Chapter 34.1: I mean it.

Ye Tianhui went straight to her room. This east-facing one naturally did not have as much sunlight as the south-facing one, but with large floor-to-ceiling windows and an excellent view, she was already satisfied.  

This room also had a private bathroom and toilet, allowing her to use it however she pleased.  

At the entrance, there was also a small walk-in closet. Ye Tianhui opened it and took a look—inside was a whole row of clothes, all looking expensive and fashionable.  

As she was looking, someone knocked on the door outside—it was Li Jie.  

Perhaps due to the scare from earlier, she was a little apprehensive. In a low voice, she explained that she had always been taking care of Mr. Ye and Miss Ye here, and the housework, including cleaning and cooking, was all handled by her.  

She seemed to be a fairly obedient person, properly explaining the various household situations.  

At the end, she added, “As for the clothes in this walk-in closet, they are all brand new. I was just afraid Miss might not like clothes from outside, so I had them all washed beforehand. Miss can use them anytime. As for meals, I will come upstairs to remind you when it’s time to eat each day.”  

Ye Tianhui found this arrangement quite satisfactory and asked a few more questions, which Li Jie patiently answered.  

Finally, Ye Tianhui suddenly remembered, “This estate is on the hillside, with no buses or taxis around. What should I do if I need to go out?”  

The old man wanted her to get a driver’s license so he could give her a car, but what about before she got her license?  

Li Jie quickly said, “When we servants go down the hill, we take the cable car. But our estate is quiet and a bit far from the cable car station. Naturally, Miss doesn’t need to go through such trouble. There are drivers in the house who can take Miss down the hill.”  

Ye Tianhui: “Oh, how many drivers are there in the house? Can they be available anytime?”  

Li Jie explained, “Originally, there were eight drivers in the household, but the Master said that one must prepare for the future, and a driver’s monthly salary is not cheap. There’s no need to put on a show, so later the expenses were reduced, leaving only five drivers. But it’s not really an issue. Each household usually drives themselves. If the Master needs a car when going out, one driver will be reserved for him, and the other drivers are available for the family to use. If Miss needs one, just let me know, and I will arrange it with the drivers in advance.”  

Listening to this, Ye Tianhui felt that it sounded troublesome—meaning that if she wanted to go out, she had to use one of the five communal drivers, and most likely, the entire Ye family would know about her outing. So, in this high-society household, learning to drive turned out to be a basic survival skill.  

She started planning—there were actually many things she needed to do next. On one hand, she had to adapt to this high-society life. Whatever the family gave her, she would take it without hesitation, grabbing whatever she could. On the other hand, she had to complete the next three successful bets in the class competition to win the Old Master’s reward—this was the key to securing her place in this household.  

She also had to learn to drive as soon as possible. Otherwise, calling a driver every time she went out would be too conspicuous.  

Finally, she had to quickly get the money to buy Teng Yunwu.  

With these plans in mind, she wandered downstairs, checking out the living room, dining room, and kitchen.  

The dining room had a large refrigerator—one she had never seen before—stocked with various fresh fruits, drinks, and pastries.  

Seeing her come over, Li Jie introduced, “These are all replaced regularly. If Miss has any specific preferences, you can let me know.”  

Ye Tianhui took a look and was quite satisfied. She saw a type of cola inside and found it to her liking—the cold, refreshing taste was quite special.  

She grabbed the cold cola, sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the dining area, and drank while admiring the view.  

She heard faint footsteps from upstairs—apparently, Ye Wenyin was home too, but it was obvious that she was deliberately avoiding her, not wanting to be seen.  

Let her be. It was best if she stayed out of sight.  

Otherwise, she wasn’t someone easy to deal with. She might give Ye Wenyin face in front of the old master and the family, but in private, there was absolutely no courtesy to be had.  

Don’t ask why—just because seeing Ye Wenyin put her in a bad mood.  

She leisurely took another sip of cola, thinking about Ye Wenyin’s fearful and anxious expression, and couldn’t help but feel pleased.  

If Feng Suqin knew her daughter’s current situation, she would probably be furious to death.  

Of course, Ye Wenyin wasn’t any good either. Who knew how many schemes she had plotted behind the scenes? Lin Jianquan’s spooked horse incident must have had her involvement, not to mention how she had tried to push her out.  

Now that she was here, there was no way she would let her off easily—she would take her time tormenting her.  

