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Li Fu did not come alone; he was carrying a bundle that looked like a package.
To Li Yi's confusion, the package suddenly moved, as if there were something alive inside.
"Do you know where this is?" Li Fu casually shook the package, and the creature inside seemed uncomfortable, making a sound.
"Wah, wah!"
It was the cry of a baby.
Li Yi's heart sank. This beast! Could this child be the one born from his daughter's pregnancy that had been mentioned earlier? "You animal, what do you want to do?"
As if confirming Li Yi's suspicion, Li Fu casually placed the package on the ground. "This child, Sir Li, take a look. Does he look familiar? This is your precious daughter's newborn!"
The package was opened, revealing the baby inside. The infant's face was wrinkled, eyes closed, looking very weak.
This was a newborn who should have been warmly wrapped up and sleeping in his mother's arms, yet now he was tossed on the ground like a piece of trash by his own father.
Li Yi reached out to touch the baby on the ground, wrapping him up. His heart gradually sank. "You brought the child here; where is my daughter? What have you done to Xin Er?"
"That bitch!" Li Fu spoke disdainfully about his wife. "As a woman, she’s useless; she can’t even give birth to a son. What good is she?"
Li Yi trembled with anger. "Li Fu! Do you remember how you swore to love Xin Er for life just to marry her? How can you treat her like this now?"
"What do I have to fear?" Li Fu sneered. "What does it matter if I swore an oath? Do you think God really sees the injustices in this world? If there were truly a God, why did my father fall ill and die young without even money for medicine? Why did my mother and I have to serve your family all this time?"
Li Fu's face was filled with rage, as if everything owed him was rightfully his to reclaim. "But now it's different; I've gotten what was owed to me. From now on, I will be the master of the Li residence!"
Li Yi watched as Li Fu laughed maniacally, feeling a chill run down his spine. He had encountered many people in his life—selfish individuals aplenty—but never someone so deranged and willing to harm others for wealth and status.
And he had the misfortune of crossing paths with such a person.
Li Yi had lost interest in everything else; all he wanted to know was the fate of his wife and daughter. "What have you done to them?"
Li Fu looked down at him from a position of power. "Your daughter can't even produce a son, and she walks around with a mournful face, making others think I'm mistreating her at home. She gave birth to a worthless child and made such a fuss about it that I decided to tell her everything about your situation. Guess how she reacted?"
Li Yi's eyes turned red with anger as he glared at him. "Beast! You beast!"
Li Fu was unfazed by the accusation and even laughed. "When she heard that her missing father was actually locked away by her trusted husband, she got so furious that she tried to grab scissors from the bedside to kill me! Unfortunately, she was too useless. She managed to touch my clothes, fell out of bed, and bled to death after giving birth."
Upon hearing the tragic news, Li Yi felt darkness envelop him, his vision blurred. When he regained his senses, Li Fu was still there.
"Master Li, you really are getting old; your health is not what it used to be. Such a small shock has frightened you," Li Fu squatted down. "You must hold on; don't die before your chronically ill wife does."
Despair washed over Li Yi. With his daughter gone, his only remaining concern was for his wife. "What have you done to my wife? She is your elder! You couldn't even spare an old woman; you harmed my daughter and now you want to kill her too? If you have the guts, come at me!"
"Now, now, that's not quite right," Li Fu replied with a seemingly kind expression. The contrast between his words and actions sent chills down one's spine. "It sounds as if I've done something terrible to your family. Wouldn't that lead others to misunderstand?"
He continued, "Your mother-in-law is in poor health. I hired the best doctor for her treatment. To show my filial piety, I dismissed all the servants and personally prepared her medicine. Each bowl contains more herbs than those irresponsible doctors prescribe."
Li Fu aimed to seize the Li Family's wealth but could not do so openly. He wanted both riches and reputation. Thus, he operated in the shadows, gradually taking control of the Li Family.
First, he imprisoned the head of the household, Li Yi, leaving only the frail Old Lady Li and the gentle Li Xinxin behind. The power of the Li Family nearly fell into Li Fu's hands.
Li Fu was cunning and sought fame while acquiring the Li Family's assets without letting anyone suspect his despicable deeds. He maintained a facade of kindness toward Li Xinxin while employing cold violence—gradually ignoring her after marriage but pretending to be loving in public.
As for Old Lady Li, he chose to secretly administer slow-acting poison behind her back, waiting for her to weaken and die. Given Old Lady Li's already poor health and her grief over Li Yi's disappearance, it would raise no suspicion if she fell ill and eventually passed away.
