Ch. 51..60

Chapter 51 Qi Yunfan’s Last Hope Qi Hospital.

Qi Yunfan had made calls all afternoon and searched for connections all night, all to no avail.

As soon as others heard it was about Qi Hospital, they rejected cooperation as if facing some ferocious beast, not even contemplating a discussion, denying him the chance to plead.

Qi Yunfan had never felt so stifled in his life.

He couldn’t fathom why Cong Ningyuan, the president of such a large pharmaceutical company, would go to such lengths for Lin Chuyi. He had told him that Lin Chuyi had already climbed into Sheng Tingyuan’s bed—why would he continue to act like a love-struck fool? Did he like Lin Chuyi that much?

“Brother Yunfan, is it still not working?”

Wen Nianyou asked softly beside him, “Still couldn’t get the medicine?”

“No.”

Qi Yunfan was incredibly agitated, “Cong Ningyuan is crazy. For Lin Chuyi, he wants to sanction our hospital! It’s despicable!”

Wen Nianyou sighed, “Chuyi really has some skill. She must have been with Cong Ningyuan for a long time, right? Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so devoted to her.”

Qi Yunfan grew even more irritated.

He thought he had dumped Lin Chuyi, but it turned out Lin Chuyi had dumped him! She had already hooked up with someone influential! No wonder she could come and go from Jungle Pharmaceutical as she pleased. If he had known, he wouldn’t have let their relationship become so strained.

He looked at Wen Nianyou with dissatisfaction, “You were the one who said she was working as a janitor at Jungle, and I believed that. Now it looks like she’s climbed much higher than a janitor! Your information is totally unreliable!”

“How can that be my fault? She hid the truth herself, she said she was a janitor.”

Qi Yunfan, in a foul mood, turned and walked out.

Wen Nianyou immediately followed him, “Brother Yunfan, where are you going?”

“To a bar, to find someone.”

“Then I’ll go with you.”

After arriving at the bar, Qi Yunfan looked around and finally found the person he was looking for in a corner—Xiao Yue.

Xiao Yue ran a pharmaceutical company that didn’t produce anything. Instead, it primarily acted as an intermediary, buying medical equipment and drugs at low prices from abroad and selling them at high prices to small hospitals and clinics.

Xiao Yue was someone Qi Yunfan had met at a pharmaceutical conference and was his last hope.

But, after a brief conversation, Xiao Yue refused him, “Our company’s drugs are all pre-ordered. The medicines you want are also restricted purchases at major pharmaceutical firms; I have none spare to sell to you. I can’t make this deal.”

Qi Yunfan was deeply disappointed, yet he wasn’t willing to give up this last hope, so he sat down with Wen Nianyou at a booth nearby, planning to probe Xiao Yue again after he had drunk more.

Some time later, a girl with the appearance of a student and an air of innocence entered the bar. She had a backpack on and approached Xiao Yue.

Seeing the two heavily made-up, scantily clad women sitting next to Xiao Yue, the girl asked with teary eyes, “Is this what you like?”

Xiao Yue glanced at her, wrapping his arm around one of the women, “Yes, I like this kind.”

Tears spilled from the girl’s eyes. She took off her backpack and then started to take off her clothes, “I’m not smaller than them!”

Xiao Yue’s expression changed, and he immediately stood up, covering her with his suit jacket, as she removed her first garment, “Stop messing around!”

The girl looked up at him, tears streaming down, “You promised me. When I grew up, you said you would be with me. You lied to me!”

Xiao Yue said coldly, “Who let you come to a place like this? Go home!”

“If you can come here, why can’t I? Don’t you like the women here? Then I’ll come here every day!”

Continuing to speak, the girl pushed him away, discarded his suit jacket, and continued to undress, leaving only a small camisole before she started on her trousers.

Her young and undeveloped body, with the unique glow of a young girl, emitted an enticing aura under the neon lights.

The bar was filled with veterans who could tell at a glance that this girl was pure and clean, unlike the women who regularly frequented the place.

Their eyes gleamed with greed as they looked at her.

A man approached Xiao Yue, “Buddy, since you don’t like this kind, how about letting me have a go with this chick? I dig them young.”

The response he received was a fierce punch from Xiao Yue.

The man howled in pain as he collapsed, and Xiao Yue’s expression was ice-cold, “Get lost!”

He picked up the suit jacket again, draping it over the girl, covering her exposed skin, “Yunzhu, stop it.”

Chapter 52 Wen Nianyou Takes Credit Yunzhu?

At the neighboring booth, Qi Yunfan and Wen Nianyou exchanged glances. It was indeed the girl they had seen outside the banquet hall that day. They had said she looked familiar.

Wen Nianyou whispered softly, “This Xiao Yue seems to really care about Yunzhu!”

Qi Yunfan’s brows furrowed deeply, “If Chuyi were here, it would be great. She had given Yunzhu an invitation, and Yunzhu was grateful to her. If I mention I am Chuyi’s boyfriend, maybe Xiao Yue might help me.”

