"Revolt! Everyone's revolting! Is there no one in this house who listens to me?" Yi Weibang's face was flushed with anger, as he raised his right hand high.
"Stop!"
"Yi Weibang, if you dare to hit my daughter, I'll fight you to the death!"
The two voices erupted from opposite directions.
Yi Weiyang looked furiously at his brother, whose hand was still raised. With his mobility impaired, the wheelchair hadn't yet reached where the father and daughters stood, but Xi Meichen had already rushed forward.
Like a madwoman, Xi Meichen shoved Yi Weibang aside, turned around, pried Yi Luowa's hand away, and pushed the sobbing Yi Lingfei onto the sofa. "I was only gone a short while, and you're already bullying your sister. She's your blood sister! How can you not tolerate her like this?"
"Mom—it was her who hit me first!" Yi Lingfei wailed, her voice breaking. "The moment she came back, all you see is her... sob, sob..."
"Talk back! Go on, talk back!" Xi Meichen smacked Yi Lingfei's shoulder forcefully several times. "You three are all pieces of flesh torn from my body. I treasure all of you!"
"Favoritism! You don't care about me, not at all! All you care about is the sweeping star. She's going to bring ruin to our whole family..." Yi Lingfei cried loudly, and with every sentence, she spat the words "sweeping star."
Yi Luowa held back her tears and backed step by step toward the door. She hadn't planned on coming back to this home; it was them who insisted she return.
"Luowa, if you're going to leave, take your second uncle with you!" Yi Weiyang wheeled himself toward Yi Luowa.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Yi Luowa shook her head painfully as she looked at her second uncle's disabled legs. "If it weren't for me, your legs wouldn't have ended up like this..."
"Luowa!" Second Uncle growled in a low voice, displeased. "I don't want to hear those words again, especially not coming from you!"
Yi Luowa bit her lip. "Second Uncle, I want to go home!"
Second Uncle nodded. "Then let's go."
Yi Luowa hadn't even touched the wheelchair when Xi Meichen rushed over. "Luowa, if you're leaving, take your mom with you. This cold, loveless house isn't worth staying in!"
"I'll go with you!" Yi Shaoqing, who had been frozen in fear, finally came to his senses and ran over.
Yi Lingfei's crying stopped abruptly. She raised her head to look at her silent father. If their mother left, this house would fall apart!
Xi Meichen pushed the wheelchair and glanced sideways at her daughter. "Luowa, let's go!"
"Meichen..." Yi Weibang finally spoke, "It was my fault. I shouldn't have tried to hit Luowa. None of you needs to go; I'll leave instead!"
"Dad, this is your house! Have you lost your mind?" Yi Lingfei grabbed Yi Weibang's hand tightly. "I won't let you leave!"
Yi Weibang pried Yi Lingfei's hand away. "Go apologize to your sister."
"Why should I apologize to her?" Yi Lingfei was deeply aggrieved. "I'm the one who got hit!"
"Go apologize!" Yi Weibang shook his head wearily and walked quickly toward the door.
"Brother, wait! I have something to say." Yi Weiyang's deep voice called him to a halt.
"Weiyang, let's not get into it. The way things are now, it's all because of my incompetence..."
Yi Weiyang chuckled coldly. "You're not just incompetent; you're ignorant! Even now, you still think the mess in this family is Luowa's fault. If I had known she'd face this level of humiliation after coming back, I would never have brought her home! Let me tell you this: from today onward, Luowa is my daughter, and she has nothing to do with your family anymore."
"Weiyang, are you trying to kill your sister-in-law?" Xi Meichen's tear-filled eyes stared at Yi Weiyang. "I've waited so long for her to come back, and now you're going to take her away again..."
"With the status you hold in this household, if you were capable of keeping someone here, today's situation wouldn't have happened." Yi Weiyang bluntly interrupted her.
"So you're saying I'm incapable, or are you implying that I instigated today's events?" Xi Meichen stepped away from the wheelchair and stood in front of Yi Weiyang. "No matter how you see me, if you're taking Luowa, you'll have to step over my dead body."
"Ao Xiang, wheel me out!" Yi Weiyang reached over and took hold of Yi Luowa's hand. "Let's go live in peace, the two of us."
As Ao Xiang had just started to push the wheelchair, Xi Meichen stepped forward again. "Weiyang, step over me if you must!"
Second Uncle's hands curled into fists, the veins distinctly visible. Yi Luowa was genuinely afraid he might give the order to have Ao Xiang roll over Xi Meichen.
"Second Uncle, just go!" Yi Luowa grabbed Xi Meichen with her hands.
Xi Meichen's eyes, bloodshot with tears, stared at Yi Luowa. "Luowa, you're my child. But if your second uncle insists on taking you forever, I can't let you go. I can't lose you again!"
Yi Luowa gripped her lightly, moving Xi Meichen aside. Taking advantage of the moment, Ao Xiang wheeled the second uncle through the door.
As Yi Weiyang wheeled himself away, Xi Meichen clung tightly to Yi Luowa's hand. "If your second uncle wants to leave, let him, but you stay with me. If you don't want to live in this house, we'll find somewhere else to stay. Luowa... I'm begging you."
"Sister, please stay! I've never seen Mom cry before," Yi Shaoqing pleaded as he grabbed hold of Yi Luowa.
"I'm sorry. My presence is only a burden to everyone. I'm an ill omen. Let me go, for everyone's sake," Yi Luowa said, shaking off both hands before hurrying after Yi Weiyang.
In the yard, Ao Lie had already driven up in the van they had arrived in. Together, Yi Luowa and Ao Xiang helped lift her second uncle into the vehicle.
Holding onto the doorframe, Xi Meichen watched them, her face aflame with anger. She turned to Yi Weibang and roared: "Yi Weibang, if you don't bring them back today, I'm divorcing you!"
Yi Weibang looked as if he'd been struck by lightning. His entire body trembled as he rushed after them. Just as the car door was about to close, Yi Weibang leapt in.
"Get out!" Yi Weiyang bellowed.
"I'm not getting out. Little brother, if you leave, this family is finished! I'm begging you, please don't go." Yi Weibang clung tightly to his younger brother's hand.
Expressionless, Yi Weiyang pulled his hand away and said coldly, "Ao Lie, drive."
"Little brother..." Yi Weibang pleaded as Ao Lie started the engine. "Please don't leave. I'm begging you!"
"When will you finally act like a man?" Yi Weiyang snapped, disgusted by his brother's pitiful state. He turned away to look out the window.
Ao Lie looked back at them. Should he drive or not?
"Drive!"
Second Uncle had spoken, and Ao Lie responded by steering the car out of the courtyard.
Watching as the car disappeared in the distance, Xi Meichen slowly slid to the ground.
"Mom!" Yi Shaoqing panicked and turned to Yi Lingfei. "Sis, Mom fell!"
"I'm not your sister. The sweeping star is your sister!" Yi Lingfei grabbed her phone and stormed out of the house. As she left, she shouted venomously, "Sweeping star, I hope the car crashes and kills you!"