Medicine Martial Prodigy
Chapter 512: Harsh Reality

Chapter 512: Chapter 512: Harsh Reality

"Family Head!"

Ye Qingwan, upon seeing the elderly man, was momentarily stunned before snapping back to reality, calling out with a tone that was both nervous and unfamiliar.

Family Head?

Qin Chuan furrowed his brow, observing Ye Qingwan’s demeanor and her reference to the man, it was clear their relationship was not particularly close.

The Ye Family Patriarch—Ye Qingwan’s own biological grandfather—but Ye Qingwan addressed him as "Family Head," which spoke volumes about their relationship.

When Ye Zhong heard Ye Qingwan refer to him in that manner, he looked at her with an ostensibly benign expression, smiling as he said, "What’s the matter? Not calling me grandpa anymore?"

Ye Qingwan bit her red lip tightly, her face a knot of conflict, struggling internally, seemingly hesitant to address the man as grandfather.

Qin Chuan suddenly stepped forward, taking Ye Qingwan’s hand, and said, "If you’re hesitating, then use whatever title you used in the past."

If Ye Zhong truly regarded Ye Qingwan as his granddaughter, how could he have allowed her to suffer injustice within the Ye Family?

Now, presenting himself with the image of a kindly grandfather at this juncture seemed all too fake.

Upon hearing Qin Chuan’s words, the tension in Ye Qingwan’s heart instantly dissipated, and she looked at Ye Zhong emotionlessly, saying, "Family Head, I came back this time only to see Ye Tiannan for the last time, to fulfill my mother’s dying wish. After that, I will never set foot in the Ye Family again."

Ye Zhong fell silent, his gaze lingering on Ye Qingwan, his thoughts unknown.

After a long while, he finally said, "Regardless of whether you acknowledge me as your grandfather, or whether you acknowledge your father, one thing remains undisputable—you have the blood of the Ye Family coursing through your veins."

Ye Qingwan let out a cold laugh, "Bloodline? Have the people of the Ye Family ever treated me as part of their lineage? When my mother was on her deathbed, worried for me, she had no choice but to contact my father. Even until her last moments, she admonished me not to hate Ye Tiannan."

"Since my return to the Ye Family, how much have I done for the contention of the heir? But what has he, my father, ever done for me, his daughter?"

"He allowed his wife to hire assassins to kill me, allowed her to insult and trouble me, even turned a blind eye to others mistreating me."

"In the Ye Family, apart from my cousin Ruoyi, who else has ever acknowledged me? In the eyes of those who consider themselves the true lineage of the Ye Family, I am nothing but an illegitimate daughter taken back into the fold, utterly unworthy of comparison."

"And now, even my wanting to return to the Ye Family to see Ye Tiannan for the last time is unwelcomed, to the point where even a lowly guard at the gate dares to insult me, forcing me to kneel and beg to be let in."

"Is this what you call the bloodline of the Ye Family?"

Ye Qingwan’s face was a picture of irony as she turned her gaze towards Ye Zhong, tears swirling in her eyes.

These words had been hidden in her heart for a long time, and she had never had the chance to express them, knowing that even if she did, no one would be willing to listen.

As for the man before her, the Ye Family Patriarch, this was only the third time she had seen him in over a decade since she had returned to the Ye Family.

Was this the normal relationship between a grandfather and granddaughter?

Ye Zhong, with a composed expression, said to Ye Qingwan, "You’re right, the Ye Family indeed owes you an apology, but you have also lived in the Ye Family for over a decade; you should be well aware of the cruelty within top-tier families."

Ye Qingwan remained silent, waiting for Ye Zhong to explain.

He continued, "The Ye Family, being one of the Nine Gates of Yandu and the most powerful among them, is closely watched by eight other families of equal standing, any carelessness, and the Ye Family could lose its position at the top."

"For this very reason, the most brutal competition for an heir’s ferocity occurred within the Ye Family. To become the Ye Family Patriarch, one must not only possess intelligence and martial prowess but also have top-tier emotional intelligence and even substantial connections."

"In such an environment, the Ye Family’s development isn’t only marked by cutthroat competition for inheritance; vying for greater influence within the family also demands competition."

"With hundreds of members in the Ye Family, and over a hundred in the direct lineage, how could you, a bastard daughter only brought back to the Ye Family in your teens, easily gain the family’s recognition?"

Ye Qingwan let out a cold laugh, "So you’re saying, if I don’t have sufficient ability, I’m destined to be bullied by my own kin?"

Ye Zhong nodded, "That’s right! Harsh though it may be, it’s an undeniable reality."

Witnessing Ye Zhong’s unhesitant acknowledgment, Ye Qingwan suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, Qin Chuan’s brow was furrowed. The internal strife of the Ye Family was brutal, yet normal for a top family.

An ancient saying goes, "Pity the beauty whose life is always fragile, most heartless are imperial households!"

Though this poem speaks of the harem of an emperor, it applies just as well to top Yandu families like the Ye Family.

Ye Qingwan’s aura surged as she stared at Ye Zhong and said coldly, "If that’s the case, there’s nothing more to say. Does the Ye Family Patriarch allow me in, or not?"

Ye Zhong replied, "In the past, you wouldn’t have been able to set foot in the Ye Family, but from now on, even if you choose to leave the Ye Family, its doors will always be open to you."

Having said that, Ye Zhong turned and left.

For a moment, Ye Qingwan was stunned. She had been ready to force her way in, yet Ye Zhong had just let her through?

Qin Chuan took a deep look in the direction Ye Zhong had left and said to Ye Qingwan, "The old man is quite pragmatic, indeed."

Suddenly, Ye Qingwan thought of something and asked, "Is it because of you?"

Qin Chuan nodded, "The old man’s strength is unfathomable, and he can hold his head high among the Nine Gates of Yandu, but during my time in Yandu, I’ve never heard a word about the Ye Family Patriarch’s cultivation."

"He sensed danger from me and knew he was no match. He wouldn’t be able to stop me even if he tried, so he might as well let you in, attempting to make you feel guilty under the pretext of family loyalty."

Ye Qingwan had an epiphany, her expression calming significantly, and she said with a tinge of sorrow, "After this last meeting, I will no longer have any ties with the Ye Family."

Qin Chuan took Ye Qingwan’s hand and gently squeezed it, saying softly, "Let’s talk about the future later. Just follow your heart for now."

"Okay!"

With no one obstructing them, Qin Chuan and Ye Qingwan smoothly made their way to Ye Tiannan’s residence.

"This really is realism!"

Qin Chuan said sarcastically as he looked at the quiet mansion.

Usually bustling with activity, the residence of Ye Tiannan was now silent in light of his critical illness, with not even security guards in sight.

Ye Qingwan wore a complex expression.

The two walked side by side into the mansion. Ye Tiannan lay in a sickbed placed in the main hall, and besides him, there was only a young maid, who was sitting on a sofa nearby, watching videos on her phone, and laughing unrestrainedly at parts she found amusing.

She hadn’t noticed Qin Chuan and Ye Qingwan enter the villa.

Seeing this, Ye Qingwan’s face instantly darkened, and she angrily said, "Is this how you tend to the sick?"