Chapter 16: He was unexpectedly this kind of dad!

Ye Tianhui was also surprised. “Why are you here?”

Gu Shizhang: “I have a friend working at this university. I came to see him for something and didn’t expect to run into Miss Ye.”

He smiled at her. “And you? Why are you here?”

Ye Tianhui didn’t want to mention her grand mission of finding her father, so she casually said, “I’m just looking around. The campus here is really beautiful.”

Gu Shizhang glanced at the campus. At that moment, the autumn wind had risen, and purple-red bauhinia petals fell from the trees, fluttering down and covering the ground like a layer of floral snow. Indeed, it was beautiful.

He withdrew his gaze and asked Ye Tianhui, “Do you like it here?”

Ye Tianhui: “Not particularly, just think it’s interesting. I haven’t seen a place like this before.”

Gu Shizhang looked at her. “If you like it, you could study here someday.”

Ye Tianhui quickly shook her head. “No way! I’m not cut out for studying.”

Seeing her act as if she wanted to avoid it at all costs, Gu Shizhang said, “Really? Didn’t you want to bet on horse racing before? Did you place your bet?”

Ye Tianhui: “I did.”

Gu Shizhang: “Looks like you won?”

Ye Tianhui nodded enthusiastically and said with satisfaction, “Just a little bit of profit.”

Gu Shizhang saw her slightly puffed cheeks and her smugly satisfied expression from taking advantage. He couldn’t help but laugh softly.

He said, “If you can figure out horse betting, studying isn’t that hard.”

Horse betting has complex rules; it requires analyzing timing, location, people, studying the horses and jockeys, and calculating odds. If you can handle horse betting, you wouldn’t find learning anything else difficult.

Ye Tianhui replied, “Not at all! Studying is different from researching horse betting. Studying is boring, but horse betting can make money.”

Gu Shizhang sighed lightly. “Alright then. Have you eaten? Let me treat you to a meal.”

Ye Tianhui: “I already ate. I just had something with a friend.”

Gu Shizhang: “Oh, a friend?”

Ye Tianhui nodded but didn’t elaborate further. “Yes, we just grabbed a bite.”

Gu Shizhang was silent for a moment and said, “I haven’t eaten yet. I thought of treating you to a meal, but it turns out you already ate with your friend.”

Ye Tianhui: “…”

She felt a bit awkward, looked around, and then offered, “Do you drink coffee? I’ll treat you to coffee. Look, there’s a café over there.”

Gu Shizhang’s dark eyes looked at her as he asked with a smile, “Do you like coffee?”

Ye Tianhui honestly shook her head. “Not at all, it tastes awful!”

Gu Shizhang: “Then why would you treat me to something you don’t like?”

Ye Tianhui: “…”

She glanced at him and snorted lightly. “I’m being nice, wanting to treat you to something fancy. Coffee seems trendy. I don’t even usually splurge on it myself!”

Gu Shizhang: “I don’t like the coffee at that café. It’s probably bad.”

Ye Tianhui: “You’re so picky!”

She quickly realized that since he had a friend working at the university, his social circle must be quite high-class.

To her, coffee seemed trendy and rare, something she had never tried. But perhaps he didn’t think much of it at all.

Gu Shizhang: “Let’s go. We’ll eat something else. Your treat.”

Ye Tianhui: “Alright…”

The two of them walked along the street. For some reason, Gu Shizhang was slightly silent and didn’t talk much.

Ye Tianhui turned her head to look at him. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, which obscured his slightly sharp brows and eyes, making him appear gentle and calm, exuding a faint sense of refined elegance.

Although the era and attire were different, this profile still brought an overwhelming sense of familiarity to Ye Tianhui.

For example, in the imperial study, the young emperor lowered his eyes to flip through memorials. When the hanging beads of the ceremonial crown fell, there was a depth between his prominent brow bones that Ye Tianhui could never fully understand.

Occasionally, he would smile gently at Ye Tianhui, appearing very approachable, but Ye Tianhui could never ignore his powerful, commanding presence, the kind of force that could easily intimidate civil and military officials.

