Chapter 6：They Were Her Last Resort

Ye Banxia exited the hospital ward and walked on the streets, her eyes brimming with tiredness.

She subconsciously walked into a high-class residential area and stopped at the door for a long time before pressing the doorbell.

Seeing Ye Banxia's face through the surveillance camera, the person upstairs went solemn, and one could almost hear the soft breathing sounds through the device.

Ye Banxia remained quiet and expressionless.

The elevator doors opened with a "ding", but Ye Banxia did not walk out immediately. She stood there for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and moving out slowly. Standing before her was Fang Shuyuan who'd opened the door for her.

"Banxia, you're here." The woman smiled kindly. She didn't look nearly as old as she was. "You've been living on your own without even calling home. Do you know how worried your dad is?"

Ye Banxia did not say a thing at all as she walked straight in.

Two bedrooms and a living hall—for the Ye family who used to reside in a villa of several stories, this wasn't a big space. But this was a high-class residential area, and the furnishing of the units was exquisite. Naturally, the price was rather steep too.

This was a two-bedroom apartment that her father had bought with the remaining money before Grandpa passed on. She didn't have a share in this.

Ye Banxia looked around the apartment. The fogginess in her eyes was so thinly veiled, it was hard to catch.

She remembered how her father used to tactfully tell her, "Banxia, we don't have any more bedrooms at home. You can put up at your friend's place in the meantime. When Dad has the money, I'll buy a bigger house, then you'll be able to come back to live with us."

She'd simply smiled when she heard him.

Even if her father had not put it this way, she wouldn't have wanted to sleep in the same room as Ye Youran, anyway. But it just seemed a lot more ironic and absurd when her father said it this way.

The oppressed emotions surged inside her. Ye Banxia pursed her lips and reminded herself of her objective for coming today. She only had one motive—she needed the money for Hanyan's surgery.

"Dad." Her once-red lips appeared paler than usual.

Ye Hanyuan looked at her solemnly. "Didn't you hear your Mom talking to you?"

Banxia's heart skipped a beat as an insincere smile appeared on her face. "My mom has completely lost contact with me for years, where did you see her?"

Ye Hanyuan flinched.

He was about to erupt in anger when Fang Shuyuan quickly patted his shoulder. She gave a slightly sad smile. "Hanyuan, I'm alright, don't be like this. Banxia's finally back after so long, speak with her nicely. Didn't you bring her up when we were talking last night?"

She hurriedly turned towards Ye Banxia and smiled warmly. "Banxia, stay for dinner. I happened to buy a lot of groceries today, I'll cook a little more rice later. You…"

"No need." Ye Banxia interrupted her. "I have something to talk to Dad about."

Fang Shuyuan's smile stiffened for a few seconds before she nodded. "Alright, I'll make you both some tea. Don't keep yourself standing, take a seat."

As she sat on the couch in the living room, Banxia realized that Ye Youran had not made an appearance. She felt more relieved knowing that she likely wasn't home. Ye Banxia simply wasn't ready to face Li Hanchuan or Ye Youran at the moment. Even in the future, she wouldn't want to see them if possible.

"Dad, I need your help with something."

Ye Banxia went straight to the point, but her tone was more mellow.

The man sitting opposite her was taken aback. For the past many years, this daughter of his had practically never asked him for help in anything.

Ye Hanyuan's look tensed up slightly, but he nodded kindly. "Go ahead. There isn't a need to be so formal between father and daughter."

"Dad, I know you're financially very tight now, but Hanyan's condition suddenly deteriorated. She was supposed to undergo surgery one month from now, but it's become an emergency and we can't wait beyond three days. I can't raise this much money within this time, so I… I'm wondering, Dad, can you lend me one million yuan first?"

She bit her lip and asked very cautiously, her eyes apprehensive.

Ye Hanyuan's expression darkened immediately as complex emotions lay beneath it.

"Banxia, it's not that Dad is unwilling to lend it to you. You should know that I don't have that kind of money now."

Ye Banxia suddenly felt something lodged in her throat. It was uncomfortable.

Of course she knew. It was precisely because she knew, that she still went to get a loan from Li Hanchuan right after she was dumped by him…

But this apartment right here was worth about eight million yuan on the market. Although it was peanuts compared to the amount that the Ye Firm lost due to bankruptcy, this was way more than enough to settle Hanyan's bills of a million yuan. He could use the remaining money to get another apartment elsewhere. It might not be as high-class as this one, but at least his daughter's life would be saved!

She had one month's time back then.

But now with only three days to go, she was at wits' end.

"Dad, I'll definitely return you the money in time to come. Could you sell this apartment first and put up elsewhere…"

"Ping!"—the sound of shattering porcelain ware interrupted her.

The two of them turned around and saw Fang Shuyuan staring at them in shock. She'd gone pale as if she'd just suffered a terrible fright.

Ye Hanyuan immediately went to her. "What happened?" He held her scalded hand and chided with concern. "This isn't the first time you're brewing tea, why are you so careless?"

Ye Banxia shut her eyes for a while before going up to them. "Dad, about what I just said…"

"Banxia, I know Hanyan is in a pitiful state, lying in the hospital. But your dad… your dad really doesn't have the money now… if you get him to sell the house, where is our family going to live? You can put up at your friend's place, but your dad, I, and Youran, we…"

"Enough!" Ye Hanyuan cut her off.

Banxia thought that there was a turn of events. Her eyes flickered with hope.

But Ye Hanyuan's following words caught her off guard, throwing her into an abyss. Her heart turned cold upon hearing them.

"Banxia, I will never agree to this. I'm not the only person living here, I can't simply forsake Youran and her mother!"

…

Can't simply forsake Youran and her mother.

On the way back, Ye Banxia couldn't stop replaying this line in her head. So he could simply forsake her and Hanyan, was that right?

She let the wind brush her face and mess her hair up as she walked down the streets in her heels.

Ye Banxia took her cell phone out and scrolled through the contacts with her cold fingers.

Mo Chenyan, Li Hanchuan, they were her last resort…