Chapter 320: Hear All, Be Enlightened; Trust Only One, Be in Darkness

These three are influential in Xiliang City, of lofty status, and their words carry great weight. The townspeople, hearing them, also start to become reasonable.

"Exactly, we can't just believe whatever that beggar says!"

"Miss Lin Da Xiaojie claims to be from Xi Ji, yet she just repeats what others say? She doesn't seem very clever."

"Could it be that she was offended by Ye Qingran yesterday and is deliberately trying to add insult to injury?"

Hearing everyone speak like that, Lin Xueyan's already sullen complexion grew even worse. Especially since Ling Shaoyang and his companions were actually defending Ye Qingran, which made Lin Xueyan clench her teeth and a fire of anger gather in her chest.

"Li Si, you heard that too; everyone says we can't trust your one‑sided story. You claim to be Ye Qingran's husband, the child's father—do you have any proof?" Zhao Shi's eyes flickered as she asked Li Si.

"I have proof!" Li Si shouted, and while speaking, pulled a Jade Pendant from his filthy pocket.

"This Jade Pendant was the token Ye Qingran gave me years ago, saying I could use it to come to the Ye Residence to find her!"

Jade Pendant?

The crowd was startled.

They hadn't expected Li Si to actually have evidence.

Zhao Shi took the pendant from Li Si, examined it closely, and showed surprise: "I didn't expect it to really be a Jade Pendant from our Ye Residence!" Raising it for everyone to see, she continued, "Look, the front bears the character 'Ye' of our Ye Residence, and the reverse bears the character 'Qingran'—it is indeed Ye Qingran's!"

The onlookers began to doubt again.

Could Beggar Li Four be not lying?

Lin Xueyan smiled smugly, "Ye Qingran, it seems it's not that I am biased and thus in the dark. As the saying goes, if you don't want others to know, you must not do it yourself. Some things, people act, Heaven watches; do you agree?"

Ye Qingran glanced over the Jade Pendant.

It was indeed her Jade Pendant, but she had lost it many years ago; she hadn't expected it to be with Zhao Shi.

"Qingran, do you still recognize this Jade Pendant? It was given to you by your mother," Zhao Shi twirled the pendant, half‑smiling.

"Indeed, this Jade Pendant is truly mine."

Zhao Shi was not surprised that Ye Qingran would say that. After all, the Jade Pendant had been left to Ye Qingran by Yun Sui Feng, that scoundrel, and she treasured it greatly. Back then, losing it caused a huge commotion.

Seeing Ye Qingran admit it, everyone showed surprise.

It seems Li Si really didn't lie!

"What are you all doing blocking the gate of my Ye Residence? Disperse at once!" Ye Yu, just back from the court, saw the crowd jammed at the entrance and became furious.

Zhao Shi's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly fluttered toward Ye Yu's carriage like a flower butterfly.

"Sir, you finally returned; something big has happened!" Zhao Shi shouted dramatically.

"What happened?" Ye Yu frowned, looking displeased.

Ever since Ye Huanhuan's Spiritual Root was ripped out by that brat Ye Qingran and his whereabouts became unknown, he has endured ridicule from court officials; nothing has gone his way. He blames it all on Ye Qingran! If not for her, would he be in such a sorry state?

It was just a holy Spiritual Root, wasn't it? Couldn't Ye Qingran be a bit more generous and give it to Huanhuan?

Without the holy Spiritual Root, Ye Qingran would at most become a useless person, but Huanhuan almost paid with his life for it!

Most importantly, it ruined his official career!

How did he end up with such a white‑eyed wolf? He should have strangled her while she was still a baby, ending it all!

Zhao Shi replied at this moment, "Sir, the man from Ye Qingran's past has returned! He says he wants to see mother and child!"

"What?"

"The man of Ye Qingran has returned?"

"Who is that man? Is he from a powerful family?" Ye Yu's eyes were filled with anticipation, and his mind already began to calculate.

How could Zhao Shi not understand Ye Yu's thoughts? He was hoping that the man of Ye Qingran came from a great clan or powerful faction, so he could reap benefits.

