Chapter 96: Old Master Su Comes to Apologize

Ye Tianlin’s words struck straight at the heart.

Especially his gaze, steadfast beyond belief.

Even the force of his presence at that moment was like thunder.

Su Rulan stared blankly, deeply moved in an instant, her heart roiling with waves of emotion.

Before this, she truly had not believed such a thing could happen.

Yet now, every gesture Ye Tianlin made had clearly planted a seed of hope in Su Rulan’s heart, allowing her to find the last surviving sliver of possibility amid so many impossibilities.

At last, the door to the ward opened, and Shen Wanjun arrived as promised.

“Lord!”

When she saw Shen Wanjun enter the room and walk up to the bedside, bowing respectfully with utmost deference, Su Rulan’s mind rang as though struck.

As that title reached her ears, the surging tides in her heart finally became a monstrous wave, crashing hard against her reason.

Lord.

At that moment, Su Rulan was shaken to the core, plunged into an unprecedented sense of suffocation. All the events before and after suddenly connected, and everything became clear at once.

So it was true that her appointment at the Cloudsea Chamber of Commerce had been arranged by Ye Tianlin alone, concealed all this time purely to protect her pride.

So the great upheaval within the Shangjing Consortium had in fact been Ye Tianlin’s doing.

So everyone had underestimated Ye Tianlin, believing that without the support of the Ye family he was worthless, when all along they had never known that Ye Tianlin was the true master of the Shangjing Consortium.

Thinking of this, tears burst from Su Rulan’s eyes. Her vision blurred, and she was so dazed she could not speak. She could not even remember the conversation between Shen Wanjun and Ye Tianlin after Shen Wanjun entered the ward.

She remained in that state until Shen Wanjun left, and only then did Su Rulan barely recover her senses. Trembling, she asked, “Tianlin, what did you just discuss with Chairman Shen? I wasn’t listening.”

Ye Tianlin raised a hand and patted her back. “Of course it was about arranging the cooperation with the Hong family overseas, so that the old matriarch can be thoroughly shocked next.”

“Am I dreaming?” Su Rulan rubbed her eyes, still unable to believe it.

Ye Tianlin smiled reassuringly. “Of course not. Because your husband, Ye Tianlin, was never an ordinary man. He is stronger than anyone else.”

“I...” Su Rulan could no longer count how many tears she had shed at that moment, but now she understood better than anyone that all the pressure and fear had been swept away by Ye Tianlin’s actions.

Ye Tianlin slowly opened his arms and held Su Rulan in them once more. “Rulan, I’m sorry. I promise you that from now on, no one will ever be able to bully you again.”

“If the Ye family refuses to acknowledge your status, then leave the Ye family.”

“What the Ye family can do, I, Ye Tianlin, can do too. What the Ye family cannot do, I, Ye Tianlin, can still do.”

“Compared with my wife, this mere title of young master means less than nothing to me.”

Those few short sentences carried not only fierce resolve, but also the authority of the master of the Shangjing Consortium.

And above all, they carried the enduring devotion of a husband protecting his wife.

Su Rulan was so moved she fell completely apart, crying until her eyes nearly swelled shut. She remained in a state of shock and had never imagined such a profound moment could exist. It would surely be unforgettable for the rest of her life.

No one knew how long had passed before Su Rulan finally fell into a dazed sleep.

Ye Tianlin kept silent watch by the bedside, lightly holding her slender right hand. A look of contentment appeared in his eyes, mingled with a wealth of emotions he could not put into words.

Perhaps Su Rulan was not as beautiful as others, not as capable as others, and even seemed ordinary beyond ordinary. Yet none of that prevented her from being the one he loved most.

This woman before him was more important than his own life, and he would never allow anyone to trample on her, including the old matriarch.

“Old matriarch, what you did today has essentially severed all feeling between us. So whatever happens next cannot be blamed on me for being unfilial. It can only be blamed on you for being heartless, for being too cold-blooded,” Ye Tianlin said coldly.

The night passed without incident.

Before long, morning came.

After a full night of rest, Su Weimin and Gao Yulan arrived at the hospital in high spirits, even bringing breakfast with them.

As soon as they entered and saw that Su Rulan was still asleep, Su Weimin first set the breakfast aside, then plopped down beside Ye Tianlin. With a slight pout, he said, “You had a hard time last night.”

Ye Tianlin did not feel tired at all. He smiled. “Dad, this is rare praise indeed.”

Su Weimin folded his arms and gave a couple of hums. “It’s not like I’m an unreasonable man. With Rulan hospitalized, you asked the two of us to go home and sleep while you kept watch alone. That really does count as a contribution.”

“Listen to you, you old hardhead, finally coming around?” Gao Yulan teased.

Su Weimin shot her an annoyed glare before saying, “When have I ever been unfair to him? It was only because he kept doing foolish things before that I was frustrated beyond words. If he had only been a little smarter and shown some restraint, I’d have praised him to no end.”

“You’re the foolish one, aren’t you? If it weren’t for Tianlin’s help, could you have gotten a job at the Cloudsea Chamber of Commerce? Could our family be living this stable life? We might not even have been able to pay the hospital bill. Tianlin may not be as powerful as the Ye family’s young master, but among your friends and classmates, he’s more than enough to make you look good when you brag,” Gao Yulan said.

Su Weimin’s mouth twitched in anger. “Wasn’t I doing it for this family too? I was afraid he’d go off the rails the way he used to. Otherwise, do you think I’d be bowing and scraping like a grandson in front of others? Yes, I do get too emotional and scold people too often, but in the end, I’m doing it for his own good!”

Seeing this, Gao Yulan rolled up her sleeves, ready to argue.

“Mom, don’t get worked up. Dad does have a point. This family isn’t mine alone,” Ye Tianlin said quickly, stopping her. He was actually thinking that Su Weimin’s attitude today was truly rare, almost unprecedented.

“See? See? That’s better. You should be like this, support your old father-in-law more, and there won’t be so many conflicts in the future!” Su Weimin straightened his collar, thoroughly enjoying this status of being fawned over at home.

Gao Yulan looked at him with open disdain. “Keep showing off. Your son-in-law is only letting you have this one.”

“A son-in-law yielding to his father-in-law is only proper, isn’t it? I have to say, Ye Tianlin really used his head today. Worth praising!” Su Weimin said smugly.

Just then, someone suddenly knocked on the ward door.

Su Weimin and Gao Yulan both turned to look outside.

To their surprise, the one standing at the door was Old Master Su.

What was even stranger was that at this very moment, Old Master Su not only looked black and blue with bruises all over his face, but was also carrying fruit and nutritional supplements in his hands, a sight that left everyone baffled.

“What is going on?” Su Weimin said, stunned.