Wen Nianyou’s fists clenched. Chuyi, Chuyi, always Chuyi! Even at this time, still dwelling on Chuyi!

Meanwhile, Xiao Yue had already left the bar with a gloomy face, dragging Yunzhu with him.

Wen Nianyou immediately followed them out.noveldrama

Outside the bar, she saw Xiao Yue push Yunzhu into a car, instructing the driver to take her home.

The car drove off into the distance, and Xiao Yue watched it until it was out of sight.

Wen Nianyou approached him, speaking tenderly, “Yunzhu truly is the most innocent and kind-hearted girl I’ve ever seen. Are you Yunzhu’s friend, Mr. Xiao? I hope you’ll treat her better in the future!”

Xiao Yue turned around, his expression aloof and indifferent, “Who are you?”

“Oh, my name is Wen Nianyou. I’m a friend of Yunzhu.”

“Is that so?”

“Well, I can’t really say we’re friends. It’s just that day at the pharmaceutical conference, I saw her lingering at the door, looking eager to get in, so I gave her an invitation.”

Xiao Yue’s cool demeanor softened considerably, “So it was you who gave Yunzhu the invitation. Thank you for that.”

“Don’t mention it. It was just an invitation, not a big deal.”

Wen Nianyou had a casual and effortless air about her, “A simple effort on my part, glad to be of help. She was there that day to find you, right?”

“Yes, she helped me that day.”

Wen Nianyou couldn’t imagine why Xiao Yue, a businessman in pharmaceuticals, would need the help of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.

However, she knew it wasn’t her place to ask, and she didn’t care what help Yunzhu had provided him.

“Actually, I had no other reason to give Yunzhu the invitation, just that her name has the character ‘yun’, and my boyfriend is named Qi Yunfan, which also contains the ‘yun’ character. I thought it was a strange twist of fate. What do you think, Mr. Xiao?”

Having been in the business world for so many years, shrewd and calculating, Xiao Yue immediately saw through Wen Nianyou’s purpose, “You want me to help Qi Yunfan?”

“I helped Yunzhu once; maybe you could help me once in return? My boyfriend just wants to purchase some medicine from you, which shouldn’t be a difficult matter for you.”

Xiao Yue’s initially favorable impression of her plummeted in an instant. So she was just another woman trying to take advantage of a favor.

However, he has always disliked being in someone’s debt, and Yunzhu’s debt was essentially his.

He nodded, “Fine, have your boyfriend come to my company to get the medicine tomorrow.”

After saying that, he turned and went back into the bar.

Wen Nianyou snorted coldly, murmuring lowly, “Lin Chuyi, you wouldn’t have expected this, but you’ve done me another favor by making the wedding dress for me. In this life, you’ll only be trampled under my feet!”

She finished speaking and did not enter the bar, instead waiting outside.

Ten minutes later, Qi Yunfan emerged, embracing her with a look of surprise, “Youyou, Xiao Yue just said he’s willing to sell me the medicine! He said it was you who helped me!”

Wen Nianyou embraced him delicately and softly, “That’s right. Didn’t I see you were anxious? So I used my father’s connections a bit, and Xiao Yue agreed just like that!”

“Thank you so much, Youyou. I had no idea that at my most difficult time, it would be you who provided such great assistance! The Wen Family is truly exceptional. You’re amazing, and I’m going to marry you and take you home!”

Wen Nianyou smiled contentedly, “Then you’d better prepare well for the proposal. I’ll judge your performance to decide if I’ll marry you!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely prepare a grand proposal for you, one with full ceremonial flair, something you’ll never forget!”

 

Chapter 53 The Real Boss Isn’t Cong Ningyuan The next morning, Qi Yunfan went to sign a contract with Xiao Yue and obtained a batch of medicine, temporarily resolving the hospital’s shortage.

In reality, the hospital already had some stock, but it was only enough for half a month at most, and some medicines were only sufficient for a week.

After all, stocking too much medicine would strain the inventory and disrupt the cash flow.

That night, he had been with Wen Nianyou, turning and tumbling for a long time. Wen Nianyou had been especially accommodating to him, letting him experience the pleasures of being a man.

What if Lin Chuyi was beautiful? He had pursued her for three years and hadn’t had a taste.

It was better to be with Wen Nianyou, who was average in appearance; at least he could enjoy himself.

Most importantly, Lin Chuyi’s family background was too poor and couldn’t help him at all; she would only hold him back. The Wen Family had connections and relationships and could solve his and the hospital’s problems.

In the morning, Qi Yunfan received the medicine support, and in the afternoon, Ye Chuyi received a call from Ivy: “Boss, Qi Hospital has medicine now.”

Ye Chuyi raised an eyebrow, “Who provided it to them?”noveldrama

“Xiao Medical’s Xiao Yue.”

“Xiao Yue?”

