Liú Cuìróng's eyes reddened as she smiled and said, "Child, let's not talk about that for now. Come, let's go home! You must be starving; Mom will cook for you."
Ye Tianming felt a pang in his chest. The tears he had just managed to hold back almost fell again.
Following the elderly couple into the small courtyard house, Ye Tianming felt his suspicions grow heavier. When he originally left, the family was doing well, and both parents had stable jobs. Why had things become so miserable now? Furthermore, he had vaguely noticed scars on Yè Jiànguó's body just now—what was that about?
Sitting at the table, Ye Tianming finally couldn't help asking, "Dad, Mom, what on earth has happened these past few years? Why has our family ended up like this?"
Yè Jiànguó's weather-beaten wrinkles bunched together. After a moment of silence, he sighed and said, "Tianming, all of this was done by your aunt."
Ye Tianming started in disbelief. "Aunt? How is that possible?"
Yè Jiànguó gave a bitter smile. "Tianming, you should remember a few years ago when your uncle and aunt needed money to do business and came to our family to borrow money?"
Ye Tianming nodded. "I remember. You took out all our family's savings at the time—twenty thousand in total. Did they pay it back later?"
Yè Jiànguó shook his head and sighed, "If I had known your aunt would turn into this kind of person, I never should have lent them money."
Ye Tianming was puzzled.
Yè Jiànguó sighed. "After your aunt's family got back on their feet, not only did they refuse to return the money, but they also tried to force us to sell this small courtyard to them. There were rumors around town that the area would be redeveloped in a few years, which meant a huge payout.
"Your mom and I didn't agree, and in the end, we had a falling out with your aunt's family. To get back at us, your aunt had people pull strings to make your mom and me lose our jobs."
At that moment, Ye Tianming understood. He clenched his fists, his gaze gradually turning cold. "So Su Hongli is this shameless. I really misjudged her."
Liú Cuìróng sighed, "Tianming, your aunt is a boss now; don't go looking for trouble with her. We can't afford to fight them."
Seeing how miserably Yè Jiànguó and Liú Cuìróng were living, how could Ye Tianming swallow this anger? He had to demand an explanation from Su Hongli! However, he didn't want to worry the two elders, so he nodded and said, "I know, Mom and Dad. Don't worry, I have it handled."
Relief showed on the old couple's faces. Liú Cuìróng looked at Ye Tianming again and asked, "Tianming, where have you been all these years? When you left without saying a word, your father and I worried so much we couldn't sleep night after night."
Liú Cuìróng's eyes reddened once more. Separated for years, both of them had even thought Ye Tianming might be dead. How could they not be emotional upon meeting again now?
Ye Tianming looked at the two elders, his heart full of guilt. "Dad, Mom, when I left back then, it was too sudden; I didn't get a chance to tell you both. For the past three years, I've been in the mountains learning skills from a master. Now your son has returned having completed his studies, and I can definitely let you live a happy life."
Yè Jiànguó smiled. "It's good that you're back. Don't think about so much; as long as our family can live a peaceful, ordinary life, that's enough."
Liú Cuìróng also smiled. "That's right, Tianming. You're already in your twenties now. The most important thing now is to find a good job, take a wife, and let your mom and dad hold a grandchild."
Ye Tianming smiled. "Mom, work isn't urgent. What's important right now is for you both to meet your daughter-in-law!"
Hearing this, the old couple were slightly bewildered. Liú Cuìróng asked in surprise, "Tianming, are you seeing someone?"
Ye Tianming shook his head. "No, but my master arranged several marriages for me and told me to pick one by one when I come back this time. I expect someone from our family will be dropping by shortly."
Liú Cuìróng and Yè Jiànguó exchanged glances, even more surprised. Several marriages?
The old couple suddenly felt an incomparable wave of happiness. At their age, what they hoped for most was to see their son settle down, start a career, and then enjoy the pleasures of family.
Liú Cuìróng hurriedly said to Yè Jiànguó, "Old man, go tidy up the courtyard quickly. There's so much scrap in our yard; if the young lady comes and sees it, she'll definitely look down on us."
Hearing this, Yè Jiànguó immediately stood up to start tidying.
Ye Tianming grabbed Yè Jiànguó and smiled, "Dad, no need to clean up. Right now, they're the ones rushing to marry your son; they won't mind."
Yè Jiànguó was stunned, then frowned and said earnestly, "Tianming, you have to be grounded in life; you can't talk big. Given our family's condition, how could any young lady rush to marry you? Listen to me, let Dad tidy up first. Even though we aren't a wealthy family, we are sincere toward the young lady."
Ye Tianming didn't know whether to laugh or cry; his father clearly thought he was bragging. He smiled helplessly and found it hard to say anything more.
