Soon, Ye Tiancheng and his group arrived at the mountain villa arranged by Hou Mingzhu. In this land where every inch of land was precious, there was such a large villa, and all of it belonged to Hou Mingzhu. This made Ye Tiancheng once again witness the immense financial power of the Hou family.
"Your place is like a celestial palace, shrouded in mist. Anyone who didn't know would think it was a place for immortal cultivation."
The moment Ye Tiancheng's car drove into the villa, he truly felt as if he had entered a fairyland. He didn't want to utter such a rustic remark, but he couldn't control himself. Everything before him was indeed somewhat shocking.
"You were also a major entrepreneur before, a renowned philanthropist. You must have seen many such small scenes. Villas like these are not that special. Anyone with money, with assets worth hundreds of millions, should be able to afford them."
Hou Mingzhu's words were laced with sarcasm. Her disdain for Ye Tiancheng was utterly undisguised.
"It's a pity. I used to be quite wealthy, but my vision was too narrow. Now that my horizons have finally broadened and I've seen a bit of the world, it's a shame I can no longer be worthy of the title 'boss.' I don't have much money anymore."
Ye Tiancheng used to enjoy saying polite things to save face, just like any ordinary man. But after experiencing so much, he suddenly felt that such pleasantries were of little use. A person's true strength was often best displayed when they were at their most low-key. Those who constantly talked about wealth were likely all show and no substance. Thinking back, he felt quite ashamed of himself back then.
"Alright, no need to put on a show of poverty. Although you've been paying child support, I've never used any of it. It's all been saved in a card for when the child grows up. I never intended to ask you for money. I only have one thought: I hope we can be quits. Even if you strike it rich, it has nothing to do with me."
It was evident that Hou Mingzhu was in a bad mood, otherwise, she wouldn't have kept provoking Ye Tiancheng. After all, Ye Tiancheng had been her husband before. They had spent time together day and night. Ye Tiancheng knew that Hou Mingzhu was not a bad person and had no malicious intentions. Whatever she was doing now must have her reasons.
"I know you must be very anxious now that the child's health has deteriorated. As a mother, you must have put in a lot of effort to raise the child. I can't compare to that, and I understand how you feel. I will definitely try my best to contribute more in the future. I hope you believe me, I won't let anything happen to the child. Please don't worry too much."
Ye Tiancheng had expected that he would argue with her as he used to, to prove that he wasn't easily bullied. Even if he didn't argue, he would have reasoned with Hou Mingzhu, and in any verbal exchange, he wouldn't have been at a disadvantage.
But now Ye Tiancheng had truly changed, changed a lot. He was no longer like before. Those behaviors now seemed truly childish. Sometimes, as a man, one needed to have more responsibility. A man who stooped to the level of a woman was truly a disgrace to all men. Ye Tiancheng didn't want to do anything so petty.
"Alright, I understand. I believe you will go all out. After all, she is your own biological daughter. No matter how much of a scumbag you are, you won't abandon your child."
On this point, Hou Mingzhu had absolute confidence. It was better to have the child's biological father. It was precisely for this reason that Hou Mingzhu found it difficult to start a new relationship. She worried that her child might be mistreated. Having Ye Tiancheng as the original father was better.
With the conversation reaching this point, Ye Tiancheng suddenly felt a bit touched. Perhaps, even though they had separated, in a sense, they were still a family.
The moment Ye Tiancheng saw the child, he felt all his fatigue disappear. Ye Qingcheng had grown up, looking more like a young lady than the last time he saw her. Ye Tiancheng even suspected how such a drastic change could have occurred in his absence.
Was she really his daughter? Why was she so beautiful? Fortunately, her features and temperament were more like Hou Mingzhu's. Ye Tiancheng seriously suspected that if she had taken after him more, it might have been a great tragedy.
"The child has been lethargic since a week ago. When we were abroad, I took Qingcheng for a full body check-up, but it wasn't very effective. The child is still very sleepy. I'm really scared. I read a report saying that if a child has a brain tumor, it can press on the nerves, causing drowsiness. Fortunately, after an MRI of the brain, no tumor was found, but I'm still very worried. My heart has been restless."
When a child's health suddenly changes, a mother is always the first to notice. No matter how others tried to persuade her, saying that it was normal for young children to sleep a lot, and that they secreted more melatonin when they were younger, making them sleepier, Hou Mingzhu couldn't believe these theories. She was afraid that her precious daughter might miss the best treatment window due to these words. What if she had a rare disease?
"Let me examine her."
It was not easy for this child to be born. Ye Tiancheng had almost exhausted his true qi to save Hou Mingzhu's pregnancy, spitting blood several times. During the most difficult times, recalling those memories now, he didn't know how he had persevered.
