Tang Ye was at his wit's end.
*Beep beep beep...*
Tang Yiyi called.
"Second brother, the public opinion online is getting worse and worse. Where are the PR people you hired?"
"We have to fight back at this time. I remember the person who threw water at me. She looked a lot like the bodyguard Tang Xiaomin brought that day."
"We can dig deep into this point, and they'll definitely slip up. We absolutely cannot admit defeat, second brother!"
...
Tang Yiyi was very anxious about clearing her own name.
All she thought about was her own problem.
She completely threw Tang Ye's current predicament out of her mind.
"Do you have anything else to say?" Tang Ye asked calmly.
"Oh, right. When I was splashed with water that day, Mr. Wang was talking to Tang Xiaomin. Tang Xiaomin and Mr. Wang are also suspicious. This can also be dug into... and also..."
...
As he listened, Tang Ye's heart grew colder.
"I put myself on the front lines to help you clear your name. Have you ever thought about me?"
Hearing this, Tang Yiyi changed her tone.
"Second brother, Yang Zhenzhen cares about you a lot. She will definitely help you clarify. Don't worry too much. The main thing now is my issue. We need to fight back and expose Tang Xiaomin's conspiracy."
"Second brother..."
...
Tang Ye was truly tired.
His mother already hated Tang Yiyi.
To help Tang Yiyi, he not only defied his mother,
but now he had also ruined his own future.
What had he gained?
Even so, Tang Yiyi hadn't considered him even a little.
If she had cared even a tiny bit about him, he wouldn't be this utterly disappointed now.
Tang Ye sighed.
"This is the last thing I can do for you. From now on, you are no longer my sister, Tang Ye. That's all."
"Second brother, what's wrong?"
"Second brother!"
"Second brother!"
...
Tang Ye said no more, hung up the phone, and deleted all of Tang Yiyi's contact information.
Someone like Tang Yiyi was not worth his effort.
At this moment, Tang Ye regretted it.
But no matter how much he regretted it, it was too late to turn back.
Tang Ye turned off his phone.
Hearing his mother coughing from the second floor, he went to the kitchen, made a cup of honey water, and brought it upstairs.
As soon as Zhang Meiyu saw Tang Ye, she was furious.
"Go be with Tang Yiyi, I, Zhang Meiyu, don't have such a foolish son. Don't ever say you are my son again, I, Zhang Meiyu, am too embarrassed to have you."
In the past, no matter how big a mistake Tang Ye made, his mother had never said such a thing to him.
Tang Ye felt a pang in his heart and apologized with his head bowed.
"Mom, I was wrong. This time, it's all my own doing. I deserve it."
"I've already deleted all of Yiyi's contact information. I will never associate with her again. Don't abandon me, I can't live without Mom."
No matter how old a child grows, in front of their mother, they are still a child.
Tang Ye's eyes reddened from Zhang Meiyu's words of rejection.
Hearing that Tang Ye had taken the initiative to delete Tang Yiyi's contact information, Zhang Meiyu couldn't help but look at him differently.
But Zhang Meiyu didn't believe Tang Ye's nonsense.
"Do you believe what you're saying?"
"When I wasn't around, you brothers still secretly kept in touch with Tang Yiyi."
"You helped her clear her name because she manipulated you, didn't you?"
Tang Ye remained silent, hesitant.
Finally, like a child who had done wrong, he nodded, admitting his mistake.
Seeing this, Zhang Meiyu was so angry that she lost her temper.
"Good, excellent. You ruined your future for that bitch Tang Yiyi, and now you've come crawling back to me."
"Get out! I don't have a useless son like you, get out!"
Zhang Meiyu's emotions flared up. Her head throbbed, and she panted heavily, looking unwell.
"Mom, what's wrong, Mom?"
Tang Ye anxiously stepped forward to check on Zhang Meiyu.
Zhang Meiyu was in a bad state, but she still flung Tang Ye's hand away.
"Get out!"
"You're just like your father, a foolish fool!"
"Get out!"
Tang Ye was so reprimanded that he couldn't even utter a word of defense.
Because he had indeed been foolish, foolishly ruining his future for an unworthy Tang Yiyi.
Butler Wang saw this and advised Tang Ye.
"Madam is angry right now. Just listen to Madam and leave first. Don't let her see you agitate her further."
Tang Ye felt guilty for causing his mother's condition to worsen.
Even standing in front of his mother now felt wrong.
Tang Ye placed the honey water he had made in front of his mother and then reluctantly left the villa.
If his departure could make her feel even slightly better, then what reason did he have to stay?
Tang Ye walked along the main road. He looked around, not knowing where else he could go.
The company had completely abandoned him.
His mother also didn't want him.
As for Tang Yiyi... forget it, they had no relationship anymore.
"Tang Ye, it's so late, why are you wandering outside instead of staying home?"
The person speaking was Tang Zhongcheng.
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Tang Ye asked suspiciously.
Tang Zhongcheng came every day, hoping to get lucky and see Zhang Meiyu when her mood improved.
Tang Zhongcheng was unemployed now, but he still cared about his family.
Especially with Tang Ye's scandal making waves, he knew Tang Ye was in a difficult situation.
"You tell me first, why are you here?"
Tang Ye lowered his head, and after a long pause, he said helplessly.
"My mom... my mom is angry with me for helping Yiyi clear her name, and she kicked me out."
Just as Tang Zhongcheng had expected.
Tang Zhongcheng took Tang Ye to the small apartment he had rented not far from the Tang family's residence.
It was an old two-bedroom apartment, sparsely furnished, with a musty smell in the air.
Tang Ye, a handsome idol, looked out of place here.
However, he had nowhere else to go at the moment.
Tang Zhongcheng bought a case of beer and took out the leftover braised duck from the previous meal, along with some peanuts and sunflower seeds from the refrigerator.
The father and son sat in the simple room, drinking and chatting.
After drinking a bottle of beer, Tang Zhongcheng asked Tang Ye a question.
"Tang Ye, tell me the truth."
"You ruined your bright future to help Yiyi clear her name. Do you regret it?"
Regret?
At this moment, Tang Ye's intestines were twisted with regret.
If he hadn't helped Tang Yiyi, he would still be the popular idol everyone adored.
He had several more dramas to film, dozens of commercials, and many endorsement deals.
There were also his concert tours. He could have stood on stage, enjoying the cheers and adoration of the massive crowd.
If he had just worked hard, he could have earned money that ordinary people couldn't in several lifetimes and lived a life of wealth.
If...
Alas, there was no "if."