Seeing that Cheng Ye remained unmoved, Cheng Wei grew even more irritated. As the CEO of Cheng Group, she was usually extremely busy, yet now she had to personally come over for Cheng Ye’s trivial matters. The thought alone made her restless with annoyance.
“Cheng Ye, think this through carefully. After leaving the Cheng family, you’ve already lost your financial support. You won’t be able to sustain your life for long,” Cheng Wei said angrily. “Marrying into the Chu family won’t bring you any harm.”
Her words immediately reminded Father Cheng.
His tone turned forceful, “It’s easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality. You’ve lived in luxury for three years in the Cheng family. I don’t believe you can adapt to a poor and simple life anymore.”
“You were the one who proposed cutting ties. We never forced you to leave the Cheng family. The one at fault is you.”
“Your mother and I, your three sisters, and Cheng Fenghao… none of us have wronged you. The Cheng family has never wronged you.”
“You don’t even have the most basic sense of gratitude. If we hadn’t taken you back into the Cheng family, you would still be an unwanted orphan!”
Father Cheng had never thought there was anything wrong with himself. “I think you’ve just been led astray in that orphanage!!”
Cheng Ye remained expressionless, listening to them sing the same tune back and forth. It was truly laughable.
“Mr. Cheng, I do not accept the labels you’re placing on me.”
His voice was cold to the bone, “Is it my fault that I grew up in an orphanage? Is it my fault that I never experienced the warmth of a real family?”
“If you truly cared about me, would I have gone so far as to cut ties?!”
Tears welled up in Mother Cheng’s eyes. She tried to grab Cheng Ye’s hand, but he raised his arm and pushed her away indifferently.
Cheng Ye didn’t even bother sparing her a glance, “Ms. Xu, put away your hypocritical tears.”
At those words, Mother Cheng’s face turned pale and stiff. Embarrassment flooded her chest. She withdrew her hand awkwardly and burst into tears, “Xiao Ye, it’s all my fault. You’ve suffered so much all these years outside.”
“Come back home with us. You’ll still be the eldest young master of the Cheng family. We’re a family… wouldn’t it be better if we were together?” she said, trying her best to persuade him patiently.
“Sure,” Cheng Ye replied calmly, “kick Cheng Fenghao out, and I’ll agree to go back with you.”
He had no intention of returning to the Cheng family. He just wanted to see their reaction.
“He’s occupied my position as the young master of a wealthy family for eighteen years. It’s about time he returned it to its rightful owner, isn’t it?”
When Cheng Ye had first arrived at the Cheng family, he knew they doted on Cheng Fenghao. He hadn’t planned to target him and had instead tried to get along with him.
However, after a series of framed incidents, he became the disobedient, troublemaking rebellious youth in their eyes, while Cheng Fenghao naturally played the role of the kind and magnanimous young master.
A cold glint flashed in Cheng Ye’s eyes. Cheng Fenghao’s intentions were clear… to drive him out of the wealthy family and completely take his place.
“Cheng Ye, you’re dreaming!” Cheng Wei snapped furiously, her hatred for him undisguised.
“Fenghao is my brother. You’re asking him to leave the Cheng family? His biological parents are already dead. Without family, how would he survive on his own?”
She had to admit that when she heard Cheng Ye had grown up in an orphanage, she felt a trace of guilt. But if she had to choose between the two, she would still choose Cheng Fenghao without hesitation.
After all, Fenghao was the younger brother who had spent eighteen years by their side.
In the past three years, she had barely gotten to know Cheng Ye.
Cheng Shiyan felt restless and irritated, “Think of some other condition. We might agree to it, as long as you keep a proper distance from all other girls except the eldest daughter of the Chu family.”
She deeply cared for Fenghao, and it wasn’t just for show. Their bond was strong. Asking Fenghao to leave the Cheng family? Completely unrealistic.
Even without blood ties, they were closer than family. Moreover, Fenghao had once risked his life to save her from a fire.
If he hadn’t appeared and rescued her, she would have been burned alive in that blaze!
And what had Cheng Ye ever done for her? Cheng Shiyan couldn’t help but sneer. Not only did he bully Fenghao repeatedly, he had even stolen her jewelry and necklaces to sell for money!
As expected, a child raised in an orphanage… his hands were never clean!
Mother Cheng felt as if her heart was being torn apart. She couldn’t understand why Cheng Ye simply couldn’t accept living under the same roof as Cheng Fenghao.
Wouldn’t it be better to live in harmony?
Cheng Ye was her flesh and blood, the son she had carried for ten months.
She had always been fair in her actions and would never favor one over the other.
What was Cheng Ye still dissatisfied with?!
Could it be that he was using extreme behavior just to gain their attention and affection?
Thinking of this, Mother Cheng calmed down. She spoke earnestly, “Xiao Ye, I know you still care about us. It’s just that your actions are a bit extreme.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t blame you. All the mistakes you’ve made before, we’ll let them go.”
The more Cheng Ye listened, the more ridiculous he found the Cheng family.
If you said they were foolish, they were all prominent figures in high society.
But if you said they were intelligent, they were all trapped in the lies woven by Cheng Fenghao.
If there had to be an explanation, it could only be blind favoritism.
This so-called “favoritism” had indeed stripped them of even the most basic judgment.
“Mr. Cheng, you say I’ve lived a luxurious life for three years. It seems you’ve never paid any attention to me at all,” Cheng Ye said with a mocking tone. “You don’t know anything about how I’ve actually been living.” This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Father Cheng’s pupils contracted sharply, his expression turning grim.
The others froze as well.
What exactly was Cheng Ye trying to say?!
“Clothing. You’ve never bought me a single piece.”
“Food. You’ve never let me sit at the table to eat. I either ate at school or by myself outside.”
“Living conditions. I stayed in a tiny storage room in the Cheng family villa. Even the servants’ rooms were larger, brighter, and more comfortable than mine.”
“Transportation. I walked to and from school every day, while Cheng Fenghao had a private driver.”
Father Cheng and the others exchanged looks, their eyes filled with shock.
“Now let’s talk about money,” Cheng Ye continued, his voice low. “Cheng Fenghao has a dedicated bank card just for his allowance top-ups. I don’t have one.”
“As for tuition, you’ve never paid it even once. I relied entirely on scholarships I earned through my academic performance in middle school.”
Throughout primary and middle school, Cheng Ye had consistently ranked at the top, receiving special attention from teachers and school leaders, and earning scholarship after scholarship.
Father Cheng and Mother Cheng were stunned.
The three sisters were in disbelief.
What?!
Middle school scholarships?
Cheng Ye had actually been a good student?!
Then why had his grades been so terrible since entering high school…
Father Cheng’s expression darkened. No matter how he thought about it, he had never imagined that Cheng Ye had lived so poorly over these past three years.
The Cheng family had given him no real help, neither materially nor emotionally.
Mother Cheng’s heart clenched painfully. She covered her mouth and burst into tears.
Three years had passed… not only had the Cheng family failed to make up for the hardships Cheng Ye had endured in his first fifteen years, it seemed they now owed him even more.
Meanwhile, Fenghao alone received over 100,000 yuan in weekly allowance.
Father Cheng’s gaze turned sharp with scrutiny, “Since you couldn’t keep up with your studies in high school and no longer earned scholarships, there’s no way you could have paid tuition and still had enough money to eat and survive, right?!”
He suddenly recalled that Cheng Ye had often behaved suspiciously in the Cheng household, sneaking around from time to time.