Yè Jiànguó tidied up the small courtyard, making it a bit neater, though it still looked quite dilapidated. The pile of scrap and garbage in the corner was especially glaring.
Liú Cuìróng thought for a moment and said, "Old man, shouldn't we go change our clothes and clean ourselves up a bit? Let's not give the young lady any reason to gossip right off the bat."
Hearing this, Yè Jiànguó agreed. He hurriedly went back inside with Liú Cuìróng to change clothes, and they emerged shortly after.
Ye Tianming looked over at the two of them, and his nose instantly stung.
The clothes Yè Jiànguó and Liú Cuìróng had changed into were wrinkled. Although they were a bit cleaner than the ones they had been wearing before, they were washed completely white, with several small holes at the collars and cuffs.
Seeing Ye Tianming look over, Liú Cuìróng hurriedly pulled her cuffs back, her face flushing with embarrassment. She was afraid that dressing like this would make Ye Tianming lose face. Yet these two sets of clothes were already the best ones she and Yè Jiànguó had.
Looking at Ye Tianming, Liú Cuìróng said cautiously, "Tianming, your dad and I haven't bought any clothes these past few years; this is all we have. Do you think... is it okay for us to wear these?"
Ye Tianming took in every expression on Liú Cuìróng's face. Seeing his mother act so humble in front of him made his nose ache, his eyes heat up, and his heart feel as though it were being sliced by a knife.
How could he not understand his mother's thoughts? She was afraid that he would look down on them!
He tilted his head back to hold back the tears, took a deep breath, and smiled, "Dad, Mom, wearing these is just fine. They're great."
Hearing this, Liú Cuìróng and Yè Jiànguó let out a breath of relief, relieved smiles appearing on their faces. As long as their son didn't despise them, that was enough.
The family of three sat in the small courtyard waiting. Ye Tianming's expression was calm and breezy, while the old couple looked extremely nervous.
Just then, Ye Tianming's ears twitched slightly as he heard footsteps outside the small courtyard.
Someone was finally here.
***
At the entrance of the small courtyard, several figures finally appeared.
Ye Tianming looked over. Leading them was a woman, followed by several men. The woman had a slender figure, delicate facial features, and a particularly striking temperament—a beauty who stood out instantly in a crowd. However, a trace of coldness rested upon her pretty face.
A hint of a smile appeared on Ye Tianming's lips; it seemed the old man hadn't duped him—she truly was a top-tier beauty.
Walking into the courtyard, the woman stood in the center, looking around at the environment. Her gaze lingered on the pile of scrap and garbage in the corner for a moment, and her brows slowly furrowed.
Meanwhile, Yè Jiànguó and Liú Cuìróng were completely stunned. Earlier, they hadn't dared to imagine that their future daughter-in-law could be so pretty and carry herself with such elegance!
Overjoyed, Liú Cuìróng stammered excitedly, "Son, is this the young lady you're betrothed to? She's so gorgeous!"
Yè Jiànguó also beamed with satisfaction. "Good lad! You didn't shame our old Ye family. Finding a wife like this is truly a blessing cultivated over eighteen lifetimes!"
Ye Tianming smiled, "Dad, Mom, didn't I tell you before? Your son won't have trouble finding a wife!"
Liú Cuìróng's wrinkles smoothed out as a smile bloomed on her face. She hurriedly whispered to Yè Jiànguó, "Old man, go get a stool for our daughter-in-law to sit on, and I'll go pour her some water."
Yè Jiànguó slapped his forehead. "Look at my memory, I almost forgot!"
Yè Jiànguó hurried to fetch a stool. Liú Cuìróng placed it down, handed over a cup of water, and looked at the woman with a smile, "Miss, you must be tired from standing. Come, sit down and have a sip of water."
The woman glanced at Liú Cuìróng, her expression indifferent, and said nothing.
Liú Cuìróng was momentarily dazed. She looked at the woman's expensive-looking clothes, then at the old wooden stool, and suddenly understood. She hurriedly bent down, using her sleeve to meticulously wipe the stool clean over and over again.
Only then did she smile with some embarrassment, "Miss, I've wiped the stool clean. You can sit now."
The woman's gaze dropped down to scan the bench, then shifted back to Liú Cuìróng. With an indifferent look, she slowly spoke.
"No, it's dirty."
"Besides, did you just call me your daughter-in-law? Look at the state of you. Do you even match?"
With that, the woman suddenly knocked the cup of water out of Liú Cuìróng's hand.
The cup crashed down and shattered all over the floor.
Disgust filled the woman's face. "Get lost, stay away from me. It's filthy!"
Looking at the shattered cup on the ground, Liú Cuìróng's smile froze.
The woman shifted her gaze to Ye Tianming, her eyes icy, her tone devoid of the slightest trace of warmth.
"You're Ye Tianming?"
