Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Mo Li continued, “In hindsight, I’ve been suffering most of the time throughout the past one decade or so that I’ve been in a relationship with you. We did live blissfully for a short while after Nini was born, but it was too short-lived, so much so that all I remember about you is the pain and torment you’ve put me through. In fact, I even distanced myself from my friends because of you. I already had a very small social circle to begin with, yet I almost became like a loner for your sake. It’s really amusing now that I think about how pathetic my life was. I regret it so much…”
Mo Li then walked away while Ye Xiaotian watched her figure vanish slowly out of sight.
He hung his head low feebly and stared at his hand. At the end of the day, nothing went his way.
His daughter had passed away and his wife had divorced him. To make matters worse, things at the company had been going downhill lately as well.
He only had himself to blame for failing to keep his family together.
He was completely sick and tired of his mother’s overbearing tyranny.
Upon returning home, Ye Xiaotian sat down on the couch, feeling chilly from head to toe.
Mr. and Mrs. Ye entered.
“Xiaotian, has it been settled?” Mrs. Ye asked as she took a seat.
Ye Xiaotian ignored her question and stared at his father with exhaustion written all over his face. “Father, it’s been hard on you all this while. Your life must be tough.”
Mr. Ye was bewildered by his words and remained quiet.
“Xiaotian, why did you say something like that out of the blue?” asked Mrs. Ye, who did not understand what he was getting at.
“Mother, are you happy? Are you happy now that your son has landed himself in such a sorry plight? Do you still want a grandson?” Ye Xiaotian questioned sarcastically.
“Even if Mo Li doesn’t want you anymore, there are still plenty of women who want to marry you. You can just marry one of them, no big deal!” Mrs. Ye retorted.
Mr. Ye hurriedly grabbed her in a bid to get her to stop talking.
Ye Xiaotian scoffed and barked, “No big deal? Can my deceased daughter come back to life!?! No wonder people always say that you can be filial to your parents but you can’t give in to them blindly out of filial piety all the time. Mother, I didn’t want to make you sad and worried because I was concerned about your ailing health. I didn’t want you to kill yourself over the lack of a grandson. I was so understanding toward you, yet how did you treat me!?!”
Mrs. Ye was momentarily at a loss for words to rebut him. “I did it all for the Ye family and your own good…”
“You did it for my own good? Did I ask for you to do that? For the sake of the Ye family? What has the Ye family got to do with you? Your last name is not Ye anyway. Father didn’t even mention anything about carrying on the bloodline of the family, so why do you keep forcing me? I don’t blame anyone but myself for indulging you and giving in to your unreasonable requests time and time again. I allowed you to force Mo Li to drink the talisman water and lock her up in the ancestral hall. I didn’t want to divorce Mo Li at all. In hindsight, I’ve really deprived her of a blissful life all these years and made her go through so much pain and suffering. I doubt she can ever conceive again, and her health is ruined now. I don’t want her to lose hope in life altogether. Neither do I want her to continue being subjected to the horrible treatment from you. I won’t marry another woman again for the rest of my life. Perhaps the reason why the Ye family has no heir is simply because you’ve committed too many sins, Mother. This is the retribution for all the evil you’ve done.”
Mrs. Ye burst into tears and exclaimed agitatedly, “I beg your pardon, because of me? Xiaotian, how could you say that!?! If you remain single for the rest of your life, what’s going to happen when you’re old? You won’t have a wife or children. Who’s going to take care of you!?!”
“Mother, worry about yourself. You may stay out of my matters from now onward. I’m going to move out,” said Ye Xiaotian.
“Xiaotian!”
Ye Xiaotian ignored her and stood up to go upstairs and pack his belongings.
Mo Li had been feeling calm throughout the journey back to the hospital with her mother. Upon arriving at the hospital, she chanced upon Long Tianze, who came to visit her, and they both began chatting about An Xiaoning.
Mo Li let out a long sigh of misery.
However, Long Tianze did not mention a thing about the video of An Xiaoning’s execution. After all, he was not such a blabbermouth and knew not to spread it around unnecessarily.
“Once you’ve recovered, find a proper job and start working. Your life will get better. Let bygones be bygones,” said Long Tianze, tucking her hair behind her year.
“Yes, I’ll do my best to get over this chapter in my life.”
“Feel free to look for me whenever you need help,” Long Tianze said with a gentle smile.
“Thank you, Tianze.”
“You don’t have to thank me, we’re close friends.”
Mo Li nodded at him with tears in her eyes.
——
A somber mood had filled the hearts of the Gu family members.
Laughter had become scarce, and everyone often appeared austere.
No one dared to touch An Xiaoning’s belongings in her room, including her mobile phone, which had been left on the table. However, the battery in her mobile phone had run out since it had not been charged in days, and thus, it switched off automatically.
Lin Mingxi did not feel in the least bit happy, even though it meant that she no longer had a rival in love now that An Xiaoning was gone.
She was well aware that Gu Beicheng would never forget An Xiaoning regardless of whether she was dead or alive.
She had already gotten over it when An Xiaoning was still alive.
When Lin Mingxi first met An Xiaoning, she detested her straight away, for she saw the latter as her rival in love and a stumbling block in her hot pursuit for Jin Qingyan. She had resorted to all means to go toe-to-toe against An Xiaoning. Yet, An Xiaoning was still her rival in love even after she got married to Gu Beicheng.
She had even once gotten extremely jealous about the fact that Gu Beicheng had carried a torch for An Xiaoning.
However, she no longer felt jealousy or resentment toward An Xiaoning, and her initial disgruntlement had turned into envy. In fact, she even saw An Xiaoning as her close friend and confidante.
Sometimes, she would even think to herself that she was probably the only person in this world who could become bosom friends with the woman her husband loved.
It was indeed so. She had somehow taken a liking to the overweening, self-righteous, and obstinate An Xiaoning. She had even understood why Gu Beicheng loved her dearly throughout all these years.
She was green with envy, though there was no point in feeling that way.
Gu Beicheng did not even know her yet when he fell in love with An Xiaoning!
They weren’t even married at that point in time. An Xiaoning had shown up in his life way before she did.
Before the mishap took place, An Xiaoning and Gu Beicheng were just like a pair of bosom friends and kin who shared a strong camaraderie. Despite how much he loved An Xiaoning deep down, he would often make sure to keep things platonic with her and get along well with her. Lin Mingxi could feel every bit of that.
Yet, now that An Xiaoning was no longer around, all Lin Mingxi felt was grief and agony, for she wished that the mishap did not occur at all.
They’ve invested more than 100 million dollars in total in the production of the television drama series.
An Xiaoning had long transferred her share of the money to their joint bank account, which was meant to be used to cover the filming expenses.
Now that An Xiaoning was no longer around, Lin Mingxi definitely had to monitor and oversee all the matters regarding the television drama series herself.
At nine o’clock in the morning, Lin Mingxi arrived at the television studio by car.
The production team were in the midst of a productive filming session and were not affected by An Xiaoning’s incident at all.
Dressed in a thick blue coat, a pair of thick leggings, and a pair of diamond-heeled boots, Lin Mingxi stood at a short distance away from the set and watched as the filming took place.
She decided to approach them after watching two scenes.
Upon the sight of her arrival, Jing Tian immediately put the script he was holding down onto the chair and greeted, “You’re here, Ms. Lin.”