Just as she was thinking this, she saw a figure—Ye Lixuan had returned.  

After entering, Ye Lixuan saw her and paused for a moment. He went to the washroom first, freshened up briefly, then walked over and sat down across from her.  

Ye Tianhui: “You don’t have class today?”  

Ye Lixuan replied indifferently, “No.”  

Ye Tianhui smiled, “Then have some coffee. I’ll pour you a cup.”  

She had just experimented with the coffee machine earlier and already figured out how to use it.  

Ye Lixuan looked at the girl in front of him. She wore a simple shirt and trousers, appearing fresh and easygoing, with a faint smile in her eyes.  

No matter the situation, she always seemed to enjoy everything effortlessly.  

—Clearly, her temperament was awful, yet she always gave off an air of tranquility and ease.  

He sighed lightly in his heart and said, “No need. I just wanted to ask if there’s anything you’re not used to, or if you need anything, you can tell me.”  

Ye Tianhui smiled, “There’s nothing I’m not used to. As long as there’s plenty of food, life is always comfortable. As for what I need, the Old Master said he would give me an apartment in Causeway Bay. I want to go take a look, but I don’t have a driver’s license yet, so tomorrow I need to tell the driver to take me out.”

Ye Lixuan understood and said, “I’ll take you.”  

Ye Tianhui was a little surprised. “You, you’re not going to work?”  

Ye Lixuan: “I can drop you off on the way.”  

Ye Tianhui naturally found this idea agreeable.  

Ye Lixuan then said, “I heard the old man mention that you like horse racing?”  

Ye Tianhui: “I wouldn’t say I like it that much, mainly because it makes money. I like anything that makes money.”  

Ye Lixuan was slightly stunned, then his face showed an indescribable expression.  

Clearly, as someone refined and noble from birth, he never had to worry about money.  

Yet his biological daughter spoke of nothing but money.  

After a brief silence, he finally said, “I heard about your agreement with the old man. What do you plan to do?”  

Ye Tianhui smiled. “I don’t have any plans for now. I’ll take a look at the recent inter-class race data first. Honestly, I have no certainty. For now, I can only take it one step at a time.”  

Ye Lixuan nodded and added, “There’s no need to feel pressured. Also, the old man’s seventieth birthday is coming up. By then, your identity will be officially announced. Before that, you’ll probably have a lot to do.”  

Ye Tianhui: “Like what?”  

Ye Lixuan looked at his daughter. “A lot. You’ll be busy starting tomorrow.”  

************  

Soon, Ye Tianhui understood what Ye Lixuan meant by “busy.” That afternoon, a group of “consultants” suddenly arrived at the house, taking her for an image makeover and a hairstyle adjustment.  

They sat her down and fussed over her, even wanting to perm her hair.  

The moment she heard “perm,” she was unwilling. She didn’t like curly hair. In her heart, she still held the old belief that one’s hair and body were given by one’s parents, and she didn’t want to alter it unnecessarily.  

Seeing this, the image consultant carefully trimmed and styled her hair instead, finally giving her sleek black hair that draped over her shoulders.  

Ye Tianhui stood up and looked at herself. It wasn’t bad.  

Looking closer, she found it quite nice.  

At least at a glance, she finally looked like a lady of Hong Kong, rather than a dirt-covered sweet potato dug out of the ground—that was what Gu Zhixin had mocked her as!  

After the hairstyle, they moved on to custom tailoring, taking her to a high-end bespoke tailoring shop, introducing, “Every year, major brands send their seasonal new arrivals for us to choose from. But aside from these branded pieces, the Ye family members have their own custom-made clothing.”  

“If it’s an important suit or gown, we go to Paris, New York, Milan, or Italy for customization. But for everyday wear, we opt for local Hong Kong tailors. This store has been open for over thirty years, with many renowned politicians and celebrities having their clothes made here.”  

Ye Tianhui listened to everything. Whatever they said, she did.  

In her past life, though she spent most of her time on the battlefield, when she returned to Yanjing City and took off her armor, she had worn the latest fashionable dresses of the capital, mingling among the nobility as a proper young lady.  

Beyond that, there were also house, stock, and trust paperwork to process. She even had to register for driving lessons, with plans to practice driving four times a week.  

So, for an entire day, Ye Tianhui was running around nonstop without a break. By the time she returned to her room that night, she lay on the bed, reluctant to move.  

