CH 050

TL: Moonlit

After ending the call on the speakerphone, Lin Hanchuan didn’t immediately return the phone to the painter. Instead, he asked, “Do you mind if I expose this conversation?”

“I don’t mind.” The painter had made up his mind at this point.

Lin Hanchuan didn’t hesitate. He quickly edited the recording and sent it to the painter, who then publicly shared it on his social media account.

The painter’s previous post had only represented his own perspective, and netizens were blindly following the crowd without knowing the truth. People within the industry had mixed opinions.

Once this conversation was released, everyone was shocked.

⌈”What the hell! This couple has no shame. Do they think we’re still living in feudal times?”⌋

⌈”I didn’t believe they would do such a thing before, but now I feel disgusted. I deeply regret choosing their courses.”⌋

⌈”The entire Yi family is evil.”⌋

⌈”No wonder they raised a child like Yi Wusheng. They have no respect for art themselves, so naturally, they can’t teach their children to respect art…”⌋

There were also some people who held the opposite opinion from the general public.

⌈”They said that without them, this person wouldn’t even have had the opportunity to attend school. Compared to a lifetime of opportunities, what are two paintings?”⌋

⌈”According to what you said, you can treat your child however you want because you raised them. If you marry someone, it’s okay to beat them up because you provide for their food and drink, right? Extremely selfish.”⌋

⌈”If I invite you to have a meal and then beat you up, would that be acceptable? After all, I treated you to the meal, so you owe me.”⌋

The initial person who commented was quickly overwhelmed and dared not say another word. They deleted their comments and fled.

…

The online comments were endless. Not long after, in the face of overwhelming public opinion, the school responded positively and issued a statement announcing the dismissal of Yi’s parents.

At that moment, netizens cheered, feeling a sense of satisfaction!

Father Yi and Mother Yi received the notice, their faces pale. They had been confident that they would seek justice for Yi Wusheng, but they never expected to be caught up in their own scheme.

Not only did they lose their jobs, but they also became the biggest joke within the industry.

Mother Yi held the dismissal letter, sitting down on the sofa, murmuring to herself in a daze, “How did it come to this…”

Having been respected by their students for so long, Mother Yi couldn’t accept this outcome.

“It’s all because of that good-for-nothing son of yours!” Father Yi slammed the table angrily. “If he hadn’t messed up, this wouldn’t have happened!”

Father Yi was driven to anger and even blamed Yi Wusheng.

Mother Yi suddenly looked up. “You knew about what happened with Wusheng back then. What’s the use of blaming him now? He’s already dead!”

As soon as she finished speaking, both of them froze.

Originally, this was a happy family—loving parents, a filial son, and extraordinary talent. No one could have imagined that within just two years, everything would take a drastic turn.

The young genius had passed away, the parents were aging, and they couldn’t even secure their last means of livelihood and their integrity.

In the midst of silence, Father Yi and Mother Yi both felt a sense of being strangers to themselves. Father Yi slumped down and said, “There’s no other way. We can sell our paintings.”

Their paintings couldn’t compare to renowned masterpieces, and they might only sell for tens or hundreds of thousands, but they could still fetch several thousand yuan.

Tears welled up in Mother Yi’s eyes as she gazed fixedly at Father Yi. “Will anyone still buy our paintings?”

After this incident, not only within the industry but also outside of it, their reputation had spread nationwide. It was impossible for them to sell their paintings anymore.

Father Yi fell silent.

Lin Hanchuan wasn’t surprised by the final outcome after knowing what had happened. He simply smiled and went about his own business.

Qi Yuyu didn’t pay much attention to this matter either. Only Yue Hong felt uncomfortable and distressed. However, since the parties involved didn’t react, he had no choice but to suppress his curiosity and pretend that nothing had happened.

After rushing and dragging their feet, the gallery finally opened just before the results of the Spring Breeze Art Exhibition were announced.

The exhibition hall was filled with Qi Yuyu and Yue Hong’s collections, as well as their own paintings. Qi Yuyu had utilized all his connections to make the opening ceremony lively and bustling.

Ever since arriving in this world, Lin Hanchuan had always dressed flamboyantly in the style of Yi Qinglou. But on this day, he changed out of his colorful attire and donned a custom-tailored black suit.

The black coat neatly covered his shirt, and every button on the shirt was fastened. A gray tie was neatly tied around his neck, and a blue tie clip adorned it. With every gesture, the sapphire cufflinks on his cuffs gleamed brightly.

Yue Hong waved his hand in front of Qi Yuyu’s eyes and said, “Hey, snap out of it, big bro.”

Qi Yuyu swatted Yue Hong’s hand away and continued to focus his gaze on Lin Hanchuan. He watched as Lin Hanchuan effortlessly engaged in conversation with others, displaying both politeness and a natural sense of nobility and distance.

Occasionally, when he became impatient, a touch of indifference would appear on Lin Hanchuan’s face, followed by a seamless withdrawal.

Qi Yuyu hadn’t expected that the person he had been thinking about would have such a side to him… It was strange, but he didn’t feel a sense of unfamiliarity. Instead, he felt a sense of attraction and familiarity.

It was as if… he preferred the person in front of him more than the outgoing and flamboyant Yi Qinglou.

Lost in his thoughts, Lin Hanchuan raised his eyes slightly, and their gazes met. Qi Yuyu’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively averted his gaze.

A few seconds later, he couldn’t help but look back, but Lin Hanchuan had already disappeared from sight.