“He’s a pharmaceutical middleman; he’s stockpiled quite a lot of medicine.”

Ye Chuyi laughed in amusement. She had Cong Ningyuan cut off all the pharmaceutical suppliers to Qi Hospital, yet she hadn’t expected that Qi Yunfan could still find a middleman to provide medicine.

After hanging up the phone, she called Cong Ningyuan over: “Do you know Xiao Yue?”

“I do. He’s a medicine peddler. He attended this year’s medical exchange meeting we held. I don’t know how he managed to buy an expensive invite. He landed a big contract at the meeting that should keep him fed for several years.”

The medical exchange conference hosted by Jungle Pharmaceutical was limited to hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. Middlemen were not qualified to participate because they neither could develop new drugs nor provide medication data for various diseases.

“Go ask him why he is supplying medicine to Qi Hospital. As a pharmaceutical middleman, he relies on major pharmaceutical companies for his supply. He must be extremely well-informed; I don’t believe he isn’t aware that Qi Hospital was blacklisted by us.”

Cong Ningyuan then made a phone call, and after a while, he came back and said, “I’ve asked—Xiao Yue stated he owed Qi Yunfan’s girlfriend a favor, and that’s why he’s supplying medicine to Qi Yunfan.”

“Wen Nianyou?”

Ye Chuyi was puzzled. How did Xiao Yue owe Wen Nianyou a favor? What kind of favor could make him take the risk of offending Jungle just to supply medicine to Qi Yunfan?

“Now that Xiao Yue has chosen Qi Hospital, that’s the same as standing against Jungle. Going forward, we won’t supply any medicine to his company,” she stated.

“Understood, boss.”

Cong Ningyuan wasn’t the president for nothing. No sooner had he conveyed that they would no longer supply Xiao Medical with medicine, the other pharmaceutical companies, getting wind of this, also stopped supplying Xiao Medical.

Xiao Medical.

In the office, the secretary looked troubled: “Mr. Xiao, knowing that Qi Hospital has offended Jungle Pharmaceutical, why did you still help Qi Hospital? Haven’t you seen the news? Qi Hospital bribed several media outlets to spread rumors and slander Jungle’s CEO. Jungle’s CEO cannot tolerate this.”

Xiao Yue rubbed his forehead and asked her, “How much medicine do we have left?”

“You just supplied Qi Hospital with a quarter’s worth of medicine. The remaining stock isn’t enough for our other partners. They’ve paid and reserved in advance. Now that we’re out of medicine, our reputation will likely suffer a big hit!”

“Jungle was the first to refuse supplying us, and other companies don’t want to offend Jungle at this time, so they won’t supply us either!”

“You better think of a solution quickly—if worst comes to worst, go ask Ms. Yunzhu for help!”

Xiao Yue gave her a cold glance: “This matter must not reach Yunzhu’s ears, and you are not allowed to seek her help behind my back again. If I catch you doing such a thing again, resign on your own!”

The secretary bowed her head: “Yes.”

“I don’t believe Jungle can cover the sky with one hand. If we can’t buy medicine domestically, let’s go international. However, it’s not like Cong Ningyuan to go mad over a woman; that’s not his style.”

The secretary hesitated before saying, “Mr. Xiao, have you also heard that the real owner of Jungle isn’t Cong Ningyuan at all? The actual boss behind the scenes is powerful and very mysterious. Cong Ningyuan is just good-looking and has a clean background, hence being promoted to president.”

Chapter 54 Squeeze Every Last Drop of Value Out of the Invitation Xiao Yue had indeed heard that the real owner of Jungle was not Cong Ningyuan.

Cong Ningyuan had always been a good-tempered person, someone everyone could chat with. He was adept at maintaining relationships and was also soft-hearted.

The reason Xiao Yue had been able to obtain some special medicines from Jungle was precisely because he dined with Cong Ningyuan a few times. After some persistent coaxing, Cong Ningyuan agreed to share some medicine with him.

Imposing a ban on Qi Hospital wasn’t something Cong Ningyuan could do.

This time, he had likely offended the actual owner of Jungle, and things had indeed become troublesome.

As he was thinking, his phone rang. He answered it, and a gentle voice came through, “Hello, Mr. Xiao, this is Wen Nianyou.”

“What’s up?”

“Nothing much, I just called to thank you expressly for helping my boyfriend out of a pressing situation. I’d like to invite you to dinner tonight, is that convenient for you?”

“It’s not convenient. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up.”

“Hey, wait a minute!”

Wen Nianyou hastily called out, “I haven’t finished speaking yet. Mr. Xiao, don’t be in such a hurry to hang up.”

“What exactly do you want?”

“Actually, aside from lacking medicine, my boyfriend’s family hospital is also in need of a batch of top-notch equipment. With this equipment, Qi Hospital could reach an even higher level of service.”

“And you want me to sell him medical equipment, too?”

