Ye Hong’s greatest fear finally came true—Wang Fan was fired as well.
At first, Lu Jingcheng hadn’t intended for him to lose his job. He had only planned to get back at Ye Hong and Wang Yue, not their children.
But that time he helped Ye Qingyang move, when he saw the way Wang Fan treated Ye Qingyang—even with him standing right there—he couldn’t help thinking: If Wang Fan dares act like this in front of me, then all these years when I wasn’t around… who knows what he’s done to Ye Qingyang?
The thought made his blood boil, so he casually dealt with Wang Fan too.
On the other hand, Wang Hui, thanks to her pregnancy, ended up being the only one in the family who still had a job.
When Liu Ni heard that Wang Fan had lost his job, she rushed home from her parents’ house that very afternoon and started arguing with him.
“What’s wrong with you? No house, and now no job either—how am I supposed to live like this with you?!”
Wang Fan could only try to comfort her. “We’ll get a house. I’ll find another job.”
She didn’t listen at all, snapping angrily, “Find what? Do you know how hard it is to get a job now? Even college graduates can’t find work—and you’re not even one! What kind of job can you get? Can you afford a house?”
Ye Hong couldn’t stand it and cut in, “How is this his fault? Why are you yelling at him? If you want a house, why don’t you work together for it? All you do is spend money—why don’t you save some yourself?”
“Shrew!” she added, displeased. “No manners at all. He’s your husband—shouldn’t you support him at a time like this instead of scolding him?”
Liu Ni sneered. “You’ve got the nerve to talk. What did you say when I got married? That the house was yours. And what’s the truth? It’s not! If I’d known you didn’t have a house, I would never have married him!”
“So you married just for a house?” Ye Hong snapped.
“Is this about the house? This is about you all lying to me—you tricked me into marriage!”
“I didn’t,” Wang Fan said.
“Oh really? That house isn’t yours. Your family doesn’t have a house at all. If I’d known that, would I have married you?”
“That is our house.”
“Cut it out!” Liu Ni scoffed. “That’s your brother’s house. Unless your brother dies, what does it have to do with your family?”
The room fell instantly silent.
Oblivious to the sudden stillness, Liu Ni shouted, “Divorce!”
Then she grabbed her bag and stormed out.
Wang Fan hurried after her.
Seeing him chase after her, Wang Yue snapped, “Pathetic. Who even wants a wife like that!”
Ye Hong, meanwhile, frowned, already worrying about their jobs.
Before long, Wang Fan returned, dejected.
Wang Yue scolded him, “You still went after her? What’s there to chase? Vain, greedy, good-for-nothing.”
“Dad, stop saying that right now—think about the house instead,” Wang Fan said anxiously.
“How am I supposed to think of a solution?” Ye Hong sighed bitterly. “Let’s worry about your jobs first.”
“You can always find another job—but how much can you earn from working? Even if I work until I die, I can’t afford a house like that!” Wang Fan lit another cigarette, agitated.
Wang Yue already had an idea, but with Lu Jingcheng suddenly entering the picture, he was still testing how strong his relationship with Ye Qingyang was, so he didn’t say much. “We’ll talk later. Find a job first.”
“How can I even think about work right now?!”
“Then figure it out yourself.” Wang Yue looked at him with undisguised contempt.
Only Ye Hong softened, patting her son’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Xiao Ni was just saying things in anger. She won’t really divorce you.”
But Wang Fan didn’t believe that. Liu Ni had already planned everything for when they moved into that house—renovations, furniture, even wallpaper. Now that she’d suddenly been told the house wasn’t theirs, how could she accept it? Even if she didn’t divorce now, there would be endless arguments in the future.
Why did Ye Qingyang have to go this far?
He was just an orphan—without Wang Fan’s parents, who knew what kind of life he would have had? And yet he showed no gratitude. Instead, he wanted to drive them out.
They had taken care of him for so long—didn’t that count for anything?
How could he do this? How could he have the nerve?
We never should’ve taken him in.
We should’ve let him fend for himself.
If he died, that house would finally belong to us.
A thought suddenly formed in Wang Fan’s mind.
Yes—if Ye Qingyang died, everything would be solved.
All their problems stemmed from him. If he died, life would return to normal.
His parents were already dead anyway. As an orphan, what was the point of living? He might as well go join them.
With that thought, Wang Fan quickly devised a plan.
The next day, he went to find Ye Qingyang.
When Ye Qingyang saw him at the school gate, he was a little surprised.
Wang Fan called out to him, noticed others around, and said, “Let’s talk somewhere private.”
Lu Jingcheng lazily replied, “No need. Say it here.”
Wang Fan stared at Ye Qingyang. “This is a family matter. No need to involve outsiders.”
Ye Qingyang smiled. “Who’s family with you? You’re the outsider.”
He ignored him and left with Lu Jingcheng.
Watching him go, Wang Fan’s expression darkened. You forced me. I wanted to talk it out, but you wouldn’t. You forced me.
