Their eyes met again.
Caught, the man didn’t show the slightest embarrassment. Instead, a faint smile stirred in his dark eyes, like ice beginning to melt.
It made his peach-blossom-colored eyes look even warmer and more alluring.
Truly… what a face capable of causing disaster to a country!
Ye Zhishu suddenly understood why this man always carried that cold and distant expression.
But no matter how handsome he was, staring at a young woman like this—wasn’t it a little impolite?
Ye Zhishu furrowed her brow slightly and parted her lips, about to speak.
‘Ding’—
The elevator arrived at the fifth floor.
The man maneuvered his wheelchair and stepped back a couple of paces, making way.
Now that was rather gentlemanly—Ye Zhishu found this man increasingly difficult to read.
Still…
Ye Zhishu walked out of the elevator and followed the signs to her room. Glancing briefly at the man’s lower eyelids, she felt a strange familiarity—his “brother palace”… why did it seem so familiar?
“Does the young master know that lady?”
The elderly butler noticed the man’s unusual behavior and asked hesitantly.
The elevator doors closed, and the man’s gaze left Ye Zhishu’s back. He gave a single “hm”.
“I don’t know her.”
His voice was cool and indifferent, as always.
The butler: …
Don’t know her? Yet his eyes were practically glued to the young lady! How had he never been noticed like this before?
“Sir, shall I check on her—”
The butler probed carefully. After all, it was the first time in over twenty years the young master had taken the initiative to notice a girl.
“No need.”
“Oh.”
The butler looked a bit disappointed.
“I know who she is.”
The butler: ?
Wasn’t it just now that you said you didn’t know her?
…
Using the room card, Ye Zhishu opened the door. A faint scent of orange mixed with lemon wafted gently.
The room was a standard one-bedroom suite, with a living area and an outdoor balcony. Ye Zhishu looked around and nodded in satisfaction.
After washing up and changing into her pajamas, she finally felt alive. Lying on the soft, spacious bed, she slept deeply—the first proper rest since arriving.
The next day.
Ye Zhishu changed into clothes freshly washed and dried by the hotel, slipped into slippers, and went to the third-floor restaurant for breakfast.
Though called a “restaurant,” it resembled more a tea house. The first floor was the lobby, the second floor private rooms. Ye Zhishu found a table by the window. Her seafood congee was served quickly.
Ye Wanqing had sent her a message just after eight in the morning, saying the whole family was waiting for her to join lunch.
Ye Zhishu didn’t reply.
The whole family?
She didn’t acknowledge them.
It was now eleven o’clock, and the hotel was about a fifty-minute drive from the Ye family villa. Ye Zhishu sipped her porridge leisurely, eating at her own pace.
Now it was Ye Zhikuan who needed something.
Ye Zhishu naturally wasn’t in a hurry.
Second-floor private room.
“Brother.”
The private room door was suddenly pushed open, and a loud, casual voice rang out.
The butler frowned in frustration.
“Brother, why are you in a wheelchair again? Did you have another episode?”
Ji Mingrui ignored the butler’s helpless expression and walked directly to the man sitting at the small table by the window, eating.
He plopped into the chair opposite him and asked with concern,
“It’s nothing, just a minor issue.”
The man sipped his tea and replied calmly.
“Brother, you can barely move, how is that a minor issue? Well, I happen to know a very capable doctor. I’ll bring her over this weekend to see you.”
Ji Mingrui frowned.
The butler’s lips twitched. He wanted to speak but stopped.
He thought: the second young master… when has he ever been reliable? Last time he said the same thing, the person he brought over didn’t even have a medical license.
If the eldest young master hadn’t been sharp and noticed in time, it wouldn’t have been just a health problem… he might have been dead and joined the ancestors by now.
If the second young master weren’t genuinely concerned for his elder brother, the butler would have suspected he was sent by the Ji family to assassinate him.
Really, it’s not the enemies’ tricks that are dangerous—it’s your own foolish teammates’ ideas!
Who knows which scammer has duped the second young master this time?
After all, his friends are all troublemakers.
Ji Mingrui knew he had been foolish and made plenty of mistakes before.
But this time, with Ye Zhishu, he could trust completely!
Ji Mingrui fixed his gaze solely on his elder brother, afraid of being refused. After all, his past credibility had been shaky.
If… if his brother refused, he would think of another plan!
“Alright.”
“Young master?”
That single, faint word made the butler’s face change drastically. Ji Mingrui froze for a moment, then his face softened with gratitude.
His elder brother really did care for him. Even after all his failures, his brother still trusted him!
“Young master…” The butler couldn’t help but speak, wanting to advise again.
His young master’s body really couldn’t take any more strain.
“It’s fine.”
The man tilted his head and looked out the window. His gaze fell on a girl by the window.
“Brother, what are you looking at?”
Noticing his elder brother’s distraction, Ji Mingrui followed his gaze and saw only a slender figure walking away.
His eyelids twitched.
Why did that back view look a little like Ye Zhishu?
No, no.
Ji Mingrui quickly dismissed the thought—what were the odds?
“Let’s go to the company.”
The man set down his tea, stood, and almost instantly, his presence became fully apparent, as if a dormant beast had awakened, radiating natural authority.
“Brother, your legs…”
Ji Mingrui worriedly looked at the man’s legs—they appeared long and straight, without flaw. Yet Ji Mingrui knew his brother was merely holding himself up. He had seen him during a fit before.
The man seemed to have sweated as if washed clean, showing how much pain he endured.
“It’s nothing.”
With that, the man pushed the door open and left.
Cedar Mountain, located in the southern suburbs of Beijing, is a famous luxury villa area, nearly 200,000 yuan per square meter. Even the cheapest villa costs at least 60 million yuan.
The taxi stopped at the foot of the hill. Outsiders were not allowed in without prior notice.
Ye Zhishu stepped out.
The security recognized her. One guard smiled apologetically, “Sorry, Miss Ye. We didn’t receive a call from the Ye family, so…”
“No problem.”
Ye Zhishu knew perfectly well that Ye Zhikuan was causing trouble but didn’t intend to make things difficult for an employee.
“We’ll arrange transport to take you up.”
The guard gestured politely.
“Thank you.”
Ye Zhishu nodded.
The security relaxed. They had heard some things about the Ye family’s internal matters. Now that Miss Ye had returned, who knew what was going on? Would the Ye family see another upheaval?
The shuttle stopped in front of the Ye family villa.
“Miss Ye has arrived.”
“Sister! You finally came!”