He had endured such harsh, neglectful treatment for an entire month, and yet... he didn't even have a basic room in what was supposed to be his own home, as though he were nothing more than an unwelcome guest.
He would arrive faithfully every morning at dawn, and then depart alone into the darkness every evening.
"Why didn't you think to remind me about this situation earlier?" Su Wanqing demanded, fighting desperately to hold back her tears of guilt and regret.
Ye Yang was sweating profusely from terror and extreme nervousness as he replied, "Madam, this specific order was given directly by His Highness himself. We servants had no way of knowing how long the Prince intended to continue this training regimen for the eldest young master. The only thing we could do was observe him silently from a distance and ensure his physical safety."
Su Wanqing struggled to contain her overwhelming emotions as she looked at Ye Jin with eyes as cold as winter frost. "Ye Jin! Is this truly how you believe a father should behave toward his own son?"
"Or perhaps... have you never actually considered Qiu'er to be your child at all in your heart?"
Ye Jin felt a sharp stab of guilt pierce through him when confronted with her accusation, and he quickly attempted to excuse his actions: "Madam, I... the situation is more complicated than—"
"Enough! I've heard quite enough of your excuses!" Su Wanqing's voice rose with barely contained fury. "Back when you first proposed leaving Qiu'er abandoned in Liyang City all those years ago, I disagreed completely with that plan. It was you who insisted on proceeding with that heartless decision."
"And what exactly were those grand justifications you spouted at the time? 'If a man born into the Ye family bloodline cannot even endure such minor hardships, then he is unworthy of having our noble blood flowing through his veins.'"
"It was because I foolishly believed your manipulative lies that my innocent child was forced to suffer alone in the outside world for twenty long, brutal years."
"Hasn't he demonstrated exceptional dedication and effort during this past month? It was precisely because of your deliberate disregard and systematic suppression that he finally lost all hope in us and turned to drowning his sorrows in alcohol at the Zuixian Tower."
As Su Wanqing delivered one devastating accusation after another, Ye Jin's face flushed crimson with shame, and he found himself unable to offer any meaningful defense.
As Su Wanqing continued expressing her grief and righteous indignation, she suddenly turned her critical gaze inward, letting out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. "Haha... but I am equally at fault in this tragedy. For this entire past month, I didn't even realize that he wasn't actually living in our home."
During the past month, she had been so completely preoccupied with various family administrative affairs that she had entirely neglected her eldest son's most basic daily needs and living situation. She had ignored his emotional concerns and dismissed his obvious struggles.
The realization of her own failures made Su Wanqing laugh bitterly at the irony. She had always claimed that she had never shown favoritism and treated both of her sons with perfect equality.
Yet the painful truth was that no matter how busy her schedule became, she would always manage to find time to personally help solve her younger son's problems and address his concerns, while she had completely ignored her older son's needs and struggles.
It was no wonder that Ye Qiu had exploded with such fury today, ultimately choosing to sever all family ties with them forever.
He had clearly reached the devastating realization that he had no genuine place or value within this family structure.
The truth struck even deeper—she had actively contributed to making him feel like an unwanted outsider in his own supposed home.
Why had she developed such unconscious contempt for her own firstborn son? And why had she fallen into the trap of constantly comparing her younger son's accomplishments against her older son's perceived failures?
Their starting points in life and lived experiences had been completely different from the very beginning—there had never been any fair basis for such comparisons.
In this moment of painful clarity, she finally recognized the full extent of her mistakes and was overcome with overwhelming grief and crushing remorse.
Seeing Su Wanqing's obvious anguish and fury, Ye Jin felt momentarily lost and desperate. He hurried forward to attempt comforting her, saying pleadingly, "Madam, this entire disaster is my fault and mine alone. I would never blame you for any of this. Please don't torture yourself with guilt."
"I never anticipated that our child had been silently enduring this treatment for an entire month without ever mentioning his suffering to either of us. I honestly don't understand why he kept his mouth shut about these conditions. If he had simply spoken up about the situation, would I have continued to treat him so harshly?"
Hearing this pathetic attempt at self-justification, Su Wanqing looked up at him with eyes filled with icy contempt. She pushed him away forcefully and spoke with cutting coldness: "Ye Jin! Even at this critical point, when everything has fallen apart, you still refuse to take responsibility for finding our son and bringing him home. Instead, you continue pathetically shirking responsibility and making excuses."
"You are the primary culprit responsible for Qiu'er becoming what he is today."
