Chapter 112: Let's Go

Qin Shuang let out a soft laugh, a sound that was truly chilling. The sneer lingering on Yi Yi’s lips was equally unsettling. It seemed Qin Shuang had successfully planted a poisonous idea in Yi Yi’s mind. Would this thought destroy Ye Xuan and Si Nuosang? Perhaps only time would tell.

Ye Xuan and Si Nuosang boarded the carriage arranged by Yi Yi and headed toward the Ye Manor. It was remarkably close; within a day’s journey, they had reached the gates. Although technically outside the capital, it was situated just on its outskirts. One had to wonder why the Emperor allowed such a place to exist. How could he permit the Ye Manor to be so near when even someone as formidable as Xuan Yuan Jue Si had to tread carefully around its master? Perhaps the Emperor knew that this man, regardless of his nature, posed no threat to the throne. A martial artist—that was all he was. Perhaps Si Nuosang was overthinking it.

As they arrived at the main gate, they found the guards standing in two rigid, disciplined rows. The Ye Manor looked opulent, yet beneath the grandeur lay an atmosphere of strict, fearful austerity. Si Nuosang felt a natural resistance, but Ye Xuan gripped her hand tightly.

"I am here. Nothing will happen."

Ye Xuan offered her a reassuring smile; he was determined to protect her. Moreover, he knew his father, Ye Quan, well enough to know that he never harmed those who posed no threat to him. He only targeted his own son.

The guards seemed to have been expecting Ye Xuan. They bowed one by one as the pair entered. After all these years, everything seemed unchanged. The manor was exactly as he remembered it.

Once inside, Si Nuosang realized that this place was a world apart from the outside. The manor was vast, spanning over a dozen acres, feeling like a small, self-contained center of power. Just past the entrance, they encountered a stream, crossed by stepping stones that led toward the main buildings. It took about ten minutes to walk across. The grounds were heavily guarded, but upon seeing Ye Xuan, some guards looked on in astonishment, while others bowed their heads, not daring to show any disrespect. After all, Ye Xuan was the young master; the consequences of offending him were unimaginable.

Suddenly, a man approached them. As he drew near, Si Nuosang saw his face—it was not Ye Quan.

"Young Master, you have finally returned." The man, roughly fifty years old, beamed with genuine excitement.

"Steward Liang, I am back. Is he...?"

"He? You mean the Master?"

Steward Liang, whose name was Liang Ren, had been at the Ye Manor since the day Ye Xuan was born. He had watched over and cared for him, sharing a bond far closer than the one Ye Xuan had with his father.

"Yes, where is he?"

"He has been waiting for you. Young Master, Miss, please follow me." Liang Ren glanced at Si Nuosang. It was rare for the young master to bring a woman home, but Liang Ren was ready to support anyone who earned Ye Xuan’s affection.

"Lead the way, Uncle Liang."

Since he was already expected, retreating now would only make him look afraid. Si Nuosang felt the hand holding hers tremble slightly. Perhaps, deep down, Ye Xuan didn’t just hate his father; he feared him.

After another five minutes, they reached the residence where Ye Quan stayed. Ye Xuan hesitated, stopping at the threshold. Uncle Liang had already gone inside. Si Nuosang looked at Ye Xuan’s pained expression.

"Don't force yourself."

She knew that whatever decision Ye Xuan made, she was part of it. She wanted him to be happy, or at the very least, to make a choice that felt lighter.

"I am not forcing myself. I just don't know in what capacity I am here to see him."

Ye Xuan looked at Si Nuosang, his eyes filled with internal conflict and sorrow. He saw his father sitting in a chair, his gaze as sharp as ever, as if he could peer into the very depths of one's soul. Or at least, that was how Ye Xuan perceived him.

"I am back," Ye Xuan said, omitting the word "father."

"Hmm."

That single sound seemed to say it all. The atmosphere between them was suffocating. Si Nuosang stood by Ye Xuan’s side, offering her silent support; she could not intervene in the affairs of father and son. Sensing the tension, Uncle Liang quickly interjected, "Young Master, let me take you to your room." He feared a confrontation.

"Very well."

Ye Xuan was desperate to leave, unwilling to speak another word to the man. He would never forget that his mother had died at his father’s hands. He could never forgive a man who would murder his own defenseless wife.

Just then, an alluring woman walked in. "Is that you, Ye Xuan?" Her voice was like silver bells, yet laced with blatant seduction.

She blocked their path. If Ye Xuan’s intuition was correct, this was Yuan Liuli, the woman his father had married after his mother’s death. She was nothing like her.

"Move." Ye Xuan brushed her hand away with unconcealed disgust.

"Ye Xuan, have I done something to offend you?"

"My stepmother? Are you worthy?" Ye Xuan sneered. Si Nuosang observed the woman; she carried the air of someone from the red-light district, certainly not the daughter of a respectable family.

"Ye Xuan, you are not to speak to your stepmother that way," Ye Quan barked.

"Master, Ye Xuan has just returned and isn't familiar with me yet. I will make sure we get along," Yuan Liuli said, feigning kindness.

"Hmph. Uncle Liang, let’s go." Ignoring her entirely, Ye Xuan walked away.

They arrived at the quarters he had occupied as a child—the same villa where his mother had lived. He stood in the exact spot where she had met her tragic end. Tears welled in his eyes.

"Young Master, the Mistress has been gone for many years. It is time to let go," Uncle Liang said softly.

"Let go? I will never let go." This hatred was far too deep to abandon. He shook his head—it was impossible.

"Why are you crying, Ye Xuan?" Si Nuosang asked, deeply worried. She had never seen him like this. She felt his grip on her hand tighten.

"It’s nothing. I am fine."

"Come, let’s go inside," she urged. She knew it would be difficult; the house was filled with memories that were impossible to erase, and she knew he would continue to suffer as those memories haunted him.