“If you like him, go after him,” Yue Hong said, observing their interactions.

Qi Yuyu smiled lightly and replied, “It’s not the right time yet.”

Yue Hong: “…I don’t understand your inexplicable romance.”

As they spoke, Qi Yuyu sensed that the atmosphere around him was off. His heart thumped, and he followed the gaze of the crowd to see two elderly people with graying hair entering the venue.

In just a few days, Father Yi and Mother Yi’s hair had turned completely white.

“Why did they come?”

“At the very least, it’s their son’s gallery opening. It’s normal for them to show up…”

“After doing such things, they dare to appear in the art community. Aren’t they afraid of being cursed by everyone?”

“Shameless people are invincible.”

“I wonder how Yi Qinglou will handle this. After all, they are his parents.”

Listening to the murmurs around him, Qi Yuyu’s brow furrowed. Just as he was about to go forward, he saw a familiar figure already walking toward them.

In such a situation, Father Yi and Mother Yi were not welcomed visitors. Qi Yuyu followed behind, as he couldn’t let Lin Hanchuan face them alone.

In front of everyone’s eyes, Lin Hanchuan greeted them politely, “Mr. Yi, Mrs. Yi.”

“I am, after all, your father.” Father Yi, rarely in a good mood, revealed a smile to Lin Hanchuan. He said, “It’s such a big occasion for your gallery opening. I couldn’t possibly not come.”

Mother Yi also smiled, “Yes, congratulations, Qinglou.”

This was the first time Father Yi and Mother Yi addressed Yi Qinglou so intimately. However, Lin Hanchuan’s expression turned cold, showing no emotions. “If I remember correctly, we have severed ties.”

Father Yi and Mother Yi’s expressions changed.

“I still have the court notice at home. If you’ve forgotten, I can immediately go home and fetch it to show you,” Lin Hanchuan added.

Father Yi forced a few dry laughs. “We did wrong in the past, but we are, after all, your parents. You can’t…”

“I can,” Lin Hanchuan said, his expression unchanged.

In the past few days, Father Yi and Mother Yi had lived in extreme chaos.

They had lost everything they once prided themselves on and lived in a dirty and messy house. In their hazy state of mind, they faintly remembered that Yi Qinglou had taken care of their daily lives with great care.

The root cause of everything was ultimately Yi Wusheng. They could no longer love him without resentment.

Until they hit rock bottom, they finally saw the truth about Yi Qinglou.

They suddenly realized that Yi Qinglou’s artistic talent was not on par with Yi Wusheng’s, nor was it better than that of ordinary people who learned to paint. But in their eyes, there was only Yi Wusheng. They constantly suppressed Yi Qinglou’s confidence until he finally left the family.

Yi Wusheng was only worth looking at through his paintings. From childhood, Yi Qinglou had excelled in his studies and had never given his parents any worries. He had won numerous awards and honors. Even though Father Yi and Mother Yi didn’t show him favoritism, they had taken pride in the envy of their peers.

After Yi Wusheng’s death, Yi Qinglou even quit his job and returned to Qingzhou City to take care of them, without any complaints…

The more they compared, the more Father Yi and Mother Yi realized how blind they had been. Moreover, Yi Qinglou had opened a gallery and had become wealthy.

So, on the day of the gallery opening, they came to the door. They knew that Yi Qinglou was likely harboring resentment, but they also believed that as parents, regardless of their mistakes, they were still his parents—bound by blood and kinship.

Besides… In front of everyone’s eyes, as their children, what could they possibly do to their parents?

Father Yi and Mother Yi didn’t expect Lin Hanchuan to be so resolute. In front of everyone, he bluntly rejected them.

“No matter what you have in mind, I will refuse,” Lin Hanchuan’s voice was neither loud nor soft, but it was enough for everyone in the quiet gallery to hear. “You personally applied for the severed relationship in court. We are just strangers.”

Mother Yi’s face turned grim. “I am your birth mother…”

“If I could, I’d rather you hadn’t given birth to me,” Lin Hanchuan said.

For a moment, no one spoke.

The scandal involving the Yi family had become too big, and almost everyone present had heard about the situation and had some understanding of the Yi family’s affairs. Some people disapproved of Father Yi and Mother Yi’s behavior and sneered, saying, “If all parents in the world were like you, the birth rate would decrease by at least half.”

“You can make a mess, why can’t others clean it up.”

“Such a good day, don’t cause trouble. How ominous.”

“Leave quickly, leave quickly.”

Driven away by the crowd’s words, Father Yi and Mother Yi couldn’t bear to face the humiliation and turned to leave. Before leaving, Mother Yi looked back at Lin Hanchuan in the crowd and felt somewhat estranged.

To this day, she finally regretted not treating her other son well. However, it was already too late for regrets.

Watching them leave, Lin Hanchuan calmly bowed to the crowd and said, “Thank you all for speaking up for justice.”

The atmosphere eased, as if the previous events hadn’t happened.

Qi Fenghua, gathering his courage, approached Lin Hanchuan to strike up a conversation. “Congratulations.”

Lin Hanchuan glanced at him faintly.

“Can we find a quiet place to talk?” Qi Fenghua finally made up his mind. They had to have a good conversation, resolving all the misunderstandings. At the very least, he couldn’t leave any regrets.

Lin Hanchuan slightly parted his thin lips. “No.”

Then, he turned and walked toward Qi Yuyu.