—
“What do you think he wanted?” Lu Jingcheng asked.
“Probably still about the house,” Ye Qingyang said calmly. “There’s nothing else to talk about.”
“They’re really persistent,” Lu Jingcheng scoffed. “It’s just a house.”
Ye Qingyang: …
Easy for you to say. For ordinary families, a house was an overwhelming temptation.
There was no way Ye Hong’s family would just give up.
—
On Friday, Lu Jingcheng prepared to go home. He hadn’t been back in half a month, and his mother insisted he return.
“Want to come with me?” he asked. “Don’t miss me too much while I’m gone.”
Ye Qingyang chuckled. You’re the one who shouldn’t miss me too much.
He shook his head. “I still have to tutor Zhang Ye.”
Lu Jingcheng’s lips curved downward. This apprentice was really a burden—he’d have to expel him someday.
“Then go back early after tutoring. I’ll be back Sunday.”
“Okay.”
Lu Jingcheng ruffled his hair, and they left the classroom together.
At the school gate, they parted ways—Lu Jingcheng got into his family car, while Ye Qingyang got into Zhang Ye’s.
Lu Jingcheng shot Zhang Ye a murderous look.
Zhang Ye: …
“Every time I’m with you, I feel like he looks at me like I’m the other man,” Zhang Ye complained after closing the door.
Ye Qingyang laughed. “I get it.”
“Oh, I really get it.*
Zhang Ye sighed. “Senior Brother’s possessiveness is too strong. I already said I’m just the second disciple—why isn’t he satisfied?”
Because he’s not your senior brother—he’s your senior sister-in-law, Ye Qingyang thought.
“Relax,” he said with a smile. “As long as you don’t act like the other man, he won’t beat you to death.”
Zhang Ye: …Why would he?!
And why was Ye Qingyang treating Lu Jingcheng like the rightful partner?!
The favoritism was outrageous.
—
After tutoring, Ye Qingyang took Zhang Ye’s driver back to the dorm.
He had just gotten out of the car when someone called his name.
“Ye Qingyang.”
He turned. The man looked like a street thug, grinning smugly.
The man walked over and slung an arm around his shoulders. “Kid, I’ve got something to say to you.”
Ye Qingyang raised a brow. “Sure.”
The man dragged him behind a wall.
It was dark. The road was empty, lit only faintly by distant streetlights.
But Ye Qingyang could see clearly.
So the moment the man attacked, he subdued him.
“Who sent you?” he asked. “Wang Fan or Wang Yue?”
The only people with a grudge were Ye Hong’s family. Ye Hong and Wang Hui wouldn’t dare act physically—so it had to be Wang Fan or Wang Yue.
“None of your business.” The man suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed at him.
Ye Qingyang dodged, knocked the knife away, exchanged a few blows, and knocked him unconscious.
Then he called Officer Yang.
—
When Officer Yang arrived, she found Ye Qingyang crouching quietly against the wall, with the thug lying nearby.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Ye Qingyang nodded nervously. “I’m fine. My roommate is good at fighting—after he heard about my situation, he taught me a few moves. That guy didn’t expect me to fight back, so I knocked him out.”
“Good.” She exhaled in relief.
They collected the knife and took the thug away.
Looking at her, Ye Qingyang asked timidly, “He tried to kill me, but I don’t even know him. Could someone have sent him?”
“That’s what we’ll find out,” she said. “Come with us to give a statement.”
—
At the station, the thug—Zhang Long—finally broke.
Faced with the charge of attempted murder, he panicked and confessed everything.
“It was his brother—Wang Fan! He paid me to beat him up, not kill him!”
—
Soon after, Wang Fan was arrested.
When he saw Ye Qingyang at the station, his body trembled uncontrollably.
“I’ll press charges,” Ye Qingyang said clearly. “Attempted murder is enough to put you away for years.”
“No! I didn’t! Ye Qingyang, I’m your brother—you can’t do this!”
“Why not?” Ye Qingyang replied coldly. “If you break the law, you face the consequences.”
When Ye Hong arrived, she broke down, begging him to forgive Wang Fan.
“This is a family matter—don’t take it to court, please!”
“No,” Ye Qingyang said firmly. “We’re not family. He tried to kill me—he should be ready to go to prison.”
“But you’re fine!”
“I’m alive because I was lucky. Otherwise, I’d be dead.”
“Don’t go too far!” Wang Yue shouted.
“I’m just exercising my rights.”
“You’re trying to kill your brother!” Ye Hong cried.
“Don’t worry,” Ye Qingyang said calmly. “I’m still alive. He won’t get the death penalty—just prison.”
Then he turned and walked away as Officer Yang called him.
Behind him, Ye Hong sobbed uncontrollably, while Wang Yue stared at his son in panic.
He couldn’t let Wang Fan go to prison.
Only Ye Qingyang could save him now.
But Ye Qingyang had no intention of doing so.