Chapter 7 The Indifferent Ye Ling'er

Ye Xuan silently watched the scene unfold before him, his sister should not have become like this. What had happened to turn Ye Ling'er into such a state?

"Ling'er, who are you fighting with again?" Ye's mother, Shanshan, arrived belatedly, worry evident in her eyes.

"Mom, stay out of my business." Ye Ling'er's rebelliousness did not wane with her mother's arrival, but she continued to push and shove with a young, burly man.

"Old hag, perfect timing for you to show up. Your daughter owes me a gambling debt, and if she doesn't pay today, you might as well accept me as your cheap son-in-law."

The burly youth sneered endlessly, taking advantage of the shoving with Ye Ling'er to grope sensitive parts of her body. If not for Ye Ling'er's nimble body, she really might have been taken advantage of.

How could a young girl be a match for a burly man? Just as the man grabbed both of Ye Ling'er's hands, a chilling voice suddenly erupted.

"If you don't want to die, you'd better let go." Ye Xuan had appeared behind the burly man, a cold light flashing through his eyes.

"Hmm? Damn it, which bastard dares to meddle in my business?" The burly youth paused, turning sharply to look at Ye Xuan, whose ancient attire and graying hair caught his eye.

"Xuan, get inside quickly. Your sister can handle this."

When exactly Ye Xuan appeared, Ye's mother did not see clearly, but in her memory, her son was always polite and lacked physical strength, hardly a match for the burly youth before her.

As her words fell, the burly youth felt no remorse, but Ye Ling'er, struggling in his grasp, stiffened, her gaze involuntarily turning to Ye Xuan.

In the blink of an eye, an eternal moment.

As the siblings locked eyes, Ye Ling'er became completely dazed, as if she had lost her soul.

"Kid, I'm talking to you—didn't you hear me?" Ignored by Ye Xuan, the burly youth grew furious, releasing Ye Ling'er and stepping toward Ye Xuan.

Sadly, before the man could reach him, what followed shocked Ye's mother greatly.

Crack!

Ye Xuan's jade-like palm suddenly gripped the burly youth's throat, slowly lifting him into midair while his crystalline fingers tightened, causing a crisp sound from the man's throat.

"Ah… no… don't…"

His face turning red and gradually purple, the burly youth's eyes rolled back as he struggled desperately in the air, his cries resembling those of a slaughtering pig.

Breathing became difficult, his head spun, and his tongue involuntarily stuck out. It seemed only a matter of time before the burly youth would be strangled by Ye Xuan's hand.

A hint of murderous intent flashed in Ye Xuan's eyes, his hand tightening as if to exterminate the man in the next instant.

Just at the critical moment, a cry from Ye's mother erupted.

"Xuan, let go, he's going to die."

Following her words, Ye Xuan frowned slightly, abruptly releasing the burly man's neck, for he could not kill a man in front of his mother; it was something she would never accept.

Yet while execution might be avoided, punishment was inevitable.

Crack.

Ye Xuan suddenly grabbed the burly man's left hand, a tremendous force immediately applied to it, turning the robust hand into a shape resembling mush, accompanied by the man's piercing scream of pain.

"Ah, my hand, my hand..." The burly youth rolled violently in the snow, sweat covering his body from the pain in his hand.

"I will pay you back for the money my sister owes you," Ye Xuan spoke calmly, "but remember, if you continue to harass her, losing just one hand will be the least of your worries." The calm tone, however, sent chills down the burly man's spine.

Not daring to utter any harsh words, the young man struggled to his feet and sprinted into the distance, clearly terrified by Ye Xuan.

As the young man departed, Ye's mother quickly approached Ye Ling'er and said, "Ling'er, your brother is not dead. He's cured now, and he has come back. Call him brother quickly."

At that moment, Ye Ling'er was staring intently at Ye Xuan and did not react to her mother's words, while Ye Xuan silently watched Ye Ling'er with mixed emotions.

"Hah! Brother?"

Ye Ling'er regained her senses and let out a scornful laugh, saying, "I, Ye Ling'er, don't have a brother. What kind of brother is he? Does he deserve to be?"

Ye Ling'er turned around and walked towards her home without giving Ye Xuan a second glance, while Ye's mother looked desolate, seemingly aging several years at that moment.

Watching Ye Ling'er's retreating figure, Ye Xuan's mind churned like tidal waves, and his thoughts were momentarily in a haze as memories of his younger days with his sister flashed through his mind.

"Brother, I want to eat rice cakes. Will you buy some for me?"

With her hair in a ponytail, pure eyes, and a weak voice, the young Ye Ling'er always followed behind Ye Xuan, tightly holding her brother's hand without letting go.

As the scenes shifted and his thoughts returned, Ye Xuan closed his eyes tightly. He had not expected that after disappearing for four years, his sister, who used to rely on him so much, no longer recognized him.

Ye Xuan suddenly opened his eyes, his voice bitter, "Ling'er, do you really not recognize me?"

At that, Ye Ling'er stopped walking, her posture somewhat stiff. After several breaths, she slowly turned to look at Ye Xuan.

"You've come back alive, and your illness is cured, but when you left without a word four years ago, do you know how we have survived these four years?"

Like a sudden mountain torrent, or waves sweeping over, Ye Ling'er screamed as if to vent all the resentment she had accumulated over the years.

Clang!

Ye Ling'er fiercely swung open the metal gate, and the loud collision echoed in the night, while Ye Xuan's fists slowly clenched, his emotions intensely stirred.

Back then, to treat his illness, the family sold everything they could. With a mother and two children, Ye Xuan did not need to think further to realize how dire their circumstances had been over the past four years.

"Xuan, don't mind it, your sister... "

"Mom, don't say it. It's all my fault, don't blame her, really don't blame her." Ye Xuan spoke bitterly, supporting his mother as they walked towards their home, already making some decisions in his mind.

Inside the home.

Ye's mother originally wanted to cook personally, but Ye Xuan told her to rest inside while he entered the kitchen, tied on an apron, and began preparing dinner.

The home was sparse, and the meal was simple.

Aside from a pot of white rice, there was not even a trace of meat on the table. Seeing the nearly empty rice container, Ye Xuan understood how impoverished their home was.

At the dinner table, Ye's mother went to call Ye Ling'er to eat but received no response. Clearly, Ye Ling'er did not want to see Ye Xuan, leaving Ye's mother with no choice but to give up.

"Xuan, just manage to eat something for now. Tomorrow, Mom will cook your favorite braised carp for you." Ye's mother said as she placed some vegetables into Ye Xuan's bowl.

Ye Xuan silently ate the food in his bowl. He had not experienced such warmth in four years, and he ate each bite earnestly because he had finally reunited with his family.

"Mom, where's the little brother?"

Putting down his chopsticks, Ye Xuan suddenly remembered this, realizing that since he had entered the house, Ye Ling'er had already come home, but there was still no sign of Ye Ping.

Upon hearing Ye Xuan's question, Ye's mother knew she could not evade the topic. She forced a smile and said, "Your little brother is doing very well now. He was taken back to the Ye Family three years ago."