However, Ye Yu would ultimately be disappointed.

Zhao Shi shook her head, sighed, "Alas, that man is not a person of power or wealth, but an ugly, penniless beggar!" As she spoke, Zhao Shi lowered her gaze, hiding the glee in her eyes.

Sure enough, upon hearing it's a beggar, Ye Yu's face instantly stretched, as if a storm were gathering, dark and terrifying.

"This waste! He can't even find a man!" He actually chose a beggar! He's completely useless!

He shouldn't have any expectations of this waste!

Seething with anger, Ye Yu stepped out of the carriage and strode toward Ye Qingran.

"You Rebellious Woman! Is my disgrace not enough? How dare you bring this wild man back to me?!" Ye Yu shouted, raising his hand to slap Ye Qingran's face.

Lin Xueyan saw this and a smile appeared on her face.

Fight her; it'd be best to kill Ye Qingran!

But the next second, Ye Qingran seized Ye Yu's hand, her voice cold as ice, "Lord Ye seems to have forgotten that we severed our father‑daughter ties long ago; you have no right to reprimand me!" With a forceful pull, Ye Yu was thrown backward, stumbling and nearly falling.

"You Rebellious Woman, how dare you treat me like this? You will face Heavenly Punishment! You will go to hell!" Ye Yu trembled as he pointed at Ye Qingran, shouting.

"Is that so? Then I'll be waiting!"

"Sir, don't be like that! Ye Qingran was young and ignorant back then, made a mistake; you can't blame her. At least that man has returned; if they marry, Ye Qingran won't have to bear the stigma!"

When Ye Yu heard Zhao Shi say that, his eyes flickered, and a calculation formed in his heart.

Since Ye Qingran is unreliable, he might as well go with the flow and marry her off to a beggar, condemning her to a life of constant hardship!

"Where is that man?"

Li Si bowed to Ye Yu, "Lord Ye, I am here!"

Ye Yu looked down and saw Li Si with disheveled hair, tattered clothes, filthy and wretched; a wave of nausea rose, thinking that Ye Qingran truly was lowly—she rejected so many good men and chose such a trashy specimen!

"How old are you, what do you do, and where do you live?" Ye Yu asked.

"I'm thirty‑eight this year, now a beggar, and I live in Dustpan Village outside the city," Li Si replied respectfully.

"What?"

"The beggar is already thirty‑eight?"

Although he didn't look young, his filth made it impossible to discern his true age.

As for Dustpan Village...

Isn't that the famous poor village outside the city?

An old, ugly beggar from that poor village?

Any normal woman would look down on such a man, wouldn't she?

Ye Yu felt another wave of disgust, but still endured and said: "In that case, as long as your family can produce a single cash coin, I agree to marry Ye Qingran to you! As for the wedding feast, let's cancel it!"

One cash coin?

The Prime Minister's Residence's esteemed grand miss is only worth a single cash coin as betrothal gift?

Simply unheard of!

Ling Shaoyang and the others' faces all looked very grim.

Ye Yu, as Ye Qingran's biological father, actually dares to insult her in front of so many people! Not to mention a great family like the Ye Family, even ordinary households have no precedent of selling two daughters for a single cash coin!

Han Xing Leng Yue could bear it no longer; just as she lifted a foot, Ye Qingran stopped her.

Ye Qingran looked at Ye Yu and said: "Lord Ye, you want to decide for me? What are you, some scallion?"

Ye Yu's eyes sank, "Just because you are my seed! Even though we have severed ties, your blood carries the Ye Family lineage!"

Ye Qingran slowly nodded, "You've reminded me; we should get a bloodline detection."

Ye Yu stared, "What do you mean?"

Ye Qingran looked at him, but smiled without speaking.

Lin Xueyan timely spoke up, "Ye Qingran, just listen to Lord Ye; he means well for you. After all, you're pregnant out of wedlock, and now the child's father has returned. Even if you despise him for being poor and ugly, he is still the child's father! If you marry Li Si, you'll lose only yesterday's man. If you refuse Li Si, the child will lose a happy family!"