Chapter 114

Chapter 114

Before Ye Zhiqiu could finish speaking, Ye Hongxian's face had already changed.

One, Ye Zheng was not his biological son.

Another, Ye Zhixia had already made him feel extreme disgust.

At this moment, only Ye Zhiqiu remained, the last shred of hope he had.

But what did this one just say?

Ye Hongxian frowned deeply, his expression darkening.

Not only did he refuse to stand united against their enemies, but he also wanted him to kneel and beg for mercy?

In business, if begging for mercy could bring some benefit, it wasn't necessarily shameful.

But Yunkai had taken step after step, from initially competing with Ye Ding for the lease of the Huo family factory, to later entering the membrane business and squeezing Ye Ding's supporting industries down to mere survival.

If not for this, Ye Ding wouldn't have been so desperate to transform, taking out loans to buy expensive second-hand battery equipment in hopes of finding a new path, only to end up in this dire situation.

If everything before was coincidence, then now, under the vast domestic new energy industry, why would Yunkai specifically send an acquisition notice to Ye Ding with such humiliating terms?

To say it wasn't intentional, Ye Hongxian absolutely didn't believe it.

Now they were being maliciously targeted, being squeezed bit by bit until there was no room left to breathe...

Instead of offering help or words of comfort, Ye Zhiqiu suggested he beg for mercy?

Already filled with pent-up anger and frustration, Ye Hongxian was even more enraged. He angrily lifted his foot and kicked at Ye Zhiqiu without saying a word.

However, despite past experience suggesting that his kick should have been accurate, somehow Ye Zhiqiu simply shifted slightly and dodged it.

The sole of his shoe barely grazed the hem of Ye Zhiqiu's snow-white T-shirt, and Ye Hongxian stumbled forward, almost falling to the ground.

Challenged as a father's authority, he became even more furious and rushed towards Ye Zhiqiu, raising his hand.

It was Ye Zheng who reacted quickly and stepped in to stop him.

"Xiao Qiu," Ye Zheng stood in front of Ye Hongxian, signaling to Ye Zhiqiu, "you still have class this afternoon, why don't you go back?"

"Get out of my way." The two children, one worse than the other, made Ye Hongxian jump in anger. "Watch me break this little brat's leg."

Compared to Ye Hongxian's rage, Ye Zhiqiu merely smiled faintly, looking calm.

He brushed off the dust from Ye Hongxian's shoe on his clothes, picked up his car keys, and prepared to leave.

"I'm leaving first," he said with a smile to those in the ward.

Without waiting for any response, he opened the door and shut out Ye Hongxian's angry shouts behind it.

Taking the elevator downstairs and walking out of the hospital lobby, his phone vibrated in his backpack.

Ye Zhiqiu ignored it at first, but once he got into his car and fastened his seatbelt, he took out his phone.

There were several message notifications on the screen.

The top one was a headline entertainment news update from Weibo, featuring photos of Cui Xuan and Gao Wenye.

Strictly speaking, since his debut, Cui Xuan had only truly trended twice.

Once when the Gao Wenye incident broke, and he gained public sympathy by portraying himself as a victim.

And the other time was now.

After Gao Wenye released his counterattack video, some employees within the original Xinye company, along with related partners, began anonymously exposing how Cui Xuan had bullied other employees using his relationship with Gao Wenye.

Based on the timeline and evidence compiled by netizens, Cui Xuan was thoroughly exposed.

Due to the popularity and attention he gained by betraying Gao Wenye, Cui Xuan had already signed with another entertainment company, with most of the procedures completed.

Only the final contract signing remained, which would allow him to ride the wave of his previous popularity and restart his career in the entertainment industry.

Unfortunately, before the process was complete, he was exposed and left with nothing.

The new company immediately issued a statement, terminating all cooperation plans with Cui Xuan.

Twice trending, once rising to fame, gaining the sympathy and support of countless netizens.

This time, however, within days, he plummeted again, losing all standing in the entertainment industry.

