Chapter 217: This Is His Rightful Life
Ye Ming’s gaze cut through the crowd to land on Shi Lan, a flicker of awe in his eyes. He looked at her dress and the necklace around her neck, and the thought that they all came from him filled him with a sense of satisfying pleasure.
Across the dense crowd, Shi Lan smiled at him.
Ye Ming’s lips curved into a slight smile, and the hearts of the women in the crowd fluttered wildly.
This time, the birthday banquet wasn’t held in the palace, but at the Royal Family’s private estate. A one-kilometer security perimeter had been cleared around it.
Aside from the Emperor’s, the birthdays of both Princes had always been held here.
Soldiers moved through the crowd, clearing a path as they went. The Emperor, a benevolent smile on his face, was the first to enter.
Shi Lan stood beside Jiang Yan and Lai Yilian, her gaze following the Emperor with curiosity. This was the first time she had ever seen the Emperor in person.
He was tall and imposing, and his green eyes seemed even deeper and more profound than Ye Ming’s. Even when he smiled, he exuded a commanding pressure, an authority that needed no anger to be felt.
Just then, the Emperor tilted his head slightly.
Shi Lan inadvertently met his gaze. Startled, she immediately lowered her head, and he quickly looked away as well.
The Emperor was followed by Ye Ming, and then Ye Yan.
Joyful cheers erupted as the first two passed, but Ye Yan could feel the sound die down considerably when it was his turn.
This had become a common occurrence ever since Ye Ming’s return.
Having experienced the thrill of popularity as the heir apparent, Ye Yan’s heart now seethed with bitter resentment at being given the cold shoulder. ’Why is Ye Ming so damn lucky?’ he fumed. ’How could he recover from a High-level Spiritual Power collapse?’ He also cursed those idiots from before for botching the job.
He watched as all eyes in the room fell upon his eldest brother, his own downcast gaze filled with dark malice and jealousy. He had a nagging feeling that all of this should have belonged to him, but since Ye Ming’s return, it was as if his own spotlight had been stolen away.
Bai Rao stood beside her parents, her brow furrowing slightly as she watched Ye Yan. ’Compared to the Eldest Prince,’ she thought, ’Ye Yan seems so unimpressive, just standing there with his head down, lost in thought.’
Her gaze shifted to Ye Ming. If she weren’t already engaged to the Second Prince, she would have definitely tried to win over the Eldest Prince.
Unfortunately, this was the Royal Family. Even if she was among the most outstanding women, she couldn’t have two Princes as her husbands. And since the Second Prince had done nothing to warrant it, the engagement was set in stone and could not be annulled.
Still, Bai Rao kicked herself. ’If only I’d known they would be able to leave Black Star, I wouldn’t have rushed into this engagement. I thought the Second Prince would become the heir, but I never expected him to be such a disappointment.’
She bit her lip slightly and followed her parents toward the banquet hall.
Inside the hall, the Emperor stood on the second floor, looking out over the guests. He spoke a few simple words. "In what feels like a blink of an eye, my Ming’er is already so grown. These past years have been hard. His spiritual power collapse was severe, and he suffered for three years on Black Star. Now, his suffering has finally given way to good fortune; he’s been blessed by the heavens and is able to lower his collapse value."
"As the Emperor, and as a father, I deeply regret missing his last three birthdays. This year, I can finally make up for it."
As he spoke, he clapped his hands, and a server respectfully wheeled over a cart bearing four gift boxes.
"These four gifts are a token of my heart as a father, and a way to make up for the regret of not being able to attend his birthdays for the past three years. I hope you don’t blame me, Ming’er."
Ye Ming’s gaze wavered. He looked into the Emperor’s eyes, which shone with fatherly love, and felt an unexpected sting in his nose.
’In his memory, his father truly had never missed a single one of his birthdays. No matter how busy he was, he always made an appearance.’
He scanned the crowd, but he didn’t see the Dean. A flicker of disappointment passed through him, but he didn’t let it show on his face.
Ye Ming pulled his gaze back and shook his head. "Of course not. Thank you, Father."
The Emperor’s eyes glistened. "Good. Good."
What a touching scene of fatherly love and filial piety.
Standing behind them, Ye Yan was like an invisible man, but his jaw was clenched tight. ’Ye Ming is so damn lucky,’ he thought. ’He gets to have everything.’
’Unlike me. My mother is dead, the inheritance that was within my grasp is gone, and now even Father only has eyes for his other son.’
’Three years of effort, all down the drain.’
He forced a smile. "Yes, Eldest Brother has had it very hard these past few years. As his younger brother, this is just a small token from me."
Ye Yan produced a gift box of his own.
Ye Ming glanced at it and gestured for a nearby server to accept it before saying, "Thank you, Second Brother."
Ye Yan hadn’t expected Ye Ming to be so wary of him, even over a simple gift. He secretly clenched his fist, his smile nearly faltering.
Fortunately, the Emperor spoke up again. "Ming’er, you should say a few words as well."
Ye Ming nodded. His peach-blossom eyes found Shi Lan in the crowd, as clear as turquoise pools. A ripple seemed to pass through them as he parted his lips to speak. "Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend my birthday banquet. I’m very happy to see the person I’ve been wanting to see at an occasion like this..."
The person he’d been wanting to see?
As soon as he said it, a stir of speculation went through the crowd below.
Who could the Eldest Prince be talking about?
Heads turned from side to side, but only Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng knew exactly who he meant.
For a moment, Shi Lan’s gaze met his, and in that instant, she understood the deep affection in his eyes.
’She knew. He was talking about her.’
Ye Ming spoke for a while longer. He thanked the Emperor, and he also thanked Ye Yan for his diligent efforts toward the position of heir over the past three years.
Although his tone held no trace of sarcasm, Ye Yan knew better than anyone that the words were aimed squarely at him.
’For some reason, Ye Ming hadn’t seemed to dislike him so much before. But since his return, Ye Yan could clearly feel his aversion and silent provocations.’
’He probably found out about all the people I sent to the prison.’
’But Ye Yan wasn’t too concerned. There was only one position for the heir, and sooner or later, he would take it back.’
After his speech, Ye Ming bowed sincerely once more. The eyes of the crowd were filled with touched expressions and admiration.
As the heir, the Eldest Prince was never condescending or arrogant; they could all feel his sincerity and respect.
Everyone broke into applause. Shi Lan watched him, dashing and confident, as her own applause joined the enthusiastic din.
’This was the life Ye Ming was supposed to have,’ she thought. ’Not one where he was stuck in prison, faded from public view, and was ultimately reduced to a background character for the male lead.’
After the birthday speech, the bright lights of the hall dimmed considerably. Everyone knew it was time for the opening dance.
The Emperor looked at Ye Ming. Beneath his profound gaze, the smile on his lips was laden with both gravity and meaning.
Ye Ming walked to the top of the staircase. He could feel his father’s gaze on him, and the words the Emperor had spoken in the palace not long ago echoed in his mind.
"Ming’er, it’s time you had a wife. As the heir, you should understand that the opening dance is more than just a simple dance..."
He lowered his eyes, his jaw tightening reflexively.
After the enthusiastic applause died down, a heavy silence fell over the hall. Everyone held their breath, waiting curiously for his choice.
Many of the women subtly adjusted their clothing, preparing themselves for what was to come.
Ye Ming pushed aside his chaotic thoughts, his gaze sweeping over the women below as he started down the stairs.