Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!
“Why are you looking at me like that? I’m talking to you, you ungrateful white eyed wolf! Do you have any idea how much Ye Mu did for you back then? When you were just starting out in business and losing money, if it weren’t for him selling his shares in Ye company to secretly help you out, that Lotto company of yours would have gone bankrupt a long time ago. It’s one thing for you not to be grateful, but you turned around and betrayed him, ruining the Ye family and kicking him aside. You’re worse than an animal!”
Jiang Dongyuan cursed angrily, his pent-up fury spilling out. The thought of his son having been involved with such a heartless person made his blood boil.
Yan Chen wiped his stinging cheek, his long dark lashes lowering as a shadow fell over his sharp, pale profile. In a low voice, he said, “He never told me any of this.”
Jiang Dongyuan’s face was livid with anger. “Of course, he didn’t tell you! He was trying to protect your pathetic dignity and pride! You have no idea, but all the success you had back then was because he knelt at home for days and nights begging for it! If it weren’t for that, I would have stopped him from doing something so foolish, even if it killed me!”
Yan Chen hung his head, his messy bangs covering his eyes, giving him a sullen, brooding look. He stood there in silence for a long time, and after what felt like forever, he finally swallowed and said, “The Ye family’s stock hasn’t risen much since the acquisition. If you want, I can buy it all back and transfer it to your name as some form of compensation.”
Jiang Dongyuan, who had his own pride, immediately spat at him, “Forget it! I don’t care! Don’t think that just because you have money, it makes you special. No amount of money can erase the wrongs you’ve done. Ye Mu has completely given up on you. Even if you want to see that room again, it’s useless. Now get out of here!”
Yan Chen lifted his thin eyelids, a stubborn glint in his eyes. “Whether he’s given up or not is not for you to decide. I won’t leave unless I get inside today.”
Jiang Dongyuan’s eyes widened in fury, and he was about to slap him again, but Ye Juan, who was standing nearby, stopped him.
She stared at him with a stern, fierce expression. “Just like I said before, if you want to go in, you’ll have to kneel first.”
Yan Chen’s face remained tense, and his knees showed no sign of bending after a long moment of stiffness.
Jiang Dongyuan sneered disdainfully and said, “D*mn it, if you can’t handle the embarrassment, just get out and stop causing trouble in the middle of the night.”
As he spoke, he pushed Yan Chen’s shoulder, shoving him to the edge, and used his strength to slam the door shut.
Yan Chen bit his lip slightly, furrowing his brows deeply, and coldly retreated to the doorframe, gripping it tightly and refusing to move.
Jiang Dongyuan wasn’t backing down either. Using all his strength, he pushed against the door, reducing the gap until only a small opening remained.
Yan Chen wasn’t giving in easily; the pressure from the gap made his pale, slender fingers turn red and leave deep purple marks. One could even hear the sound of his bones creaking.
He was oblivious to the pain, just staring at Jiang Dongyuan with a determined expression, his high nose bridge showing a sense of unwillingness, while his eyes reflected a deep-seated obsession.
Jiang Dongyuan, with a serious face, was struggling against him with all his might. If he could close the door just a bit more, he might damage this b*stard’s hand.
Ye Juan, unable to watch any longer, pulled Jiang Dongyuan aside and said with a frown, “Maybe we should just let it go.”
Jiang Dongyuan glared fiercely, almost making his beard bristle. “Let it go? This Yan is a troublemaker. Today, I must teach him a lesson.”
Ye Juan, with a complex look, said, “But you shouldn’t hurt his hand. If Old Yan finds out, it could cause more trouble.”
Jiang Dongyuan clicked his tongue in frustration, his wrinkled forehead showing tense lines. He angrily opened the door and, with red eyes, kicked the man outside.
Although Yan Chen had been prepared, he didn’t expect the force to be so brutal. He couldn’t stop himself from bending over and groaning. The forceful kick threw him out of the doorframe, causing him to fall heavily onto the stone floor outside.
Jiang Dongyuan, slightly out of breath, took advantage of the moment to forcefully swing the door close.
“Bang!”
The cold, resolute sound of the door slamming shut was particularly harsh in the silent night.
Yan Chen, holding his abdomen, got up with a fierce look in his phoenix eyes. His face darkened suddenly as he clenched his fists and pounded on the door.
Jiang Dongyuan, frustrated, shouted from inside, “What the h*ll do you want now? That room has long been cleared out by my son. Everything that could be thrown away has been, and there’s nothing left but a bed. There’s nothing to see. Get out before I call security!”
Yan Chen’s pupils dilated slightly as he bit his lip forcefully, and said through the door, “It’s impossible! He said he would keep that room no matter what.”
Jiang Dongyuan gritted his teeth and swore, “Nonsense! Who do you think you are? My son said last month that room would be used for storage in the future. He’s promised to cut off all ties with you for the rest of his life.”
Yan Chen’s chest heaved slightly, his narrow, deep-set phoenix eyes showing signs of struggle. “He was just saying that out of anger.”