Soon enough, Old Lady Li met her demise at his hands, leaving only Li Yi and the newborn child destined for suffering in the Li Family.
Even the long-serving old servant of the Li Family was gradually dismissed, replaced by those chosen by Li Yi.
To avoid raising suspicion, after completely taking over the Li Family, Li Yi temporarily remained there, putting on a facade of deep sorrow that made others sympathize with him, further ensuring they would not suspect anything amiss.
In a way, this helped to preserve the life of the infant; Li Fu needed her to showcase his deep feelings to others.
Three years later, after the tragedy of the Li Family had completely subsided, Li Fu's mother passed away. Taking advantage of the excuse to leave the place of sorrow, Li Fu departed from the town.
Before leaving, Li Fu visited the Underground Chamber one last time.
"Old fool, I, Master Li, will be leaving this wretched place tomorrow and will never have to look at this cursed house again!" Li Fu yanked the timid and numb girl who had been following him and threw her in front of Li Yi. "This bitch will not be taken along as a burden!"
He scoffed, "Didn’t you treat her like your precious treasure? Then let it be; you two can wait for death together in this house!"
Li Fu laughed maniacally as he walked away. His life had been completely rewritten; he was no longer the subservient Li Fu of the past but now a wealthy man known as Li Yi.
As long as the old man and the infant in the secret chamber died, all those in the know would vanish. In Li Fu's eyes, there was no way an old man on the brink of death and a child could survive for long.
"That beast thought we were doomed and rushed off without sealing the exit of the secret chamber. Fortunately, I had my wits about me; Round was born clever and managed to sneak out based on memory to bring back some food. At least we survived," Li Yi concluded this segment of his memories.
Perhaps he would never be able to erase these pains from his remaining life until death brought him back to his family.
"Because Round was familiar with the house and often went out for food, when the previous buyers noticed something amiss but couldn't find Round or discover the secret chamber that Li Fu had dug out on his own, they assumed the house was haunted. Over time, rumors spread about it being haunted," Ye Xiaohan nodded, piecing everything together.
Ye Xiaohan sighed deeply: "A dog will always be a dog, but a person may not always remain human. Beasts with human faces also exist in this world. Master, take care; if anyone is to blame, it’s that beast for being so good at disguising itself. Don’t blame yourself; your family wouldn’t want you to feel guilty."
"Right? You think so too, 6 Bei?" Ye Xiaohan nudged 6 Bei with her elbow, signaling him to say something comforting to this grieving old man.
After poking him several times without any response from 6 Bei, Ye Xiaohan found it strange and turned to look. That glance startled her greatly.
Beibei's eyes were bloodshot, and his back teeth were clenched tightly as he struggled to contain his anger.
"What's wrong with you?" Ye Xiaohan asked, her heart sinking at the sight of Beibei looking so ominous.
Upon hearing her, Beibei seemed to calm down a bit. He stood up and left without a word.
Watching him walk away, Ye Xiaohan turned to Li Yi and tried to explain, "Haha, he must have heard about that beast and got really angry, that's why he's like this. Sigh, Beibei is just someone with strong principles who can't stand injustice!"
Li Yi shook his head. "Brother Beibei is a great person, but the way he looks now suggests that it's not just about being upset for the old man; he likely feels it deeply himself. Miss Ye, since you're willing to spend your life with him, you should try to help him out."
"I'm not in that kind of relationship with him," Ye Xiaohan attempted to clarify. However, her explanations were often ignored, and over time, she had grown tired of having to explain herself every time.
If she wanted to help Beibei with his inner turmoil, she first needed to understand what that turmoil was. Right now, she had no idea what secrets he was hiding, leaving her at a loss for how to approach the situation.
Li Yi and his granddaughter Round had nowhere else to go, so Ye Xiaohan decided to let them stay temporarily, which the entire Ye family agreed upon. Especially Round's presence brought joy to Beibei; he followed her around like a little shadow, trying to win her over with treats.
Childhood friendships blossomed quickly; within just a few days, the two were whispering secrets to each other. Round was slowly shedding the shadows of her past; her face became rounder and more cheerful, and she smiled more often, revealing two adorable dimples.
Just when Ye Xiaohan thought this peaceful life could continue and planned to enjoy the comfort of the mansion, things took an unexpected turn.
That day, Ye Xiaohan had rare free time at home. She was resting on the Beauty Couch in the pavilion while reading Sister Sheng's melodramatic novel when her aunt arrived again.
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