"He was absolutely right about you—you are completely unworthy of being called a father! I have finally seen your true character clearly today."
"In your selfish eyes, there has only ever been your precious reputation and social standing. You have never genuinely cared about your child's emotional growth, wellbeing, or happiness."
At this point, a single tear rolled down her cheek as Su Wanqing continued with merciless, heartbreaking coldness: "You can continue playing the role of your celebrated hero for the masses. I am leaving this place! From this day forward, I never want to see your face again."
After delivering this final, devastating declaration, the elegant white figure transformed into a stream of brilliant light and disappeared completely from everyone's sight.
"Madam! Please wait!"
Ye Jin was thrown into complete panic and desperation. He had never imagined that what seemed like such a relatively minor incident could escalate into this total catastrophe.
In the span of a single day, he had managed to lose both his eldest son and his beloved wife simultaneously. His entire being seemed to age decades in an instant as he collapsed dejectedly onto the stone steps, looking utterly defeated.
Everyone present watched this heartbreaking scene unfold with held breath, not daring to utter a single word or sound.
They all understood that if Ye Jin decided to take out his explosive rage and frustration on everyone around him because of this family destruction, the entire city of Liyang would run red with blood, and no earthly power would be able to stop his vengeful wrath.
"Father! Please allow me to go and comfort Mother. Don't worry about this situation—I'll handle everything."
Seeing his father's completely distraught and broken appearance, Ye Qing finally couldn't remain silent any longer and stepped forward to speak.
Perhaps at this moment, he was the only person remaining who could still communicate with Ye Jin effectively.
After witnessing this massive family upheaval firsthand, the chill of anger in his own heart had grown significantly stronger and more intense.
This was all the fault of that damned Ye Qiu! If it weren't for his selfish, destructive behavior, their parents would never have turned against each other like this, and their family would have remained harmonious and peaceful, without all these terrible troubles and conflicts.
Ever since that bastard had returned to their lives, their household had never experienced a single moment of true quiet or peace.
Looking up slightly at this second son who had always been the source of his greatest pride and joy, Ye Jin finally felt a small measure of comfort and relief.
At least this boy remained sensible, mature, and understanding of his father's difficult position. After hearing his thoughtful suggestion about comforting Su Wanqing, Ye Jin felt his heart warm slightly with gratitude.
The only logical place Su Wanqing could have gone after leaving the Ye family estate was her childhood family home—the renowned Tingchao Sword Pavilion.
Locating her there would actually be quite simple and straightforward.
However...
Ye Jin knew with painful certainty that even if he managed to comfort and console his wife, it wouldn't truly solve the fundamental problem at the heart of this crisis.
Because as long as Ye Qiu remained missing and refused to return home, Su Wanqing would never find it in her heart to forgive him for his failures as a father.
But could he really swallow his pride and humble himself enough to admit his mistakes directly to his own son?
The answer was clear—he simply couldn't bring himself to do such a thing. He truly couldn't bear the humiliation.
He had lived his entire life with such overwhelming pride and arrogance, and there was absolutely no one besides Su Wanqing who possessed the power to make him bow his head and acknowledge his faults.
Furthermore, this person in question was his own son—was he really expected to humble himself and admit wrongdoing to someone who should be showing him respect and obedience? Such a scenario would be an unprecedented story for the ages.
"Hah..."
Ye Jin released a long, weary sigh that seemed to carry the weight of decades, appearing to age dramatically in a matter of moments. A profound sense of defeat and resignation washed over his entire being as he spoke with obvious dejection.
"Haha, forget it! Just... forget everything. Let your mother rest and calm down for a few days at her family home. Once her anger finally subsides naturally, I will go personally to invite her back with proper respect."
"The prestigious Three Thousand States Genius Conference is rapidly approaching! Qing'er, you should begin your preparations immediately and focus entirely on advancing your cultivation. You don't need to concern yourself with these troublesome domestic matters."
"Tomorrow morning, you will return directly to Bu Tian Mountain and resume your training!"
After delivering these instructions, Ye Jin managed a bitter, hollow smile and began walking silently toward the rear chambers of the mansion, his once-proud figure now appearing incredibly lonely and defeated.
There was absolutely no trace remaining of his legendary, invincible king's aura and commanding presence.
Watching his father's pathetic, solitary figure retreat into the distance, Ye Qing silently clenched his fists with tremendous force, his eyes burning with pure, undiluted hatred and rage.
"Ye Qiu! You worthless, destructive bastard... I swear I will never let you escape the consequences of what you've done today!"