Chapter 29.1: How will you face your deceased wife in the afterlife?

Ye Wenyin saw this scene and slightly furrowed her brows.

She felt a strong sense of rejection towards Ye Tianhui, and now that Ye Tianhui was so close to Old Master Ye, it made her feel extremely anxious. Her heart was in turmoil, and she wished she could make Ye Tianhui leave immediately.

She had no choice but to seek help from Ye Lizhen, but unexpectedly, Ye Lizhen ignored her.

She then carefully observed Ye Lixuan’s expression, only to see him lowering his eyes, his expression hard to read.

For a moment, bitterness filled her heart as she thought about how ruthless they were. They had raised her all these years, but had never cared about her feelings!

The tea and snacks arrived, and Old Master Ye kindly chatted with Ye Tianhui, asking about her experiences in “Beiping^[1]An old name for Beijing.”

Ye Tianhui briefly shared, talking about her life, about the current situation in Beijing, and even mentioned the daily noodle soup.

She explained that the timing wasn’t right for her, as the meals were usually served on a ticket system, and there were many good things she had seen but never tasted. She told Old Master Ye what she could, though.

This conversation brought out a wave of nostalgia in Old Master Ye.

He sighed, saying, “Speaking of the old Beiping noodle dishes, there were so many varieties—steamed dumplings, wontons, stuffed pies, siu mai, steamed buns, and all kinds of fresh vegetables. I still remember my favorite dish was the emerald shark fin, the big purple abalone, wrapped in fresh lotus leaves with ham—ah, that flavor…”

He shook his head, sighing again, “It’s a pity that since coming to Hong Kong, I haven’t tasted that flavor anymore. The food in Hong Kong just doesn’t compare to Beiping’s.”

At this point, Ye Wenyin felt like ants on a hot pan. Hearing this, she quickly smiled and said, “Grandpa, if you like it, just have the chef make it for you. You can have whatever you want.”

Old Master Ye, however, shook his head. “You wouldn’t understand. Even if they make it the same way, Hong Kong’s pies taste like Hong Kong’s pies. It can’t compare to the authentic taste from Beiping!”

Ye Tianhui, listening to Old Master Ye, felt a little more at ease.

Her journey had not been easy, and inevitably, she had many suspicions about the Ye family, all stemming from the belief that “wealthy families are cold-hearted and unkind.” But now, seeing the elderly man, she felt that it might not be so heartless after all, which made her feel a bit more reassured.

At that moment, Old Master Ye asked, “Why did you come to Hong Kong? Was it because you couldn’t live in Beiping anymore? How did you come here?”

For Ye Tianhui, this question was exactly what she wanted to hear.

She glanced at Ye Wenyin and saw that Ye Wenyin’s expression was tense, clearly restless.

She smiled and said, “Grandpa Ye, as for how I ended up in Hong Kong, that’s quite a long story. It would probably take a while to explain.”

Old Master Ye responded, “It’s fine, we’re not in a rush. I enjoy listening to you speak. Go ahead, I’m all ears.”

When it came to storytelling, Ye Tianhui had some experience.

She had been on the battlefield for years, and when she occasionally returned to the capital for an audience with the emperor, those days were crucial. Military matters, supplies, and strategies all needed to be settled during that short period. How to talk to the emperor during such times was an important skill.

As a general holding military power, one had to first express loyalty, then secure more military supplies, and finally, try to obtain more autonomy. The first part was a means, and the latter two were the goals. To achieve the latter, one had to first present the former.

In short… she was quite experienced.

Now, facing Old Master Ye, who was older, she naturally decided to share her hardships.

She began telling him about her experiences in the mainland, how she came to Hong Kong, the difficulties she faced, and how much hardship she endured after arriving. She didn’t exaggerate, just recounting her experiences, how she narrowly escaped death, how she endured hunger, and everything else.

After she finished, the room fell silent. The guests in the VIP lounge were still, and even the maidservants quietly wiped away their tears.

She glanced around. Ye Lizhen’s expression remained unchanged, and Ye Lixuan—her biological father—lowered his eyes, showing no change in emotion.

Could he not at least show some reaction?

Cold-blooded and heartless father!

But fortunately, the elderly Old Master Ye’s eyes were filled with deep emotion and sympathy, and that was enough for her.

For a moment, they heard Old Master Ye say, “Child, you’ve really suffered! It wasn’t easy for you to come all the way here!”

Ye Tianhui replied, “Actually, I could barely survive in Beijing, I wasn’t in danger of starving. But I came to Hong Kong after much hardship to search for my lost family members.”

Lost family?

As soon as this was said, Ye Lizhen’s expression subtly changed.

Ye Wenyin, however, turned pale.

She wanted to stop her, but now Ye Tianhui had walked up to Old Master Ye, how could she stop her?

Her heart twisted in pain.

Ye Tianhui naturally noticed their expressions, and for a moment, she was puzzled.

She could understand why Ye Wenyin was so nervous, but what was going on with Ye Lizhen?

