Usually, when someone was expelled from a family, their token was destroyed immediately.
Yue Qingshan's expulsion had been too sudden. No one had anticipated it, and in the chaos, his family token remained intact.
Yue Bo had deliberately preserved it—a lifeline to track down the traitorous family member and exact the payback Ye Qian demanded.
Ye Qian nodded, indifferent. Yue Qingshan had always been an unwilling pawn, never a genuine threat.
"Do as you please."
He glanced at Yue Ming, his expression unreadable.
"It's rare for you to see your father these days. I'll leave you two alone."
He held Yue Ming's gaze for a lingering moment before turning away, his footsteps fading into the palace.
Yue Bo waited until the Young Master disappeared entirely before shifting his attention to his daughter.
His eyes swept over her—searching for bruises, signs of mistreatment, anything that would confirm his worst fears.
Finding nothing, he released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
But relief gave way to stern necessity.
"Yue Ming, whatever the cost, devote yourself utterly to the Young Master.
Let your loyalty be unshakable.
Be the instrument he requires and the perfection he demands.
Have I made myself clear?"
He knew his daughter's temperament too well—her pride, her spoiled nature.
One misstep, one careless word, and she could ignite Ye Qian's wrath. The entire family would burn for it.
Yue Ming had expected... something else.
Warmth, perhaps. Concern.
Instead, she received a lecture.
Sadness crept into her chest, cold and heavy.
"Father..." Her voice wavered.
"Don't you even care to ask how I've been?
Tell me, when did I become so insignificant?"
She stared at him, desperate to see past the Patriarch's mask to the father beneath.
Yue Bo's brow furrowed immediately.
"Yue Ming, of course I care about your situation. But you should understand that your actions concern our entire family.
If you anger the Young Master, we could all be implicated. Do you grasp that?"
His tone hardened.
"I am your father, yes, but I am also the Patriarch.
I cannot disregard the family's survival. Can I?"
A bitter smile twisted Yue Ming's lips.
She'd hoped for consolation. Instead, another lecture.
"So the family is more important in your eyes, then."
She lowered her head, unable to hide the disappointment flooding her eyes.
"Compared to the family, I am nothing."
What could Yue Bo say? 'Come with me, I'll take you away'?
Impossible.
They stood in the heart of the Ye Family's territory.
Even if he attempted such foolishness, they wouldn't make it past the gates. He had neither the strength nor the right to defy Ye Qian's claim.
He placed a hand on her shoulder, his touch gentle despite his words.
"Yue Ming, we're just a small clan. We can't afford to offend the Ye Family.
I know you've been wronged, but giving up one person for the safety of the entire clan…"
He hesitated.
"It's better for everyone."
Her head snapped up, eyes reddening.
"Better for everyone except me!"
She hated being bartered like livestock, traded for political convenience. But she lacked the strength to control her own fate.
Yue Bo frowned deeply, her words striking too close to truth for rebuttal.
Yue Ming left without another word, eyes glistening.
Whatever expectations she'd harbored for her father had withered to ash.
Watching her desolate figure retreat, Yue Bo felt an ache in his chest. He sighed.
"Daughter, being by the Young Master's side is far better than remaining in the family.
Perhaps one day you'll thank me for this."
The head of the Yue Family had always been male—tradition carved in stone. Yue Ming could never inherit that position.
Her fate had always been marriage, being handed off to whatever alliance benefited the family most. An unknown husband, an uncertain future.
This way was better.
She served Ye Qian now, yes, but who could predict what tomorrow held?
If she earned his favor, became his confidante—or even his concubine—the benefits to the Yue Family would be immeasurable.
And Yue Ming would have secured a position far more secure than any arranged marriage could provide.
He'd given her the best chance she could have. She simply didn't understand yet.
The stone that had pressed against his heart finally lifted.
Yue Bo returned to the banquet, poured himself a generous glass of wine, and drained it in one long swallow.
"Refreshing!"
How could it not be? He no longer had to fear Ye Qian's retaliation destroying everything he'd built.
…
Ye Qian noticed Yue Ming returning, her eyes faintly red and swollen.
He didn't turn to look at her, his gaze fixed ahead as he spoke in a tone balanced between jest and genuine inquiry.
"Finished chatting with your father?
You didn't reveal any more of my information to him, did you?"
Yue Ming's fists clenched at her sides, her red-rimmed eyes blazing with sudden intensity.
"No. I didn't tell him anything."
Her tone was iron-firm, without the slightest hesitation.
She understood now. She couldn't rely on her father. Couldn't rely on the family.
Only herself—and her position as Ye Qian's maid.
No one else would save her or protect her interests.
A cold resolution settled in her mind, sharp and unshakable: she would serve Ye Qian flawlessly.
She would climb, step by grueling step, until she was no longer merely a personal maid.
She would become a concubine of the Ye Family, someone whose existence could not be ignored.
She would make them all see what heights she could reach once she became his woman.
[Ding! Detected a significant change in the Daughter of Heaven Yue Ming's outlook. Loyalty increased by 20 points. Current Loyalty: 85 points. Congratulations, Master, you have gained 2000 Villain Points.]
Ye Qian raised an eyebrow at the unexpected windfall.
He turned to study Yue Ming.
Her eyes remained red, yes, but they burned with determination now—as though she'd crossed some internal threshold and emerged transformed.
He didn't question it. Let her plans unfold. He was curious to see what she would do.
With Loyalty at eighty-five points, betrayal was virtually impossible.
Whatever conversation she'd had with her father had clearly reshaped her perspective.
"Yue Ming."
His voice dropped, noble authority weaving through every syllable.
"I don't care what you and your father discussed. What matters is this: you must remember your new identity."
He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming yet controlled.
"You are no longer the Young Miss of the Yue Family. You are no longer a free person."
A faint, satisfied smile touched his lips.
"You are my personal maid. More precisely… you are my belonging. Mine, Ye Qian's."
His eyes held hers, unrelenting but almost fond.
"I may treat you however I please—bully you, cherish you, ignore you.
But only me.
No one else has that right. No one."