Chapter Two: One Billion

Soon, Su Rulan was rushed to the hospital. Fortunately, she had been found in time, and the injuries were not serious. After her wounds were bandaged and a blood transfusion was completed, she would be able to leave the hospital that very day.

Grandfather Su received the news and hurried to the hospital with the elder uncle and his son. The moment he saw Su Rulan, pale-faced and receiving a transfusion, his face showed not the slightest trace of pity. Instead, it was cold and indifferent.

“Did you really think that by attempting suicide, the two hundred thousand fine would simply be forgotten?” Grandfather Su leaned on his cane, his voice openly scornful.

Su Weimin and Gao Yulan, husband and wife, immediately shrank back, not daring to utter a word, cowering like frightened quails.

Gritting her teeth, Su Rulan struggled to sit up and pleaded, “Grandfather, this was all a deliberate set-up by Uncle and his son. Can’t you see that?”

Uncle Su Zhengjun let out a cold snort. “Stop trying to shift the blame. The client was handed over to you, and you’re the one who messed it up.”

His son, Su Yicai, quickly chimed in, “That’s right. Our company’s business has been dwindling for years. This was an important client we entrusted to you. Do you have any idea how much money you lost? A two hundred thousand fine is lenient!”

“Su Yicai, you’re the one who lost the client. You couldn’t handle the mess yourself and deliberately pushed it onto me,” Su Rulan retorted, her eyes red with grievance.

“You still dare talk back? Are you trying to rebel?” Grandfather Su flared with anger, raising his cane to strike her right then and there.

At that critical moment, Ye Tianlin suddenly intervened and seized Grandfather Su’s cane.

“You useless idiot, get out of my way!” Grandfather Su scowled, trying to wrench his cane free, but no matter how hard he pulled, Ye Tianlin’s grip was unbreakable.

“Grandfather Su, don’t think that just because you’re an elder you can hit people at will. My wife was not born to be beaten by you. As for a mere two hundred thousand, it’s nothing,” Ye Tianlin’s expression was icy cold.

If not for the fact that these people shared Su Rulan’s blood, he would have had no qualms about making them disappear from her life forever.

“Hear that, everyone? Are you planning to pay the two hundred thousand for Su Rulan yourself?” Uncle Su Zhengjun sneered from behind.

Su Yicai added with disdain, “What a joke. Who doesn’t know you’re a complete idiot? We’re in a hospital—why not have a doctor prescribe you some medicine? I’ll pay for it!”

“Shut up already! When is it your place to speak here?” Su Weimin’s face burned with shame as he hurried over to pull Ye Tianlin aside.

Ye Tianlin swept his gaze over everyone, finally settling on Su Rulan. As he recalled all that had happened—her suffering, her tears at his side, the injustices she had endured over the past five years—he could no longer hold back.

“What if I told you I was the young master of the Ye family?” Ye Tianlin suddenly declared.

At this, Grandfather Su grew so angry he laughed. “The Ye family’s young master disappeared five years ago. I just heard today that he’s returned. But what does that have to do with you?”

Uncle Su Zhengjun mocked, “Look in the mirror and see what you’re worth. How could a nobody like you ever compare to the Ye family’s heir?”

Su Yicai shook his head. “Our Su family once served the Ye family—part of the Tiandu Chamber of Commerce, a prominent clan in Jiangnan. But after we were cast out, we declined to this sorry state. And now you claim to be the Ye family’s young master? Who would believe that?”

“Ye Tianlin, will you shut up? Grandfather was once the vice chairman of the Tiandu Chamber of Commerce and was even summoned to Yandu. He met the Ye family’s young master as a child—do you think he wouldn’t recognize him now?” Su Weimin ground his teeth in fury, mortified by the disgrace.

As former retainers, the Su family knew the full extent of their past glory, when people vied to curry favor and showered them with gifts. But that was over a decade ago. Now, the Su family was all but forgotten, reduced to a struggling advertising company that grew smaller by the day.

Ignoring Ye Tianlin, Grandfather Su raised his cane, pointing it at Su Rulan’s nose, his tone brooking no argument. “Your little suicide trick won’t work. Tomorrow you’ll report to the company as usual. The fine must be paid by next week, or I’ll fire all of you—every last one!”

“Grandfather, how can you be so heartless? Even if you don’t care about me, can’t you at least think of the child I’m carrying?” Su Rulan sobbed, placing her hands on her pregnant belly.

“Don’t get me started. That bastard you’re carrying is infuriating enough. If you’d only agreed to that marriage and gone to Yandu back then, the Su family wouldn’t have ended up like this,” Grandfather Su berated her, his face livid.

“What else could we expect? She’s always been obsessed with that idiot Ye Tianlin,” Uncle Su Zhengjun sneered.

Su Weimin and Gao Yulan turned ashen, glaring at Ye Tianlin with resentment, blaming him for ruining their daughter’s prospects and costing the Su family its chance at greatness.

Most crucially, if they couldn’t pay the two hundred thousand fine, not only would Su Rulan be fired, but the couple would lose their jobs as well.

“No matter what, I could never marry for money and abandon Tianlin to fend for himself,” Su Rulan said, wiping away her tears.

“And so you dragged the Su family down with you, destroying our last hope of redemption. Now look at you—a complete mess, all your own doing!” Grandfather Su could no longer contain his fury and slapped Su Rulan across the face.

The slap echoed harshly through the hospital room.

The blow left Su Rulan’s cheek throbbing with pain, a fresh wave of despair consuming her, her will to live slowly slipping away.

Seeing this, Ye Tianlin finally lost all restraint. He raised his fist, ready to strike Grandfather Su and knock that shameless old man to the ground.

At that moment, however, Su Weimin leapt to block him, shouting, “If you try anything, I’ll break your legs myself!”

“Tianlin, don’t be reckless. Listen to my father,” Su Rulan pleaded, ignoring her own pain, terrified that Ye Tianlin would lose control and make things worse.

“We’re leaving!” Grandfather Su spat out, then turned and left the hospital with the elder uncle and his son.

Once the door closed, Su Weimin’s spirit crumbled. He slumped against the wall, clutching his head in despair. “It’s over. Grandfather’s determined to drive us out for good this time!”

“Where are we supposed to find two hundred thousand? Even if we sold your father’s old car, it’d barely fetch a few thousand—nowhere near enough,” Gao Yulan said, her hope gone.

Su Rulan sat on her hospital bed, too hopeless even to speak.

Just then, Ye Tianlin pulled a bank card from his pocket and set it on the table. “This card is at your disposal, Rulan. And I’ll see to it that the Tiandu Chamber of Commerce gets justice for you.”

“Where did you get this card? How much is in it?” Su Rulan stared at him in shock.

Ye Tianlin raised a finger and answered firmly, “One billion.”