For the sake of the Family, Yue Bo would sacrifice his own daughter without hesitation—what was a mere Yue Qingshan compared to that?
On the other end of the communication stone, bitterness welled in Yue Ming's chest as her father's words echoed in her mind.
She would never be the only one at Ye Qian's side. That much was certain now.
Xia He. Qiu Lan. And now Yun Xi, who had appeared so suddenly. Four women already, and how long had it even been? At this rate, there would only be more.
Yue Ming had no choice. At this point, acceptance was her only path forward.
She exhaled softly, her response carrying all the weight of her resignation.
"Yes, Father. I understand what must be done."
How she longed for the old days—when diligent cultivation earned praise, rather than serving a man like some ornament. Those days felt like another lifetime now.
The communication ended.
Yue Bo wasted no time. The news he'd received demanded immediate action—a clear, unambiguous statement that would distance the Yue Family from catastrophe.
Yue Qingshan's reckless behavior had absolutely no connection to them. None whatsoever.
He summoned every elder at once and laid the matter bare before them.
"What?! That brat dared to do such a thing?! Is he tired of living?!"
"Bastard! Challenging Young Master Ye Qian behind our backs! Does he think our family has lived too comfortably for too long?!"
"A person like this cannot remain! Expel him from the family immediately!"
"Exactly! We cannot allow this madman to continue dragging us toward ruin! Once he's expelled, his actions will have no connection to us!"
"We should be thanking the heavens that Young Master Ye Qian is magnanimous enough not to pursue our Family over this.
Otherwise..."
The elder's voice trailed off, the unspoken threat hanging heavy in the air.
Righteous fury erupted from every corner of the chamber. The elders trembled with both rage and fear—a cold sweat breaking across their backs as they realized how close they'd come to annihilation.
Who could have imagined Yue Qingshan capable of such suicidal recklessness?
If Ye Qian chose to pursue the matter, the entire Yue Family would face extinction.
Yue Bo observed the elders' united indignation and nodded with grim satisfaction. He pressed his hands downward, commanding silence, then spoke with iron certainty.
"Since everyone recognizes the gravity of this situation, then as Family Head, I bear the sacred obligation to protect our family's survival.
Therefore, I have decided—from this moment forward, Yue Qingshan is expelled from the family.
He is no longer a member of the Yue Family!"
His voice rang out like a judge's gavel—firm, final, without the slightest hesitation.
Every elder present nodded their agreement. There was no other choice.
The Grand Elder stroked his grizzled beard, his aged voice carrying absolute conviction.
"Precisely! Expel this black sheep immediately! From this day forward, our Yue Family has no person named Yue Qingshan!"
With both the Family Head and Grand Elder in alignment, the remaining elders raised no objections.
The decree spread like wildfire through every corner of the Family's domain—Yue Qingshan was no longer one of them.
From that moment, he stood alone. The Yue Family would never shield him again.
...
Meanwhile, Ye Qian received another prompt from the System.
[Ding! Yue Qingshan has been expelled from the Yue Family. All connections severed. 500 Luck Value lost. Congratulations to Master for gaining 500 Villain Points.]
[Current Balance: 1000 Villain Points!]
Genuine surprise flickered across Ye Qian's features.
He hadn't expected the Yue Family to move so decisively—expelling Yue Qingshan without prompting and inadvertently earning him another five hundred Villain Points.
At that moment, Yue Ming entered from outside. Ye Qian glanced up just as she appeared.
The pieces fell into place immediately.
Yue Ming informed the Yue Family about Yue Qingshan's challenge.
Terrified of being implicated, they severed all ties instantly—cutting him loose to protect themselves.
A smile tugged at Ye Qian's lips. Earning Villain Points without lifting a finger? Quite agreeable indeed.
Yue Ming caught sight of his inexplicable smile and confusion flickered across her delicate features.
Nothing unusual had occurred here—so why was he smiling?
Though curiosity gnawed at her, she swallowed her questions.
As Ye Qian's personal maid, she understood the boundaries Xia He had drilled into her—know only what you're permitted to know, and never ask about what you shouldn't.
She forced herself to remain silent, though the curiosity lingered.
Then Ye Qian's voice cut through her thoughts, yanking her back to the present.
"Just now... you communicated with your father, didn't you?"
Yue Ming's eyes widened, pupils contracting sharply.
She had been so careful—checking her surroundings thoroughly before activating the communication stone, ensuring absolute privacy.
Yet somehow, he knew.
Panic seized her. Her head dropped immediately, hands clenching into tight fists as terror coiled in her chest.
Xia He's warning echoed in her mind—never convey any information about the Young Master to anyone else.
She had forgotten completely, and only now did the gravity of her mistake crash down upon her.
"Young Master, I...
Father contacted me first. He wanted to know if Yue Qingshan had done anything inappropriate.
Beyond that, I swear I said nothing else."
Fear wrapped around her heart like an icy vice.
What if Ye Qian grew to dislike her because of this? What if she lost any chance of ever being more than just a maid?
She couldn't stop him from taking other women—she knew that much. But she refused to remain nothing but a servant forever.
A shadow fell across her lowered gaze. Someone stood before her now, though she hadn't heard him approach.
Even without looking up, she recognized the fine fabric of his robes.
Ye Qian.
A finger slipped beneath her chin, lifting it with inexorable gentleness until she had no choice but to meet his eyes.
Her entire body went rigid, every muscle taut with tension.
"You should know by now that I despise anyone sharing my affairs with others—no matter how trivial the matter might seem.
Such breaches are simply not permitted.
I believe Xia He made that abundantly clear to you."
His voice remained soft, almost conversational, yet it carried an undercurrent that made her blood run cold.
"So tell me, Yue Ming... why did you make this mistake?"
He pinched her chin lightly, holding her gaze captive with his own.
Yue Ming's hands clenched into white-knuckled fists at her sides. She dared not resist, dared not even breathe too loudly.