The smile slowly faded from Ye Tianming's face. He looked at the woman and narrowed his eyes. "Yes, what about it?"
Tossing her head back, the woman flung a letter of annulment forward and said indifferently, "Nothing much. I came today to give you notice."
"The marriage contract between you and me is void as of today."
"This engagement—I, Bai Yuruo, am breaking it."
The courtyard fell into dead silence, the ruthless words echoing in the air.
Bai Yuruo's icy voice rang out once more.
"However, as compensation, I can give you five million. You can come to the Bai family later to collect it. My only requirement is that you sign this letter of annulment. Furthermore, you are forbidden from telling outsiders that you were ever engaged to me. To me, that is a disgrace!"
Bai Yuruo glanced at Ye Tianming, her gaze full of disdain. Who was she, and who was he? She was the young miss of the Bai family, one of the Six Great Influential Families of Lónghǎi; he was the son of trash collectors and scavengers. The gap between them was like heaven and earth. To make her this man's fiancee and marry him? How could that ever be possible?
The letter of annulment fluttered down in front of Ye Tianming.
Lowering his head to look at the document soiled by dust, Ye Tianming slowly lowered his brow.
Annulment?
They wanted to break off his engagement?
He suddenly found it exceptionally ironic. Just this morning, a woman had looked down on him, and now his fiancee was showing up to break off the engagement. He really did seem a bit like a clown.
Nearby, Yè Jiànguó and Liú Cuìróng never expected this sort of scene. They had joyfully awaited their future daughter-in-law's first visit, only to find out... she had come to break the engagement.
Liú Cuìróng fell silent for a moment. Then she squeezed out a flattering, humble smile, tinged with a hint of pleading. "Miss, let's talk things over nicely. There's no need to break the engagement. I know you're from a wealthy family and your conditions are definitely much better than ours, but my son Tianming is honest, hardworking..."
Before she could finish, Bai Yuruo sneered and interrupted her mercilessly, scolding, "Honest? Hardworking? Useful qualities? What you just said is completely worthless to me. I don't care about that."
"What I care about is your family's status! Look at your house! Look at yourselves! A family of scavengers and trash pickers wants to intermarry with the Bai family?"
Bai Yuruo rolled her eyes, cast a sidelong glance at Liú Cuìróng, and let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Truly shameless! You even had the nerve to boldly claim I'm your daughter-in-law. Why don't you take a piss and look at yourselves? Look at your poor, stinking appearance—it's disgusting!"
With that, Bai Yuruo waved a hand in front of her nose, casting a look of revulsion and disgust at Liú Cuìróng before her.
"Stay away from me. You reek all over. The whole family smells like filthy beggars."
Liú Cuìróng's face turned red and white. Those words pierced her heart like knives. Yet she didn't talk back; instead, she continued with a ingratiating smile, "Miss, you're right, I'm a beggar... but... but my son Tianming isn't a beggar. He's a good boy, he's very capable... Miss, please just give my son a chance. Auntie begs you not to break the engagement, I'm begging you..."
As Liú Cuìróng spoke, her eyes reddened. The prospective bride was so pretty and outstanding, but... but she looked down on the two old folks! It was they who were dragging their own son down!
Liú Cuìróng's heart felt as though it were being torn apart, tears surging up. She felt wronged, ashamed, and guilty. She just wanted this daughter-in-law not to leave, not to give up on her son simply because she despised the two of them. No matter what, she couldn't let this daughter-in-law break the engagement... Even if she had to suffer humiliation, even if she had to endure curses...
Beside them, watching Liú Cuìróng like this, Ye Tianming felt his heart twisting in agony!
This was his elderly mother! For his sake, his own elderly mother had lowered herself to such a humble state!
He looked at Bai Yuruo, his gaze turning thoroughly cold at that moment.
"Who did you call a beggar?"
Bai Yuruo crossed her arms, full of disdain. "I called you a stinking beggar, so what? Not only are you a stinking beggar, but your dad, your mom, your whole family are stinking beggars!"
In an instant, a terrifying and chilling aura erupted from Ye Tianming.
What kind of aura was this?
Bloody, gloomy, freezing, hollow, dark, sinful...
Ye Tianming's gaze at that moment was as cold as the nether hells!
"You insult my parents—you're courting death!"
A cold, sinister flash burst from Ye Tianming's eyes. With a fierce momentum, his body surged forward instantly as he prepared to strike!
***
Liú Cuìróng was deeply alarmed. Panic-stricken, she grabbed hold of Ye Tianming, who was about to make a move, and said with reddened eyes, "Tianming, listen to Mom. Let's talk things over nicely; we can't resort to violence!"
"Son, it's not easy for us to have a daughter-in-law. Let's talk nicely, okay? Consider it Mom begging you..."
