Ye Huohuo never expected that the problem that had plagued her for years would be answered here.
"Miss Qing, you cannot go back there, or I fear you will meet the same misfortune as your parents," Uncle Chen stopped her.
"Uncle Chen, do you know something?" Ye Huohuo's heart raced, and she grabbed the old man's hand. "Tell me what you know. I'm no longer the child who could be bullied at will fifteen years ago! What was the truth about my parents' incident back then?"
Uncle Chen bit his trembling lips, clearly suppressing extreme emotions. After a long while, he finally spoke, his eyes already filled with tears.
"I have failed Master!"
The Master he spoke of was Ye Huohuo's grandfather, who had died when she was three. It was said that before his death, he had specifically left a will, entrusting the company's management to Ye Huohuo's father. Her second uncle, Ye Xin, was only given some stocks and no actual power.
"Did my second uncle kill my father and mother to seize control of my father's management?" Ye Huohuo's eyes turned red. If Uncle Chen nodded now, she would give up all her cultivation to seek justice for her deceased parents.
"No, it wasn't the second young master!" Uncle Chen shook his head vigorously.
"Then who was it?" Ye Xin had always been Ye Huohuo's target of suspicion, as he and his family were the greatest beneficiaries of her parents' deaths.
"I cannot say, I cannot say! Miss Qing, just consider it… consider it a nightmare. You have grown up now, and being able to live well is what Young Master and Madam wished for most." Uncle Chen seemed extremely fearful of the true culprit.
Who else? Besides Ye Xin, who else could it be?
"Was it my second aunt? It was her, wasn't it? Although I was young back then, I vaguely remember her being very jealous of my mother. Was it her?"
Ye Huohuo tightened her grip on Uncle Chen's hand, causing the old man to wince. "Miss Qing, your hand… your hand…"
She then realized, and quickly released her hand. "I'm sorry, Uncle Chen, my grip was too strong. But please tell me, what exactly happened back then?"
Uncle Chen seemed to have made a firm decision, and finally let out a long sigh. "It wasn't the second young master, nor the second young madam. It was… it was the Old Madam!"
"What? Grandma?" Ye Huohuo's shock was no less than hearing the sun rise from the west. She hadn't called her Grandma in a long time. Ever since she was sent to the orphanage, Ye Huohuo had called her Old Mrs. Ye.
"Impossible! My father was her biological son. Even if she liked her younger son more, she wouldn't kill her eldest son and his wife!" Ye Huohuo couldn't believe it, nor did she want to. If this were true, what other feelings in the world could be trusted?
Uncle Chen's sigh deepened, as if he were expelling all the stagnant air from his heart. His back seemed to bend even lower. "Alas! This secret has weighed on my heart for over forty years. Actually, the eldest young master was not the Old Madam's biological son."
"What?" Ye Huohuo felt the mist before her eyes finally disperse, and everything that had seemed illogical became understandable.
"Then where is my father's biological mother? Who is she?" Ye Huohuo asked urgently.
"That was the woman Master loved most in his life. It's just that she had a difficult fate. She died in childbirth shortly after giving birth to the eldest young master. At that time, Master had to manage the company and care for the eldest young master, and his days were… alas! The Old Madam came to the Ye family around that time. At first, she just helped look after the eldest young master. Later… perhaps it was love that grew with time! Around the time the eldest young master was two years old, Master married the Old Madam.
To prevent the eldest young master from feeling motherless, they always said the Old Madam was his biological mother. But I know that Master never forgot that woman. Every year on that woman's death anniversary, no matter what happened, Master would set it aside to go and pay his respects at her grave," Uncle Chen said, wiping his eyes, as if reminiscing about his youthful days.
"I understand. Thank you, Uncle Chen. No matter what happens inside the house later, don't come in. Everything should come to an end now." At this moment, Ye Huohuo was like a sword about to be unsheathed, her killing intent permeating her entire being.
"Miss Qing, you…" Uncle Chen trembled slightly upon seeing Ye Huohuo's demeanor. "What has happened to you? What have you become? Don't do anything foolish!"
Ye Huohuo forced a smile at him. "Uncle Chen, everyone changes, and so do I. Don't worry, I won't do anything foolish, but I will never let go of those who harmed my parents."
She looked up at Uncle Chen. "You are heaven's greatest gift to me. Rest assured, no matter the outcome, I will ensure your old age is happy."
Good people should be rewarded. Uncle Chen was the only one in the Ye family who had shown her genuine kindness after her parents' death. He deserved a good end.
Without waiting for Uncle Chen to say anything else, Ye Huohuo strode into the Ye residence.
Fifteen years. Stepping back in here, everything had changed, yet everything seemed to have remained the same.
Before she could even push open the door, she heard the argument inside.
"It's all the fault of that illegitimate son of yours for his misdeeds outside. Now I have to clean up his mess. Don't say I'm incapable of getting him out; even if I could, I wouldn't.
That good-for-nothing can't do anything right, and he dares to steal money from the company to spend on drinking, whoring, and gambling. It's all your constant indulgence of him. It's good that he's locked up now; it'll teach him a lesson, otherwise, he'll ruin our entire Ye family."
This was Ye Huohuo's second aunt, Qin Tong's voice.
Without even guessing, she knew who she was referring to as the prodigal son. But why was he locked up? Ye Huohuo had planned to help that vengeful spirit in blood deal with him here today.
"Alright, regardless of anything else, he is still of the Ye family's blood. We cannot just watch him be sentenced to death!" Old Mrs. Ye's voice also came through.
"You know some high-ranking ladies. Have them find their husbands to smooth things over, get a suspended sentence first, then serve two years in prison, get a fake medical record, and he'll be out.
Don't worry, our Ye family will remember your kindness, and you will not be short-changed." Old Mrs. Ye, after all, knew how to get to the point, her voice steady and unhurried.
"Mother, it's not that your daughter-in-law is unwilling to contribute to the Ye family's bloodline. Do you know who sent him in this time? It's the Fourth Young Master of the Li family. Ye Xiaoqing, that damned girl, has already gotten involved with the Li family.
At this juncture, who would dare to go against the Li family? If she doesn't come to trouble us, we should be grateful. If she comes to settle accounts with us, then…"
Qin Tong did not finish her sentence. The room fell silent.
After a while, Ye Xiaowan's voice rang out, "I really don't know where that vixen got such great ability to seduce someone from the Li family. I tried every way to see Li Mohan but couldn't, and she actually became his elder sister-in-law.
But let's see how long she can be smug. When that Li Mohan gets tired of her, she'll be worse than mud on the ground."
Ye Xiaowan gritted her teeth in hatred. Ye Huohuo, standing outside the door, could imagine her appearance.
"Alright, regardless of anything else, Yuanfan is the only one in our Ye family who can continue the lineage now. No matter how many faults he has, we cannot let him die!
The current charge against him is murder. If we don't find a way to save him, he will truly be dead," Ye Xin said with a mournful face. "Also, having him find someone to deal with Qing in the detention center was our idea. If he babbles anything inside… it won't be easy for us to escape. I think the Li family is targeting us these days.
If they manage to find any more evidence, it won't just be Yuanfan who is finished; our Ye family's assets accumulated over the years might all be gone."
Ye Huohuo, listening clearly outside the door, couldn't help but stir. It seemed that while she was unconscious for these two days, Li Mohan hadn't been idle and had already begun to make a move against the Ye family.
He… was it for her?