momentarily stunned, then recalled the conversation and burst out laughing: "Ah, indeed there was such a thing. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have completely forgotten. However, I'm afraid Ms. Xiāo might look down upon the person I have in mind. Besides, didn't I hear that Ms. Xiāo already had a fiancé?"
"How could I possibly look down on someone recommended by Mr. Lóng?"
Xiāo Chūrán flushed as she smiled, then furrowed her brows in a wry, self-deprecating shake of her head:
"Also, Mr. Lóng, please don't mention that fiancé of mine. He's simply a lost cause, and I've already called off the engagement."
Lóng Zé frowned slightly, though he didn't dwell on it, merely smiling without further comment.
Curious, Xiāo Chūrán asked, "I'm just wondering who that person Mr. Lóng mentioned is?"
Lóng Zé smiled: "He is a manager in one of the subsidiaries under the Longhai Chamber of Commerce. He can be considered young and promising, but since Ms. Xiāo is a daughter of the Xiāo family, I was worried you'd find him beneath you!"
Xiāo Chūrán immediately grew somewhat excited: "Mr. Lóng, since he's someone you hold in high regard, how could I look down on him? Please, if you have time, let me meet him."
At that moment, Xiāo Chūrán was beyond thrilled. Far from feeling that Lóng Zé introducing a mere supervisor was beneath her, she considered it an immense honor!
One had to realize this was a manager under the Longhai Chamber of Commerce—his future prospects could be said to be boundless!
More importantly, being able to tie herself to the Longhai Chamber of Commerce was more than enough!
Even though her Xiāo family was one of the Six Great Influential Families, they were completely insignificant compared to the Longhai Chamber of Commerce!
With this connection, why worry about the Xiāo family failing to soar?
"That's no problem. When I have time later, I'll arrange a meeting between that young man and you, Ms. Xiāo."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Lóng!"
Carrying an overwhelming sense of excitement, Xiāo Chūrán left Lóng Zé's office, feeling so exhilarated she felt like jumping for joy.
Clenching her fists, a wave of relief suddenly washed over her as she thought to herself quietly:
Thank goodness she went and broke off her engagement with that Ye Tianming today, otherwise missing out on such a golden opportunity because of him would have made her regret it for the rest of her life!
Leaving the office and walking toward the elevators, Xiāo Chūrán waited for the car while still feeling somewhat stirred.
If she could truly establish a connection with the Longhai Chamber of Commerce, not only would the Xiāo family take flight, but she would also take complete control of the Xiāo family!
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, her heart pounding against her ribs.
Meanwhile, down on the first floor of the Longhai Chamber of Commerce, Ye Tianming hummed a little tune as he stepped onto the elevator.
Chapter 24: Yè Yúnfēi's Leg
With a "ding," the elevator doors slid open.
Xiāo Chūrán clicked her high heels,
stepping into the elevator on her long, slender legs.
At the exact same time, the elevator doors beside them slowly opened.