TNIBFT -Chapter 33 The Villain Ye Tian’s Family Background

When Fang Shenghu entered, Ye Shuangxue and Xiao Jiang greeted him warmly.

The two children looked completely refreshed. Fang Shenghu’s eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the siblings, his mouth opening and closing, unable to speak for a long moment.

“This is…”

“These new clothes… Shuangxue looks so beautiful.”

Fang Shenghu held back his words for a while, then reached out to rub Ye Shuangxue’s head and glanced toward Ye Tian.

Hearing the movement behind him, Ye Tian stood up and clapped his hands, sending dust flying. He frowned in disdain and looked at Fang Shenghu at the door, greeting him casually, “Brother Fang, what brings you here?”

Hearing Ye Tian call him “brother,” Fang Shenghu completely forgot what he had been about to say.

With a smiling face, he said, “Oh, I came to see Shuangxue.”

As he spoke, Fang Shenghu’s gaze fell on Ye Tian, appraising him from head to toe.

Today, Ye Tian was wearing a clean cotton robe, his hair neatly tied on top of his head. He looked clean and capable, a stark contrast to his usual shabby self. Could it be that Ye Tian had truly turned over a new leaf? Fang Shenghu thought to himself as his eyes scanned the house. The once cluttered room was now empty and neatly organized.

Seeing Ye Tian like this filled him with a sense of relief—it was about time he dressed properly; he looked so spirited.

Fang Shenghu stepped inside and walked over to Ye Tian in just a few strides. “How can you handle chores like these at home?”

“You’ve never done rough work like this before, so you’d probably be lost if you tried. I’ll do it, I’ll do it. You don’t need to worry about these, right?”

Before Fang Shenghu could finish speaking, he rolled up his sleeves and immediately tried to help Ye Tian with the chores.

“This small task, I’ll finish it tomorrow,” Ye Tian said, pulling Fang Shenghu aside.

This tall man, standing about 1.8 meters, was only a couple of years older than him, but in life, he had always treated the original Ye Tian like a father, taking care of him in every way. Yet the original Ye Tian had never shown him any kindness, always calling him a servant or “Ye family dog.” All the years Fang Shenghu had devoted were invisible to the original Ye Tian. Even so, Fang Shenghu had never complained.

Looking at Fang Shenghu’s honest profile, Ye Tian continued, “At noon we went to the city and bought beef and roast duck. Brother Fang, don’t leave—let’s have dinner together tonight.”

“This…”

Fang Shenghu’s dark face flushed red. He looked at Ye Tian with excitement, moisture welling up in his eyes.

This was the first time Ye Tian had invited him to eat.

Seeing his hesitation, Ye Tian smiled. “I also have something to ask you tonight, Brother Fang. Just agree, okay?”

“All right, all right, all right!”

Fang Shenghu nodded repeatedly, unable to contain the smile on his face.

Ye Yunting and the other two children stood at the doorway. The three watched the interaction between Ye Tian and Fang Shenghu, exchanging a glance that showed a mix of helplessness.

Ye Shuangxue said, “Uncle Fang always acts like this when he sees him. There’s nothing surprising about it.”

Ye Yunting remained silent. Xiao Jiang pursed his lips, and neither of them argued.

The three children began helping with dinner.

Tonight’s dinner was simple: just add some water to the copper pot, reheat the beef and roast duck packed from noon, and warm up the steamed buns Ye Tian had bought.

Ye Shuangxue carefully placed the buns.

Xiao Jiang followed closely behind her, eyes fixed, afraid she might make a mistake. Ye Yunting furrowed his brows, his pink cheeks showing an expression beyond his age. He glanced at what Ye Tian had brought back and whispered, “Where did he get the money?”

“Why would he buy clothes for us?”

“Did you go to the restaurant?”

At this moment, Ye Yunting felt a pang of regret. He shouldn’t have gone out today. If he had followed Ye Tian, perhaps there would have been a flaw in Ye Tian’s scheme.

Hearing his elder brother’s question, Ye Shuangxue tilted her small head slightly, covering her mouth with her tiny hand. Her big eyes spun as she said, “He didn’t just take us to the restaurant—he also brought us to the bathhouse. Big brother, you wouldn’t know…”

The little girl’s expression was exaggerated, and before she could finish, Fang Shenghu’s deep voice cut in: “Do we still have money at home?”

Ye Shuangxue fell silent and looked up in the direction of Ye Tian.

The three children worked while secretly listening to the two adults’ conversation.

Ye Tian lifted the quilt from the bed and held it in his hands as he replied, “Yes. You won’t have to worry about me anymore. I took the Ye family heirlooms from the Shen family and earned quite a sum.”

“Shen family?”

Mentioning the Shen family made Fang Shenghu’s expression darken. He said angrily, “The small Shen family from Qingzhou dares to accuse my Ye family of theft? If anything happened to Shuangxue, I’d slaughter their entire family and make them pay with their lives.”

He didn’t mention the bracelet Ye Tian had taken.

Ye Tian felt a warmth in his heart. Fang Shenghu was interesting—very protective of his young ones.

“Hiding valuable items is a capital offense. Even if he took their stuff, they wouldn’t dare do anything.” Fang Shenghu added, even feeling that what Ye Tian did was justified.

No wonder Ye Tian could afford to buy clothes for the children.

“I’ve been thinking. Now that we have money, we should repair the house. If a heavy snowstorm comes, our family of four could be buried inside.” Ye Tian said casually.

Fang Shenghu’s expression changed. He quickly interrupted, “Don’t speak of unlucky things. I see these three children are destined for great fortune; they will have blessings ahead.”

“But the house does need repairs.”

Fang Shenghu looked up at the beams, then let his gaze fall on the three Ye siblings. He frowned, watching Ye Tian busy at work, feeling conflicted. After all, Ye Yunting was only five—some things, should he speak of them or not?

Once Ye Tian had tidied up the bed, he invited Fang Shenghu to sit around the fire with him. Fang Shenghu looked heavy-hearted, staring blankly at the flames.

Ye Tian looked at him and slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

Ye Yunting glanced between Fang Shenghu and Ye Tian, his small brows furrowed.

“Crack!”

The crisp snap from the firewood broke the quiet atmosphere.

Fang Shenghu looked up. The firelight turned his dark face red. With a resolute gaze, he asked Ye Tian, “Now that you have money, what are your plans?”

“It’s not that I want to control you, but the Ye family only has these three remaining heirs, and this money…”

“Don’t worry, Brother Fang!”

Ye Tian knew what he wanted to say. While adding more wood to the fire, he said, “It was my fault before. I let the children suffer. That day I had a dream—a big dream that felt like a lifetime. When I woke up, I understood: no matter what happens, these three children are my own, and I must take responsibility.”

“I am their father. I must raise them, teach them, and guide them to adulthood, without bringing shame to the Ye name.”

“Yes!”

Fang Shenghu slapped his thigh in excitement. The firelight seemed to ignite his heart, making his blood boil.

He looked at Ye Tian, hands trembling with emotion, “It’s enough that you’ve come to your senses. I knew this day would come eventually.”

Fang Shenghu’s voice choked with emotion.

Ye Tian patted his shoulder, and only then did Fang Shenghu calm down.

In the original story, there was little mention of the villain Ye Tian’s family background—only a few brief notes: the Ye family had been loyal for generations, their men dying in battle, while Ye Tian alone was greedy and afraid of death.