Looking at Liú Cuìróng's tear-streaked face, Ye Tianming felt a jolt in his chest and abruptly halted his body.
"Mom..."
Ye Tianming's voice was hoarse, a multitude of emotions surging through his chest. Seeing his elderly mother looking so humble and pitiful, his heart ached as if sliced by a knife! It hurt so much!
Meanwhile, Bai Yuruo felt her scalp tingling in waves, terror welling up from the bottom of her heart! She had been terrified by the sheer presence Ye Tianming had just unleashed!
What kind of aura was that? What kind of gaze was that? Facing Ye Tianming in that fleeting moment felt like an ant facing a giant dragon! She had no doubt whatsoever that the look in Ye Tianming's eyes a moment ago meant he intended to kill her!
Bai Yuruo subconsciously took two steps back. The bodyguards she had brought with her all stepped forward, shielding her from the front! They all stared coldly at Ye Tianming.
An aura of grim slaughter instantly permeated the courtyard!
Seeing people blocking in front of her, Bai Yuruo recovered her courage. She looked at Ye Tianming with contempt, as if looking at an ant.
"A stinking beggar from a family of trash pickers dares to make a move against me? You're looking to die! Do you know what kind of existence the Bai family is in Lónghǎi? I can make your family unable to survive in Lónghǎi in a matter of minutes. If you have the guts, try making a move today—bah, loser!"
At that moment, Ye Tianming closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again.
This time, any remaining restraint was completely gone from his gaze.
There was only a towering, blazing fury!
Staring at Bai Yuruo, he spoke every single word in a hoarse, freezing voice:
"Back then, my master signed this engagement on my behalf. First, to break the constraints of my destiny."
"Second, seeing that your families were sincere, he sent me back down the mountain to protect all of your households."
"Never did I expect that things would change so much, and that the Bai family's true colors would be so repulsive—utterly repulsive!"
"I gave you a chance just now, exercising restraint toward you time and time again."
"Yet you not only insulted me, you even insulted my parents!"
"You truly deserve to die!!"
Bai Yuruo wore a contemptuous smile. "So what if I insulted you? What kind of thing are you, talking about protecting the Bai family? The Bai family is one of the Six Great Influential Families of Lónghǎi, while you're just a stinking trash-picking beggar. I can crush you in a minute. What can you possibly do about it?"
A sinister glint surfaced in the depths of Ye Tianming's eyes. "A veritable frog at the bottom of a well. A puny little Bai family—did you really think I took you seriously?"
As the words fell, Ye Tianming's body swept forward like a gale!
Leaving behind a trail of afterimages across everyone's retinas, he flashed instantly before the group of bodyguards!
Boom!
Before the bodyguards could react, their bodies all flew backward, crashing heavily onto the ground with broken limbs, vomiting blood incessantly.
Bai Yuruo let out a shrill scream, never imagining that Ye Tianming's martial prowess would be so terrifying! Her face turned ashen, and she stared at Ye Tianming in terror, as if looking at a ghost.
Without stopping, Ye Tianming rolled his neck and walked slowly step-by-step toward Bai Yuruo.
Trembling, Bai Yuruo backed away until she tripped and fell backward onto the ground. Propping herself up, she inched backward with every ounce of strength, her face etched with extreme fear.
"You... you... don't come closer. If you dare lay a hand on me... the Bai family won't let you off!"
As if he hadn't heard, Ye Tianming walked with a steady pace, a hint of a mocking smile on his face. "The Bai family? What is your Bai family anyway?"
"You..."
Before the words finished, Ye Tianming was already upon her.
A terrifying pressure washed over her. Before Bai Yuruo could react, a large hand clamped firmly around her throat, lifting her bodily into the air!
Looking into the man's pupils, which were suffused with blood and gloom, a yellowish liquid leaked from her pants—she had peed herself from fright!
Ye Tianming raised his hand and violently struck her across the face.
Bai Yuruo let out a miserable shriek, her hair disheveled, blood oozing from the corner of her mouth, a bright red handprint rising on her cheek.
"You dare hit... me?"
"So what if I hit you?"
Another slap. Bai Yuruo's mouth was twisted askew, blood spurting wildly from her nose! Her originally pretty face was now unrecognizable.
A smile hung on Ye Tianming's lips, but that smile was bone-chillingly cold.
Closing her eyes, Bai Yuruo felt a surge of despair. She was scared—she was truly terrified.
Shaking his head, Ye Tianming delivered one final slap to Bai Yuruo's face!
Bai Yuruo's body rolled across the ground, crashing heavily to the earth.
Standing off to the side, Liú Cuìróng and Yè Jiànguó watched all of this dumbfounded, their faces turning deathly pale.
In Lónghǎi, who didn't know the reputation of the Bai family? Their own son...