That night, Nuannuan slept in Ye Jinghuai's room.
"Daddy~ Nuannuan loves you~" Nuannuan whispered softly, nestled in Ye Jinghuai's arms.
"Daddy loves Nuannuan too~" A wave of warmth flowed through Ye Jinghuai's heart. He would not let anyone harm Nuannuan.
Nuannuan fell asleep after speaking, feeling incredibly secure in her father's embrace, her small lips occasionally twitching.
Ye Jinghuai also drifted off to sleep peacefully, breathing in Nuannuan's milky scent.
Online discussions about Nuannuan continued to escalate. Du Ruo, after two days, was growing impatient.
On this day, Du Ruo arrived at the entrance of Jingshan Villa with a group of reporters.
The Ye brothers had all received news as soon as Du Ruo began interacting with the reporters. They were all waiting at home for her arrival.
"Uncle Li, let the security guards let them in!" Ye Jinghuai said, sitting upright on the sofa.
"Second Brother, they are still live-streaming," Ye Jingzhi said, handing his phone to him.
"That's even better. Today, we'll let everyone see just how greedy this woman is," Ye Jingming said with a sly smile.
"Nuannuan, Daddy and your uncles have something to deal with in a bit. Will you stay at home, okay?"
Ye Jinghuai didn't want Nuannuan to witness Du Ruo's ugly demeanor.
"Daddy~ Nuannuan wants to go," Nuannuan said stubbornly, lifting her little head.
"Second Brother, perhaps Nuannuan should also go out. If everyone doesn't see Nuannuan's attitude in this scene, anything we say will be in vain," Ye Jingxing offered his suggestion.
"That's perfect then. Nuannuan, you can watch your third uncle punish the bad people later, alright?" Ye Jingming bent down and nuzzled Nuannuan.
"Okay~ Third Uncle, go for it!" Nuannuan waved her arms in support.
"Jingming, I don't want Nuannuan to see that her mother is such an ugly person!" Ye Jinghuai expressed his disapproval.
"Second Brother, protecting her excessively is also harming Nuannuan. Nuannuan has the right to know everything. Concealment will only lead to greater harm later. Besides, Nuannuan might not be completely unaware of things."
Ye Jingming stood up and looked directly at Ye Jinghuai, then patted his shoulder. He knew his second brother was letting concern cloud his judgment.
Outside, Du Ruo and the reporters had arrived at the gate. Ye Jinghuai had Uncle Li open the door and let them in. Everyone waited in the front garden.
As Du Ruo entered, she looked at the luxurious villa complex and the large, beautiful garden, her eyes flashing with intense greed, which she quickly concealed.
"Mr. Ye, Mr. Ye, can you share your thoughts on Ms. Du's matter?"
"Mr. Ye, will you allow Ms. Du Ruo to see her daughter?"
"Mr. Ye, will you forgive Ms. Du Ruo's past actions because of your daughter? Can you discuss it?"
The reporters swarmed Ye Jinghuai as soon as he appeared. Uncle Li directed the bodyguards to block them.
"Dear reporters, I believe Ms. Du did not bring you here for an interview, did she?"
Ye Jingming’s opening was laced with sarcasm. Ye Jinghuai stood there with a cold expression, holding Nuannuan, saying nothing.
"Nuannuan, Nuannuan, I'm your mommy, Nuannuan, I'm your mommy!" Du Ruo suddenly rushed out, trying to get to Nuannuan, but was blocked by bodyguards.
"Du Ruo, what do you want?" Ye Jinghuai spoke, cutting straight to the point with Du Ruo.
"Mr. Ye, I, I just want to see my daughter," Du Ruo replied tremblingly, intimidated by Ye Jinghuai's sharp gaze.
"Then you have seen her. You can leave now."
"No, that's not it. I want to talk to Nuannuan, I want to spend some time with her. I know I don't have custody rights. But I am her mother, I gave birth to her. Can I come and see Nuannuan often?"
As Du Ruo spoke, tears flowed again. She hunched her back, appearing exceptionally humble, as if Ye Jinghuai would refuse and she would have to kneel.
"I believe Ms. Du, you wouldn't have forgotten why Nuannuan was born to you, would you? How can you think you have visitation rights?"
Ye Jingming looked at her with a smile, acting extremely polite and showing great goodwill towards Du Ruo, but his words were relentless.
