Li Yan’s nephew was exactly the kind of brat Yue Mingde expected.
Her family—especially Li Yan’s mother—had spoiled the boy rotten, letting him grow up with no sense of boundaries or basic manners. At home, he was nothing short of a little emperor.
“Today is Yaya’s full moon banquet,” Yue Mingde waved dismissively. “Why did you bring him here? Take him away!”
“I’m not leaving!” Li Yang stiffened his neck and glared at Yue Mingde. “Grandma told Auntie to bring me here for the feast, and I haven’t eaten anything yet!”
“Auntie, take me to get food!” He yanked Li Yan’s arm. “I’m starving!”
“If you let me starve, I’ll tell Dad and Grandma to beat you to death!” Li Yang threatened.
Li Yan quickly softened her voice to placate him. “Be good, Yangyang. Auntie will get you some biscuits and snacks first. The feast will start soon, and then you can eat properly.”
“I want the good ones, not the bad ones!” Li Yang sneered. “Save the spoiled ones for Yue Youxin and Yue Youhui—let them get diarrhea again. Maybe they’ll even die from it.”
“Especially Yue Youhui. Let’s see if he can still rank first after he’s dead!”
Had he not heard it himself, Yue Mingde would never have believed a ten-year-old could utter such venomous words—with a smile, no less.
“What did you say? Say it again!”
Like a panther pouncing on its prey, Yue Youxin lunged at Li Yang, slamming him to the ground and punching him squarely in the face.
He and Yue Youhui had been helping set the tables when they spotted their parents nearby. As they approached, they overheard Li Yang cursing Yue Youhui.
Yue Youxin’s mind flashed back to Yaya’s warning—how Li Yang had drowned Youhui at the reservoir in her vision.
Just the thought of losing Youhui made his chest tighten so painfully he could barely breathe.
If anything ever happened to Youhui, he’d spend the rest of his life drowning in endless grief, just as Yaya had foreseen.
Nightmares had plagued him ever since, his fear for Youhui’s safety gnawing at him relentlessly.
Li Yang’s words were the final spark that ignited his fury.
“You still want to hurt Youhui? I’ll kill you first!”
Every word was punctuated by another punch. Yue Youhui joined in, and soon, Li Yang was overpowered—no match for the brothers.
“Yue Youxin, stop!”
“Xiaoxin! Xiaohui!”
Li Yan and Yue Mingde rushed forward simultaneously, pulling the boys apart.
Li Yan was terrified Yue Youxin might seriously injure Li Yang, while Yue Mingde’s concern was for his sons—he’d seen Li Yang reaching into his pocket for something.
“Yangyang! Oh heavens, look at these bruises! His face is swollen!”
After shoving Yue Youxin aside, Li Yan hurriedly helped Li Yang up, inspecting his injuries with a mix of panic and anger. She knew her mother and elder brother would be furious when they saw him.
Slap!
Whirling around, she struck Yue Youxin hard across the face, her eyes burning with hatred as if he were her mortal enemy.
“Yue Youxin, how dare you hit your cousin!”
“He’s not my cousin! Did you even hear what he said?” Yue Youxin snarled.
“He was just joking! I’ve told you before—you and Youhui got sick because you ate something bad outside, not because of the snacks Grandma gave you!”
Li Yan jabbed a finger at Yue Youxin’s forehead. “You’re the troublemaker, dragging Youhui down with you!”
“Mom, Xiaoxin isn’t like that. He’s never led me astray.” Yue Youhui stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his brother. For the first time, he met his mother’s gaze without flinching.
“That day, we didn’t eat anything except the snacks from Grandma.”
“We know spoiled food when we taste it. We’re not stupid.”
“We see the difference in how you, Grandma, and Uncle treat us versus him. We feel it.”
“Youhui! How dare you talk to me like this!”
“You claim Yue Youxin hasn’t corrupted you, yet here you are, backtalking me!”
Li Yan staggered back, staring at her sons in disbelief before her expression crumpled into wounded betrayal.
“Fine. Fine! My own sons… I should’ve—”
“—should’ve strangled us at birth,” Yue Youhui finished coldly, his smile brittle.
“How nice. First, you only wanted Xiaoxin dead. Now it’s my turn.”
“Here’s your chance.”
He grabbed Li Yan’s wrist and pressed her hand against his throat. “Go ahead. Strangle me now!”
Horrified, Li Yan wrenched free and stumbled back, shrieking, “You’re insane! Insane!“
She clutched Yue Mingde’s arm, her face pale. “Yue Mingde, your son has lost his mind!”
“You’re the one who’s lost it!”
Shoving her away, Yue Mingde pulled his sons into a tight embrace, his voice thick with remorse.
“Xiaoxin, Youhui… Dad failed you. I let you suffer for too long.”
His heart ached with regret.
He knew their outburst was the result of years of suppression—and while Li Yan bore blame, so did he.
Children were the responsibility of both parents. He never should’ve left their upbringing entirely to Li Yan, allowing her to warp them like this.
Worse, he’d chosen to avoid conflict, pretending everything was fine. But avoidance only deepened the rift.
“Dad, we’re okay.”
Once they’d calmed, the boys wiped their tears and gently extricated themselves from his hold.
Yue Mingde ruffled their hair, his decision firm. “From now on, I’ll take care of you.”
“You? Ha! Go ahead—let them end up as useless as you!”
Li Yan wrapped an arm around Li Yang. “Yangyang, let’s get you to the hospital.”
Li Yang shoved her away. “No! I’m not leaving without eating!”
“Yangyang, Auntie will buy you whatever you want after we treat your injuries.”
“Promise?” Li Yang’s gaze slid past her, locking onto Yue Youxin with venom.
“Anything!”
“Then I want him dead!”
As Yue Youxin’s back was turned, Li Yang yanked a pocketknife from his jeans and charged.
Yue Mingde reacted instantly, shoving his sons behind him and spreading his arms like a shield—
—just as Yue Mingyuan, holding Yaya, intercepted with a vicious kick that sent Li Yang sprawling.
“Yangyang!”
Li Yan rushed to her nephew’s side, where he lay curled on the ground, gasping. She whirled on Yue Mingyuan.
“He’s just a child! What if you broke his ribs? He’s the only heir to our Li family!”
Yue Mingyuan’s face darkened. “So you’d rather he stabbed Xiaoxin? He’s the heir to our family.”
“If that knife had connected, your precious nephew would’ve faced execution!”
“Auntie, I don’t wanna die!” Li Yang wailed, clinging to Li Yan. “Yue Youxin hit me first! If anyone gets executed, it should be him!”
“You’re married into the Yue family! Grandpa Yue is a general—he can protect me!”
The brothers’ expressions turned stormy. Such words could only mean the Li family had been filling the boy’s head with these ideas.
If he’d attack his own cousins today, who’s to say he wouldn’t harm others tomorrow? Would the Lis exploit their ties to the Yue family to bully victims into silence?
And if rumors spread, the Yue name would be tarnished by association.
Li Yan paled, well aware of how much her father-in-law despised such behavior. She clamped a hand over Li Yang’s mouth, forcing a laugh.
“Mingyuan, kids say silly things. Don’t take it seriously.”
“Only children speak the truth.“
“Eldest sister-in-law… you’ve been warned.”
With that, Yue Mingyuan strode off.
Li Yan spun toward Yue Mingde, frantic. “W-what’s that supposed to mean? Is he going to tell Dad?”