“Yes, I just happened to hear that you acquired a batch of the latest radiation therapy equipment last week, which you haven’t sold yet, right? Why not sell it directly to Qi Hospital?”

Xiao Yue felt she was asking for too much, “That equipment had been reserved by another hospital well in advance. If Qi Hospital wants it, they need to pay a deposit to reserve it first.”

“Ah? Mr. Xiao, you can still get such equipment? I heard that you’ve been targeted by Jungle Pharmaceutical too. It seems that the medical industry is also tacitly refusing to sell you equipment and medicines.”

Having been in business for so many years, Xiao Yue had seen all sorts of outrageous characters, but he hadn’t expected Wen Nianyou to be so shameless. Wasn’t he being targeted by Jungle Pharmaceutical because of her and Qi Yunfan?

He even began to doubt the purpose of Wen Nianyou giving the invitation to Yunzhu.

“Mr. Xiao, look how I gave Yunzhu such a valuable invitation. Helping me with a small favor isn’t too much to ask, right? Otherwise, shall I ask Yunzhu to speak with you?”

“No need. The equipment can be sold to you, but from now on, you and Yunzhu are even; she doesn’t owe you any favors.”

“Oh, Mr. Xiao, what are you talking about? Yunzhu never owed me in the first place. I just like her, that’s why I gave her the invitation!”

Xiao Yue hung up the phone in disgust.

The secretary was anxiously shaking his head on the side, “Mr. Xiao, this batch of equipment can’t be sold! If we sell this, what will we give to Youhe Hospital?”

Xiao Yue waved his hand dismissively, “We’ll just have to find another way.”noveldrama

After some thought, he still sent Yunzhu a message, “The woman who sent you the invitation is no simple character. If she looks for you, don’t entertain her.”

Yunzhu almost immediately replied, “Why would you say that? Brother Xiao Yue, have you met her too?”

“I have met her; she was at the bar last night as well.”

“Really? I didn’t see her there last night, what a pity.”

She had been too busy being angry to notice anyone else.

“I think she’s quite nice, beautiful and generous. She is the most beautiful sister I’ve ever met.”

Beautiful? Xiao Yue didn’t think so, and he could even spot the traces of plastic surgery on Wen Nianyou’s face.

“You’re too innocent, seeing everyone as good. Stay away from that kind of woman in the future, don’t be deceived.”

“Alright, I understand.”

Chapter 55 Did you get out so quickly? On the other hand, Ye Chuyi wasn’t concerned about Xiao Yue at all; she quickly got busy with other things.noveldrama

After the medical conference, Jungle received many new orders, including ones from hospitals abroad, which reserved their special medicine.

Jungle’s equipment was continuously upgraded, and the research team kept expanding, but it still couldn’t keep up with the booming demand from the medical industry.

Jungle needed to expand its scale even more.

After an afternoon of meetings, Ye Chuyi decided to buy another building.

She arranged for Cong Ningyuan to contact several major real estate developers while she herself cleaned up and left work.

Madam Ye invited her to come home for dinner, saying she wanted to introduce someone to her.

But just as Ye Chuyi was leaving Jungle’s building and hadn’t gotten into her car, she was stopped by Lin Yueqin.

Her opening words were a curse, “You little beast, I got detained and you didn’t even care! I raised you for nothing!”

Ye Chuyi looked at her coldly, “You got out so soon?”

“What, you wanted me to stay in there longer?”

Lin Yueqin sneered, “I knew it, you never wish me well! It’s Youyou who knows how to be considerate. She pulled strings to get me out. She’s more filial than you!”

“Is that so? She pulled strings? I’m going to call and report her right now.”

“You wouldn’t dare?!”

“You dare to report me for finding a guarantor for bail, why wouldn’t I dare to report her for pulling strings?”

Lin Yueqin’s face went from light to dark as she watched her, and after a long while, she managed to suppress her anger.

She had a mission today and couldn’t truly drive the person to fury. She put on a fake smile, “Come on, why are you so petty, holding a grudge over such a trifle?”

“I heard from Youyou that you snagged Jungle’s Mr. Cong? My daughter certainly is capable indeed. To have Shengshi Group’s heir as a fiancé, and Mr. Lin as a close male friend, though, two men must keep you busy, don’t they?”

Ye Chuyi had no patience for her, “Stop beating around the bush. What do you really want to say?”

“What I mean is, why don’t you introduce Mr. Cong to Youyou?”

Ye Chuyi laughed coldly, “Oh, so she can handle two men? Not satisfied with snatching Qi Yunfan, she also wants to snatch Cong Ningyuan?”

“Look at how you talk, so unpleasant. Youyou just wants to be friends with Mr. Cong. She said there’s a misunderstanding between Mr. Cong and Qi Yunfan, and she wants to mediate between the two,” Lin Yueqin argued.

“What misunderstanding? What misunderstanding is there?”

“Oh, you know, Mr. Cong is planning to boycott Qi Hospital, didn’t you know about that?”

