Chapter 94
Hearing the news of the family’s downfall, Ye Zhi decided to visit his home.
When Huo Youqiao learned about his plan, he asked, “Do you want me to accompany you?”
Ye Zhi shook his head frantically. “No, no need.” Aside from the fact that it would be hard to justify Huo Youqiao’s presence, his status would make things complicated. Ye Wan, always eager to climb social ladders, would likely see him as a lifeline to cling to.
Huo Youqiao looked at him, slightly frowning. “Are you sure it’s safe for you to go alone?”
Ye Zhi nodded. “It should be safe.”
“What about letting A Cheng accompany you?”
Ye Zhi shook his head again, smiling awkwardly. “They don’t get along well. If they meet, they’ll probably argue.”
In the end, Ye Zhi returned to the Ye family home alone, taking the city loop line instead of driving. By the time he arrived, it was already evening. The weather was cold and gloomy, with leaves trembling and falling from the trees lining the street, making the already desolate Ye family home appear even more forlorn.
Although the house was now considered public property, the family had been given a deadline to move out. Ye Zhi hadn’t visited in a long time, and as soon as he entered, he noticed significant changes.
The once meticulously maintained courtyard was now overgrown. The swimming pool, which had often hosted lavish parties, was covered with fallen leaves and green with algae, clearly neglected for a long time. Inside, the house was in disarray, with expensive carpets littered with trash. A quick glance into the kitchen revealed shattered porcelain dishes that his mother had once purchased at great expense.
Despite his long-standing fear and reluctance to return, seeing this scene made Ye Zhi’s heart ache.
He began tidying up, righting an overturned trash can and picking up nearby debris. Before he could finish, he heard footsteps. Looking up, he saw his father, Zhou Shaohui.
The once handsome man had aged significantly, his face marked with new wrinkles and Huiing hair. His prominent eye bags indicated many sleepless nights. Ye Zhi was taken aback by the transformation before he finally spoke, “Dad…”
Zhou Shaohui, who had been listless, perked up at his voice, his gaze sharpening. He stormed over, shouting, “You ungrateful wretch, how dare you come back?”
Ye Zhi, startled by his father’s aggression, stepped back, stammering, “I heard the family…”
Zhou Shaohui sneered, “Heard the family’s bankrupt, huh? And whose fault is that? You’ve been living comfortably as a rich man’s wife, and now you’re here to gloat?”
His loud voice drew the attention of the other two occupants of the house.
Even though Ye Zhi was timid, he couldn’t stand his father’s baseless accusations. “Why would I come to gloat? I just wanted to see if I could help.”
“Help? Now you want to help? Are you here to pack our bags and get us out of the city quicker?” Zhou Shaohui’s voice grew louder. “When I asked for your help before, where were you? If you had gotten the Huo family to fork out the money, we wouldn’t be in this mess! And now you have the nerve to come back?”
Ye Zhi slowly stood up, glancing at his mother and brother. Ye Wan, uncharacteristically without makeup, looked ten years older, her eyes bloodshot. As the heir of the Ye family, the downfall hit her hardest. Ye Mu, pale and listless since his gland was removed, also looked at him with coldness.
The three of them stared at Ye Zhi, their eyes filled with not just indifference but a layer of resentment.
This resentment made Ye Zhi shiver.
Only now did he fully understand that no one in this family considered him a part of it.
His birth had been his original sin, subjecting him to unfair treatment from the start. He was expected to give selflessly but never received the same warmth in return. Love had always been absent, and any mistake made him the target of collective condemnation.
And now, despite not being the one at fault, he was being blamed for the family’s downfall.
