Chapter 69: Made a Decision

No one knew a son better than his father. Yang Zhennan could tell at a glance that Yang Kui was lying.

On the surface, Yang Kui always played the role of a filial son, never competing with Yang Bingyu’s father, Yang Tao. In reality, he harbored a ruthless ambition and desired control over the Yang Family more than anyone else. If Yang Zhennan hadn’t seen through his true nature, why else would he have handed the family’s authority over to Yang Tao?

"Since he isn’t in Jianghai City, that saves us the trouble," Yang Zhennan said. "Issue a public statement. Inform everyone that from this day forward, Yang Jie is no longer a part of the Yang Family bloodline. Whatever he does in the future has nothing to do with us."

Yang Zhennan felt his temples throbbing as his blood pressure spiked once again. He felt incredibly helpless saying those words, but he had no other choice. If he wanted to save Jie’s life, he had to do exactly as Ye Xuan ordered.

"Dad! Are you crazy?" Yang Kui lost his composure entirely, shouting his question in front of everyone.

The rest of the Yang Family was just as dumbfounded. They had no idea why Yang Zhennan would suddenly make such a drastic decision.

"You and Yang Tao stay. The rest of you, get out." Yang Zhennan pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion and waved the others away.

Although the rest of the family was burning with curiosity, none dared to disobey Elder Yang. They obediently filed out of the room.

Once it was just the three of them left in the hospital ward, Yang Kui completely lost his cool. He grabbed Yang Zhennan’s arm tightly and demanded angrily, "Dad, what’s wrong with you? Why make this decision so suddenly?

"I admit that Jie has made some mistakes in the past, but it’s certainly not enough to justify kicking him out of the Yang Family!"

Standing to the side, Yang Tao also spoke up to plead for Yang Jie. After all, Jie was his nephew; no matter how big of a mistake he had made, it shouldn’t have come to this. "Dad, Kui is right. Jie might be a bit mischievous, but he hasn’t done anything unforgivable. Why go to such extremes?"

Looking at his two sons singing the exact same tune, Yang Zhennan felt a mix of anger and helplessness. If the people Yang Jie had schemed against were anyone else in Jianghai City other than Yang Bingyu and Ye Xuan, Yang Zhennan could have turned a blind eye and helped cover it up. The problem was that he had offended someone who absolutely could not be offended! If they insisted on protecting Jie, the entire Yang Family would suffer the consequences.

"You have the nerve to ask me why?" Yang Zhennan retorted. "This is already the best outcome I could negotiate! If I don’t do this, Jie won’t live to see the sun rise tomorrow!"

Hearing this, Yang Kui’s face instantly drained of color. He stumbled, gripping the edge of the hospital bed to steady himself. "Dad, what on earth did Jie do? Who did he offend? Who has our Yang Family ever feared in Jianghai City?"

Watching Yang Kui’s desperate denial, Yang Zhennan’s eyes filled with utter resignation. "He went after Bingyu and enraged that adult."

Those few words made both Yang Kui and Yang Tao turn pale. If Yang Kui hadn’t already been holding onto the bed, he would have collapsed onto the floor right then and there.

"This... What a fool!" Yang Kui gaped for a long time before finally forcing out those words.

Within the Yang Family, the two brothers had known Yang Bingyu’s true identity for a long time. Although Yang Tao was nominally her father, Bingyu had grown up by Yang Zhennan’s side and spent very little time alone with Yang Tao. As a result, the two weren’t close. After learning that she was the biological sister of the White Tiger Chief, Yang Tao had actually developed a sense of fear toward her. When it came to Bingyu, he either granted her every wish or didn’t dare to interfere with her life at all. He had thought that as long as he kept his head down, he wouldn’t attract any trouble. Who could have known that Yang Jie would cross that sacred line?

"Dad, Jie is your actual grandson! He’s the true bloodline of the Yang Family!" Yang Kui pleaded. "You can’t just abandon him like this. If you really kick him out, he’ll die!"

The larger a family was, the more enemies it made. In the past, whenever Yang Jie ran wild in Jianghai City, no one dared to touch him because he had the protection of the Yang Family. If this statement were published, stripping him of that protection, their enemies would inevitably come for him. Yang Kui could guarantee that within three days of leaving the family, something terrible would happen to Jie.

"Don’t you think I know that?" Yang Zhennan snapped. "But what else can we do? That adult said that if I don’t follow his instructions, he will take action personally. When that happens, it won’t just be Jie who dies—it’ll be our entire Yang Family!"

If there had been any other way, why would Yang Zhennan throw his own grandson into the fire? It was exactly because there was no room left for negotiation that he had to resort to this drastic measure.

"Dad! Are you really going to let your own grandson die for an outsider like Yang Bingyu?!" Yang Kui couldn’t accept this. Jie was his own son; how could he bear to watch him die?

"You have the gall to question me?" Yang Zhennan roared. "Do you even know what your precious son did? He... He... I can’t even say it! He ruined Bingyu’s innocence for the rest of her life! Do you think that adult could tolerate such a thing?!"

Yang Zhennan felt like Yang Kui was going to anger him to death. His blood pressure skyrocketed, his brain was deprived of oxygen, and his vision began to blur with double images.

"Dad, please calm down! Take a deep breath!" Seeing his father’s condition, Yang Tao was so frightened that his heart leaped into his throat. Nothing else could happen to Yang Zhennan right now; if he collapsed, the Yang Family would fall into complete chaos.

Under Yang Tao’s soothing, Yang Zhennan finally recovered his breath, though his complexion remained dreadful.

"I’ve already made my decision on this matter. Say no more," the old man wheezed. "I am Jie’s grandfather. Naturally, I won’t just leave him to die. This is merely a delaying tactic. Have him lay low outside for a while. Once that adult’s anger has subsided, I will figure out a solution."

Yang Zhennan was truly exhausted and didn’t want to argue with Yang Kui about this any further. He waved his hand dismissively, signaling for him to leave.

A cold glint flashed in Yang Kui’s eyes. His fists clenched tightly, and his expression turned terrifyingly dark. Without saying a single word, he turned on his heel and left the room.

Watching Yang Kui leave in a huff, Yang Zhennan felt profoundly weary. He looked deeply at Yang Tao and warned him earnestly, "Tao, keep a close eye on Kui for the time being. Make absolutely sure he doesn’t cause any more trouble. Our Yang Family can’t withstand another crisis."

"Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll take care of things at home," Yang Tao assured him. "Just focus on resting and recovering for now. Your health is the most important thing. The Yang Family can’t afford to lose you."

A cloud of worry settled over Yang Tao’s face. He knew his brother’s temperament better than anyone. Kui always pretended to be obedient and sensible on the surface, but behind closed doors, he was more vindictive and ruthless than anyone else. Yang Tao knew that since Yang Zhennan wasn’t going to plead for Jie anymore, Kui would undoubtedly harbor deep resentment and might do something completely unhinged.

For the sake of the Yang Family, he had to keep a very close eye on Yang Kui.