On the way to the Ye Family residence, Lin Yuan sat in the car, recalling the plot of the original novel in his mind.
In the original story, this birthday banquet was a carefully arranged event for Long Haochen, the chosen one of fate. It was designed to give him a moment to show off, highlight his medical skills, and help him establish a connection with the Ye Family, laying the groundwork for future alliances.
The Ye Family’s old master suffered from a chronic illness that flared up at night, causing cold sweats and intense pain. In order to find a cure for her grandfather, the Ye Family’s young lady, Ye Ling’er, had been studying medicine since childhood. She had long become a highly skilled practitioner. Though she managed to keep the condition under control, she was never able to completely cure it.
On this day, during the patriarch Ye’s birthday celebration, a younger Ye Family member brought in a so-called miracle doctor to show off, but it backfired—the old master’s illness suddenly acted up. Ye Ling’er tried to rescue him with acupuncture, but it didn’t work.
At this critical moment, Long Haochen stepped in, successfully curing the illness and, at the same time, winning Ye Ling’er’s admiration. She quietly developed feelings for him.
“No wonder this is a wish-fulfillment novel. The protagonist doesn’t just show off; he also gets the girl,” Lin Yuan thought, curling his lip.
In such an important scene, he had appeared in the original plot too—but only to play the role of the antagonist, to highlight how amazing Long Haochen was.
But today was different. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to offer up his face just to get slapped by Long Haochen. He would deliver his gift and leave as soon as possible. Today, he planned to be completely invisible.
Soon, the car arrived at the Ye residence. Lin Yuan stepped out with the gift he had prepared for the old master.
The moment he got out, someone came to greet him.
“Young Master Lin, you’re here. Please, come in.”
“Uncle Ye, don’t tease me. You’re a senior—how could I dare to call myself ‘Young Master’ in front of you?” Lin Yuan said with a polite smile.
The man before him was tall and well-built, with sharp brows and starry eyes, a square-shaped face, and a muscular body—clearly someone who trained regularly.
Just by looking at him, Lin Yuan immediately recognized him. This was Ye Wenzhi, the current head of the Ye Family, son of the old master, and father of Ye Ling’er.
He had a scholarly name, yet was clearly a man of martial prowess—an interesting contrast.
Ye Wenzhi gave Lin Yuan a second look. This kid had never been so humble before. Usually, he was arrogant, always throwing his weight around and calling himself the boss in front of anyone.
“This is a birthday gift my father prepared for Grandpa Ye—a thousand-year-old wild ginseng he found through many connections and favors,” Lin Yuan said, respectfully handing over the gift.
“Patriarch Lin was thoughtful. Why didn’t he come himself today?” Ye Wenzhi asked.
“Uncle Ye, you know I’m not very capable. My father still has to handle everything at the company himself. He didn’t have time to attend personally,” Lin Yuan replied.
Ye Wenzhi gave him another long look. This kid really did seem different… or was he scheming something again?
He chuckled and patted Lin Yuan’s shoulder. “Don’t belittle yourself. You’re still young and have plenty of time. Come on in. Later, have a drink with Uncle.” Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
“Sure.” Lin Yuan smiled and entered the Ye residence.
The patriarch Ye was now over seventy, so every birthday was celebrated grandly. In addition to the four great families of North City, there were also other business owners, elites, and smaller families attending. While those smaller families didn’t have the same background as the four major ones, they were still quite influential locally.
Even government officials from North City had sent people to attend, giving the Ye Family great honor.
As Lin Yuan walked through the courtyard, he suddenly felt an arm hook around his neck. He turned to see a round-faced youth.
“Lin Yuan, haven’t seen you in the last couple of days. What’ve you been up to? Wanna hit up Golden Splendor tonight and find a couple of girls to relieve some stress?” said the chubby youth.
It was Chu Haojie, Lin Yuan’s best buddy and young master of the Chu Family—one of the four great families. The two were known as the North City Double Tyrants, having done their fair share of shady things together: stealing, brawling, robbing—name it.
His reputation was slightly better than Lin Yuan’s, but not by much.
“Fatty Chu, what are you doing here? Where’s your sister?” Lin Yuan asked.
Among the four great families, only the Chu Family had more than one child. Chu Haojie had an older sister, a peerless beauty and one of the original novel’s female leads.
“She’s busy with work, so she couldn’t come. My old man just sent me instead. You better not be thinking of making a move on my sister. I’m warning you—that won’t fly.”
Though a troublemaker, Chu Haojie was fiercely protective of his sister. During their university days, the fights he got into were mostly because of her.
His mother had passed away shortly after his birth, so his sister raised him practically on her own. To him, she was more than just a sister.
“Come on, Fatty Chu, what kind of person do you think I am? Do I look like the type?”
“Yes.”
“Get lost!”
They bantered, then exchanged glances and burst out laughing.
“Lin Yuan, you still chasing after Gu Qingyi? If you ask me, you should give it up already. It’s been three years with nothing to show for it. Why bother? She’s not the only flower in the world.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“That’s great! Tonight, we’re going to Golden Splendor to celebrate. I’ll find you two top-tier babes!”
Chu Haojie was excited. Ever since Lin Yuan started pursuing Gu Qingyi, his lifestyle had toned down. Though he still occasionally went out for fun, it wasn’t like before. Chu Haojie often had to go out alone—boring and frustrating.
But now, his best friend was back.
“Forget it. I’ve got to go home and take care of my kid tonight.”
“Your kid? You mean that little girl? I thought you couldn’t stand her?”
“Fatty Chu, you don’t get it. I’m not the same as before.”
Lin Yuan patted Chu Haojie on the back and added, “Take my advice—stay away from those messy places. Don’t make your sister worry about you all the time.”
“What the hell?”
Chu Haojie was stunned. He reached out with his chubby hand to touch Lin Yuan’s forehead—no fever. So why was he talking nonsense?
“Get out of here. I’m fine—completely normal,” Lin Yuan said, speechless. It seemed his previous image had left too strong an impression. Changing that was going to take effort.
“Alright then. As your brother, I respect your choice. So the two top-tier girls I was going to set you up with tonight… I guess I’ll just enjoy them myself,” Chu Haojie said dramatically.
Damn, this guy was impossible to persuade.
Lin Yuan didn’t argue. After all, not everyone could change like him.
After waiting a while in the courtyard, the Ye Family’s old master finally appeared, walking slowly with the help of a young woman.
She was graceful and refined, her figure perfectly proportioned. Even from several meters away, one could faintly smell the light fragrance on her body.
But unlike perfume or natural scent, hers carried a hint of medicinal aroma—just a whiff could invigorate the spirit.
She was the Ye Family’s young lady—Ye Ling’er.