Chapter 22: Dear Dad Dear Dad

That night, in the middle of the night, it started to rain outside. The drizzling autumn rain continued without stopping.  

Ye Tianhui lay in bed, listening to the sound of the rain outside, unable to fall asleep no matter how much she tossed and turned.  

She couldn’t help but repeatedly recall every word Gu Shizhang had said—his breath, his tone, and the way he called her name.  

A thousand years had passed. The Dazhao Kingdom no longer existed in this world, but she heard a voice calling her name.  

Her name, once a legend on the land of the Dazhao Kingdom, was unexpectedly spoken again today by his lips.  

She understood that her emotions had been deeply influenced by Gu Shizhang.  

Irredeemably so.  

Frustrated, she pulled the blanket over her head, refusing to let herself listen to the rain outside or recall Gu Shizhang.  

She told herself it was all fake.  

The reason she felt uneasy about him was because he resembled the Sage too much.  

But he couldn’t possibly be.  

Perhaps he was the reincarnation of the Sage, but if he didn’t remember certain things from his past life, then he wasn’t the Sage.  

Maybe it was because she hadn’t slept well that night. When she woke up the next day, it was already late. To make matters worse, the rain had continued all night, leaving the roads wet and the morning rush hour heavily congested.  

There was no direct tram route to the Pentium Racecourse, so she had to take the bus. Unlike the tram, the bus could get stuck in traffic, and now she was caught in the jam.  

Watching time tick by second by second felt torturous.  

She couldn’t possibly be late on her first day of work—that would be disgraceful. But how long would this torment last?  

Other commuters on the bus began complaining too, with some mentioning that their bosses would dock their pay, their faces full of helplessness.  

Hearing the words “dock pay,” Ye Tianhui immediately felt this was no trivial matter.  

How could she let a late bus cause her to lose part of her pay?  

She made a decisive decision, asking the bus driver to open the door. Then, grabbing her bag, she jumped off the bus and sprinted past the rows of jammed buses and cars.  

Thus, after a night of autumn rain, on this fresh and damp morning, beside the bustling road, people saw a girl in a shirt and jeans, her hair tied in a ponytail, running boldly along the glistening asphalt road.  

She was young and slender, yet her back was straight and lean. Her smooth, firm back muscles moved rhythmically as she ran, her youthful body exuding flexibility and strength.  

Some couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times, while others took out their cameras to capture the scene.  

Ye Tianhui paid no attention to any of it, thinking only of her potentially docked pay.  

She couldn’t let her pay be docked!  

After running for quite a while, she finally cleared the congested area. Unfortunately, there were no buses or taxis to be found here.  

With no other choice, Ye Tianhui wiped her sweat with her sleeve and continued running forward.  

She had to be grateful that she had jumped off the bus. Otherwise, she would likely still be stuck there. The absence of vehicles along this stretch was proof enough.  

So running was the right decision. Not only did she need to run, but she needed to run even faster!  

Gripping her bag tightly, she sped up her pace.  

************  

Initially, when Ye Lixuan noticed the running figure up ahead, he didn’t pay much attention, assuming it was a morning jogger.  

Today, his physics class was scheduled for the second period. During breakfast, his daughter Wenyin mentioned she was going to the riding field, but her car had broken down, so she had to call the family driver to take her.  

Seeing this, he offered to give her a ride.  

He wasn’t in a hurry for his class, and even taking a detour wouldn’t cause any delay.  

Unexpectedly, his daughter seemed a little surprised and even somewhat resistant.  

He didn’t say much, though, and still dropped her off at the riding field.  

Due to past events, his daughter had been brought over from the mainland when she was nearly a year old. At that time, he had just reached the age of twenty, still young, and hadn’t yet learned how to be a father.  

There had been maids and nannies at home to help back then. Coupled with his grief over losing his wife and the necessity of studying abroad, he had been largely absent during his daughter’s upbringing. 

By the time he completed his studies abroad and returned to the country, several years had passed. Ye Wenyin was already seven or eight years old, a small but mature girl, understanding and considerate, well-behaved and endearing. However, the father-daughter bond had grown distant.

He had tried to make up for it, but those days coincided with critical stages in his research, leaving him overwhelmingly busy. Adding to that, young girls naturally have their own temperaments, and he himself didn’t know how to interact with his daughter. Thus, he ended up doing nothing meaningful.

