Chapter One Hundred: It Will Be All Right, It Will Be All Right
At five in the afternoon, at the Ye residence in City A, Ye Ziyan knelt firmly on the floor. The red marks on his face were still clearly visible, and the beatings from the cane on his back had yet to stop.
Mrs. Ye cried out, “Dad, it’s already been more than sixty blows. If you keep going, Ziyan won’t be able to take it.”
“Even if I beat him to death, he would deserve it.”
Old Master Ye had truly made up his mind. Blow after blow fell without mercy, as though he meant to beat Ye Ziyan to death.
“Do you admit your fault?”
“Yes.”
Thud.
The cane in Old Master Ye’s hand never paused. “Then this matter is your responsibility. Do you admit it?”
“Yes.”
Thud.
Thud.
“Dad, enough. I’ll apologize to them. Don’t hit him anymore.”
“Uncle, that’s enough. You can’t keep hitting him.”
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
“If I tell you to apologize in person, do you admit that?”
“Yes.”
“Then if I ask you to marry her, do you admit that?”
Ye Ziyan hesitated for a second. “Yes.”
“Good.”
Only then did Old Master Ye finally stop. Mrs. Ye immediately ordered the doctor to examine his injuries. Looking at his back, torn open and bloodied beyond recognition, she finally broke into sobs. “Son, does it hurt?”
Old Master Ye had struck nearly eighty blows. The cane was heavy and solid, and he had put all his strength into each strike. The extent of the injuries needed no imagination.
Shangguan Renran also received news that the Ye family had come to City A.
“Mr. Huangpu, I want to go see Brother Ye first.”
“Then I’ll take you there.”
“That would be best.”
Huangpu Shenqing sent her to the Ye residence and then waited nearby.
“Renran, why are you here?”
“Grandpa Ye, how is Brother Ye?”
“Hmph. Don’t concern yourself with him. For him to have done something like this, he’s lucky I didn’t beat him to death.”
“Grandpa Ye, actually, this is my fault.” Shangguan Renran’s voice choked.
“Girl, what are you saying? How could this be your fault?”
So Shangguan Renran told him everything that had happened.
“Girl, this still isn’t your fault. In the end, the one to blame is him. If it weren’t for him, how could that girl have taken her own life? No one in this world can be forced to love another. None of you are at fault. The one at fault is him, the one at fault is the person who drugged her, the ones at fault are them.”
“Grandpa Ye...” Shangguan Renran leaned against him, overwhelmed with guilt.
“All right now, girl. Don’t heap all the blame on yourself. First tell me, what kind of girl is she? Though that sort of fearless, love-and-hate-with-equal-force temperament does make her rather admirable.”
“Grandpa Ye, she’s very good. We’ve been friends for more than ten years. Her name is Xia Wanqing. She’s Aunt Xia Rubing’s daughter. She loves acting and is especially beautiful. She has a bright, easygoing personality and is always making people laugh. She can sing and dance, likes spicy food, loves rice cakes the most, and her favorite colors are purple, orange, and white. She hates it most when people speak about her family...”
As Shangguan Renran spoke, tears began to fall. They had been friends for thirteen years. They had met at a resort in Y Country, even earlier than her friendship with Muya.
“What’s wrong, girl? Why are you crying?” Old Master Ye handed her tissues and wiped away her tears, but the more he wiped, the more there seemed to be.
“But... Grandpa Ye, she... she won’t talk to me anymore. She said... she said she never wants... never wants to see me again.”
“Don’t cry, don’t cry. After more than ten years of friendship, how could she simply stop speaking to you? She’s probably just angry for the moment. She’ll be fine once she gets past it.”
“It won’t pass... it won’t, Grandpa Ye. She... she suffered... suffered such... such terrible harm. How could she possibly... forgive me?”
“It will be all right. It will be all right.”
...
...
Huangpu Shenqing saw the girl’s eyes turn red again and hurriedly pulled her into his arms to comfort her. “Why are you crying again?”
“Mr. Huangpu, if Wanqing never speaks to me again from now on, what am I supposed to do?”
“How could that happen? She’s such a lovely girl. How could she bear to?”
“Mr. Huangpu, I’m being very serious.”
How did that sound when it came out of his mouth...
“So am I. I’m being very serious too. Don’t worry, she won’t ignore you.”
“Really?”
“Of course. When have I ever lied to you?”
By evening, Shangguan Renran begged Huangpu Shenqing to take her to the hospital. She only meant to take a quick look and leave, but instead she witnessed a shocking scene.
“Who let you in? Get out of here!”
Xia Wanqing grabbed the things on the table and hurled them hard at Ye Zuo.
Ye Zuo did not dodge or block. Several cuts were smashed open across his face.
“I told you to get out. Didn’t you hear me?”
“Miss Xia, this all happened because of me. I hope you won’t take your anger out on the young lady. No matter what you want to do, I’ll accept it.”
Xia Wanqing gave a bitter, mocking smile, as though she were ridiculing him, or perhaps ridiculing herself. “You’ll accept it all? Fine. Then cut yourself too.”
Without so much as blinking, Ye Zuo drew a dagger from his own person. Before anyone could react, he viciously slashed at the artery in his wrist. Blood gushed out at once.
“Are you insane?”
“Ye Zuo?” Shangguan Renran also pushed open the door to the ward, and Huangpu Shenqing immediately went to call the doctor.
Xia Wanqing laughed bleakly. “Shangguan Renran, you see now? He can go this far for you.”
Shangguan Renran took the gauze beside her and wrapped it around him. He, in turn, stared at her in a daze. It was the first time they had ever been this close.
The doctor arrived quickly, stopping the bleeding, disinfecting the wound, and stitching it shut.
Shangguan Renran waited outside the operating room, her mind in chaos. She did not know how things had ended up like this.
Xia Wanqing stayed in her own room and did not come out. She felt more and more unlike herself.
“Wanqing, why aren’t you asleep yet?” Xia Rubing came in carrying a kettle of hot water and found his precious daughter sitting on the bed, lost in thought.
“Dad, I don’t want to stay here anymore. I want to go home.”
“All right, all right. We’ll discharge you tomorrow. Tomorrow we’ll go home.”
The next day, Xia Rubing handled her discharge, hired a private doctor, and Xia Wanqing remained at home to recover.
Only after Ye Zuo’s surgery was finished and a nurse had been arranged to care for him did Shangguan Renran finally leave.
“Mr. Huangpu, why did things end up like this?”
Ye Xin had injured her hand, Wanqing had suffered such terrible harm, and now Ye Zuo had cut his own wrist.
She was growing more and more lost. All these things piled together, leaving her utterly drained.
“Be good. Don’t overthink it. Go back and rest properly.”
Huangpu Shenqing gently kissed her forehead and pinched the girl’s cheek, smoothing away her dark thoughts before finally stopping.