Chapter 34 - Are We Still a Family

He had never expected his daughter, Qi Ruxue, to actually run away from home, completely disregarding the father-daughter bond.

Several brothers and uncles were now in an uproar because although the marriage alliance between the Qi family and the Qin family had not yet been formally engaged, they had already established various connections with the Qin family and had received many benefits.

If Qi Ruxue refused to marry into the Qin family, things would really blow up.

The Qin family was not one to be trifled with.

“Changsheng, what on earth is going on?” The old man sitting in the center of the hall, Qi Hongwei, the helmsman of the Qi family, looked at his son, Qi Changsheng, and asked sternly.

“Dad, I didn’t expect Ruxue to be so strong-willed that she ran away from home last night.

It’s all my fault for spoiling her!” Qi Changsheng said with guilt.

Qi Hongwei glanced at Qi Changsheng.

He was very appreciative of this son who was smart and level-headed, otherwise he wouldn’t have entrusted the Qi family to him.

However, this incident had indeed angered Qi Hongwei.

Being able to enter into a marriage alliance with the Qin family had been a result of long negotiations between Qi Hongwei and the patriarch of the Qin family.

Although both the Qi family and the Qin family were second-tier families in the Capital City, in this term’s elections, someone from the Qin family might very well rise to a higher level.

If successful, the Qin family would leap to become a first-tier family, and the Qi family could also benefit.

Thus, the Qi family hurriedly tried to break off the engagement with the Ye family and did everything they could to secure a marriage alliance with the Qin family, to strengthen the family’s development through a powerful partnership.

No one had expected Qi Ruxue to be so stubborn as to run away from home rather than marry into the Qin family.

“Regardless, the engagement with the Qin family must go on as planned next month.

Send someone to find Ruxue immediately.

This is not up to her to decide.” Qi Hongwei’s attitude was very firm.

In his view, using his grandchildren’s marriage for political trades and alliances was perfectly normal, and feelings were not at all important.

At this time, in the VIP room of the Capital City Seafood Restaurant, Ye Tianchen was busy eating with both hands, devouring large lobsters, abalones, and crabs.

Seeing him eat so voraciously, Su Feifei, sitting across from him, was surprised, her sexy lips agape, wondering if this guy was just a food container.

Ye Tianchen didn’t care how Su Feifei regarded him, nor did he feel the need to put on airs in front of a beautiful woman.

Such a sumptuous seafood feast was rare to come by, whether in the apocalypse or in the present day.

Even with money, it was hard to get such a meal.

Su Feifei could manage it because her Su family were regulars here and the most privileged super VIP customers.

An hour later, as Su Feifei watched with her eyes wide and her mouth agape, Ye Tianchen finished off a whole table of seafood, contentedly polished off a glass of red wine, wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, let out a satisfied burp, then took out a cigarette, lit it up, and stood up smiling:

“Thanks to the beautiful lady for the treat.

I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now.

Goodbye!”

Finishing his meal and then leaving was probably something only Ye Tianchen would do.

In his view, if it weren’t for the craving for this seafood feast, he would never have come with Su Feifei.

He didn’t have much of an impression of Su Feifei.

If there was one, it was formed just now.

The woman was very beautiful, not at all inferior to the Capital City’s number one beauty Liu Rumei.

How come he had never heard about her before?

“Hey, who does that?

Just eat and run?” Su Feifei snapped out of her daze, finding Ye Tianchen utterly speechless.

“Huh?

Having finished eating, shouldn’t I leave?

Or is there still dessert?” Ye Tianchen asked, a bit puzzled.

“You… Go to hell!”

Even with her good temper, Su Feifei was provoked by Ye Tianchen, an insensible man, and in response, she grabbed a tissue box from the table and threw it at him.

“The seafood feast was good.

I saved you, you treated me to a meal, we’re even now.

Bye-bye!”

After saying that, Ye Tianchen walked out the door of the private room, leaving Su Feifei sitting there stunned.

She didn’t know whether to cry or laugh.

She, the cherished daughter of the Su family, had many men who wanted to invite her to meals and who fought jealously, even violently, to gain her favor, a number she couldn’t count.

Yet Ye Tianchen seemed very reluctant to get involved with her.

Could he actually be an idiot?

Generally speaking, when a girl who has been saved by a hero invites the hero to a meal, even though it’s to express gratitude, she has a good impression of that hero.

At that point, if the hero acts a bit more gentlemanly and suave, he might very well capture the lady’s heart.

But Ye Tianchen had no such thoughts; his mind was fully focused on the seafood feast.

“I still don’t know this guy’s background.

I’ve been so preoccupied with having people watch him; he can’t be a real idiot, can he?

He seems to have no emotional intelligence at all,” Su Feifei thought to herself.