"Du Ruo! Your actions four years ago have already broken the law. The fact that our Ye family did not prosecute you was because you gave birth to Nuannuan."
Ye Jingchen stood to the side, his expression solemn, his eyes radiating authority. He exuded the presence he held in his official capacity.
"Young Master Ye, I know, I know I was wrong, and I will take responsibility. But Nuannuan cannot have a mother with a stain on her record! I beg you, I just want to see my daughter. I will use the rest of my life to repay this debt."
As Du Ruo spoke, she suddenly knelt down. Nanny Wu, who had seen through her intentions, along with several maids, forcibly held her up.
"Ms. Du, you aren't planning to kneel, are you? This isn't the age of slavery, and we ordinary folks can't handle you kneeling!" Ye Jingzhi looked at Du Ruo with disdain.
"You don't need to use the rest of your life. Just don't appear before Nuannuan again. As long as you agree, we'll let bygones be bygones regarding past matters." Ye Jinghuai gave her one last chance.
"Mr. Ye, you cannot strip away the bond between mother and daughter. I don't want anything; I just want to see Nuannuan. Is it not even possible for me to spend a few days with my daughter?"
"Ms. Du, if I say you can spend time with Nuannuan, but the price is that you must accept legal punishment, are you willing?" Ye Jingming suddenly relented, giving her a choice.
"Jingming?" Ye Jinghuai frowned, clearly disagreeing with his words.
Ye Jingming turned and winked at him.
"Third Young Master Ye, if I go to jail, how can I spend time with Nuannuan? Nuannuan, Nuannuan having a mother who goes to jail wouldn't sound good either! Can I repay in other ways?"
Du Ruo panicked at the mention of jail. She had come to get benefits, not to send herself in.
"You only gave birth to Nuannuan, but she has no relation to you," Ye Jingxing added immediately.
"Therefore, whatever happens to you in the future will not affect Nuannuan."
"No, no, Nuannuan, my daughter, I am your mother, I am truly your mother. Don't you want a mother?" Du Ruo, seeing the situation turn unfavorable, tried to use Nuannuan to break through.
Nuannuan had been silent since being brought out. Her small face was set, and her eyes held no emotion as she looked at Du Ruo.
"I don't want to!" Her childish voice fell heavily on everyone's ears.
"Bad woman, Nuannuan doesn't want to see you!" Nuannuan roared like an angry little lion, but her voice was so soft it sounded like a playful complaint.
"Nuannuan? How can you speak to your mother like that?"
Du Ruo looked heartbroken, as if devastated by her daughter's words, appearing lost.
[The Ye family is too much! They don't want Du Ruo to see her daughter again and have turned a child into someone so cold towards her own mother.]
[Heh, is this the nature of rich people? You guys talk about "brother, brother" all the time, but your brother grew up in a family like this.]
[What are you saying up there? Nuannuan grew up in an orphanage and has no feelings for her mother. Is it wrong for her to have resentment? You believe everything people say. Didn't you curse her when Nuannuan's background was first revealed?]
[I did curse her, but I learned the truth a couple of days ago and I think she can be forgiven!]
[I think those of us watching the live stream should use our brains a little! I always feel like the Ye family has been toying with Du Ruo since the beginning. If nothing else, with Ye Jingming being a lawyer, I don't believe he would let Du Ruo perform so freely here.]
[I agree with the person above. From the beginning until now, everyone in the Ye family has been nonchalant and hasn't taken Du Ruo seriously at all. I think the real blow will come later, so I'm not taking sides right now.]
[Agreed. Ultimately, this is their family matter. If it hadn't been blown out of proportion, how would we be here gossiping?]
[To be fair, Du Ruo's evidence from the past two days doesn't seem fake. But I don't think there's anything wrong with Nuannuan's behavior either. As for the Ye family, after watching three episodes, I think they are genuinely fond of Nuannuan.]
[I think Du Ruo is acting strangely. If she really loved her daughter, why didn't she accept Ye Jingming's offer earlier? She broke the law, after all! Don't use the child's reputation as an excuse; just say whether you're willing or not!]
Ye Jingxing had been monitoring online comments. Seeing that Nuannuan was being discussed, he showed displeasure. He then winked at Ye Jingming, urging him not to delay any longer and to resolve the matter quickly.