At the Ye family residence, though it was already late at night, sounds of amorous activity were coming from the master bedroom on the second floor.
About ten minutes later, a seductive figure emerged from the bedroom. She intended to go to the living room to get a glass of water, but she noticed that the lights were still on, and Ye Tianyi, the eldest son of the Ye family, was sitting on the sofa.
"Tianyi, why aren't you asleep yet?" The woman, whose body was glistening with sweat, seemed unbothered by fatigue. With a graceful sway of her hips, she walked to the water dispenser, filling a glass while saying, "Just got back to the country, can't adjust to the time difference?"
Ye Tianyi, a wealthy young master, lounged on the sofa, engrossed in his mobile game. He glanced up at her with indifferent eyes, responding with a nonchalant, "Hmm."
The woman took a sip of water, walked over, and adjusted her s*xy white silk nightgown. With a coquettish smile, she said, "Still can't get used to me?"
Ye Tianyi, somewhat dismissive of his middle-aged stepmother, replied, "Whether you like it or not, you're still part of the Ye family now."
The woman, with a seductive and enchanting demeanor, laughed gracefully. Despite being in her forties, her charming face showed no sign of aging. Her skin was smooth and supple, and her figure was well-maintained, with curves that could rival a woman in her thirties.
"Care to chat a bit?"
Ye Tianyi glanced at her with irritation and said coolly, "Go talk to my father."
"Oh? Do you find me old and unappealing now? Hehe..." The woman sat on the sofa, crossed her arms, and gazed at Ye Tianyi with an alluring look.
Ye Tianyi, growing impatient, said with a hint of irritation, "Liu Sisi, don't disgust me."
Unfazed, Liu Sisi replied, "I was just trying to keep you company and relieve your boredom. Seems like you're not interested in an old woman like me? Hehe… I suppose only the most beautiful woman in Jiang City would catch your eye, right?"
Ye Tianyi's hands froze on his game controller. He lifted his gaze, his expression darkening, and said, "Go back to your master. Don't annoy me!"
Liu Sisi, with a sly smile, remarked, "I heard that before you went abroad, you were desperate to get close to that beautiful woman. Unfortunately, fate had other plans, and you were sent abroad before you could act. Hehe… Is that true?"
Ye Tianyi pressed his lips together, remaining silent.
Liu Sisi, with a tone of regret, continued, "Time flies, and I wonder if that person you once loved is still the one you hold dear. But it's too late now. Zhao Yanan married a b*st*rd from the Chu family over a year ago. Hehe… Isn't that a pity?"
"Get out!"
Ye Tianyi frowned, clearly worried that the person in the master bedroom might hear. His voice was low but icy.
Seeing this, Liu Sisi decided not to push further. She stood up and headed towards the master bedroom.
Halfway there, she suddenly stopped, turned around with a mocking look, and said, "They say the old Ye Tianyi was fearless and could have any woman he wanted, but now you seem to have lost your edge. Hehe… I advise you to accept that some things are just not meant to be yours, no matter how much you want them. Hehe…"
With that, Liu Sisi left, a trace of cunning in her eyes.
Stimulated by her words, Ye Tianyi lost interest in his game. He angrily pounded the sofa, got dressed, and stormed out.
At noon, Chu Yuxuan arrived at Jiangdong Prison to see Zhao Yunbo.
It was the first time he was meeting his future father-in-law, and it was in such an unusual setting: Zhao Yunbo, with a kindly face that seemed out of place in prison attire. Although it was the first time Zhao Yunbo had seen Chu Yuxuan, he recognized his future son-in-law and wondered about the unexpected visit.
Separated by a transparent glass partition, each took a phone in hand.
"Yuxuan, what brings you here?" Zhao Yunbo asked with a smile.
Chu Yuxuan got straight to the point, "I have something to ask you."
Sensing something ominous due to Chu Yuxuan's somber expression, Zhao Yunbo hesitated and asked, "What is it?"
"On the night of June 14th, ten years ago, around 7:30 PM, where were you?"
Zhao Yunbo seemed to struggle to recall, furrowing his brows, "Ten years ago?"
Chu Yuxuan reminded him, "At Qiyun Restaurant, in the Huai Xu Room."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yunbo was stunned, staring intently at Chu Yuxuan, and finally asked, "You… you know?"
Chu Yuxuan nodded, his eyes cold as ice, "Who were you with?"
Zhao Yunbo's face darkened, and he bit his lip, lost in thought.
Chu Yuxuan's gaze was unwavering, "Liu Jun, and who else?!"
Zhao Yunbo closed his eyes. Since Chu Yuxuan knew Liu Jun's name, it was clear who the other person was.
Instead of answering, Zhao Yunbo asked, "Yuxuan, does Nan Nan know about this?"
"Answer my question!"
Taking a deep breath, Zhao Yunbo finally said, "Your father."
Since a prison guard was present, Chu Yuxuan said nothing more. He stared at Zhao Yunbo for a while, then ended the call.
"Don't mention this to Nan Nan," Zhao Yunbo said, looking ashamed.
Chu Yuxuan paused, hung up, and glanced at the prison guard beside Zhao Yunbo before leaving. Once he was outside and back in his car, he received a message from the second son.
"The shooter you caught was indeed from the Ye family. He used to be Ye Yongsheng's bodyguard but retired five years ago. I suspect he was kept in reserve by Ye Yongsheng for dirty work."
Chu Yuxuan replied, "What about the other matters?"
The second son responded: "Still in progress."
Chu Yuxuan closed the WeChat app and, deep in thought, suddenly called Wang Long.
"Hey? Nephew! You finally remembered me?" Wang Long's cheerful voice answered.
Chu Yuxuan, not in the mood for pleasantries, said directly, "Uncle Long, can you do me a favor the day after tomorrow?"
"Of course! If you need me, I'll drop everything for you."
"Alright, I'll let you know the details then."
After hanging up, Chu Yuxuan headed back home.
On the way, he unexpectedly received a call from Zhao Yanan.
Pulling over, he looked at the screen, taking a deep breath before answering.
"Nanan…"
Zhao Yanan asked, "Where are you?"
"At the Emerald Lake."
"Oh…"
Chu Yuxuan, unusually restrained, didn't make any sarcastic remarks. Zhao Yanan almost thought it was a hallucination. After a pause, she asked, "How's your injury?"
"It's fine. I got it treated at the hospital."
"Hmm… That's good."
They both fell silent.
After a moment, Zhao Yanan took a deep breath and said, "I'll hang up now." She seemed to sense something was off about Chu Yuxuan but didn't want to pry further. As she was about to hang up, Chu Yuxuan suddenly said, "Nanan, let's have dinner together tonight."
Zhao Yanan hesitated for a moment and then replied, "Hmm, okay."