Chapter 147: Revealing True Colors

Ye Zehong rushed to the entrance of the police station, only to find no trace of Lu Yao.

His hawk-like eyes scanned the surroundings, but he detected no suspicious figures. Just as he turned to head toward the exit to search elsewhere, his foot struck a mobile phone. He picked it up, and upon seeing the selfie of a smiling Lu Yao on the screen, his heart gave a sharp, painful throb.

He realized then that this was a chain of calculated traps.

The Song family’s objective was neither Lu Yao nor him; it was the New City development project. During the bidding for the New City land, the Song family had been determined to win, intending to develop tourism and gambling industries on the site. However, the Ye Corporation had outbid them to secure the land. The Ye Corporation’s plan was the exact opposite of the Song family’s; they never engaged in shady dealings or skirted the law, intending instead to develop the area into a new commercial district. Having seen a fat piece of meat snatched from their mouths, how could the Song family possibly let it go?

Ye Zehong drove at breakneck speed back to the Ye family estate, heading straight for Ye Yingtang’s study. Ye Yingtang was in the middle of painting a picture of mandarin ducks playing in water. When Ye Zehong shoved the door open, he was so startled that his grip on the brush faltered, and a stroke landed in the wrong place.

His expression darkened immediately. Glaring at Ye Zehong with dissatisfaction, he barked, "Have you no manners? Do you not know how to knock before entering?"

"I don't have the luxury of your leisure!" Ye Zehong stepped forward, snatched the drawing paper from the desk, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into the wastebasket.

"Hey, what are you..."

Ye Yingtang was about to explode in anger, but seeing the grim, dark expression on Ye Zehong’s face, he paused. His own expression sank, and he asked displeasedly, "What have I done now to displease you?"

"At first, I thought it was strange—why you, out of the blue, would be so concerned about a small-time lawyer like Lu Yao, and why you were so high-profile about it," Ye Zehong said, his face rigid and his voice cold. "It turns out you knew all along that the Song family would seek revenge on you. To protect Ye Hua, Ye Zemao, and Yang Lan, you deliberately showered Lu Yao with favor, creating the illusion that there was something between you and her, just so the Song family would fall for your trap."

Initially, Ye Zehong had also mistakenly believed that Ye Yingtang’s sudden kindness toward Lu Yao stemmed from romantic interest. It seemed he hadn't misunderstood the situation at the time; rather, Ye Yingtang had been acting out a performance.

His fingers curled into tight fists, and he slammed them hard onto the desk, glaring up at Ye Yingtang with eyes full of disappointment.

"You don't need to look at me like that. I did all of this not just for Zemao and the others, but for you as well." Ye Yingtang’s face remained somber as he pulled a stack of photographs from a drawer and threw them in front of Ye Zehong. The photos were filled with every intimate moment he and Lu Yao had shared over the past three years.

So, Ye Yingtang had known about their relationship all along. He had gone to such great lengths, intending to use the Song family to tear the couple apart.

"I told you the day you chose to return to the Ye family," Ye Yingtang said, his tone indifferent and cold. "Once you enter the gates of the Ye family and pay respects to our ancestors, both your body and your heart must belong to this family. As long as I am the head of the Ye family, you must obey my arrangements. I also warned you: if you do not marry a woman of equal standing, I will never hand over the reins of the Ye Corporation to you."

Ye Zehong’s face was as dark as a bottomless abyss. His fists remained clenched, and it seemed as though he might strike Ye Yingtang at any moment.

Ye Yingtang, however, ignored him completely and continued, "Lu Yao is not the right match for you. Since you are unwilling to end this relationship, then I have no choice but to... sever this ill-fated connection between you with my own hands."