Now, Ye Wenyin had grown up, still understanding and considerate. Although not very close, their relationship was one of mutual respect, with him being a kind father and her a filial daughter.

In Ye Lixuan’s plans, he intended to make amends whenever possible. For instance, today, despite noticing that his daughter wasn’t particularly willing, he still gave her a ride.

He was driving away, preoccupied with his vague thoughts, when he happened to see a girl running toward him.  

With just one glance, he recognized her as the girl he had been observing through the glass wall for quite some time.

She was running freely, bathed in the warm morning sunlight. Her vigorous and unrestrained demeanor resembled a colt darting out of a mountain stream—wild and untamed, yet carefree and unbridled.

He paused for a moment, hesitated briefly, but eventually slowed down, steering his car alongside the girl. Lowering the car window, he asked, “Do you need a ride?”

When he uttered those words, even he didn’t know what had gotten into him.

He was someone with a cleanliness obsession and wouldn’t normally let just anyone into his car.  

Given his past experiences, his guard was always up.  

Yet somehow, with just a fleeting encounter, he felt a peculiar sense of fondness—perhaps even partiality—toward this girl.

Ye Tianhui was quite tired by this point. Hearing his words, she was momentarily dazed before her face lit up with joy.

She had encountered a kind-hearted person!

She smiled brightly. “Really? Is it on your way?”

Ye Lixuan nodded. “Get in.”

Grateful, she quickly opened the car door.

Having only ever taken buses in the mainland and in Hong Kong, she had no experience with private cars and didn’t understand the unspoken rules. She simply opened the door and got in.

Ye Lixuan was slightly surprised when she sat directly in the front passenger seat without hesitation.  

However, he said nothing, merely reminding her, “Buckle your seatbelt.”

“Seatbelt?”  

Ye Tianhui looked at him, puzzled.

He remained silent for a moment, then leaned over slightly, reaching for the seatbelt latch.

The action was a bit too close for comfort, his expression subdued.  

He handed her the latch and instructed, “Buckle it over there.”

“Oh, I see. Thank you!” Ye Tianhui exclaimed as she hurriedly secured the belt.

While she fastened her seatbelt, Ye Lixuan gripped the steering wheel and started the car.

This girl was young, in her prime. Because she had just been running, her fair face was tinged with a lively blush. The back of her loose shirt was damp in places, clinging slightly to her skin.

Hong Kong was an open city. Her current attire was modest and wouldn’t attract any attention on the streets. Yet, in the confined space of the car, with a stranger beside her, it felt somewhat inappropriate.

He couldn’t explain the feeling. Perhaps because she was around his daughter’s age, he felt an uncommon urge to protect her.

He asked in a calm tone, “Are you cold?”

Ye Tianhui replied, “Not at all. I actually feel hot… I ran a long way just now.”

With one hand, he picked up a suit jacket from the seat beside him and handed it to her. “Put this on.”

“Huh?” She raised her brows in surprise, unsure what was going on.

“Put it on,” he insisted.

She didn’t want to wear a stranger’s jacket. “I’m really not cold. Thank you, though.”

He frowned slightly. “You’re heading to the racetrack?”

“Yes, yes, I’m going to the racetrack. It’s my first day at work. There was a traffic jam, and I thought I’d be late, so I ran. Luckily, I met you.”

She smiled at him gratefully.

As she gazed at him, she was struck by a sense of familiarity.

Earlier, she had been too hurried to take a good look, but now she noticed that this man looked familiar.

She remembered seeing a photo in “Mom’s” album.

The photo featured a youthful man standing in front of a red-walled building, wearing a white suit and a hat. His elegance and beauty were striking, almost androgynous, making him exceptionally eye-catching.

However, that photo, due to its age and improper preservation, had become mottled and faded, making it somewhat blurry.

Now, as she looked at the man before her, she felt a faint sense of familiarity.

The man in front of her had a refined and elegant demeanor, wearing a cashmere suit of exquisite material that exuded wealth and sophistication. However, upon closer inspection, his facial features were still too striking, merely subdued by his cultured aura.

She recalled the young man in the photo and wondered if, after years of life’s polishing, he might have turned into the person before her.

