Chapter 23: Sorry to Disappoint You

Upon seeing the two suddenly return, Ye Shihan was first taken aback, then her face lit up with joy as she ran over.

“You’re both alright, that’s wonderful!” Ye Shihan exclaimed, her excitement evident.

Among the pair, apart from some dust and faint traces of blood on his clothes, Xiao Yu appeared largely unharmed. Ye Xuemei, however, looked far worse for wear. Her clothes were disheveled, and a bloodstained wound marred her neck. The sight made Ye Shihan’s heart ache; after all, Xuemei was her own younger sister—how could she not worry?

“Xuemei, are you alright? Who on earth would kidnap you?” Ye Shihan grasped her sister’s hand, her concern plain.

Seeing her sister so worried, Ye Xuemei could no longer hold back; she threw herself into Shihan’s arms and broke down in tears.

“Sis, I thought I’d never see you again,” Xuemei sobbed.

“It’s all over now, don’t cry,” Ye Shihan soothed, patting her sister’s back before leading her to the sofa to sit.

Xuemei wept for a long while before slowly collecting herself. She recounted the day’s events, though she omitted everything that happened after Xiao Yu’s arrival.

Listening carefully to Xuemei’s account, Ye Shihan’s brow gradually furrowed. She couldn’t fathom why Li Quan would resort to kidnapping her sister. Was it possible this was retaliation because she had turned down his son’s proposal?

“Why would Li Quan kidnap you? Did you ever cross him somehow?” Ye Shihan asked, puzzled.

Xuemei didn’t know how to answer and instinctively glanced at Xiao Yu, standing beside Shihan. Shihan noticed Xuemei’s gaze and turned to Xiao Yu, as if waiting for him to speak.

“Sister-in-law, this is my fault,” interjected the man behind Xiao Yu, Taishui, before Xiao Yu could respond, “because I killed Li Minghao. That’s probably why Li Quan kidnapped your sister.”

“What? You killed Li Minghao? Why?” Ye Shihan’s disbelief was palpable.

“Some people deserve to die. I killed him, and that’s that,” Xiao Yu answered coolly.

Ye Shihan stared at him, incredulous. She could not reconcile this cold, unfeeling man with the Xiao Yu she once knew. He had never been so ruthless before. Five years away had changed him into someone almost unrecognizable, and it left her uneasy.

“And what about Li Quan? You both made it back safely—did you kill him as well?” she murmured.

Xiao Yu nodded lightly in response.

Seeing this, Ye Shihan collapsed weakly onto the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling. After a long pause, she regained her composure. Although Xiao Yu had truly killed Li Quan, she understood that, without such drastic action, neither Xiao Yu nor Xuemei would have returned. The thought brought her a measure of peace.

“Xiao Yu, you should leave. I don’t want to see you get arrested,” Ye Shihan said worriedly.

Xiao Yu gave a wry smile at her words, though he understood her concern—she was, after all, just an ordinary person.

Before he could reply, Taishui spoke up, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry. Big Brother will be fine.”

“Xiao Yu, who exactly are you? You know full well the consequences, yet you show no sign of fear?” She looked from Taishui to Xiao Yu, both seemingly nonchalant, and pressed further.

But all she received in return were their easy smiles. Helpless, Ye Shihan decided not to pursue the matter. If they were unconcerned, why should she worry?

“Very well, I’ll trust you for now. Since we’re all back, let’s go to the Ye family ancestral hall. Xuemei should be sent home to rest after such a fright,” she arranged.

Xiao Yu knew, with little thought, why Shihan wanted to visit the ancestral hall—she was likely eager to share the news that the project was about to proceed smoothly.

Thus, the four of them left the villa. Taishui went to fetch the car from the garage, while the other three waited at the door.

Xuemei gazed dreamily at the beautiful scenery around her. She had been astonished when Xiao Yu first brought her here.

“Sis, is this your new home?” Xuemei tugged at Shihan’s sleeve, asking quietly.

Shihan smiled gently. “Yes, this is Xiao Yu’s and my new home. Do you like it? If you do, come visit whenever you wish. I’ll let the security know—they won’t stop you.”

“But this is the Cloud Summit Villas! It’s the most prestigious neighborhood in Fengcheng—how could you afford a place here?” Xuemei asked, bewildered.

