Chapter 612: Chapter 612: Handover

“Yi Huai, this incident is a lesson for you,” Zhong Niangyao said, looking at Yi Huai’s disheveled appearance and giving a cold smile. “Sometimes, it’s better not to let your eyes wander, or you might not even know how you die.”

Yi Huai sat on the ground in complete disarray, feeling as if he had survived a disaster. He had never imagined that a mere curious glance at Zhong Niangyao could have almost ended his life.

If Zhong Niangyao hadn’t spoken up earlier, he truly felt that he might have died. This wasn’t an illusion but a reality.

Hearing Zhong Niangyao’s words made Yi Lin’s face grow even uglier. However, he couldn’t afford to fall out with the Baili Family, so he could only swallow these insults.

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Yi Lin softened his expression before speaking, “Brother Baili, what Yi Huai did was indeed outrageous. I have no face to ask for your forgiveness. However, it is true that my Yi Family was at fault initially, and I will certainly compensate you.”

After speaking, Yi Lin directly proposed a series of territorial and financial compensations, promising that everything he had just mentioned would be delivered to the Baili Family within three days.

As Yi Lin listed the treasures he would offer, Baili Hengyuan felt no stirrings in his heart.

Over the years, he had felt guilty regarding the annulment with the Yi Family and had provided quite a few compensations, overtly and covertly. What Yi Lin was doing now was merely returning those favors.

Seeing Baili Hengyuan’s unmoved expression, Yi Lin knew that he hadn’t managed to sway him.

He immediately continued, “I recently obtained some fine medicinal herbs, including a thousand-year-old ginseng and a Snow Spirit Flower. I will send someone to deliver them so they can help Le Yao recover. She has just awakened and is still weak. A good restorative treatment should have her recovered soon.”

While the thousand-year-old ginseng was bearable to part with, sending away the Snow Spirit Flower pained him deeply.

The Snow Spirit Flower, with its miraculous effects almost capable of raising the dead, was something he had seen for the first time in his long life. Now, for Yi Huai’s sake, he had to hand it over to the Baili Family.

When Baili Hengyuan heard mention of the Snow Spirit Flower, his expression instantly turned grim, even icy.

Immediately, the atmosphere in the living room became more oppressive, even the air seemed filled with a suffocating essence.

Yi Lin was puzzled. Baili Hengyuan had initially been reluctant but had somewhat softened his stance. However, his demeanor had suddenly turned stern, with a trace of anger.

At the mention of the Snow Spirit Flower, Yi Huai had already felt uneasy.

Previously, he had not informed his father about the Snow Spirit Flower, as he hadn’t expected his father to plan on giving it away and thus had never mentioned it.

Bringing it up suddenly was bound to provoke discontent among the Baili Family members.

And indeed, Baili Hengyuan’s face was extraordinarily grim.

“There are some things that you, Family Head Yi, might not be fully aware of,” Zhong Niangyao began, her interest piqued. “Before this, Yi Huai stole the Snow Spirit Flower that my father had found for my mother. Does your action now count as compensation?”

“Stolen?” Yi Huai frowned, and after exchanging looks as if realizing something, his gaze hardened and fell upon Yi Huai, “What exactly is going on?”

Yi Huai dodged his eyes, unable to meet Yi Lin’s gaze.

“Ha, it seems that you, Family Head Yi, don’t really understand your own son!” Zhong Niangyao blinked, a smile on her face that did not reach her eyes, “The Snow Spirit Flower, which my father risked his life to get and even fell from a cliff for–it’s still unknown whether he is dead or alive. Sadly, that Snow Spirit Flower never ended up in my mother’s hands but was switched out by Yi Huai.”

“As for where the switched-out Snow Spirit Flower ended up, I think you might already guess.”

Immediately, Yi Lin’s face turned ashen, his gaze sharp as a knife on Yi Huai, “Good, Yi Huai, you really outdid yourself. I really hadn’t expected, my own son, to be such a romantic! Thinking of his wife first whenever he comes across something good. Should I praise you for being a good husband?”

His anger was directed at Yi Huai–not because Yi Huai had switched out Le Yao’s medicine. He was angry because such prized items as the Snow Spirit Flower were not even reported to him by Yi Huai, who directly gave it to Huang Wan.

Even now, with everything exposed, Yi Huai kept things hidden from him, leading him to broach an inappropriate topic at an inopportune time, plunging the entire atmosphere into awkwardness.

Particularly today, his presence at the Baili Family was entirely for Yi Huai’s sake. Yet, in Yi Huai’s eyes, his father did not exist.

“Father, I’m sorry.”

Yi Huai knew that at this moment, no matter what explanations he offered, they were useless. And in such a situation, it wasn’t appropriate to explain further.

All he could do was apologize.

Yi Lin glared harshly at Yi Huai, then calmed his emotions before continuing, “Brother Baili, this is all Yi Huai’s fault. However, he was deliberately led astray by Huang Wan, which led to his actions.”

“I will certainly discipline him harshly, please do not be angry.”

His subservient posture seemed to truly place himself in the lowest position.

Baili Hengyuan said nothing, just looked coldly at Yi Lin.

“Ha–”

Just then, a crisp laughter broke the tense atmosphere in the living room.

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Zhong Niangyao covering her mouth, giggling.

A flicker of displeasure crossed Yi Lin’s eyes, feeling that Zhong Niangyao was mocking him.

“There, girl,” Baili Hengyuan chuckled, shaking his head with affection in his tone, “What’s so funny about this?”

“Nothing, I just find it interesting,” Zhong Niangyao rested her chin on one hand, looking at Yi Lin and smiling, “Family Head Yi, you’ve been here for so long, continuously having Yi Huai apologize to us. Of course, I believe in your sincerity. But up to now, you still haven’t said how you intend to settle this!”