Gu Shizhang sensed Ye Tianhui’s gaze and looked at her. “What’s wrong?”

Ye Tianhui withdrew her gaze and shook her head. “Nothing… Are your eyes nearsighted?”

Gu Shizhang: “No, but I’m in the habit of wearing glasses during this season.”

Ye Tianhui: “Oh, I see.”

She didn’t quite understand but didn’t want to ask further.

Gu Shizhang: “Have you decided what to treat me to?”

Ye Tianhui: “Oh…”

He was truly unreserved, actually insisting that she treat him to a meal.

Helpless, she admitted, “Just tell me directly what you want to eat. I’m new here and haven’t eaten anything special. I can only treat you to some shark fin soup. Do you want that?”

She instinctively felt that Gu Shizhang wouldn’t be easily placated with just a bowl of shark fin soup.

Even though he seemed to be just a jockey, Ye Tianhui still felt that having him sit on a roadside stall’s bench to eat shark fin soup was a form of disrespect.

Perhaps it was because he looked too much like the Sage King, a figure ingrained in Ye Tianhui’s bones as someone to revere.

Gu Shizhang’s gaze swept over her lightly. “Did you just treat someone to shark fin soup earlier?”

Ye Tianhui: “Yes, it was quite good.”

Gu Shizhang: “So you treated someone to shark fin soup earlier, and now you want to fob me off with the same?”

Fob off?

Ye Tianhui: “That’s not fair. I’m being sincere. Just tell me what you want to eat. If I can afford it, I’ll treat you, no questions asked!”

Gu Shizhang looked at her and gave a casual chuckle.

He smiled at her. “Are you worried that I’ll exploit the opportunity and make you treat me to some luxurious delicacies?”

His laughter had an unexpectedly pleasant tone.

Ye Tianhui felt a little dazed for a moment, then quickly composed herself and shook her head. “About that day, I should thank you. If you insist on extorting me, I can only accept it.”

Gu Shizhang: “Don’t worry, I won’t extort you too much.”

---

He indeed didn’t seem interested in the street-side cart noodles or shark fin soup. Fortunately, he didn’t make her treat him to a high-end restaurant either, settling for a small eatery by the roadside.

Although the eatery was decently decorated, Ye Tianhui, based on her experience, felt that it wouldn’t be too expensive—probably just a bit pricier than street stalls—which reassured her.

After seeing the menu and price list, her heart was completely at ease. She suddenly became generous and smiled sincerely at Gu Shizhang. “You must be starving. Today, I’m treating you. Order whatever you want!”

After saying this, she added boldly, “And if we can’t finish, we can pack it up!”

Gu Shizhang held the menu delicately in his long fingers. Upon hearing this, he lifted his thin eyelids slightly and glanced at her. “Feeling generous now?”

Ye Tianhui declared grandly, “Friendship is priceless. A small favor deserves a big return. Whatever you want to eat, I’ll pay, no matter how stingy I am. Just order!”

Gu Shizhang chuckled. “Alright, I won’t hold back then.”

So, Gu Shizhang ordered several dishes, including Typhoon Shelter-style fried crab, black pepper beef ribs, stir-fried beef rice noodles, boat porridge, and almond milk pudding.

Once the dishes were ordered, the chef began cooking. The restaurant wasn’t large, and even sitting by the window, one could faintly feel the smoke and steam rising from the kitchen. The clanging of pots and ladles on high heat added a bustling, down-to-earth vibe.

Gu Shizhang looked at Ye Tianhui across from him and asked with a smile, “How much did you earn?”

Perhaps out of some instinctive honesty, Ye Tianhui didn’t hide it and truthfully reported her earnings.

Gu Shizhang’s dark eyes carried a faint trace of amusement as he looked at Ye Tianhui, listening intently.

After listening for a while, he suddenly spoke, “What about the next race? Any thoughts?”

Ye Tianhui: “I have some ideas, but I’m not confident.”

Gu Shizhang: “Oh? Why not confident?”