Lin Yueqin gloated, “If it hadn’t been for Youyou giving Qi Yunfan a big help, the Qi Family’s hospital would have gone under! You have to admit, Youyou is really impressive, right?”

Ye Chuyi’s heart stirred but she feigned indifference, “Wen Nianyou couldn’t have done anything impressive. I don’t believe she could help Qi Yunfan. You’re making this up, right?”

Lin Yueqin’s voice rose in anger, “It’s true! Youyou made a friend at the medical conference, and she asked that friend to help Qi Yunfan!”

Ye Chuyi frowned involuntarily, “Wen Nianyou didn’t even enter the banquet hall that day. Where could she have met this friend?”

Lin Yueqin mocked her, “Youyou is good at making friends. Can’t make friends without entering the banquet hall? You think she’s like you, so unpopular you don’t have a single friend? I’m embarrassed for you!”

Ye Chuyi replied, “Then have Wen Nianyou introduce that friend to me.”

: Chapter 56 What’s My Brother’s Name? Lin Yueqin was taken aback, “Why do you want to meet Youyou’s friends? They aren’t even in the same circle as you!”

Ye Chuyi’s tone was sarcastic, “No wonder Wen Nianyou has so many friends, she doesn’t let me meet any of them, but she always has to meet mine, and then she steals them away!”

“Oh, why are you so sour in your words? Are you starting to be jealous of Youyou again?”

Lin Yueqin boasted deliberately, “You don’t know, but Qi Yunfan is so good to Youyou now, he can’t wait to marry her. When you were with Qi Yunfan, he never said he would marry you, did he?”

“A person really needs true talent and learning to earn respect and affection from others, relying on looks won’t last long.”noveldrama

Ye Chuyi spoke indifferently, “What talents and learning does Wen Nianyou have? Her grades were never passing when she was in school, she copied off me in every exam, and all her homework was done by me because you forced me to. She’s clearly a dummy, don’t you know that?”

Lin Yueqin’s smug expression stiffened and then she retorted, “What do you know! Youyou is smart, she just can’t be bothered with those dull books. She was born into the Wen Family, a wealthy family, she doesn’t need to take exams at all. Mr. Wen and Lady Wen have already paved the way for her.”

“If Wen Nianyou is so capable, then why are you coming to me to introduce Cong Ningyuan to her? With her own abilities and the Wen Family’s support, why don’t you tell her to meet him herself!”

After Ye Chuyi finished speaking, she got into her car.

But Lin Yueqin clung desperately to her car door, “No way, you must introduce Youyou to Mr. Cong and speak well of her. Otherwise, I won’t acknowledge you as my daughter anymore!”

“Suit yourself. Do you think I really want to acknowledge you as my mom? Go be Wen Nianyou’s mom then, and don’t come looking for me anymore.”

“Fine, climb up the social ladder and you don’t even recognize your own mother! Have your wings grown firm now, is that it? Just you wait, I’ll come to your company tomorrow and hang banners to reveal your true face!”

“Are you ever going to stop? Let go!”

Lin Yueqin eyed her car, “When did you buy another car? Where did you get the money? Why are you wasting money again? Give me your salary card, I’ll manage it for you!”

“I took out a high-interest loan to buy it, and now I’m out of money to pay it back. You give me your salary card, and I’ll use it to pay off my debts.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Yueqin quickly let go of her car door, “I don’t have any money!”

Chuyi closed the car door, ignored her, and drove off.

Half an hour later, she arrived at the Ye Family villa.

In the living room, aside from Mr. and Madam Ye, there was a boy who looked about seventy to eighty percent similar to Ye Zhengrong.

“Xiaoyi is back, come here, meet your brother. He knew you were getting married and specially rushed back from abroad!”

Only then did Ye Chuyi realize she apparently had a stepbrother.

She asked Madam Ye, “What’s my brother’s name?” in case Sheng Tingyuan asked her and she didn’t know anything, giving herself away.

“His name is Ye Ziran.”

“How old is he?”

“He just turned twenty.”

Madam Ye beamed, “He’s studying at a university abroad, and he gets good grades, won quite a few awards! In the future, he will manage the family business; you both should support each other.”

Ye Chuyi nodded her head; seeing Ye Ziran sitting there with his legs up, his hair dyed green, she knew he was probably not too different from his sister, a rebel of sorts.

No wonder Mr. and Madam Ye wanted to form a marital alliance with the Sheng Family, probably because they knew their son wasn’t very reliable and they needed to secure a strong support for him.

Ye Ziran, chewing gum, asked Ye Zhengrong, “Dad, how come this impostor looks more like you than me or my sister? Is she really not your illegitimate daughter?”

Chapter 57: I Want a DNA Test Ye Zhengrong glared at him. “Stop talking nonsense here! I think you’d be unhappy if a day passed without you trying to instigate a divorce between me and your mother!”

“Spitting out gum while speaking, get rid of it! And those clothes, jangling with all those metal rings—atrocious!”

