Chapter 101: I Will Go

Elder Master Ye and his family, after finding out the Xia family's address, prepared several carloads of apologetic gifts to beg for forgiveness. Although they knew this was utterly insignificant compared to the harm the young girl had suffered, it was the only way they could begin to make amends, bit by bit.

Inside the Xia family's living room.

"Elder Ye, what brings you here?" Xia Rubing greeted him politely, but his expression darkened when he saw the person who entered behind him. "Elder Ye, did you come because of him?"

"Yes. This is my worthless grandson, Ye Ziyan. What are you standing there for? Kneel down this instant!"

The Ye couple entered right behind them. When Madam Ye saw her son kneeling again, her heart ached terribly.

Ye Ziyan knelt with his back perfectly straight, making it impossible to tell that his back was still injured.

Xia Rubing asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

"At the end of the day, this matter is entirely his fault. I brought him here to apologize to you. No matter how you choose to punish him, we will have no complaints."

"Father—" Madam Ye was about to speak, but Ye Lilan pulled her back.

"There is no need for this, Elder Ye. Our family will never forgive him." Xia Rubing was furious. The man had bullied his daughter; not killing him on the spot was already showing extreme mercy. Forgiveness? Hmph, in his dreams!

"I know. He has committed a grave error and does not dare beg for your forgiveness. We only wish to make amends in the best way possible."

"There is no need, Elder Ye. Please leave. I do not want my daughter to ever see him again."

Despair flickered in Ye Ziyan's eyes. He knew he deserved to die ten thousand deaths, but he wanted to see Xia Wanqing, to at least know she was doing well.

He had originally thought all of this was a trap she had set. But when he saw her lying in a pool of blood, what was there left to doubt? How desperate must she have been to cruelly slit her own wrists?

It turned out she was the one trapped in the scheme all along. Fortunately, he still had a chance to make it up to her.

"Uncle, may I see her? I have something to say to her."

"I said, I will not let my daughter see you."

"But Uncle, surely you want her to be free from the shadow of this incident in the future? I have a solution."

"Hmph, ridiculous. What solution could you possibly have?"

"I will marry her."

"What?" The Ye couple was taken aback.

Elder Master Ye himself had thought the same; at least the boy had some sense.

Xia Rubing rejected it instantly. "Impossible. Don't even think about it."

"But does Uncle have a better way?"

Ye Ziyan knelt in the center of the hall, his back straight, his posture respectful, yet his tone was solemn and firm.

***

"Daughter, what are your thoughts on this?"

Sitting in his daughter's room, Xia Rubing's brow was knit with worry. Truth be told, this was indeed the best solution.

"Dad, don't worry about me. I'll get through this on my own. I won't do anything foolish again, and I won't marry him."

Seeing his daughter's resolve, Xia Rubing's heart ached. He pulled Xia Wanqing into his arms. "My poor daughter has suffered so much. We won't marry him. If anyone dares to gossip about my daughter in the future, I'll tear their mouth apart."

"Mhm." Xia Wanqing leaned against her father's chest, feeling an immense sense of security.

She could live perfectly well on her own. She didn't need anyone else.

Online, Ye Ziyan had ordered his people to thoroughly clean up all traces of the hotel incident.

Not a single photo or post could be found now.

Searching for "Xia Wanqing" and "Ye Ziyan" only returned blocked results; both had become banned search terms.

There were still some online who cursed Ye Ziyan, and he had lost a significant number of fans. The majority pitied Xia Wanqing's plight and condemned the filthiness of the entertainment industry. A small minority hoped they would just end up together, since they were both victims.

Because of this, Xia Wanqing's dance video went viral. However, this week's episode of *Music Partners* was scheduled to air tomorrow night, Saturday.

Zhen Mi and Shang Mingcheng also came to the Xia home to visit her, with Ouyang Mufeng tagging along closely behind Zhen Mi.

"Wanqing, don't be sad anymore. Everything online has been cleared up. You must live happily and let those who bullied you watch you win the championship with their own eyes."

"I'm fine, you don't need to worry. I'm doing really well," Xia Wanqing smiled at them. Her smile was bright and lovely, warming their hearts.

Shang Mingcheng agreed, "That's right, you have to stay strong. We're still waiting for you to join us for the opening ceremony of the new project."

"Mhm, I'll be there."

She had to pull herself together. This would all pass. She needed to look on the bright side and just treat the incident as if she had been bitten by a dog.

Ouyang Mufeng sat on the sofa, crossing his legs with a relaxed, aristocratic air. "So, is Miss Xia still going to *Music Partners*? Zhen Mi and I can go cheer you on!"

"I..." Xia Wanqing hesitated. She did not want to see that man.

"Wanqing, I heard tomorrow's episode is the highlight of the season. Your current traffic and exposure are already high enough, and we suspect you're highly likely to win the championship. You earned this through your own hard work, so why not go?"

Zhen Mi advised her from the side. She wanted Wanqing to move on, and focusing on work was undoubtedly the best way to keep her occupied and prevent her from overthinking.

Shang Mingcheng agreed with this reasoning. "Exactly. Wanqing, you shouldn't just win the ninth episode; you should win the grand championship in the finale. Show them all that you haven't been broken."

Ouyang Mufeng chimed in, "Miss Xia should definitely go."

***

The group chatted for a long time, and Xia Rubing insisted they stay for dinner before letting them leave.

When Ouyang Mufeng walked out, he saw his second brother leaning against a car outside.

Zhen Mi and Ouyang Mufeng were confused at first, but when they saw Shangguan Renran step out of the passenger seat, they understood.

Shangguan Renran ran up to the three of them. "How is Wanqing doing now?"

"Second Sister-in-law, why didn't you go inside to see—hiss... ah!"

Ouyang Mufeng was kicked hard in the ankle by Huangpu Shenqing. Bewildered, he asked, "Second Brother?"

"Shut up." The man's face was shrouded in the shadows, making his expression unreadable, but the sheer coldness in his voice sent a shiver down their spines.

Ouyang Mufeng shut his mouth instantly.

Zhen Mi didn't quite understand the situation either, but she still answered Shangguan Renran's question.

"Wanqing is doing fine, don't worry. If she wins the award for her performance tomorrow night, she will go. We might even see her in the final episode."

"Okay, I understand."

Shangguan Renran felt downcast. Would she only be able to see Wanqing on television from now on?

She looked up at the second-floor balcony, where the light shone as the only beacon in the dark night.

Yet, she did not dare to reach out to it now.

At the second-floor window, a corner of the curtain was gently lifted, then softly let down.

"Alright, Ranran, don't be sad, okay? It's time for us to go back."

Huangpu Shenqing pulled the petite girl into his arms, gently placed her in the passenger seat, buckled her seatbelt, and drove off. In the deep night, only the car's exhaust fumes remained.

On Saturday, November 21st, at six in the evening, everyone waited expectantly in front of their televisions, ready to watch this week's episode of *Music Partners*. Of course, most of them were tuning in for Xia Wanqing.

*Music Partners* was a well-established show, essentially a music program where seniors paired up with juniors.

It did not rule out the possibility of both being amateurs; it mostly depended on how the contestants invited their partners.

There were five judges offstage who would offer professional feedback, but the voting was ultimately left to the audience.

There were seven contestants in each episode. Near the end of the show, the champion of the previous episode would be revealed, and they would naturally be notified in advance to attend.

This music show was not only highly popular domestically, but also abroad. After all, music knew no borders.