BFILWY CH 20

Chapter 20: They would want you to be happy.

Ye Qinghe smiled as he picked up a piece of milk cake and ate it with enjoyment.

“You two… you really don’t have any feelings for him?” He Zhi Fan couldn’t resist asking out of curiosity, seeing how relaxed Ye Qinghe looked. “You’ve been single for so many years, I thought…”

Ye Qinghe’s smile faded slightly. “Someone like me, I shouldn’t drag others into it.”

“What’s wrong with you?” He Zhi Fan said, “Stop being all self-deprecating and introverted. This isn’t your style.” He tapped his finger on the table.

“Let’s leave it for now. I don’t have much experience,” Ye Qinghe absentmindedly pushed a small crumb around on his plate. “Besides, he might not feel the same.”

“I think he does. From the way he looks at you…” He Zhifan suddenly realized Ye Qinghe’s earlier words, shocked. “You don’t have experience? Someone like you, and you call that no experience? Then doesn’t that make me a baby still in the womb?”

“I didn’t mean that kind of experience,” Ye Qinghe sighed in helplessness. “You’ve misunderstood me, baby.”

Ye Qinghe had never been in a relationship. It was a strange thing—he had met many people, but all of them were only about physical attraction, not love.

He had never fallen in love with any of them, and those people probably only loved his money, or maybe a few even hated him.

Ye Qinghe and He Zhifan both sighed.

“Here, have some steamed cake.” He Zhifan opened the steamer and cut out a soft, fluffy piece of steamed cake, handing it to Ye Qinghe. After silently eating half of the steamed cake, He Zhifan spoke again, “There’s really nothing special about being in a relationship. You just need a little courage and a bit of sincerity.” He looked at Ye Qinghe and said, “You need to believe in yourself. You’re not the same reckless Young Master Ye you used to be.” He paused and added, “Your dad, your mom, and Ye Qingyi-Ge wouldn’t want you to keep closing yourself off like this. They would want you to be happy.”

Ye Qinghe furrowed his brows tightly.

The words “They would want you to be happy” were something Uncle Jin Chun had said more than once. Since the plane crash, he had continuously tried to pull Ye Qinghe out of the mire of self-blame and self-torture. “They won’t blame you,” “It’s not your fault” — these words were repeated over and over by Wu Jin Chun until they became almost a refrain, until Ye Qinghe finally snapped, “You’re not them. How do you know they won’t blame me? They must hate me to death.”

“They hate that you’re useless,” Wu Jin Chun responded firmly. “If you really feel guilty, then pull yourself together, show them, and continue the Ye family business. Don’t ruin it in your hands.”

During countless nights of breakdowns, Wu Jin Chun had used both gentle and tough methods to calm him down. In recent years, Ye Qinghe had brought the Ye family’s business back on track and become more stable in both work and life. However, the guilt he felt toward his family had not diminished. Ye Qinghe pushed himself hard, working tirelessly and regularly like a machine, wearing a mask to smile and socialize with others. He was always harsh on himself, avoiding any form of entertainment, let alone finding a partner. He had completely closed himself off.

Before the Ye family’s fall, Young Master Ye was flamboyant, lively, and reckless. After the incident, Ye Qinghe repented and matured, but he became so reclusive that it went to the extreme. Wu Jin Chun, who had once been relieved that the second son of the Ye family had finally transformed from a useless troublemaker into the backbone of the family business, began to worry that Ye Qinghe, isolated and alone, would eventually drive himself mad. He repeatedly hinted to Ye Qinghe that he should find someone. A man in his twenties, in the prime of his life, shouldn’t live like a monk, no matter how dedicated he was to his work. He needed some legitimate enjoyment, a bit of love, someone to talk to, someone to relieve the inner turmoil.

Wu Jin Chun had said more than once, “They would want you to be happy.”

Really? Would they really want that? Ye Qinghe hadn’t been able to accept it before, but now, he suddenly felt a bit lost.

While Ye Qinghe was in a daze, He Zhifan said again, “If you’ve developed feelings, why not give yourself a real chance to love someone?”

“…” To seek happiness, to love someone, to hope for love, when one has caused the death of their whole family—truly, it felt like the most unforgivable sin! But people were ultimately weak, yearning for warmth. Under the constant persuasion of those around him, he really started to believe that there might still be a chance for him to be forgiven.

Ye Qinghe wasn’t sure if he had developed feelings, but He Zhifan’s words were like a hoe, smashing against the frozen soil in his heart. It knocked a hole, and from the hole, a small sprout timidly peeked out, its tendrils green and tender, itching at his heart.

He really wanted to believe that he still had a chance for happiness.

(To be continued…)