“And what’s with your hair? Dye it back, right now! If you dare to show up at the wedding with green hair, say goodbye to your allowance. Go earn your own money with a part-time job!”

Ye Ziran scoffed, “You old fossil, you don’t understand fashion.”

He stood up and walked over to Ye Chuyi. “What do you think, is my hair cool or what?”

Not until he stood up did Ye Chuyi realize how tall he had grown, a good one meter eighty-five.

She looked up at him and told the truth, “You’re handsome, but the hair is pretty average.”

Ye Ziran paused in his gum chewing, uncertain whether to be happy or not.

There were actually quite a few people who called him handsome, but it was the first time someone stated it as fact like Ye Chuyi had.

Looking at Ye Chuyi’s face, which was almost identical to their father’s, his doubts grew.

He couldn’t believe that two people with no blood relation could look so similar.

He reached out to pluck a few strands of Ye Chuyi’s hair, then walked over to Ye Zhengrong and, despite his fiery glare, grabbed a clump of his hair too.

Ye Zhengrong, infuriated, slapped the table. “What are you doing?!”

“I’m going for a DNA test.”

“I’ve told you, she’s not my illegitimate daughter!”

“If you’re really not concerned, then why worry about me getting a test?”

Ye Zhengrong fell silent, angry. In his heart, he knew he was clean, with no women on the side; he was clearer on this than anyone. Ye Chuyi could not possibly be his daughter. Let his son go get the test if he wanted to.

Ye Chuyi didn’t take it seriously either, her arrival at the Ye family was a mere coincidence, initially just a case of Sheng Tingyuan mistaking her identity.

Instead, it was Ye Ziran who, seeing neither of them opposed, started to feel like he might be overthinking things.

If Ye Chuyi really were Ye Zhengrong’s illegitimate daughter, would they both be so nonchalant about it?noveldrama

Dinner was ready on the table, and the “family” went to the dining room, where they had an uneasy meal, outwardly calm but inwardly discordant.

After dinner, Madam Ye spoke up. “Ziran, you drive your sister to the Sheng family. It’s a good opportunity to talk with your brother-in-law, to bond and strengthen the relationship.”

Ye Ziran retorted, “She’s the one getting married to Sheng Tingyuan, not me! Why should I bond and improve relations with him?”

However, Madam Ye wouldn’t allow refusal. “I can condone everything else from you, but on this matter, you must listen to me!”

With no other choice, Ye Ziran stood up to escort her.

The entire way, he didn’t speak to Ye Chuyi, nor did she bother with him.

Upon reaching the Sheng family home, he didn’t chat with Sheng Tingyuan more than was necessary—just said a quick hello and left.

Sheng Tingyuan watched his car drive away and asked Ye Chuyi, “You have a younger brother? How come you’ve never mentioned him?”

Ye Chuyi: “…”

So he didn’t know either; he truly didn’t care about the Ye family’s affairs at all.

There she was, worrying for nothing, afraid of being exposed. She even went out of her way to ask Madam Ye for information about Ye Ziran.

Now she felt relieved. With Sheng Tingyuan, she’d probably never be found out!

“It’s nothing worth mentioning.”

After speaking, Ye Chuyi turned to leave, but Tang Jin’s voice came from upstairs. “Is Xiaoyi back?”

Ye Chuyi had to go upstairs, to Tang Jin’s bedroom. “Mom, I’m back. How are you feeling today? Any better?”

Chapter 58 Ye Chuyi, Open the Door! Tang Jin heard her easily call her “Mom” and smiled until her eyes squinted, “I’ve been in good spirits these past couple of days, and today at noon Tingyuan even helped me take a stroll in the garden twice!”noveldrama

“That’s good, I’m relieved if you’re feeling well.”

Tang Jin pulled out a jade bracelet from under her pillow, took hold of Ye Chuyi’s hand, and slipped it onto her wrist, “Wear this bracelet for fun, look how well it suits you.”

Ye Chuyi stared at the bracelet, slightly stunned.

The bracelet was a uniform, brilliant green, crystal clear, made from the highest quality Imperial Green Jade, with a rich color that shone luminously. It was obviously worth a fortune.

But Ye Chuyi’s shock wasn’t over the bracelet’s worth; it was because its jade quality and texture matched exactly with a pendant she had once acquired.

She couldn’t help but gently caress the jade bracelet, “It’s beautiful, Mom. Are there many of these quality jades?”

“Not many, over these many years, I’ve only come across a single bracelet like this one, but you occasionally might see other smaller pieces on the market.”

Tang Jin, seeing her delight, was very happy inside. At last, there was something her daughter-in-law liked. This gift had hit the mark.

“Xiaoyi, I heard from Uncle Xiang that last night Tingyuan upset you, and you left? Don’t worry, I already scolded him severely during the day. He’s cold and indifferent, sometimes ungrateful. Don’t take it to heart.”

