After asking, Ye Zhe'an immediately regretted it. He had blamed and resented for two years. Now that he was free, he should have been happy. However, in the end, he still felt that the blame had not faded away and the resentment remained. Moreover, there was a sense of loss that weighed heavily on him.

He felt like he was going crazy.

"You were the one who wanted to sign the contract in the first place, and now you're the one who wants to end it early. You said you would, and then you did. Luo Yuan, have I never had the right to say no to you? Have you ever even once considered my feelings?"

If Luo Yuan had listened carefully, he would have been able to hear how aggrieved Ye Zhe'an sounded when he said these words. However, he didn't. All he felt was that Teacher Ye's voice was very cold, as if stabbing a knife into his most vulnerable spot. His heart pounded like a drum, and the palms of his clenched fists were already damp with sweat.

He gathered his courage and locked eyes with Ye Zhe'an. Ye Zhe'an's eyes were dark and piercing, as sharp as a sword. His heart ached, as if stabbed and bleeding profusely.

"Sorry."

This was his last words to Ye Zhe'an. Then he stood up, opened the door, and walked out, leaving Ye Zhe'an with a determined silhouette.

The door closed, and the room fell into silence. Ye Zhe'an sat alone in the small living room, feeling for the first time that there was an empty space in his heart. It was as though a gust of cold wind had blown through, leaving him bewildered and at a loss.

Luo Yuan didn't take the elevator. He stumbled and ran downstairs from the stairwell. When he reached the second floor, he finally couldn't hold it in and sat down on the stairs, biting his fist and trembling with great force, but not a single tear fell.

His heart was dead, and no matter how hard he cried, he couldn't shed a tear.

When Luo Yuan arrived home, it was already midnight. Besides the servants, only Luo Mama was at home. Luo Mama was still awake, and the light in her room was still on. Luo Yuan wiped his face and knocked on Luo Mama's door.

As soon as Aunt Luo saw him, tears immediately welled up in her eyes. Luo Yuan's heart sank, knowing that things were about to go bad.

"Yuanyuan, where did you go? Do you have any idea what your father…"

Luo Yuan covered Luo Mama's mouth and pushed her into the room, closing the door, and then sat her down by the bedside, saying, "Mom, did someone say something to you?"

Mama Luo looked at him with tearful eyes and said, "Tonight, a friend of mine invited me to have dinner together. She said your father... he has been reported for bribery and might go to prison..."

Luo Yuan had no time to criticize his meddling and gossipy sister-in-law. He patted his mother's back and comforted her, saying, "Mom, don't cry. Nothing has been decided yet, and it's not certain that she will go to jail. Don't think about the worst case scenario for now."

"So, is it really true?" Luo's mother grabbed his hand. "You already knew, why didn't you tell me? Why didn't your father tell me?"

"I also only found out this morning," Luo Yuan said, "My dad didn't want you to feel bad, so he couldn't bring himself to tell you."

"I can't bear not knowing, you can't just keep it from me forever, can you?" Mother Luo cried as she said hoarsely. Luo Yuan's heart felt like it was breaking as he listened, but he had no idea how to comfort his mother and could only keep on saying that nothing was certain yet, maybe he won't go to jail.

After a night of physical and mental exhaustion, Luoyuan finally managed to put his mother to sleep right before dawn. Just as he laid his head on the pillow, his phone rang.

It was an unknown number. Previously, he wouldn't have answered it, but at times like this, he couldn't afford to miss a single call. He cleared his throat and picked up the phone.

The other party told him that they were a lawyer, specifically hired by Father Luo when he discovered there was a problem. Upon receiving a call from the lawyer at this moment, Luo Yuan knew it was not good and hurriedly asked, "Where is my father?"

The lawyer regretfully informed him, "Mr. Luo was arrested by the police in the early hours of this morning, around three o'clock."

Luo Yuan was taken aback and exclaimed, "Wasn't he supposed to turn himself in? Why are they arresting him instead? How did the police respond so quickly?"

"We didn't expect it either, but the incident has indeed occurred," the lawyer said. "Fortunately, Mr. Luo had prepared a large sum of money in advance. When the police arrived, he handed over all the money and voluntarily confessed to the fact of bribery. This should be taken into consideration during sentencing."

Luoyuan closed his eyes and asked with a trembling voice, "What can we do now? Can I go to the police station to see my dad?"

The lawyer said, "Not at the moment. I came to talk to you about this. For crimes like accepting bribes, the more money you turn in, the more favorable it is for your sentencing. If you still have the ability, try to make up for it as much as possible. When the time comes, I may have more leverage in court, and perhaps we can reduce your sentence by a considerable amount."

Luo Yuan's throat felt dry. "But... but I don't have any money left. My mom and I still need to live. If we give it all away, what are we going to do?"

The lawyer expressed understanding, "I'm just letting you know that there is such a path, whether you choose to take it or not is your own decision. Also, no matter what, I will do my best. Please rest assured. However, I cannot guarantee to what extent we can achieve."

After ending the call, Luo Yuan sat on the bed, hugging his knees and burying his head in his arms, motionless. It wasn't until the sun rose high and the sunlight poured through the thin curtains, filling half of the bed, that he slowly lifted his head.

Mother had not yet gotten up when he changed his clothes and took a taxi to the bank. When he came back, he called Zhou Sisao and one of the housekeepers responsible for cleaning, giving each of them an envelope. He got straight to the point and said, "My father's company has encountered some issues, and we can no longer afford to employ you at home. Here is three months' worth of salary and bonus. I'm really sorry."

Although the two aunties were shocked, they didn't say much. They consoled him with some money and then left. In an instant, there were only him and his mother left in the spacious villa. Luo Yuan walked around the villa, knowing that soon this mansion, registered under his father's name, would no longer belong to them.

When Mama Luo woke up, her eyes were still swollen. Luo Yuan heated up the breakfast prepared by the maid and served it to her. She said she couldn't eat. Luo Yuan comforted her for a few moments, but he was also mentally exhausted. After thinking for a while, he told his mother the news that his father had already been arrested by the police. At first, his mother burst into tears and almost fainted. Luo Yuan comforted her for a while before she finally calmed down. Then, he repeated what the lawyer had told him in the morning to his mother. Without hesitation, his mother said, "Pay, why not pay? What is stronger than letting your father spend two less years in prison?"

Luo Yuan took a shallow breath, feeling as if her throat was being choked with something, and struggled to speak, "But... even if we surrender all of our wealth, it still cannot guarantee a reduction in my father's sentence."

A sudden glare filled Luo Mama's eyes as she incredulously stared at him, "Yuanyuan, what's wrong with you? He's your father. Even if there's only a glimmer of hope, you can't give up on him. How could you..."

Luo Yuan grabbed his mother's hand and covered his face, choking, "Mom, stop talking, stop talking, I was wrong... I know I was wrong..."

Mama Luo burst into tears, apologizing to her son and berating herself in between sobs, calling herself useless. The mother and son embraced each other and wept bitterly.

In the afternoon, Luo Yuan received a call from the agent, saying that a buyer wanted to go see the house. They asked if it was convenient for him in the afternoon. Luo Yuan replied that he was currently outside and would reply in half an hour. After ending the call, he immediately took a taxi to the apartment. He needed to make sure that Ye Zhe'an wasn't there before he could bring the person along.

There was no one left in the apartment. Ye Zhe'an's belongings were all gone, and the wardrobe in the room only had Luo Yuan's clothes left. Originally, Ye Zhe'an had left only a few clothes here. With them gone, it felt even more empty, just like Luo Yuan's heart, completely hollow. It was as if all the blood had drained out, making a hollow sound as the wind blew through.