Ye Yan dodged swiftly, and the vase missed its target, crashing heavily onto the floor.

"Bang—"

The valuable vase fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

The atmosphere was silent, but strung tight with tension.

It was the first time Ye Xin had seen her mother lash out, and she was stunned, unable to react for a moment.

"Xiang Zhen, have you lost your mind? Can’t you see that Ye Lei has been led astray by them? Would I really harm my own son?" Up to now, Ye Yan still vehemently denied everything, refusing to admit to any wrongdoing.

"Ye Lei has been led astray by them?" Xiang Zhen sneered in self-derision, her face unable to hide her disappointment, "It should be me who has been misled by you. Ye Yan, I never thought you could be this cruel. Today you can strike Ye Lei, who’s to say you won’t turn on me one day? You’re terrifying."

Ye Yan’s expression darkened as he glared at Ye Jiuliang and retorted, "Are you satisfied with driving a wedge between our family?"

"Heh."

Ye Jiuliang raised an eyebrow, looking at him with cold contempt, "Ye Yan, you dare to do things but not admit to them, truly despicable. The facts are right in front of your eyes, and it’s your own son accusing you, do you think he would listen to me over you?"

This time, no one came forward to defend him. With the truth laid bare, Ye Yan, even with an extra mouth, could not wash away his sins.

Ye Yan looked towards Old Master Ye, his expression one of anguished betrayal, "Dad, do you really not believe me?"

Locking eyes with him, Old Master Ye gazed back, his emotions of conflict and trouble interweaving in his eyes.

As time went by, the indecisive thoughts gradually became resolute, and his eyebrows slightly relaxed as if he’d made a decision.

Without a word, Ye Yan couldn’t decipher his thoughts and spoke again, "Dad, I..."

The beginning of his sentence was cut off as a heavily callused hand slapped across his face.

"Slap—"

No mercy was shown in the strike, turning Ye Yan’s face to the side with the crisp print of five fingers and a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

Ye Xin covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.

Xiang Zhen, thoroughly disappointed in Ye Yan, felt no inclination to sympathize with him anymore and thought the slap from the old master was well-deserved.

Being slapped in front of everyone was humiliating for Ye Yan, who was so concerned with face.

He lifted his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth with a rough gesture.

"Kneel down," Old Master Ye withdrew his hand, his palm numb, and commanded with a stern face.

At this point, with so many eyes on him, he couldn’t defend Ye Yan any longer. He knew Ye Yan was ambitious, but never imagined he would go so far as to harm his own son and shift the blame onto Jiuliang, causing Jiuliang to nearly turn his back on him.

If he couldn’t provide a satisfactory explanation to Jiuliang today, he knew well that Jiuliang would truly cut ties with the Ye Family.

Torn between his son and his granddaughter, he had to choose the one who would be of help to the Ye Family.

Ye Yan’s brows were lowered, his back stiff, unmoving.

"Ye Yan, are you not listening to me anymore?" Old Master Ye chastised furiously.

"I said kneel!"

Ye Yan still didn’t move, his face strained; he couldn’t bring himself to kneel in front of everyone.

He was stubborn, but Old Master Ye was serious, "Aren, go get the rattan whip."

Aren nodded and quickly left the living room.

In the meantime, Old Master Ye looked towards Ye Jiuliang, trying to ease the atmosphere, "Jiuliang, this is all your uncle’s fault, he is to blame, I..."

Ye Jiuliang cut him off, his tone lukewarm, "I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’m not worthy of such a distinguished uncle."

She dared not play relatives with someone who spent all day scheming against her, a person with a heart like a venomous snake.

Elder Ye frowned and, with a smile on his face, continued to speak kindly, "Jiuliang, I know you feel wronged, and I know you’ve harbored resentment about your father’s death. I promise you, Grandfather will punish Ye Yan and make him apologize and atone for his wrongs. Could you please reconsider your decision to sever ties with the Ye Family?"

"Make amends?" Ye Jiuliang curled his lips, his eyes as cold as stars, "With his life as compensation?"

Elder Ye choked, "..."

Seeing Elder Ye’s silent reaction, Ye Jiuliang snickered, "If not, then there’s nothing more to say."

No matter how grave Ye Yan’s mistakes were, Elder Ye would never easily discard him, for Ye Yan was like another version of himself, someone who would go to any lengths for his own benefit.

Just like now, his punishment for Ye Yan was merely to appease her anger, a symbolic gesture of an explanation rather than truly forsaking Ye Yan.

At that moment, Aren returned with the Rattan Whip.

He presented the Rattan Whip with both hands, "Elder."

Elder Ye took it, the other end of the whip pointed directly at Ye Yan.

His hand rose and swung down with a gust of wind.

Ye Yan did not dodge or move; the whip struck his leg, tearing a gash through his pants.

A faint scent of blood filled the air; to say his skin was split and flesh laid bare was no exaggeration.

Ye Yan grunted but stood his ground, refusing to kneel.

"Elder Ye, that’s your own flesh and blood. How could you do this? You’ve greatly disappointed me." Elder Ye chided while raising the Rattan Whip again.

With each strike heavier than the last, bright red blood soaked through his clothes, dripping onto the ground.

The veins in Ye Yan’s neck and forehead bulged, sweat beaded on his brow, and he staggered, bracing himself against the sofa to avoid the embarrassment of falling.

After countless strikes, Elder Ye, panting, handed the whip back to Aren.

He glanced at Ye Jiuliang and, meeting that indifferent expression, clenched his teeth and steeled his resolve, "Aren, continue."

Before he had finished speaking, Ye Xin ran over, and seeing Ye Yan’s body covered in whip marks, she pleaded with unbearable distress, "Grandfather, you can’t go on hitting him. This could kill a person."

Even if her father was completely at fault, as long as she was around, she was the esteemed young lady of the Ye family, to whom others had to show some respect. If her father fell, her future days might not be as comfortable as they were now.

Without her father’s support, wouldn’t that make her even lower than Ye Jiuliang?

She grabbed Elder Ye’s hand and turned to look at the ashen-faced Ye Yan, "Dad, please admit your mistake."

Ye Yan hung his head, stubbornly silent.

The more defiant Ye Yan remained, the more infuriated Elder Ye became, "Aren, what are you waiting for? Keep hitting."

He was already going to great lengths to protect him. Why wouldn’t he just admit his wrongdoing to Jiuliang? His stubbornness only made it harder for Elder Ye to help him.

Aren looked troubled but, with no choice, raised the whip again.

As the whip was about to strike again, Ye Xin involuntarily closed her eyes.

"Wait," Ye Yan called out hoarsely.

From a distance, Ye Jiuliang’s eyelid flicked up, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.

So he finally couldn’t take it anymore. She had thought he would be tougher.

Aren stopped the whip, and the wind it dragged ruffled Ye Yan’s hair, his eyes under furrowed brows gleaming with a sinister light.