The moment Ye Yunshen said “sever ties,” Xiao Yunrong and the others were stunned.
Especially the two bodyguards, who looked at Ye Yunshen with visible surprise.
Xiao Yunrong recalled that she had asked Ye Yunshen before, and he had said he had neither family nor a lover.
That night, the three heiresses had used 1 billion yuan to smooth things over and save his life—money that came from Shen Qingqiu’s parents.
He had thought it was nothing more than dust to them, long since forgotten…
But what he hadn’t expected—was that Xia Anran remembered.
And even brought it up intentionally.
That jab had pierced straight through his heart.
That 1 billion yuan was his life-saving debt—it had to be repaid.
It was a debt owed to his foster father and mother.
And it was also an answer for Xia Anran.
“Miss Xiao, this price might be high… but I can cure your illness,” Ye Yunshen said seriously.
The two bodyguards scoffed. “Anyone can talk big. Let’s see if you can actually do it!”
“So many miracle doctors have failed to help our miss. And now a kid like you says you can cure her?”
Who’d believe that?
“Alright, I agree!”
“Huh?”
No one expected Xiao Yunrong to actually agree.
She pulled out a black diamond-studded card. “There’s 1 billion in here. The password is six zeros. If you can cure me, the money is yours.”
“But, Miss, what if he’s a fraud?” the bodyguards reminded her.
Xiao Yunrong glanced at them. “Do you have a better solution?”
Indeed not.
Her illness would take her life this year. Time was short.
Even if Ye Yunshen was a fraud, she had no choice but to try.
Just as Ye Yunshen was preparing to treat her, he suddenly hesitated. Because curing Xiao Yunrong required a technique called the Ninefold Needle.
This technique was known as the Grim Reaper’s Nemesis—but it consumed the practitioner’s lifespan!
Which meant that if he wanted to cure her, he would have to trade his own life for it.
For a moment, Ye Yunshen wavered.
He thought about everything he had done for the three heiresses over the years.
Especially the one hundred times he had donated blood.
Yet it wasn’t enough to earn even a sliver of genuine affection.
Bitter disappointment. Bone-deep pain.
Was it really worth it to give again for someone else?
But that thought only lasted a few seconds—before Ye Yunshen pushed it away.
Never mind not wanting to watch a young woman die in the prime of her life…
Just severing ties with Shen Qingqiu and the others required this 1 billion!
Thinking of that, he clenched his heart and pressed the needle down.
He didn’t know how much lifespan he had burned away in the process, but Ye Yunshen didn’t care.
Shen Qingqiu would never know—Ye Yunshen was willing to live a few years less just to be free of them!
As the final needle fell, Ye Yunshen put away his silver needles. “That should do it. She’ll wake up in a bit…”
He had expelled most of the cold poison in Xiao Yunrong’s body. Except for the traces that had deeply penetrated her organs, the rest had been cleared.
Ye Yunshen picked up the black card and left.
The two bodyguards were dumbfounded.
“That’s it?”
They knew exactly how hard it was to treat her illness.
And this guy cured her with just a few jabs?
He was probably a scammer!
For all they knew, that initial car accident had been part of his elaborate plan!
“I’ll go bring him back!” one of them said darkly.
But the other held him back. “Wait. He said she’d wake up soon. Let’s see what happens first.”
Soon, changes began to appear.
Xiao Yunrong’s body temperature returned to normal. Her cheeks even flushed with healthy color.
“This… is really working?”
The two bodyguards were speechless.
What stunned them even more was—
Xiao Yunrong… started to sweat!
A thin layer of sweat beaded on her smooth forehead.
This was something they never imagined could happen.
“God…”
“So hot…”
At that moment, Xiao Yunrong slowly regained consciousness, looking around in a daze.
“Miss! The treatment worked!”
“You’re sweating! Ever since your illness began, you’ve never sweated again!”
The two bodyguards shouted excitedly.
Xiao Yunrong quickly realized what had happened and immediately asked, “Where’s Mr. Ye?”
“He… took the money and left after the treatment.”
“Left?!”
Her brow furrowed. “Why didn’t you stop him? He’s the ‘turning point’ Grandpa spoke of!”
“What?”
The two bodyguards were shocked.