Ye Tianhui sighed, “The rules of horse racing are too complex, and there are too many considerations. If even one thing is calculated wrong, it results in losses. I thought my skill in judging horses would guarantee victory every time, but now I see it’s not that simple.”

Gu Shizhang said, “You’ve clearly won a race, yet you remain steady and unperturbed, without a hint of arrogance. This temperament is rare.”

Ye Tianhui muttered, “I’m just getting started…”

Gu Shizhang, who had been lowering his gaze to clean the tableware, paused slightly in his movements when he heard her words.

Her voice was soft and murmuring, carrying a touch of girlish charm and innocence.

It was a very familiar voice.

Memories surfaced, as if pulling him back to a distant past.

He raised his eyes and, under the dim lighting of the restaurant, glanced at Ye Tianhui.

She was young and radiant, full of potential, with clear eyes that openly displayed various emotions—frustration, hope, and longing.

She was so honest, utterly defenseless.

Gu Shizhang’s gaze gradually softened.

When he spoke again, his voice was incomparably gentle. “There’s still a lot for you to learn, but that’s okay. Take your time.”

Ye Tianhui propped her chin in her hands and looked at him. “I have so many things I want to ask you.”

Gu Shizhang, unusually patient at this moment, said, “Hmm, like what?”

Ye Tianhui: “Things like odds and rules… I think I understand them now, but it still feels incomplete.”

Gu Shizhang: “You want a systematic understanding of horse racing.”

Ye Tianhui: “Yes, yes, exactly! So, is there a way to learn it properly?”

After thinking for a moment, Gu Shizhang said, “Actually, the Jockey Club has established a public horse racing school where you can learn about equestrian skills, horse care, and, of course, horse racing knowledge. If you’re interested, you can sign up. It’s not cheap, though. But there’s currently an employee referral program that offers a significant discount.”

Ye Tianhui tentatively asked, “…How significant?”

She understood well that equestrianism in Hong Kong was considered a high-end or aristocratic sport, something not affordable for ordinary people. So the tuition fees were definitely not low.

Gu Shizhang, seeing her cautious expression, naturally guessed her thoughts. “I know someone who might have an internal referral spot. If so, I estimate the entire course would cost around 5,000 HKD.”

5,000 HKD?

Ye Tianhui frowned. “That’s too expensive; it’s absolutely out of the question! I don’t have that kind of money.”

Seeing this, Gu Shizhang added, “You could also work at the stables as a stable assistant, though it would be more tiring.”

Ye Tianhui: “Stable assistant? What does that job entail?”

Gu Shizhang: “Cleaning the stables, preparing feed, and assisting jockeys and trainers with morning exercises and training sessions.”

He continued, “At the beginning, you’d start as a trainee assistant. The pay wouldn’t be high, but after about a year, you could take an exam.”

Ye Tianhui: “Another exam?”

She realized that even though horse-related jobs seemed like manual labor, there were endless exams. It seemed like without passing exams, one couldn’t even do these tasks.

Gu Shizhang: “Of course. You’d need to pass a qualification exam. Once you do, you can stay in the stables as a formal stable assistant. Your salary would increase, and if the racehorses from your stable win prizes, all staff members in the stable get a share of the bonus. So stable assistants do receive bonuses.”

Ye Tianhui’s eyes lit up. “Bonuses? That’s great!”

Gu Shizhang: “You want to do this?”

Ye Tianhui nodded repeatedly. “Help me get in touch. I want to try. It’s a hobby of mine anyway, and it’s better than unloading goods at the docks, right?”

Unloading goods?

Gu Shizhang’s expression showed a hint of helplessness. “You…”

He sighed lightly, as if at a loss, and said, “Alright, I’ll inquire about the job for you. But right now, the racetrack is fully staffed. I’d have to check with private stables. Would you be willing to work there?”

Ye Tianhui nodded repeatedly, “Of course, any horse racing venue is fine, as long as I can get into this industry.”

Gu Shizhang smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll ask some of my friends in the industry and try to find a position for you.”

Ye Tianhui nodded again, “Alright, thank you so much!”