Ye Chuyi turned to glance at Sheng Tingyuan with a smile, trying to cheer her up, “Not at all. Tingyuan is fine. It’s good that he’s a bit aloof and cool, it means he won’t go philandering, which puts my mind at ease.”

Tang Jin wholeheartedly agreed, “Right, that’s the spirit. You understand perfectly. I’m hoping that you can give birth to a child soon, so don’t get angry at him. After all, husband and wife should sleep together, don’t you think?”

Fine then, it looks like I won’t be able to leave tonight.

Ye Chuyi was quite generous, “You’re right, Mom. I’ve forgiven him.”

Tang Jin was extremely gratified, feeling that Sheng Tingyuan had married the right person. Where else could he find such an understanding and reasonable girl?

She patted Ye Chuyi’s hand, “Alright, go freshen up. I’ll give Tingyuan a talking-to.”

Ye Chuyi nodded and left her bedroom.

As the door closed, she faintly heard Tang Jin say, “Tingyuan, I only recognize Xiaoyi as my daughter-in-law. Forget about the one in your heart, quickly!”

“Make sure to appease Xiaoyi tonight. Whatever she wants you to do, just do it. If you upset her again and she leaves, don’t bother coming back to see me.”

Walking upstairs, Ye Chuyi chuckled lightly. Her strategy from last night had indeed worked; even her mother-in-law was blaming him now.

What tactic should she come up with tonight to sleep in a different room from him?

She went to Sheng Tingyuan’s bedroom.

His bedroom was large and tidy, with two sets of pajamas laid out on the couch—one black, the other white. The white one was slightly smaller and obviously brand new; it must have been prepared by Tang Jin for her.

Besides the pajamas, there was also a big bag of lingerie. Ye Chuyi casually took out a couple of pieces to look at, most of which were sexy and daring styles.

Ye Chuyi shook her head. Tang Jin really went out of her way to help them conceive a child!

She went to the bathroom to take a shower. When she came out with her hair dried, she saw that Sheng Tingyuan had already returned. He was in his pajamas, with slightly damp short hair, appearing to have bathed as well.

She cleared her throat, “I’m thirsty. Go pour me a glass of water.”

Sheng Tingyuan initially wanted to refuse, but remembering what Tang Jin had said, he went out to pour water for her in the end.

However, when he returned, he discovered that the bedroom door was locked from the inside.

His expression darkened, “Ye Chuyi, open the door!”

Chapter 59 Where Did His First Love Come From? Ye Chuyi’s voice was tinged with a sob, “I won’t let you in, go sleep with your first love then, just leave me to sleep here alone.”

Sheng Tingyuan was filled with question marks, where did he get a first love?!

He said through clenched teeth, “This is my bedroom, if you sleep here, where am I supposed to sleep?”

“Go find her then, go! Isn’t she the only one in your heart?”

Sheng Tingyuan realized, she must have heard what his mother said earlier.

He went downstairs with a somewhat headache, holding the glass of water, walked over to the sink, and dumped the water away. He should have guessed, she didn’t really want the water.

Turning his head and seeing the butler, he said indifferently, “Uncle Xiang, don’t tell my mom about tonight’s incident. Her health is not good; you should know what should be said and what shouldn’t.”

The butler struggled for a long time but finally nodded, “I understand, Young Master.”

Sheng Tingyuan went upstairs, changed his clothes in the dressing room, then walked out.

The butler chased after him urgently, “Young Master, it’s so late, where are you going?”

“Out for a bit.”

Wasn’t that answer the same as no answer?

“Young Master, you can’t just sneak off after Madam has fallen asleep, you should coax Madam Tang more, how can it go on like this all the time?”

“She doesn’t need coaxing.” She simply didn’t want to sleep with him, plain and simple.

Having said that, Sheng Tingyuan got into the car.

Not only did Ye Chuyi resist sleeping together, but he resisted as well. Although they were already married legally, they were still just two strangers.

He drove back to his own separate villa.

In the villa, his subordinates were already waiting for him. Upon seeing him, they handed him a file, “Young Master Ting, this is the record of surgeries that Dean An Huadong performed in recent years. His success rate for craniotomies is extremely high.”

Sheng Tingyuan took the file into the living room, carefully read through all the cases, then said, “Schedule an appointment with An Huadong for me. I want him to have a look at my mother first.”

“I’ve checked already, Dean An’s surgeries for the next half a year are all fully booked. Moreover, because of his age, he rarely sees patients in his clinic anymore. It’s his students who are seeing patients now.”

Sheng Tingyuan shook his head, “The students won’t do. My mother has already undergone two craniotomies, both with suboptimal results. The third time must be done by an experienced specialist.”

The previous two times were also conducted by consulting specialists and led by experts, but Tang Jin’s condition had not improved. She was now very weak, and if the third attempt failed, she might not have the chance to live on. Hence, selecting the doctor this time was particularly cautious.