“I was surprised, too, when Xiao Yu brought me here. No one would believe it, but this property belongs to him—and according to him, it was a gift from someone else. As for the project, I wasn’t lying. It’s thanks to Xiao Yu that everything went so smoothly,” Shihan explained.

Hearing this, Xuemei looked thoughtfully at Xiao Yu ahead. Had today’s events not happened, she would have responded with sarcasm. But now, she dared not.

His formidable skills, his ability to conjure fire at will, and now everything Shihan had revealed—Xiao Yu seemed terrifying to her.

Xuemei couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy toward her sister. The man whom everyone in the family had scorned as worthless turned out to be so extraordinary.

After a moment’s thought, Xuemei slowly walked toward Xiao Yu. The distance seemed short, but it took her a full two minutes to reach him.

“Brother-in-law, thank you for what you did today,” she said, her head bowed, her voice sincere.

“What did you call Xiao Yu just now?” Shihan asked in disbelief. Since Xiao Yu had entered the Ye family, Xuemei had done nothing but mock and ridicule him. Now, to hear her address him as brother-in-law left Shihan astonished.

“Brother-in-law, of course. Xiao Yu is my brother-in-law,” Xuemei replied, glancing at Shihan and giving a sweet smile.

“It’s nothing. This happened because of me, after all, and you’re Shihan’s sister. There’s no need to thank me. Besides, I never held the past against you,” Xiao Yu said calmly, turning to look at Xuemei.

Xuemei felt even more guilty at these words, her hands nervously twisting together, her head nearly hanging to the floor.

Just then, Taishui drove the car over from the garage. Without further conversation, the three of them got in.

Xiao Yu instructed Taishui to take Xuemei home first. Once she was safely delivered, the remaining three headed to the Ye family ancestral hall. In less than half an hour, they arrived at the grand entrance.

They stepped out and strode into the hall. The guards at the door recognized Ye Shihan and her companions and did not attempt to stop them. Thus, they entered the main hall without hindrance.

Inside, Ye Qinghai sat alone, reading a newspaper. The rest of the family, presumably, had returned to the company for business.

Seeing Shihan arrive, a glimmer of pleasure flashed across Qinghai’s face. He assumed she had returned because she’d failed to secure the loan and was now seeking the family’s help.

“Have you come back to ask the Ye family for financial assistance?” Qinghai set aside his newspaper and smiled at Shihan. “I told you, you’d regret your decision sooner or later. But since you’re willing to admit your mistake, I can give you the startup funds—on one condition: you must return to the Ye Group to launch this project.”

Shihan merely smiled, then calmly took a stack of documents from Taishui and placed them on the table. “Grandfather, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. These two documents—one is for the project, the other is the bank loan contract.”

“What? That’s impossible!” Qinghai shot to his feet, grabbed the contract, and leafed through it. At first, he thought she was bluffing, but when he saw Cui Zhixian’s official seal, he realized she spoke the truth.

Qinghai was deeply perplexed. He knew Ye Xin had contacted all the major banks that did business with the Ye family, and each manager had assured him they wouldn’t lend to Shihan. How, then, had this happened?

“How did you manage to get a bank loan? It doesn’t make sense,” he asked.

“Grandfather, I owe it all to Xiao Yu’s help. That’s the only reason I was able to secure the loan,” Shihan replied with a smile.

Qinghai was stunned, then looked at Xiao Yu, standing beside Shihan. Xiao Yu met his gaze without the slightest change in expression, and the two locked eyes for a moment.

“Grandfather, I came today to let you know that I’m moving forward with the new city district project. I remember everything I said that day. I hope we’ll work well together,” Shihan said, smiling.

Qinghai sank weakly into his chair. He, who had once dominated the business world, never imagined he would one day be bested by his own granddaughter.

Now, the matter was settled. In his old age, Qinghai no longer had the strength to reverse the tide; he could only accept reality.

“Very well. I’ll instruct the Ye family to fully support the project,” he said, defeated.

“Thank you, Grandfather. But since this project concerns our future, I hope to select the team myself. Someone like Ye Xin isn’t suitable for involvement.”

Having settled the matter of cooperation, Shihan stated her terms. Qinghai made no objection—he knew better than anyone that his eldest grandson was all title and no substance.

And so, the affair was settled.