Liu Yizhou’s words struck Zhao Yijun like a slap across the face.
What baffled her even more was that Yu Zhehan—who had always stood by her side—remained silent this time.
“Zhehan, why are you acting like this too? Has that woman bewitched you as well?”
Yu Zhehan looked at her with a complicated expression. “Yijun, do you know why Yizhou has always protected you since we were kids? You’re the only person he’s ever compromised for.”
“Of course I know,” Zhao Yijun replied smugly. It’s because he’s in love with me.
“No, you don’t,” Yu Zhehan shook his head. “You weren’t there during the kidnapping, so you wouldn’t know. One person escaped—Ye Shaohua. But she didn’t run away to save herself. She lured the kidnappers away to rescue us. The criminals had bombs strapped to them. She led them off alone, saying she could run faster than the rest of us.”
He let out a bitter laugh. “The irony? She was younger than us, yet clearer-headed in that moment. They later found her in a ravine. If not for her, we’d have died that day. And you—you happened to be abroad ‘recuperating’ at the time. Everyone assumed it was you who saved us. That’s why Yizhou has always yielded to you.”
Now, Yu Zhehan understood Liu Yizhou’s turmoil. He didn’t know if Ye Shaohua had recognized them.
A part of him prayed she hadn’t.
When he first heard Liu Yizhou’s accusations, he’d called him in outrage—only to learn the truth. The revelation had frozen his blood.
Memories of the past months replayed in his mind, especially that day at the villa when Ye Shaohua had looked at him with unfamiliar eyes.
A chilling thought gripped him: Had she known all along?
“So right now, you should pray Yizhou doesn’t retaliate.” With one last glance at Zhao Yijun, Yu Zhehan walked away.
Zhao Yijun collapsed into a chair, her body numb with dread. She had made the worst mistake of her life.
The Fall of the Zhao Family
The Zhao empire crumbled as quickly as it had risen. Old Master Zhao and his wife were consumed by regret. Had they known Ye Shaohua’s capabilities, they would never have tried to suppress her or force Ye Dongxiang away.
Unaccustomed to hardship, they sought Ye Shaohua’s mercy—but never even got an audience.
Old Master Zhao, in particular, agonized over how close he’d come to being the grandfather of the wealthiest woman in the country.
Zhao Yijun attempted to find work, but no company dared hire her—not with her feud against Ye Shaohua and Liu Yizhou’s silent vendetta.
The Zhao family, drowning in debt, lost their villa.
After Liu Yizhou’s public statement, everyone learned the truth: Ye Shaohua had never been the other woman. Zhao Yijun, however, had schemed relentlessly.
Wealthy men, drawn by her beauty, offered her money in exchange for companionship—until their wives inevitably caught wind.
More than once, Zhao Yijun was beaten bloody by furious spouses.
Today was no different. As she curled on the ground, shielding her face from kicks, she caught sight of Ye Shaohua’s billboard overhead.
There, Ye Shaohua remained untouchable, radiant—while Zhao Yijun had become society’s punching bag.
…
Liu Yizhou’s company, Yongteng, survived—though diminished. He knew the only reason Ye Shaohua hadn’t crushed him completely was the 200,000 yuan he’d once lent her.
Now, he stood outside the International Finance Center, waiting distractedly for Ye Shaohua’s arrival for a bidding event.
Suddenly, alarms blared.
“President Liu, evacuate! There’s a fire upstairs!”
As he was ushered out, the flames engulfed the building. Several people remained trapped inside. Firefighters struggled to contain the blaze, and even reinforcements hesitated to enter.
Amid the chaos, Liu Yizhou noticed weeping families—including a distraught noblewoman he recognized: Ji Yunchen’s mother.
Was he still in there?
“Miss, you can’t go in! The fire’s out of control!”
“Move. Let me through.”
The voice—cold yet urgent—made Liu Yizhou turn. In all their encounters, he’d never seen Ye Shaohua anything but composed. Now, her composure was shattered.
She shoved past two firefighters, draped a wet coat over herself, and sprinted into the inferno.
Watching her disappear into the flames, Liu Yizhou remembered: This was Ye Shaohua.
The same girl who, at five years old, had volunteered to lead armed kidnappers away. She never spoke of loyalty, but she never forgot those who showed her kindness.
Against all odds, she emerged from the fire—carrying an unconscious Ji Yunchen on her back.
The scene would haunt Ji’s mother for decades.
Aftermath
Ye Shaohua died.
No one was surprised—except that Ji Yunchen survived.
He was resuscitated after three days in critical condition.
When he awoke, he asked no questions. He gave no orders. For three days, he shut out the world, locked alone in his hospital room.
Then he reemerged—the ruthless, decisive Ji Yunchen once more.
The Zhao family, who’d hoped to rise after Ye Shaohua’s death, were obliterated under his wrath.
A new rule spread through the business world: You may cross Ji Yunchen. You may even disrespect the Ji family. But his line in the sand? The Ye family.
Epitaph
Many visited the tomb of the legendary Ye Shaohua.
The inscription was simple:
“Ye Shaohua—Who Fought Alone.”
(Rumor had it Ji Yunchen had it engraved.)
Beside it stood an empty grave, its epitaph reading:
“Ji Yunchen—Who Loved in Silence.”