Ye Lixuan naturally noticed her probing, unrestrained, and unabashed gaze.

He had never encountered such a brazen girl.

He felt offended.

Frowning further, he reflected that he was not usually a kind-hearted person. Letting a strange girl into his car and offering his jacket to her were things he would never have imagined doing.

He felt that everything he had done today had deviated from his usual behavior.

Moreover, his judgment of this girl was clearly mistaken.

There was a faint sense of annoyance, though not intense, as they were almost at the racetrack.

For now, the car drove in silence, and neither of them spoke.

As they approached the racetrack, the car stopped at a red light. While waiting, Ye Lixuan glanced at the girl beside him.

She was curiously examining a hair accessory on the dashboard, adorned with glittering rhinestones.

Ye Lixuan remembered that his daughter had seemed to wear this accessory in the morning. She must have accidentally left it in the car while tidying her hair.

At that moment, the girl seemed to sense his gaze and turned to look at him.

Her eyes carried a probing and assessing quality, creating a subtly peculiar sensation.

Meeting her gaze, Ye Lixuan raised his brow slightly, his tea-colored eyes reflecting distant rejection.

Ye Tianhui looked at him and suddenly smiled. “Sir, may I know your surname?”

Ye Lixuan pressed his lips together, silently watching her, his expression indifferent.

Naturally, he would not answer such a question.

Ye Tianhui, however, looked at him with great interest. “Thank you for giving me a ride. I thought maybe we could be friends. My surname is Ye, and I’m 18 years old. How about you?”

She disclosed key information about herself, hoping to pique his interest.

Upon hearing this, Ye Lixuan frowned, his gaze showing disdain.

Ye Tianhui was surprised. “Don’t misunderstand, and don’t be upset. I just thought we could chat. You’re also surnamed Ye, aren’t you? What a coincidence.”

The green light turned on, and Ye Lixuan stepped on the gas, driving forward. Soon, the racetrack came into view.

He stopped the car and said coldly, “Get out.”

Ye Tianhui asked, “Don’t you want to know why I guessed your surname is Ye and why it happens to be the same as mine?”

Ye Lixuan, expressionless, replied, “Sorry, I don’t. Please get out of the car.”

From the moment she saw the rhinestone hair clip, Ye Tianhui had already begun to speculate.

With such a great opportunity before her, she wasn’t about to let it slip away. She immediately said, “I guess you are Professor Ye Lixuan, aren’t you? Actually, Mr. Ye, I’ve looked for you before. I—”

Ye Lixuan’s gaze turned icy, and he interrupted her firmly, “You’ve got the wrong person. I’m not.”

Ye Tianhui was skeptical. “You’re not? Is your surname Ye?”

She stared at him. “Your daughter is 18, right? I’m also 18. I came to Hong Kong to find my biological—”

Before she could finish, Ye Lixuan interrupted her impatiently, his tone cold. “Miss, please get out of the car.”

Ye Tianhui looked at Ye Lixuan. His handsome face was filled with cold rejection and disdain, as though she had been coveting something from him.

He said he wasn’t Ye Lixuan.

Perhaps she had indeed guessed wrong.

Ye Tianhui had no choice but to push the door open and get out of the car. After getting out, she looked at Ye Lixuan and said, “Sir, I was presumptuous and mistook you earlier. I apologize. Also, thank you for giving me a ride.”  

He was in the car, and she was outside, separated by the passenger seat and the car door. He quietly looked at her.  

She had already reined in her earlier brazenness. Her expression was now cool and restrained, polite and proper.  

It was as if she had become a different person.  

Ye Lixuan gave an almost imperceptible nod. “No need, it was just along the way.”  

After saying that, he closed the automatic door in front of her, cutting off her view.  

Ye Tianhui glanced at the time—it was getting late. Clutching her bag, she hurried into the racetrack.  

Ye Lixuan drove away from the racetrack.  

He looked back through the rearview mirror.  

The racetrack was in a remote location, and after the rain, everything was quiet. She was wearing a loose, casual white shirt and simple jeans. Compared to most young people in Hong Kong, her attire was overly conservative and plain. Yet, she carried an air of clarity and straightforwardness.  

He frowned, thinking about her earlier behavior.  

At first glance, she clearly seemed as bright and beautiful as a clear sky after a storm.