As soon as this crossed her mind, Su Feifei took out her phone and made a call.

Once the call connected, she instructed, “Gather all the information about Ye Tianchen for me; I want to see it tonight!”

“Yes, Miss!”

After hanging up the phone, Su Feifei, originally quite angry, had a mischievously sexy and cute smile on her beautiful face as she murmured to herself, “Ye Tianchen, you’re the first person to ever ignore me like this.

I refuse to believe that with my charm, I can’t win you over!”

Perhaps it was because of a girl’s inherent competitive nature, or maybe Su Feifei had fallen for Ye Tianchen without even realizing it; in any case, she wasn’t planning to let Ye Tianchen off easily.

Who was he to disdain her so?

After enjoying a seafood feast, Ye Tianchen didn’t take it to heart and cheerfully went home.

Upon his arrival, he saw Qi Ruxue anxiously dialing his number.

Checking his phone, he realized it was out of battery, and his mother Luo Yan was nowhere to be found.

“Where’s my mom?” Ye Tianchen asked.

“She went to the Ye family’s old house to find a way to rescue you.

I also wanted to call my family…”

“Forget it, I’d rather not get too involved with your Qi family.”

Having said that, Ye Tianchen left the villa and made his way to the Ye family’s old house on his own motorcycle which he had loved to ride during the apocalypse.

It was fast, explosive, and cool, much cooler than driving ordinary sedans or sports cars.

Thinking of the disdainful rejection his family met at the Ye family’s old house and likely desperation that had driven his mother Luo Yan to seek help, he got anxious.

Having been reborn, he was determined to protect his family and all that he owned, ensuring they never suffered or faced disrespect again.

Upon reaching the entrance of the Ye family’s old house, two security guards tasked with watching over the estate stopped Ye Tianchen.

They, too, looked down on his family primarily due to his former wasteful and profligate behavior.

“Yo, if it isn’t young master Tianchen.

What brings you here?”

“You can’t come in at this time.

The old master has made it clear—your family is not allowed to set foot in the Ye family’s old house.”

Bang!

Bang!

Facing the two gatekeeping dogs, Ye Tianchen knocked them to the ground with a couple of punches and stormed into the Ye family’s old house.

As he reached the main entrance, he heard his mother’s pleading voice.

“Dad, no matter what, Tianchen is still your grandson.

Even if he’s unruly and has caused trouble, you can’t just watch him die, can you?” Luo Yan spoke in urgent tones.

“Sister-in-law, it’s not just about you two and the son you’ve raised to be so unruly.

If he causes a great disaster affecting our whole Ye family, that would be terrible!” Ye Tianchen’s uncle Ye Mubai was the first to sneer.

“Exactly.

Our Ye family is in decline, and dad has not been in control for a long time.

Who cares about giving face to the Ye family now?

That unfilial son has too much nerve, even daring to hit the Luo family’s two grandsons.

He’s really asking for death!” His other uncle, Ye Heguo, also shook his head in disapproval.

“You…” Luo Yan was seething with anger.

She had thought that, no matter what, they were all family.

Even though her brothers-in-law didn’t like her family, they would surely step in when it mattered most.

But now they were saying such things.

“Such an unfilial son better die outside and not drag down our whole Ye family.”

“The Military Committee is about to have its elections, and Luo Songcheng has a good chance of being elected.

Our Ye family can’t afford to provoke them.

Better to tie up this rebel and deliver him to the Luo family to apologize.

Leave it to the Luo family to decide his fate—life or death!”

Neither Ye Mubai nor Ye Heguo viewed Ye Tianchen as their own kin, particularly since during Qi Changsheng’s visit to cancel the marriage, they had hoped to gain some benefits.

However, Ye Tianchen’s words thwarted their plans, benefiting their brother Ye Hong instead, which had infuriated them for several nights.

Now, knowing that Ye Tianchen was locked up in the police station and had caused great trouble by hitting two of the Luo family’s grandsons, they were not only unhelpful but also added insult to injury, showing no regard for family ties whatsoever.

Hearing her brothers-in-law speak, Luo Yan wished she could slap them each.

Were these even human words?

But she knew she had to endure it for her son, and upsetting the patriarch Ye Yuanshan would only worsen things.

“Dad, Tianchen is your grandson after all.

Please think of something?” tears swirled in Luo Yan’s eyes as she looked at her father, Ye Yuanshan.

Ye Yuanshan sighed, picked up the phone beside him, and planned to try some old contacts to bail out his grandson Ye Tianchen.

He couldn’t just watch him die, even if he was no longer in charge.

Just as Ye Yuanshan was about to dial, before he even pressed the numbers, Ye Tianchen pushed open the grand doors of the old house and walked in with a smile.