Ye Yunshen could cure her illness, yes—but calling him the ‘turning point’ her grandfather spoke of? Wasn’t that a bit much?
“There’s no mistake. He’s definitely the one Grandpa mentioned! I still have so many things I need his help with, and you just let him leave!”
Xiao Yunrong’s voice carried a trace of anger.
If he could cure her, then he might be able to cure her grandfather too.
Ye Yunshen was a mystery to her—a man she urgently wanted to understand.
As if she suddenly thought of something, she ordered, “He’s probably gone to sever ties. Go find him right now!”
“And within thirty minutes, I want his full background!”
She added sharply.
Something about Ye Yunshen told her—he was full of untold stories.
Shen family residence.
The place Ye Yunshen had lived in for three years.
Now, he stood at its gate, his eyes deep with complex emotions.
This was once the place he believed marked a new beginning for his life.
Shen Xuechang and Kong Fengyi never looked down on him because of his background. They accepted him as an adopted son.
They constantly encouraged him, gave him opportunities to prove himself.
This was also the home of the woman who once made his heart race.
Despite the disparity in status, she never treated him differently.
She cared for him wholeheartedly, showered him with affection.
He had even won her heart—the eldest daughter, Shen Qingqiu, married him!
At times, Ye Yunshen had wondered if it was all a dream.
If it was… he wished he’d never wake up.
He had been ready to give everything for this home—even change his surname.
He had once taken pride in the name “Shen.”
He had asked for nothing in return—he was ready to spend the rest of his life protecting this family.
But!
It had all been a lie!!!
That beautiful, dreamy illusion had been nothing but a mask—hiding deceit and hypocrisy.
And once the layers were peeled away, the cruel truth underneath chilled him to the bone.
“There’s no love or hate without a reason in this world.”
“It’s over…”
The complexity in Ye Yunshen’s eyes faded, replaced with resolute coldness.
He strode confidently into the Shen family estate.
In the garden, Shen Qingqiu’s parents—Shen Xuechang and Kong Fengyi—were watering flowers.
Behind them, a middle-aged man who looked like a butler was reporting something.
“Miss took Young Master Yunshen to donate blood again. This time the amount drawn was too much—he went into shock and passed out…”
Butler Liang reported.
Hearing this, Shen Xuechang and Kong Fengyi’s faces changed dramatically.
“That girl’s still not done?! Is that outsider really worth all this?” Shen Xuechang said angrily.
“How is Yunshen?!” Kong Fengyi was more worried about Ye Yunshen.
Hearing them talk about him, Ye Yunshen paused mid-step.
Now that he had mastered the Ninefold Mystic Arts, he could easily suppress his presence.
He stood quietly and listened.
“Young Master Yunshen has already regained consciousness. No major issues for now…”
Shen Xuechang and Kong Fengyi were just beginning to relax.
But Butler Liang continued, “But this time, Young Master Yunshen reacted strongly. He not only said he wanted to sever ties with Miss Lin and Miss Xia, but also asked for a divorce from Miss Shen. Miss Shen sent him away…”
“What?!”
BOOM!!
The couple nearly fainted.
“This is bad. My worst fear has come true…”
Shen Xuechang paced in agitation. “I’ve warned Qingqiu again and again—there’s a limit to everything. But no, she just had to go this far for that guy surnamed Cheng!”
“The most important thing now is to give Yunshen an explanation!” Kong Fengyi said sharply.
“An explanation? How?”
Shen Xuechang countered. “You know what Qingqiu is like. These past three years, she and the others kept searching the world for Cheng Zewen behind Yunshen’s back. When they couldn’t find him, that’s when she finally married Yunshen.”
“Yes, and Yunshen didn’t know anything! They pampered him with one hand while searching for someone else with the other!”
CRACK!
For Ye Yunshen, this moment was a thunderclap out of nowhere.
So they never stopped looking for Cheng Zewen!
The change didn’t happen after his return—they had never accepted him in the first place!
He was always just a substitute!
Ye Yunshen let out a bitter laugh.
Fine.
Very well.
If, before walking into the Shen residence, he had still carried a trace of hesitation or sentimentality—
Then after hearing this…
His decision to sever all ties became unshakable.
Shen Qingqiu, Lin Ruoxi, Xia Anran—it was you who personally ended what we had.
Three years ago… I never should’ve gone with you.