“You’re still looking at me!” Ye Qianzhi, enraged, raised his arm for another blow.
Ye Shaoting intercepted him, “Dad, Chenhan is drunk. Wait until he’s sober tomorrow to talk.”
“I’m not drunk. I’m speaking my mind.” Ye Chenhan pushed Ye Shaoting away. Seizing the momentum, he voiced whatever was on his mind. “I’ve participated in live performances more than once. To be honest, I’m the one who formed the band at the bar. I don’t want to inherit the Ye Corporation. I just want to do what I want to do.”
“Chenhan, stop talking!” Shen Meixiu kept pushing him.
Knowing full well that Ye Qianzhi disapproved of his pursuits, why was he still stubbornly provoking him?
Ye Shaoting turned around to block Ye Qianzhi’s line of sight and signaled to Ye Chenhan, “You’re drunk and your mind is unclear. You need to think before you speak.”
Everyone was trying to persuade him, but Ye Chenhan had no intention of backing down. Every time, he had to beg for forgiveness and then be cautious for a long time after narrowly avoiding punishment.
He stood up from the ground. His height advantage allowed him to look down at the furious Ye Qianzhi. “Forming a band isn’t something that can be done overnight. Ever since I first said I wanted to sing and you rejected me, I’ve been secretly building a band. My life should be my own responsibility. No one can decide what I will do in the future.”
Ye Shaoting rubbed his forehead, unable to understand why Ye Chenhan insisted on clarifying things with Ye Qianzhi tonight. He turned to glance at Di Mingjue and Ye Ziyu beside them.
Amidst the argument, Ye Ziyu sobered up. Seeing everyone’s serious expressions, she couldn’t help but ask, “Are you guys fighting?”
“What’s all this about, drinking so much!” Ye Qianzhi’s anger instantly turned into that of a doting father in front of Ye Ziyu.
Ye Ziyu burped from the alcohol and snuggled into Di Mingjue’s embrace. “I’m cold. I want to go back to the room to sleep.”
“Alright, we’ll go up now.” Di Mingjue soothed Ye Ziyu, giving Ye Qianzhi a meaningful look.
“Go ahead,” Ye Qianzhi said.
As they watched them go upstairs, Shen Meixiu tugged at Ye Chenhan’s clothes from behind, wanting to leave with them.
Ye Chenhan remained stubborn, rooted to the spot and unwilling to leave.
“You will go to the ancestral hall tonight. You will reflect on yourself!” Ye Qianzhi declared, then glanced at Ye Shaoting and Shen Meixiu. “No one is allowed to cover for him. If I find out, you’ll all go to the ancestral hall to kneel!”
The ancestral hall had no heating. Even during the day, it was cold, let alone at night.
Shen Meixiu grabbed Ye Qianzhi’s arm. “Qianzhi, you know how it is in the ancestral hall at night. If you make him kneel, won’t you make him sick?”
“Are you going to follow him too?” Ye Qianzhi retorted.
True to the saying that one should bear difficulties alone, Ye Chenhan stood up from the ground and walked out obstinately.
It’s just the ancestral hall, what’s there to be afraid of!
As Shen Meixiu watched him leave with despair, she saw Ye Chenhan’s defiant back.
If Ye Ziyu had defied him, would he have been willing to make her kneel in the ancestral hall at night?
In the end, the reason Ye Qianzhi could bear to punish Ye Chenhan was simply that he didn’t love his mother, didn’t love her, Shen Meixiu.
Ye Qianzhi went upstairs. Shen Meixiu stood in the living room, wiping her tears, feeling wronged.
“Dad is just angry. When his temper cools down tomorrow morning, I’ll talk to him properly,” Ye Shaoting said, walking beside Shen Meixiu and gently patting her shoulder.
Shen Meixiu looked up. “Chenhan must have been instigated by Ye Ziyu. Normally, he would listen to you, Father. But today, after going out with her, he came back acting so stubbornly. She’s just like her mother, a complete troublemaker!”
“Alright, stop talking,” Ye Shaoting interjected.
If they had heard this, they would have started arguing again.
Shen Meixiu dared not let Ye Qianzhi hear it and quickly changed the subject. “As the eldest brother, you must take good care of your younger brothers. Now that outsiders have entered, who knows what excessive decisions your father might make.”