When autumn is deep, withered branches cover the ground. A gust of wind sends a flurry of fallen leaves swirling through the air.

Ye Fan really couldn't believe that the person in front of him was actually Ye Wuming, the head of the Ye family. He was his uncle's cousin, and because his uncle took good care of himself, he didn't look much older than fifty now. But this Ye Wuming had already turned white-haired. This was much more decrepit than when Ye Fan first met Ye Wuming.

Ye Fan didn't know what he was feeling at this moment. A deep part of his heart seemed to be touched, and he knew that if the old man were here right now, he would probably be crying tears of joy...

Relatives? A word suddenly came to Ye Fan's mind. Standing before him was his relative! According to seniority, he should call him grandfather...

The old man's room was filled with all sorts of medical equipment, and his body was plugged into various tubes. An oxygen tank stood beside him.

He's already this sick? This came as a huge shock to Ye Fan.

When someone came in, the doctor inside stood up and said, "The old man's condition is not very stable, he's very weak. You tell him lies, best not to exceed five minutes."

This doctor is the best private physician Ye Jia hired from Beijing. He has deep knowledge in cardiology and neurology. These days, thanks to his tireless care of Ye Wuming day and night, otherwise Ye Wuming wouldn't know if he could make it to now.

The crowd watched the emaciated Ye Wuming with heavy hearts. This elderly man, now clearly struggling to breathe, was a stark reminder of his fading strength. No matter how powerful and influential he had been in his prime, now he was just a withered old tree on the verge of collapse!

Upon hearing the noise, Ye Wuming opened his eyes and saw everyone coming to see him. Especially when he saw Ye Fan, his eyes lit up instantly, and a blush involuntarily appeared on his face. He struggled to sit up and exclaimed excitedly, "Ye Fan, you're here?"

Ye Fan helped Ye Wuming sit down before the city gate. At this moment, he realized that he no longer harbored hatred for the old man; there was only deep sympathy in his heart.

"Wei, younger brother, thank you. You brought Ye Fan back to the Ye family." Ye Wuming's eyes were filled with tears.

Mr. Wei felt a lump in his throat and couldn't speak.

'You guys go out first. I want to have a few words with Ye Fan alone.' Ye Wuming said with difficulty.

Everyone silently walked out the door. Ye Qingcheng worriedly looked at his grandfather, knowing what he wanted to say, but afraid his frail body couldn't handle it.

Ye Wuming waved his hand, and Ye Qingcheng also silently walked out, closing the door.

"Xiao Fan, come sit here." Ye Wu Ming strained to sit up, leaning against the bed.

Ye Fan quickly passed over a pillow, making him sit more comfortably. Under Ye Wuming's pleading gaze, Ye Fan sat down in front of Ye Wuming.

"Thinking about it, you're also a grandson of the Ye family. Can you call me Grandpa?" Ye Wuming looked at Ye Fan eagerly, his eyes no longer holding the sharpness of a patriarch, only the doting look an old man has when looking at his descendants.

"Grandpa..." After thinking for a moment, Ye Fan finally called out. He hadn't expected that after all these years, he would return to the Ye family.

"Good, good…" Ye Wu appeared very happy, but his expression darkened suddenly. "It's just that on this last leg of the journey I didn't hear Wudao call me brother once, I feel uneasy!"

The voice was filled with endless sorrow, heartbreaking.

When a man is about to die, his words are good; when a bird is about to die, its song is mournful.

Ye Fan knew that only now, what Ye Wuming said was the truth.

"Xiao Fan, I don't have much time left. Can you promise me one thing?" Ye Wu Ming suddenly looked at Ye Fan and pleaded with him.

"You said it. If I can do it, I'll do my best."

Ye Fan suddenly felt that Ye Wuming was actually just a pitiful person. He had spent his whole life being burdened by the Ye family's agriculture. To be honest, he hadn't lived a normal life at all. His tragedy was predetermined because he grew up in a large family and had to consider the interests of the family. Sometimes, the decisions he made weren't necessarily what he truly desired, but they were what best served the family's interests, so he had no choice but to do them.

Ye Fan suddenly felt grateful to the old man. If the old man hadn't gone to Lishan himself back then, he might have grown up in such a big family and been more or less influenced by these families. Now, his situation would probably be very different.

“The Ye family is in turmoil now. Originally, Cheng was the heir apparent, but Ada, under his father’s instigation, returned from the United States to challenge his elder brother. It’s my fault that I was indecisive and couldn’t make a decision to suppress this matter. Now they have power and are said to be close to the Yan family. But I no longer have the ability to deal with them. Moreover, with the upcoming change of leadership, our Ye family absolutely cannot fall into disarray at this time. However, once I step down, they will definitely attack Cheng. All I hope is that after I retire, you can return to the Ye family and help Cheng!” Ye Wuming said all this in one breath, his voice labored with exhaustion. He held onto Ye Fan’s hand tightly, his eyes gleaming with longing.

Ye Fan felt a tinge of sadness. He knew something about the Ye family's affairs. It wasn't a secret that Ye Shouyi and his son, Ye Qingda, colluded with the Yan family. However, Ye Fan hadn't expected that Ye Laozi would have held back from taking action against them. Now that their power had grown, trying to take them down seemed like an impossible task. Moreover, now wasn't the time for internal conflict.

These things didn't concern Ye Fan originally, but after today, he knew he had officially returned to the Ye family. He had no interest in vying for the position of head of the Ye family. Ye Wuming had known this a long time ago, which is why he hoped Ye Fan would come back and help Ye Qingcheng.

Since I've already promised Lao Wei, might as well help him out! Besides, during these days in Beijing, Ye Qingcheng has actually helped me quite a bit. In that sense, it evens things out.

In ancient China, favors between people were the most difficult to repay. Ye Fan didn't want to owe anyone favors.

Ye Fan said, "Don't worry, Ye Qingcheng is also my brother. I won't let anything happen to him."

They are brothers, after today.

Ye Wuming looked at Ye Fan, feeling quite pleased. In fact, Ye Fan being the best choice for the head of the family was the best outcome. It's just...

"By the way, Grandpa, I want to ask you something. Do you know about a secret mission that Wu Tianying, when he was still the commander of the 7th Army, gave to Xiao Jie, who was still a special forces soldier at the time? He sent him to South Africa for the mission. Have you ever heard about this?"

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