TNIBFT -Chapter 63 Shen Jie Imprisoned

How did this child suddenly become like this?

So polite all of a sudden.

Ye Tian sighed helplessly and turned to Xiao Jiang, picking up a piece of lamb with his chopsticks for him. Xiao Jiang lowered his head and whispered, “I… I won’t eat either.”

“I’ll just have vegetables and noodles,” he added.

Ye Tian frowned and put his chopsticks down on the table.

Sensing Ye Tian’s anger, the three children lowered their heads; no one dared to speak.

Looking at their small heads, Ye Tian felt helpless and spoke softly: “If I’ve done something wrong, tell me. If it’s my fault, I will change. Or maybe you’ve run into some difficulties. We’re one family—I’m your father, I should know. Eldest, what do you think?”

Ye Tian’s gaze landed on Ye Yunting. Ye Yunting quickly stood up and said, “Yes, you’re right. I’ll make sure to take care of my younger brother and sister.”

A celebration feast, a sharing feast—it all left Ye Tian feeling frustrated. He had hoped that his efforts for the children during this time would make them see him differently. Not expecting filial piety, he just wanted them to live together peacefully in the future.

They say time reveals a person’s heart, but now…

Ye Tian looked up at the three children. No matter what he did, could he not change the outcome of their father-child estrangement?

Looking at their small faces so similar to his own, Ye Tian felt a tight knot in his chest. He said in a low voice, “Finish your food and go home. I’ll settle accounts downstairs. No need to tidy up—just eat and then go.”

Seeing Ye Tian leave, tears welled up in Xiao Jiang’s eyes. He turned to his older brother and sister, puzzled: “Is he sad?”

“Didn’t he say that if we’re well-behaved, he’ll like us and not leave us?”

“Waaah…” Xiao Jiang could no longer hold back. Remembering the lost look in Ye Tian’s eyes, he couldn’t control himself and burst into tears.

Ye Yunting patted Xiao Jiang on the back.

Xiao Jiang sobbed, “But we’ve been so well-behaved! Why is he still angry? Is it because I’m not good enough…”

Ye Yunting furrowed his brows. He was only five years old, and many things weren’t as simple as he thought.

Ye Shuangxue clenched her small fists. She wanted to rush out and grab Ye Tian’s clothes, asking him how they could act so he wouldn’t leave, how they could make him like them, how a family could truly be together.

But Ye Tian was not just anyone.

He was the only light in her life. The more she cherished him, the more carefully she had to protect him.

…

Since opening, the hotpot restaurant had been booming, packed every day. The day’s dishes were sold out before the afternoon.

The four workers had gone from full of energy to pale-faced from the workload. Ye Tian had already hired three more employees; serving dishes and attending to customers was no longer a problem.

The three children remained as cautious, polite, and eager to please Ye Tian as ever.

Ye Tian was preparing for a heart-to-heart talk with them that evening.

Meanwhile, since Shen Jie’s accident, Tao Ling’er had been restless, running everywhere hoping to rescue him.

Finally, she found a contact and arrived at the place where the prisoners were held.

Tao Ling’er grabbed the bars with both hands, crying and shouting, “Let me go!”

“You promised you’d let me see him!”

“Let me go!”

Tao Ling’er struggled violently, trying to break free from the grip of the two palace guards.

The guards had taken two strings of coins from her, promising that she would be allowed to see Shen Jie. But after taking the money, they didn’t keep their word—they only let the two of them exchange a few words through the wooden door.

Tao Ling’er naturally didn’t want to leave; the household was already out of money.

Since Shen Jie had been driven out of the Shen family, she had already used up all the money in the house.

The two guards, seeing Tao Ling’er’s tender appearance, exchanged a glance and immediately understood each other’s thoughts. One stepped forward, coaxing her: “Little sister, if you want to see your beloved, you have to give something in return. Do you expect us to do this for nothing?”

“Yeah, why not come out with us for a while?”

The two lecherous men made Tao Ling’er panic. She cried out, “Go away! Shameless!”

Seeing them approach, she hurriedly reached out to push them back.

Shen Jie crawled to the door, listening to Tao Ling’er’s sobs, angrily pounding on the wooden door: “Beasts!”

“Let Ling’er go! Leave her alone! If you have anything against me, come at me—leave her!”

“Brother Shen…”

Hearing Shen Jie’s voice, Tao Ling’er burst into tears. It was as if a rod had struck a pair of lovers apart. Filled with grief, she crawled on the ground toward Shen Jie. Her fair arms, delicate and pure, were like carved lotus roots of white jade, blindingly pale.

The two guards lost patience immediately. One of them went up and opened the door to Shen Jie’s cell, snarling: “You think you can shout at us? Who do you think you are?”

“Yeah, who do you think you are, yelling at us like that?”

With that, the guard’s face twisted with malice, and he stomped on Shen Jie’s chest, again and again.

Tao Ling’er cried miserably.

Seeing Shen Jie beaten to near death, Tao Ling’er knelt on the ground, begging the guards for mercy, but they ignored her pleas.

“Stop!”

Just as Shen Jie was about to pass out, and Tao Ling’er felt utterly hopeless, someone spoke softly.

The two guards turned and immediately showed panic, falling to the ground: “Second Young Master!”

Xiao Tianyi didn’t even glance at the two men and strode toward Tao Ling’er. Seeing the kneeling woman—slender, delicate, her face like a lotus, tears staining her cheeks, and with snow-white skin—he recognized a rare beauty.

Xiao Tianyi reached out and looked at Tao Ling’er on the ground. “Miss, if you’re in trouble, why not tell me? I’m much more reliable than these little soldiers.”

Tao Ling’er turned and saw a wealthy young noble smiling at her.

She recognized that gaze—the way a man looks at a beautiful woman. Brother Shen had said that such rich playboys only took pleasure in toying with women, ignorant of others’ suffering, worse than beasts.

Tao Ling’er ignored Xiao Tianyi, got up, and ran to Shen Jie, clutching him and wailing, “Brother Shen, don’t scare Ling’er! Don’t die! Don’t leave me alone…”

“Brother Shen…”

Shen Jie slowly regained consciousness, and the two of them held each other tightly, crying their hearts out.

Xiao Tianyi stared at Tao Ling’er, thinking that she was unlike any woman he had seen—delicate, graceful, and most importantly, a rare beauty. If he could win her over, it wouldn’t be bad…

With that thought, Xiao Tianyi coldly looked at the guards on the ground. “Release him. I need someone skilled in martial arts by my side—he’ll do.”

Xiao Tianyi lazily pointed at Shen Jie.

“Yes, yes, yes!”

The guards kowtowed like pounding rice, not daring to disobey Xiao Tianyi.

They immediately got up, untied the ropes from Shen Jie’s feet, and dragged him like a dead dog behind Xiao Tianyi.

Seeing Shen Jie taken away, Tao Ling’er didn’t know whether to feel good or bad. She anxiously followed behind Xiao Tianyi, running while calling, “Brother Shen…”

“Brother Shen… where are you taking him?”

Xiao Tianyi turned his head, playful and irreverent. “If you want to see him, you can beg me. I never refuse a beauty. As for these two worthless lackeys, I’ll chop off their hands immediately as an apology to you.”

“Don’t even think about it!”