Ye Zhiqiu tapped into the notification, reading through the comments on the screen.

Some mocked him, others cursed him in anger over the deception, and some expressed disgust and wished him ill...

This reminded him of things from his past life that he hadn't thought about in a long time.

In his past life, Gao Wenye and Ye Zhixia had sent many people to Qi Xin's bed.

But only Cui Xuan had so shamelessly and proudly humiliated him.

Thinking back to Cui Xuan's smugness and success in his past life, and seeing his current downfall and disgrace...

Ye Zhiqiu smiled, then turned off the phone and started the car.

Compared to Qi Xin, Tao Ruoqing, Ye Hongxian, and the couple Ye Zhixia, he didn't harbor intense hatred towards Cui Xuan.

But the humiliation and harm he suffered in his past life were something he needed to personally repay this time.

After that, he could truly walk with peace of mind, free from any distractions, and bid farewell to the past once and for all.

That was what they owed him; it had to be repaid in full, not a single bit less.

Ye Zhiqiu had a clear conscience, knowing exactly what was right and wrong.

The car sped all the way until it reached the school, where the coldness in Ye Zhiqiu's eyes finally dissipated slightly.

He released his seatbelt and was about to get out when his phone suddenly rang.

Perhaps Ye Hongxian had already left, as the line grew quiet. Tao Ruoqing asked him through the phone if he was hurt by Ye Hongxian’s kick.

Ye Zhiqiu smiled faintly and said no.

Of course, he did not believe that Tao Ruoqing genuinely cared about him.

When he provoked Ye Hongxian in the hospital room, although their reaction was subtle, he clearly saw Tao Ruoqing and Ye Zhixia exchange a glance, both seeming to breathe a sigh of relief.

Sure enough, soon after, Tao Ruoqing shifted the topic to Tang Yue, indirectly asking if he knew how Tang Yue had been lately.

Under normal circumstances, Tang Yue’s matter would have long been closed. Given Tao Ruoqing’s character, she would never inquire further about his situation.

Unless...

Tang Yue was still threatening her continuously.

For Tao Ruoqing to be so wary, Tang Yue must have something significant on him.

"About him," Ye Zhiqiu smiled, speaking truthfully, "he hasn’t come to school for quite some time now."

He added, "However, I heard from classmates who are close to him that he hasn’t been acting right recently. They even advised me to be cautious, fearing he might do something drastic."

"What?" Tao Ruoqing’s tone changed.

"I heard that he’s not focusing on his studies anymore but has developed an interest in knives. He’s always carrying one around, and his classmates are too scared to visit his place," Ye Zhiqiu said, with a hint of unease in his voice. "If it weren’t for the upcoming final exams, I’d continue taking leave from school."

Hearing the pause in her breathing, Ye Zhiqiu’s lips curled into a cold smile.

"So... what should we do?" After a while, Tao Ruoqing asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Don’t worry," Ye Zhiqiu smiled, though there was no warmth in his eyes. "Everything will be fine after the exams. I’ll just be more careful these few days."

How could Tao Ruoqing really care about him?

She was afraid that Tang Yue might come after her.

What if his hopes were dashed, and he sought someone to blame?

Thinking back to when Tang Yue threatened Ye Zhiqiu by jumping off a building, Tao Ruoqing felt a chill down her spine.

He was capable of such actions.

"I asked your attending doctor when I left, and he said you’re mostly recovered and just need rest," Ye Zhiqiu’s concerned voice continued. "Have you considered leaving the hospital soon?"

Tao Ruoqing snapped back to reality and immediately refused.

Wasn’t the hospital safer than home?

Not only did Tang Yue not know which hospital or ward she was in, but even if he found her, getting medical help would be quicker and easier here.

"No," she said, her voice weakening again. "I want to observe a little longer."

To avoid arousing Ye Zhiqiu’s suspicion, she forced a smile. "You know how your father is. It’s better to stay away from him for a while rather than argue with him."