“Then you’ll probably have to meet with Dean An personally. He is highly respected, his style of conduct is upright, and he never bends the rules for anyone. It’s going to be difficult for us to cut in line.”

“Alright, I got it.”

For Sheng Tingyuan, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The more upright the doctor, the more trustworthy they were. An Huadong had a stellar reputation in the medical field, not only because of his excellent medical skills but also because in his practice, everyone was equal.

“How’s the matter I asked you to look into? Any news?”

“Not yet.”

The subordinate looked somewhat ashamed, “I still couldn’t find the girl who fits the criteria you mentioned. I’ve checked all the names that are the same, none of them match.”

“Keep searching, expand the scope, she must be found.”

“Yes.”noveldrama

The subordinate left quickly, and Sheng Tingyuan sat alone in the living room, hearing the sound of thunder, he involuntarily looked outside.

It was raining again.

Is she alright?

Where in the world is she? Why can’t he find her after growing up?

 

Chapter 60 Brother, Help Me Choose a Name Childhood, another rainy day.

Tingyuan Sheng arrived at the lakeside, where the little girl he had met before was already waiting for him in the pavilion.

Upon seeing him, the little girl ran out of the pavilion like a wisp of smoke, “Brother, you really came!”

However, Tingyuan paused, noticing fresh injuries on her face, one cheek swollen high with a clear handprint.

He pulled her into the pavilion, “Were those people bullying you again? Did they hit you?”

The little girl touched her face, “No, they didn’t hit me, my mom did.”

“Why did she hit you?”

“The young lady said I stole Madam’s money, so my mom beat me.”

Tears welled up in the little girl’s eyes, “Brother, I didn’t steal the money, really I didn’t. It wasn’t me who stole Madam’s money, it was the young lady, I saw everything.”

Tingyuan had tasted the bitterness of being falsely accused and beaten himself; his father never believed him, only the illegitimate child.

He whispered softly, “I believe you.”

“Really?”

The little girl lifted her head, breaking into a smile through her tears, “I knew brother would believe me, besides Little Pear Blossom, you’re the only one who believes me!”

“Your father doesn’t believe you either?”

The little girl hesitated, and after a while, she said, “My dad isn’t home.”noveldrama

Tingyuan did not pry further, noticing she held a book wrapped carefully in a plastic bag, he couldn’t help but ask, “You skipped class to play, yet you brought a book with you?”

The little girl shook her head, “It’s not my book, I didn’t skip class, it’s Little Pear Blossom’s, she lent it to me to read.”

“You didn’t skip class? Aren’t you going to school today?”

“My mom says girls don’t need to go to school, so she pulled me out.”

“So you borrowed the book to teach yourself?”

The little girl nodded, “I have a best friend named Little Pear Blossom; she teaches me new characters she learns every day. But sometimes, Little Pear Blossom falls asleep in class and doesn’t recognize all the characters the teacher teaches.”

Tingyuan had heard her mention Little Pear Blossom more than once before; last time she was bullied by that gang, she tried to protect the medicine for Little Pear Blossom.

“Brother, can you teach me how to read?”

Tingyuan took her book and sat down side by side with her on the stone bench.

The book was a third-grade Chinese textbook, and it was no problem for him to teach her.

He read each character, then wrote each one; lacking paper and pen, he held her little hand and wrote on his thigh.

Soon, he discovered her exceptional intelligence and astonishing memory.

Each character he taught, she needed only one iteration to recite and write from memory.

After explaining a text, she could even recite it without looking at the book.

He looked at her with a complex gaze, “You’re very smart and learn things very fast, does your mom know how clever you are?”

“She knows, all my teachers used to tell her that when I was still in school.”

“And she still took you out of school?”

“She says I’m the daughter of a servant, I can’t be smarter than the young lady, that would upset Madam.”

How can there be such ignorant and foolish mothers in the world!

He felt both angry and distressed inside. He once thought he had a hard life, but now he realized her life was truly bitter. Although he was not the apple of his father’s eye, he had a mother who cherished him dearly.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Shi Tou.”

“How can a girl be named Stone?”

“Oh, I have another name!”

“What is it?”

“I’m called Girlie!”

Tingyuan felt even more distressed, this little girl didn’t even have a proper name; he wondered whether her parents were too uneducated or just didn’t care enough for her.

The little girl herself wasn’t too fond of these names, she said with envy, “The young lady has such a beautiful name, and my best friend’s name is also very nice. I wish I had a beautiful name too.”

“What kind of name do you want?”

“Like Little Pear Blossom!”

“You think Pear Blossom is a nice name?”

The little girl nodded vigorously, “It’s nice, it’s nice! Brother, can you give me a similar one?”

Looking at the lotuses in the lake, Tingyuan offhandedly suggested, “Little Lotus?”

The little girl was overjoyed, “It’s so beautiful, I’ll be called Little Lotus then!”

Tingyuan felt it wasn’t right to have named her so casually, “Shall I find another one for you?”

“No need, I really like this one!”