Therefore, it was normal for this child to have extraordinary talent. She already had many unusual aspects. Anyone would think that this child was destined for an extraordinary life.
"Okay, then I'll be counting on you, Ye Tiancheng. I haven't taken our past grievances to heart. You must save our daughter's life. I want to see her grow up healthy and happy."
Even though she knew Ye Tiancheng was Ye Qingcheng's biological father, Hou Mingzhu couldn't help but say this. After all, they were divorced. Hou Mingzhu couldn't imagine how much a man's heart could change. Therefore, at this moment, Hou Mingzhu was in a very unsettled state of mind.
Ye Tiancheng nodded without speaking. He was no longer in the mood to talk. He needed to check on his daughter's condition immediately.
In just a few seconds, Ye Tiancheng detected a magical power within his daughter. That power had been suppressing the dark energy within her body. This dark energy was ancient, having been present since she was in the womb.
It was the mischief of Ouyang Xuxu back then. Now, Ouyang Xuxu had disappeared without a trace, and he couldn't be found. Strictly speaking, his physical body was destroyed, and he had died as a human. However, the evil consequences he had sown were still continuing to affect his daughter. It was truly a resentment that entangled them across lifetimes. Ye Tiancheng felt that even grinding such a detestable person into ashes would not suffice to vent his hatred.
"How detestable."
Fortunately, this matter was not that difficult. The daughter had a spiritual energy within her, which should have been planted in Ye Qingcheng's body by the phoenix when she saved her. Therefore, this little girl's extraordinary talent had slowly begun to manifest, such as being much smarter than ordinary children.
Besides making the child unique, this spiritual energy protected the little girl's heart. The lethargy was merely a side effect. As long as Ye Tiancheng infused some true qi to boost it, the little girl would no longer feel drowsy.
As expected, Ye Qingcheng quickly woke up. Unlike before, when she always had trouble opening her eyes, her eyes were now bright and sparkling, and she was full of vitality.
"Dad, why do I see you after taking a nap?"
Ye Tiancheng had never considered himself a competent father. Because he had angered Hou Mingzhu and was entangled in a mess of other affairs, he couldn't be by his daughter's side like a normal father. When he thought of his daughter, it was mostly guilt.
"Qingcheng..."
This child was too intelligent. For children of this age, many might not even be able to speak yet. His daughter, Ye Tiancheng's daughter, not only spoke but also spoke like a little adult, with fluent sentences and a natural demeanor. However, she lacked the worldliness of adults. She was clearly a pure and lively little girl, her eyes sparkling and holding the entire starry sky.
"Dad, Mom said she wanted to come back to China to see you, but I didn't expect to see you after just one nap. I'm so happy."
As she spoke, the adorable little girl even threw herself into Ye Tiancheng's arms.
Ye Tiancheng clearly felt as if he had gained the entire world. When that little ball of flesh nestled in his arms, it was truly warm. He felt as if his entire heart was filled, a sensation that made it impossible to resist hugging his daughter even tighter.
"I'm sorry, daughter. I was never by your side. I thought you would hate me, but I didn't expect you to still call me Dad."
Ye Tiancheng's eyes welled up with tears. Even a heart of stone would eventually yield to one's children, let alone such a clever and sweet little girl. No one could withstand such a fierce attack.
"Although we haven't lived together, I know you are my father. You gave me life and have been trying your best to be good to me. I believe we will have the opportunity to live together in the future, and I want to live with you, Dad."
The child's tender voice uttered these words, each one striking Ye Tiancheng's heart. Although he knew he was a father before, his time spent with his child was too short, and he was a bit disbelieving, feeling that everything was unreal. But now it was different. He finally had the feeling of being a father and felt that the entire world had suddenly brightened because he now had a direction to strive for: making his daughter happier.
"Okay, daughter, Dad promises you, I will definitely strive towards this goal. I will also listen to you and work hard to be a good dad."
Hou Mingzhu listened to these words from the side. No matter how aloof she appeared on the surface, she also hoped for a reunion between father and daughter, and yearned for the warmth between a father and daughter. Even a brief moment of that would be enough to bring tears to the eyes of the emotional Hou Mingzhu.
Fearing that Ye Tiancheng would see her in such a pathetic state, Hou Mingzhu tried her best to wipe away her tears, not wanting Ye Tiancheng to see her completely uncontrolled emotional state. Although their family was now separated and living in different places, Hou Mingzhu had to admit that their family's hearts were always together. And her love for Ye Tiancheng, despite the changes in space and time, had not diminished in the slightest.