Chapter 96: I Didn’t Ask Him to Watch Over Me
After Ye Zhile’s birthday, Dudu’s first birthday banquet arrived. Considering that Ye Zhile and Ji Shuohan were already divorced, and fearing that the gossip surrounding the pheromone gene modification incident might affect Ye Zhile and Dudu, Dudu’s birthday banquet was not grand. It was just a meal with friends and family from both sides.
The ‘Zhuazhou’ (selecting items to predict the future) was an essential part. Dudu was placed on the table, a teething stick in his hand. Hearing the adults cheering, he tilted his small head and looked around. Finally, seeing Ye Zhile, he narrowed his eyes and laughed, looking festive and cute.
“He looks just like a lucky doll,” Ji Shouren said with a grandfatherly smile. Guan Meihan chimed in, “Doesn’t he? He looks so clever and adorable.”
“Dudu?” Ye Zhile called him. “Pick one.”
Hearing Ye Zhile’s call, Dudu crawled toward him. In front of Ye Zhile lay a pen. Dudu stopped, looked for a long while, touched the fountain pen and the star coins, and finally grabbed the toy gun next to them, giggling.
The adults in the private room cheered. Ye Zhile picked Dudu up and kissed his small cheek. “Dudu is so great.”
“It seems he’ll follow the same path as his grandfather in the future,” Ye Junting said with satisfaction.
Ye Zhile smiled. “He can do whatever he wants, as long as he likes it.”
Ji Shuohan took Dudu from Ye Zhile’s arms and held him. The family sat down to eat. As long as it wasn’t too hard, Dudu could eat a bit of everything. The adults at the table were busy talking, and Ye Zhile spooned egg custard to feed Dudu.
“By the way, has Dudu been named yet?” Ji Shouren asked.
“Yes.” Ye Zhile looked up. “His name is Ye Yunchu.”
Ji Shouren froze. “Ye Yunchu? Just that one name?”
Everyone understood Ji Shouren’s meaning. How could the Supreme Leader’s son have the surname Ye? He was the person who would inherit the position of Supreme Leader in the future. However, Ye Zhile glanced at Ji Shuohan and said coldly, “It’s not like I didn’t let him name him.”
When Ji Shuohan had first returned, he had told Ye Zhile to make the decisions. So, he made the decision. Besides, this was his son; he could have whatever surname he wanted.
“This…”
“The surname Ye is fine. He will be called Ye Yunchu.” Ji Shuohan interrupted Ji Shouren’s words. Guan Meihan could see Ji Shouren was holding something back, so she tried to mediate. “Being called Ye Yunchu is fine, of course. We can also give him a Ji surname; it doesn’t affect anything.”
“One name is enough. It’s Ye Yunchu,” Ji Shuohan said firmly.
The atmosphere cooled. Wen Yumiao and Ye Junting exchanged a glance. Ye Junting said, “The Leader and Lele are divorced. In the divorce agreement, Dudu was awarded to Lele. Therefore, it’s only right that he takes our Lele’s surname.”
Ji Shouren gave a dry laugh. “Minister Ye has a point, but Dudu is Shuohan’s first child, after all…”
“He can have a second one,” Ye Zhile interrupted Ji Shouren. He smiled at Guan Meihan. “He and I are already divorced. Mama can introduce someone to him now.”
Ye Zhile looked at Ji Shuohan again, dredging up old grievances. “After all, when I was still there, the Leader did say things like ‘we’ll see’ regarding that.”
“Zhile.” Ji Shuohan grabbed his wrist. Ye Zhile looked at him stubbornly, his gaze filled with grievance. Ji Shuohan’s heart trembled, and he held Ye Zhile’s hand. “It’s not like that. I didn’t hear clearly what they were saying that day; I was thinking about your situation…”
Guan Meihan’s face flashed with embarrassment, and she lowered her head, silent. Ji Shouren also sighed deeply. If Ye Zhile were from an ordinary family, perhaps they would have room to maneuver, but he wasn’t.
“Lele, what your mother did before was indeed wrong. Don’t be angry with her,” Ji Shouren said.
Although Ye Zhile was targeting Ji Shuohan, he had no intention of being disrespectful to his parents. “I didn’t blame Mama. Please don’t overthink it.”
“That’s good then.” Ji Shouren said no more. After all, his son was the one in the wrong first; they couldn’t change anything.
Ye Zhile pulled his hand out of Ji Shuohan’s palm and focused on his food.
Wen Yumiao placed food in his bowl. “This steamed fish is good. Try some.”
“Thank you, Papa,” Ye Zhile said with a smile.
The scene of fatherly love and filial piety on this side was essentially a slap in the face to the other side. Ji Shouren had many sons and daughters; it was impossible for him to care for every one of them. Ji Shuohan was one of those he had neglected. His mother was constantly thinking about winning favor, and his father was indifferent to his children as long as they didn’t make mistakes.
The meal was barely finished. Ye Zhile went to the restroom, and when he returned, he saw Ji Shuohan and Guan Meihan standing by the window, half-hidden by green plants.
“Even if he’s surnamed Ye, he can’t not be surnamed Ji!” Guan Meihan said forcefully.
Ji Shuohan seemed exhausted. He said helplessly, “Whether he’s surnamed Ye or Ji, he is the child of Zhile and me. What does it matter?”
“So will the future successor to the Leader also be surnamed Ye?” Guan Meihan questioned him sharply.
“That’s many years away. Why are you worrying about that now?” Ji Shuohan said. “He might not even want the position of Leader when he grows up.”
Guan Meihan burst into tears. “Then won’t you consider your mother? Do you know how angry your father is? How am I supposed to face him?”
“Then do you have the heart to face me?” Ji Shuohan looked at her coldly, his eyes filled with disappointment. “When have you ever considered me? Do you see me as a son or as a tool?”
Guan Meihan was stunned, weeping. “Am I not doing this for the survival of both of us?”
Ji Shuohan’s throat felt as if a thorn were stuck in it. He took a deep breath. “It’s for yourself. You’ve gotten everything you wanted. So please, be merciful and let me go.”
Having said that, Ji Shuohan turned around and paused. Ye Zhile was standing not far away, watching them.
Guan Meihan wiped her tears and hurried away.
Ye Zhile approached Ji Shuohan. Seeing the exhaustion and disappointment in his eyes, he chuckled softly. “Ji Shuohan, you’re truly pitiful. It turns out that besides me, no one loves you. Now, look—not a single person does.”
The words Ye Zhile spoke were so sarcastic and heartless, yet he was the first to shed tears, looking at him with both stubbornness and pity.
Ji Shuohan’s eyes were bloodshot. He gave a self-deprecating smile. “Yes. Before, only you loved me. Now, no one loves me. I deserve it.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhile’s tears fell like rain. He had attacked Ji Shuohan to seek the pleasure of revenge—See? Only I was willing to love you, and you treated me like that. Don’t you deserve this?
But hearing Ji Shuohan’s self-deprecation, hearing him say he deserved it, Ye Zhile’s heart felt as if it were being carved out. The pain was unbearable.
Ji Shuohan pulled him into a hug, burying his head in the crook of his neck. Scalding tears fell onto Ye Zhile’s neck, and a stifled sob escaped.
“Ye Zhile, love me one more time.”
Recommended Reads
![Accidentally Turned a Tragic Romance Plotline into a Sweet and Pampering One [Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ACCIDENTALLY.png)