Even wielding a blade and charging into battle wasn’t this exhausting!  

**********  

The next morning, Ye Tianhui got up especially early to take Ye Lixuan’s car. When she went downstairs, she found Ye Wenyin and Ye Lixuan already at the dining table having breakfast.  

Ye Wenyin looked up at her and smiled. “Tianhui, you’re up. Come have breakfast. What do you like to eat? If you have any preferences, you can ask Li Jie to make it for you.”  

She seemed very friendly, completely different from yesterday’s panic, even speaking with the air of a hostess.  

However, Ye Tianhui couldn’t even be bothered to be polite. What was the point of pretending? She didn’t respond and simply sat down.  

Between her and Ye Wenyin, there was no need for pleasantries. That was just how she was.  

Ye Wenyin’s smile stiffened slightly.  

Then, she bit her lip, her eyes misting over, looking to Ye Lixuan for help, appearing pitiful.  

Ye Lixuan remained indifferent, simply saying, “Sit down and eat.”  

Clearly, he ignored Ye Wenyin’s obvious attempt at complaining.

Ye Wenyin’s expression visibly changed, but in front of Ye Lixuan, she ultimately forced herself to endure it.  

Last night, in fact, Ye Lixuan had talked to her.  

Ye Lixuan said that he would still treat her as an adopted daughter, still keep her under his name, and when she got married in the future, he would fulfill the responsibilities of an elder.  

But Ye Tianhui had suffered so much over the years, and he had let her down. He wanted to make it up to her. He said that Ye Tianhui’s temperament was truly sharp and unyielding, and he couldn’t restrain her, so he told her to endure things more often.  

Ye Lixuan had always been refined, gentle, and, of course, indifferent. That was what she had always believed.  

But now, she suddenly understood—perhaps this was the bond of blood, something an outsider like her could never change.  

Ye Lixuan, who had always been rigid and principled in his actions, was actually being so unprincipled in favoring Ye Tianhui!  

Just because she was his daughter?  

Hadn’t she also called him “Daddy” for so many years?  

Moreover, now when he spoke to her, he only said he would fulfill the responsibilities of an elder, not the responsibilities of a father—clearly, they were not the same.  

The grievance in Ye Wenyin’s heart instantly surged like a breached dam, almost spilling over, but in the end, she held it back.  

She had to endure it.  

Since he was so biased toward Ye Tianhui, then she had to make him regret it, had to make him see who was truly the most useful daughter to the Ye family!  

For a moment, the three of them harbored their own thoughts and ate in silence.  

At this moment, Ye Wenyin suddenly thought of something and glanced at Ye Tianhui. “Tianhui still doesn’t have a car, right? If needed, she can use mine for now.”  

As soon as she said this, the scene fell silent for a few seconds.  

It was obvious that Ye Tianhui didn’t have a driver’s license. She was offering her car out of goodwill, but Ye Tianhui couldn’t even drive.  

To this, Ye Tianhui remained indifferent, acting as if she hadn’t heard, calmly standing up.  

Beside her, Ye Lixuan said, “Tianhui doesn’t have a driver’s license yet, Wenyin, just keep your car for yourself.”  

Ye Wenyin was surprised. “Really? She doesn’t have a license?”  

She suddenly understood. “Makes sense. Tianhui hasn’t learned to drive. Then she’ll have to call a driver. How about I make a call and have them reserve a car and driver for her?”  

Ye Lixuan: “No need.”  

He said indifferently, “I have time today, I’ll drive her there myself.”  

As soon as he said this, Ye Wenyin’s gaze instantly fell on Ye Lixuan.  

Ye Lixuan showed no expression. “Tianhui wants to check out the house your grandfather gave her, right? Remember to bring the key.”  

Ye Tianhui nodded. “Okay.”  

Sensing Ye Wenyin’s disappointed gaze, she smiled at Ye Lixuan. “I have the house key in my pocket, let’s go straight there!”  

Ye Lixuan: “Let’s go.”  

Ye Wenyin looked at Ye Lixuan, then at Ye Tianhui, and suddenly found it all so ridiculous.  

Ridiculous to the extreme.  

Ye Lixuan was actually treating this northern girl as a treasure.  

One day, he would realize he was wrong.  

She would marry into the Gu family and make Ye Lixuan bow and smile in front of her!  

**********