On what should have been Cheng Yi's happiest birthday, surrounded by friends, everything changed when an unexpected guest arrived. Everyone was lost in the melody of the birthday song, unaware that a server had opened the door.
Xie Yufan's warnings, his mother's scolding, and the photos from Old Guo—Fang Zhiyuan hadn't dismissed them, he'd been clinging to a shred of hope. But the moment that door opened, he saw Cheng Yi, beaming with joy, just after making her birthday wish, and then being embraced by the old man. What enraged him most was the sight of her shyly covering her face and smiling. Since they broke up, Fang Zhiyuan had never seen Cheng Yi so genuinely happy—not even when they were together before.
Why?
Why was she so easily amused by another man, a man who was nothing more than an old fool?
Fallen—had she really fallen this low, just as his mother had said?
Just moments ago, his mother had stormed in, furious and indignant, and he had naively thought of standing up for Yi. But now, having seen it with his own eyes, what more could she explain? His anger boiled over, his face twisted into a furious snarl like that of a lion ready to strike. Without thinking, he lunged at the old man, landing a punch that sent him sprawling to the floor. The cake, cups, and snacks scattered everywhere. Before anyone could react, Fang Zhiyuan grabbed the terrified Cheng Yi, his eyes blazing with fury, teeth clenched.
"You rejected me for this old man? What did he give you? Money? A house? Clothes? I could give you all that—why degrade yourself like this?"
It was as if heaven and hell were only a step apart. One moment, she had been basking in long-forgotten happiness; the next, she was plunged into the depths of despair. She couldn't control anything—she didn't argue, only trembled, her eyes filled with tears, lips tightly pressed together, silently enduring.
Fang Zhiyuan's arm was suddenly seized by Ye Mingzhe, his face dark with anger. Just as Ye Mingzhe was about to say something, Fang Zhiyuan was sent crashing to the ground by a punch from Ye Mingzhe's brother, Minglang.
"You bastard!"
Never mind the effort Ye Minglang put into organizing the party, which ended up in complete chaos, all his hard work wasted. But this scumbag had also made Cheng Yi so heartbroken. Even though he was adopted, Ye Mingzhe still bore the Ye family name—hurting a family member was like hurting himself. He launched himself at Fang Zhiyuan again, and the two of them, like raging lions, tore into each other with fists and kicks. It took all the others' strength to separate them. Xie Yufan struggled to restrain Fang Zhiyuan, while Ye Mingzhe hoisted his brother by the upper body, ignoring his flailing limbs. Yang Li immediately moved to comfort the nearly collapsed Cheng Yi, and the unfortunate Ye George could only rise alone, wiping away the blood from his mouth.
"Do you know how hard I've been searching for you all these years?"
"Do you know what it's like to live in constant fear, wondering every moment if something had happened to you?"
Cheng Yi, overcome with sorrow, her face ashen, shook with emotion, crying uncontrollably in Yang Li's arms.
"I never imagined you would end up relying on an old man. Why did you reject me? I could have given you a good life too."
Yang Li, her heart aching for Cheng Yi, comforted her because she seemed to have lost her soul. But when she heard Fang Zhiyuan's cruel words, she couldn't take it anymore.
"Enough, Fang Zhiyuan! Who do you think you are? No matter who Yi chooses, they'll always be better than you! You swore to take care of her for a lifetime, and yet you abandoned her in the end. So what now, you suddenly remember how good she was?"
"I was just trying to secure our future, to give her a better life. Couldn't she have waited until I came back and we got married?"
In her rage, Yang Li slapped Fang Zhiyuan across the face.
"Married? How dare you talk about marriage! When Yi was pregnant with your child, you decided to leave. Fine, leave if you must. But Yi begged you to marry her, to give the child a chance to life. And what did you do? You and your mother forced her to get an abortion. What kind of man are you?"
A child… He had almost forgotten they had a child.
Fang Zhiyuan's mind was suddenly blank as a loud crash of realization hit him. He stopped yelling and turned to Cheng Yi, who was sobbing uncontrollably. For the first time, he truly felt the weight of the pain he had inflicted on her all those years ago.
"I… I was just… thinking about our future."
Was it an excuse? Why did his words sound so hollow now? This wasn't a valid reason at all.
What did he mean? That Yi had been selfish, only thinking of her own small desires? No, Yang Li couldn't stand to see poor Yi being trampled on any longer. Yi had suffered enough.
"You selfish bastard, do you think that's the end of it? Yi wanted to keep your child, she didn't go through with the abortion. And what did you do? You left without looking back, leaving her without a place to live. She had severe morning sickness and was so depressed that she started bleeding. She had to stay in the hospital to try and save the pregnancy."
Everyone held their breath, stunned into silence. The only sounds in the room were Yang Li's tearful accusations and Cheng Yi's even more heartbreaking sobs.
"The child… What happened to the child…?"
Yang Li let out a cold laugh, glaring with contempt at the pale Fang Zhiyuan.
"The child? How dare you even ask?"
Fang Zhiyuan crawled over and knelt in front of Yang Li, begging desperately.
"Please, Yang Li… What happened to the child? Where is the child? Tell me… please…"
This once-proud man, who had never lowered himself before anyone, was now groveling on the floor. But Yang Li felt no pity, only a deep sorrow for the lost life and for Cheng Yi. As memories flooded back, she clung tightly to the woman in her arms, tears streaming down her face.
"The child… The child didn't make it. Even with all the injections and medication, the fetus only survived until the fourth month before it died in the womb. Do you know what it's like to go into the delivery room, knowing your baby is dead? Do you know the pain of hearing other babies cry as they are born, while Yi was left with nothing? Where were you then?"
Yang Li kept going. Each word landed, and Fang Zhiyuan had no answer for any of them. They also reopened the barely healed wounds in Cheng Yi's heart, leaving them raw and bleeding for the world to see. Cheng Yi's head drooped as she whispered, barely audible.
"The child… My child…"
She no longer cried silently but began to sob uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking violently. Fang Zhiyuan instinctively crawled over to hold her, but Ye Minglang knocked him to the ground with a single punch. Fang Zhiyuan didn't fight back, even as Ye Minglang rained down blows on him. It was only when Ye Mingzhe pulled them apart, with a thunderous shout, that the brawl ended.
"Stop it, all of you!"
Ye Mingzhe stood there, fists clenched, his eyes blazing with fury. The veins on his face bulged as he struggled to contain his rage, which threatened to explode at any moment.
"Get out!"
He ordered Ye Minglang, "Call Angie and the doctor. She needs to take her medication right away."
Ye Mingzhe then scooped up the broken Cheng Yi and carried her upstairs. Ye Minglang immediately sprang into action, while Ye George rushed to get some water.
Cheng Yi's anguished cries echoed through the house, lingering long after.
When Ye George returned downstairs, he stood before Fang Zhiyuan and gestured for the others to leave.
"Everyone out. This is a family matter—we'll handle it ourselves."
Xie Yufan helped the bruised and devastated Fang Zhiyuan to his feet, while Yang Li remained kneeling on the floor. She muttered to herself, delivering one final blow to the dazed Fang Zhiyuan.
"I only found out a few days ago… Yi has been taking antidepressants all this time."
"Fang Zhiyuan, you're too selfish. All you think about is yourself. Have you ever considered Yi's suffering?"