"Mm." Ye Zhiqiu agreed with a nod and hung up the call.

However, Tao Ruoqing didn’t stay in the hospital much longer.

Soon after Ye Hongxian returned home, he quietly brought people to inspect the house.

The loan for the equipment purchase was secured against the entire Ye Ding factory.

Now, facing Yunkai’s relentless acquisition attempts, Ye Hongxian had run out of options.

With the market competition intensifying, Ye Ding was already in a semi-shutdown state.

Even their remaining clients had recently made frequent contact with Yunkai.

Ye Hongxian knew that if this situation continued, Ye Ding would soon be completely crippled and shut down.

Shutting down was easy, but restarting would be difficult.

Every day they persisted increased the chances of saving the factory.

Ye Hongxian couldn’t afford to stop.

It’s said that outsiders see things more clearly.

Anyone could tell that the Ye family could no longer sustain this situation.

Therefore, Ye Hongxian’s so-called friends and business partners had all started avoiding him, fearing he would ask them for money.

As for the banks, they were even more cautious, refusing to lend another cent.

Ye Hongxian needed money, and a lot of it. He had to save himself.

And apart from selling the house, he couldn’t think of any other way.

Ye Zheng had also desperately tried to persuade him.

Given the current situation, even if the house could be sold at market price, it would only be a drop in the bucket.

Not to mention, because of the urgent need for money, Ye Hongxian had listed it at a price twenty percent below market value.

Their financial straits were even tighter.

Unfortunately, Ye Hongxian wouldn't listen to a single word he said.

He knew that if Ye Ding fell, he would lose all face.

The house was Tao Ruoqing's life; upon hearing the news, she had no choice but to rush out of the hospital.

The Ye family was thrown into chaos, with Tao Ruoqing and Ye Hongxian often fighting, leaving each other with either bloody faces or scratch marks.

Ye Zhixia, annoyed, locked herself in her room, never stepping out, while Ye Zheng suffered sleepless nights due to this turmoil.

The only consolation was that, perhaps due to the urgency of the company's situation and Ye Zhixia remaining hidden in her room, Ye Hongxian hadn't rushed to deal with him.

However, regardless of how vehemently Tao Ruoqing opposed it and how dramatically she cried and pleaded, since the house was Ye Hongxian's pre-marital property, legally, she had no say in its disposal.

So, very soon, the house was sold to someone from out of town.

The transfer procedures were swift, completed within just a few days.

But the buyer was kind, perhaps seeing that the Ye family was still well-off, giving them a month to find a new place and move.

That night, Zhang Mian drove to Ye Zhiqiu's residence and placed the freshly printed bright red property deed into his hands.

The deed was light, yet it felt heavy in his hands.

Ye Zhiqiu held it close to his chest, remaining silent for a long moment.

Then, without a word, he entered his studio.

From the desk drawer, he took out Lan Yue's photo album and quietly flipped through it, then carefully closed it.

Afterward, he pressed the deed and the photo album together tightly and relocked them.

Looking down at the lock for a long time, when he raised his eyes again, his eyelashes were wet.

After so many years, he had finally taken their home back.

The door was knocked on gently, and Qin Jianhe pushed it open.

Knowing that he had already sent Zhang Mian away, Ye Zhiqiu didn't look up, only turning slightly to bury his face in Qin Jianhe's body.

He greedily breathed in the faint woody scent on Qin Jianhe until his heart slowly calmed.

Qin Jianhe remained silent, holding him tightly by the back of his head, soothingly rubbing his thumb against his scalp.

"I really want to visit my mother," Ye Zhiqiu finally spoke after a long while.

"I'll go with you," Qin Jianhe whispered, "we can go now."

"Buy joss paper, buy flowers," he said.

But Ye Zhiqiu shook his head.

"No," he murmured, "wait a few more days."

Wait a few more days.

After the press conference, debts will be settled, both kindness and grudges. He would repay that blood debt bit by bit before he could face Lan Yue.