Jiang Dongyuan was almost speechless. “Anger? I think you’re the one talking nonsense. The breakup was final. Why should he keep that room? Let me tell you directly, Ye Mu told me with his own mouth that he’s already done with you.”
Yan Chen swallowed hard, his profile sharp as a knife. “Yes, he did say he would let go before, but that doesn’t mean we have no chance to reconcile.”
As long as he could provide a reasonable explanation and express his true feelings, there was still a chance that Ye Mu would accept him as before.
Jiang Dongyuan spat angrily, “Reconciliation? Don’t think everyone is as shameless as you! My son will never reconcile with you, you ungrateful white eyed wold. Get lost and stop wasting my time!”
Frustrated, he grabbed a cup of water, walked to the wall, and opened the window, then splashed the water outside.
Yan Chen didn’t avoid it and got his face wet. The water dripped down from his disheveled hair onto his clothes, mingling with the dirty footprints, making him look quite disheveled.
Jiang Dongyuan, finally venting some of his anger, closed the window and cursed at his wife, “If Ye Mu really reconciles with this Yan, I’ll break his d*mn legs!”
Ye Juan looked at him with helplessness and said, “Calm down. Our son has someone else now. There’s no way he’d reconcile with someone like that.”
Jiang Dongyuan raised his eyebrows. “When did this happen? I didn’t know.”
Ye Juan sighed. “I just found out myself. Last time at the airport, when that handsome young man called me ‘Mother-in-law,’ I had some suspicions. Later, when I ran into him while waiting for the bus, he offered me a ride and mentioned they were already living together.”
Jiang Dongyuan sighed. “Is that so? Where’s he from? I hope it’s not some mess.”
Ye Juan pressed her lips together. “No, he’s the boss of the company where Ye Mu currently works. He’s young and handsome. I think it’s fine.”
Jiang Dongyuan frowned, continuing to complain, “This kid, and he didn’t even tell us about his relationship.”
Ye Juan patted his hand. “So don’t be so angry. Our son wouldn’t be so immature as to go back to his ex.”
“True.” Jiang Dongyuan nodded in relief, taking her hand and heading upstairs. “It’s getting late. Let’s go to bed. If there’s anything, we’ll call Ye Mu tomorrow.”
Ye Juan looked worriedly at the person outside who still hadn’t left and didn’t move.
Jiang Dongyuan gently pushed her. “Alright, if he continues to make trouble, we’ll call security to remove him.”
Ye Juan nodded with a neutral expression and followed him upstairs, their footsteps fading away.
In the quiet West Suburbs, even with good soundproofing, the conversation inside was still audible.
Yan Chen stood at the door, his cold, desolate face cast in deep shadows under the light.
He stood there for a long time, the winter wind making his fingers tremble as he took out a cigarette from his pocket. After several attempts to light it, he took a long drag.
The acrid smoke lingered in his lungs before he exhaled.
The curling smoke obscured his facial features, making his expression hard to discern.
Although he had guessed earlier in the hospital, hearing the truth now made his eyes even darker and his thin face appear more subdued.
The cigarette butts piled up in front of him like a small mound, and the stone floor was covered with ash, but he sat there stubbornly, smoking as if addicted.
After finishing an entire pack of cigarettes, he finally couldn’t resist and dialed a number.
The ringing tone lasted a long time before a familiar mechanical female voice said that the call was not answered.
Yan Chen didn’t give up and immediately called again. After another failure, he kept trying persistently.
“Hello.”
A familiar voice answered, brief but cold.
Yan Chen’s narrow phoenix eyes lowered slightly, and he swallowed, remaining silent.
Ye Mu, leaning on a cane, walked out to the balcony with difficulty, holding the receiver expressionlessly, and said nothing more.
The two of them remained silent, only the sound of WeChat notifications breaking the quiet.
After a long pause, Yan Chen finally wiped his face and said, “What’s your relationship with that b*stard now?”
Even though he had an idea, he still wanted to hear it directly from the other party.
Ye Mu gazed at the dark night, his eyes deep and evasive. “What will it take for you to help me keep the past hidden?”
Yan Chen’s face was cold. “You need to answer me first.”
Ye Mu’s voice was emotionless. “It’s exactly as you think.”
Yan Chen bit his lip so hard that it bled. “Exactly what?”
Ye Mu was silent for a moment before saying calmly, “I like him, and he likes me.”
Yan Chen breathed heavily, almost crushing the device in his hand, and after a long while, forced out, “So, you want me to support your relationship?”
Ye Mu’s pale cheeks showed a hint of coldness. “Whether we end things or not has nothing to do with you. I’ve already prepared for the worst, but I still wanted to ask you first. If you can keep it a secret, that would be best; if not, I won’t force you.”
Yan Chen’s throat felt like it was pierced by steel nails, painfully forcing out the words, “Did you read the email I sent you last night?”
Ye Mu lowered his gaze indifferently, almost without thinking, and said in a cold voice, “I did. You mentioned everything about crow and said we could still be together, but the fact is, we’ve long been over.”
Yan Chen sneered, a deep pain in his eyes. “So who was that person chasing after me a few years ago, saying they would love me forever?”
