Chapter 14 – Ye’s Mother Past

“Since none of you like me, why won’t you sever ties with me?” Ye Siran frowned as she asked, noticing her mother losing composure and even blurting out curses.

“If we break ties with you, who’s going to cook for us? You can’t marry Brother Hongwen now, so what’s the point of being arrogant? I’m hungry—go make food.”

Ye Weiguo pointed at Ye Siran with rude impatience.

“Ye Weiguo, you say I’m arrogant? Honestly, haven’t I treated you well all my life?” Ye Siran asked in disbelief.

“I’m your brother. Isn’t it natural for you to be good to me? What, you expect me to be eternally grateful too?”

Ye Siran looked at her brother deeply. This was the brother she had raised from birth, tending to him in sickness and health. And in his eyes, she was the arrogant and overbearing one?

When was she ever arrogant?

He had grown up drinking and gambling late into the night with his shady friends, and by thirty, his health was ruined. She had made medicinal meals to help him recover—some recipes alone took over two hours to prepare, and the process was extremely meticulous.

In her previous life, she had studied traditional Chinese medicine just to learn how to make medicinal dishes, but Ye Weiguo always favored Ye Ruyue instead.

Looking at her now-healthy and plump brother, Ye Siran didn’t want to argue anymore.

She glanced at her stepfather and then at her mother, who was still sprawled on the floor, and said expressionlessly:

“Dad, I’m tired. I’ll go back to my room to rest. You two can discuss whether you need my help.”

Her mother, noticing the warning in her husband’s eyes, cried out: “Siran, you’re the flesh that came from my own body. How could I not like you?”

“Good Siran, hurry up and make food. Your brother is waiting to eat before going to school. Your dad and I also have to go to work.”

Ye Siran looked back at her mother lying on the floor, looking pitiful, as if she hadn’t just been the one hitting her.

If it weren’t for having lived a previous life, Ye Siran would have been swayed by this pitiful look, feeling guilty. Her mother was truly formidable; in her past life, she had been manipulated and psychologically twisted in countless ways.

Ye Siran had always thought her mother was pitiable and that she needed to do more to help her stand tall.

It wasn’t until the moment she nearly died from anger that she realized how much her mother truly hated her. That cruel look had haunted her even after rebirth.

In her past life, she had been with He Hongwen, and Ye Ruyue hadn’t been involved, so she never noticed how shockingly biased her mother was.

She had restrained herself, only wanting to let go and not interfere, without seeking revenge.

In truth, Ye Siran hated He Hongwen and Ye Ruyue, but she hated her own weakness even more.

Ye Ruyue had dared to move into her home with her son, arrogantly turning everything upside down.

Wasn’t it only because Ye Siran had granted her that power? No excuse needed—people like Ye Ruyue were allowed to live arrogantly, while the “loyal dog” was forced to endure hardship.

Her lifelong melancholy had nothing to do with anyone else; it was because of her own blindness and naivety, her pure and obsessive attachment to both family and love.

Truly, people blinded by love are blind—what about He Hongwen was worthy of her affection?

And what about that scheming Ye Ruyue that deserved her gratitude?

And her mother—what was there to pity?

Her pretentious stepfather—what was there to respect?

“I had lunch with Uncle He outside today. I won’t be making meals now, and I won’t in the future. If you’re hungry, cook for yourselves.”

“Waaah… Dad, Mom, I’m hungry! I want food!” Ye Weiguo cried, sitting on the floor. He didn’t want the disgusting breakfast his mom made; he didn’t care to eat another meal.

“Ye Siran, are you only being good to us because of Brother Hongwen?” Ye Ruyue, who hadn’t spoken until now, yelled angrily.

“What do you mean?” Ye Siran asked in confusion. Her decision not to cook had nothing to do with that scumbag!

“When you were engaged to Brother Hongwen, you cooked for us every day. Now that you can’t marry him, you immediately stop cooking?”

“So you’re just giving up out of spite? Second sister, someone like you deserves not to be liked by Brother Hongwen.”

“Sister, why didn’t you get your marriage certificate with Brother Hongwen this morning? Uncle said, as long as I…”

Ye Siran’s words were sharply cut off by Ye Ruyue: “So it’s you causing trouble? Dad, Mom, she wants to sever ties, right? Why are you hesitating? Write it immediately! I will marry Brother Hongwen!”

Ye Ruyue shouted urgently. Until yesterday, she had felt that marriage with He Hongwen was impossible. Now, with only a marriage certificate standing in the way, how could she give up?

“The rebellious child wants to sever ties? Dream on! I won’t…” her mother said, her face twisted, only to be interrupted by Ye Ruyue’s tearful pleading:

“Mom, don’t you love Ruyue? Just write the severance quickly, and from now on, you’ll be my real mom. I’ll be filial to you.”

Ye Ruyue even went forward to help her mother up. Seeing her daughter obsessed with the man she loved, Song Chunhua was torn inside.

More than twenty years ago, she had lived in a small county village near a military base. Her brother and sister-in-law had forced her into despair, and she had tried to commit suicide by jumping into a river.

By a stroke of fate, someone saved her. Learning that he was from the capital, she clung to him.

But he already had a fiancée, reportedly a star performer in the art troupe.

He refused to give up his fiancée, while her mother caused a scene, claiming everywhere that she was pregnant.

She spread rumors that the man had abandoned her, made her daughter pregnant, and couldn’t leave his superior fiancée…

The man, unafraid even of death, somehow got intimidated by her mother and agreed to marry her.

There was only one condition: he would not consummate the marriage but promised to give her all his salary.

Her mother only wanted money, and at the time she wanted nothing more than peace, so she agreed without hesitation.

After the wedding, she stayed at her parents’ home, but with the salary, her brother and sister-in-law could no longer force her to work.

Eight months later, the man appeared, saying he wanted her to live with him.

Then she discovered why he had agreed to marry her: he had actually gotten his fiancée pregnant by secretly consummating with her.

If her mother had caused trouble, his fiancée’s reputation would have been ruined, and she would have faced serious consequences. Out of concern for his fiancée, he suffered the compromise himself.

Eight months into marriage, she became a mother without pain, but the child was not with her—it was sent back to the Ye family in the capital, entrusted to his grandparents.

The woman also vanished, and she spent three years living peacefully with the man.

He kept his word, often away on assignments, and even when he returned, he preferred sleeping on the floor rather than sharing a room.

Later, she wanted to have another child, so she secretly gave her ex-husband an infertile medicine. Unexpectedly, he ran away, and ten months later, he returned with a daughter.