Had the brothers fallen out? Was Ye Lizhen hiding something from Ye Lixuan?

Old Master Ye asked, “Who are your relatives in Hong Kong? You can tell me, perhaps I can help you find them.”

Ye Tianhui observed their faces, which were not particularly pleasant, before beginning to tell her story.

She didn’t go into detail about names but explained that her father had been a young master from a wealthy family, while her mother had stayed behind on the mainland and gave birth to her. However, the family’s maid had schemed and swapped her with the maid’s own daughter, leaving her behind in the mainland while bringing the maid’s daughter to Hong Kong to live in comfort.

As she spoke, Ye Wenyin’s face turned as white as paper, and her hands trembled uncontrollably beneath her sleeves.

Clearly, she was on the verge of breaking down.

Old Master Ye, on the other hand, furrowed his brows deeply. “This is outrageous! I can’t believe such malicious people exist!”

Meanwhile, Ye Lixuan’s expression suddenly became serious, and he stared at Ye Tianhui with suspicion.

Ye Tianhui noticed this and raised an eyebrow, giving him a smile.

Caught off guard, Ye Lixuan froze, gazing dazedly at Ye Tianhui.

Ye Tianhui then looked away, continuing to speak to Old Master Ye. “I don’t ask for anything else, I just want to find my biological father, reunite with my family, and from now on, take good care of him, fulfilling a lifelong wish.”

Old Master Ye asked, “What is the name of your relative? Tell me, I’ll have someone help you look into it.”

Ye Tianhui smiled at Old Master Ye. “According to my adoptive mother’s diary, my biological father’s name is—”

Before she could finish, a staff member from the racetrack hurried in: “The results are in.”

Manager Hu immediately asked, “What’s the situation?”

The medical staff handed over the test report to Manager Hu.

He quickly read through it, and a look of joy uncontrollably spread across his face.

However, in front of the Ye family, he managed to suppress his excitement and kept a neutral expression as he handed the report to Old Master Ye.

He respectfully said, “Ye Zong, take a look. The report shows positive results.”

Positive?

Old Master Ye took the report and glanced at it but didn’t quite understand. “What does this mean?”

Manager Hu spoke with a voice that was calm but somewhat deliberate. “According to the report, the mare is indeed pregnant, but the exact time of pregnancy still needs to be determined.”

He further explained, “We’ve extracted the mare’s blood serum and performed a rapid test to check for gonadotropin hormone levels. The initial test shows a positive result, but we still need further testing to determine the exact time of pregnancy, based on these values.”

While explaining, he was already ecstatic inside.

The mare had arrived at their facility about a week ago. If the mating had only happened recently, the test report should not have shown a positive result. Given the short time, the hormone data wouldn’t have been high enough to show positivity!

If this is the case, then it means that the Black Rose was already bred while in England!

This would mean that their racetrack had suffered an undeserved disaster, and they had been wronged.

This matter clearly should be taken up with the British!

Upon hearing this, Ye Lizhen immediately frowned and said, “Pregnant? How could that be? This is a racehorse from an English racetrack. They have strict and scientific management of their racehorses, there’s no way something like this would happen!”

Old Master Ye sneered and directly threw the report at Ye Lizhen. “Take a look yourself. If you still don’t believe it, you can go ahead and have your own blood drawn and checked!”

Ye Lizhen quickly grabbed the report and studied it carefully. Although he didn’t fully understand, the positive result was clear before his eyes.

This—

He sucked in a sharp breath.

If this horse was really pregnant, and it had only arrived at the racetrack a little over a week ago, that would mean the horse was already pregnant before arriving at their racetrack!

In other words, the British racetrack sold them a mare that had already been bred!

Ye Lizhen’s face instantly turned extremely grim.

In fact, racehorses can be bred, but this is usually done after the racing season ends to allow the mare to give birth during the off-season. However, the timing must be precise to avoid interfering with the next racing season.

Additionally, the stallion used for breeding must also be carefully selected to ensure the best offspring.

Now, not only did they not know which stallion was used, but the problem was that the racing season was about to begin. How could they possibly compete with a mare that was pregnant, after spending a fortune at the auction for Black Rose?

Wouldn’t the Ye family be setting themselves up for embarrassment?

Old Master Ye looked at his eldest son, whose face was as stormy as a thundercloud. “What does the contract with the British say? If this horse is pregnant, will the upcoming races be affected? If so, what are we going to do about it?”

Ye Lizhen stammered, “This—”

This horse had been auctioned by him, the contract was signed by him, and he was the one who finalized everything. If it was a disease or any other defect, there would be no issue, since the contracts covered those scenarios.

But pregnancy—

That wasn’t considered a disease. If it wasn’t a disease, the British racetrack wouldn’t offer any compensation.

Old Master Ye’s fingers lightly tapped on the back of the leather sofa, and he said with a faint tone, “You didn’t think of this, did you?”

Old Master Ye’s words hit like a hammer, leaving Ye Lizhen feeling embarrassed and frustrated.

Outwardly, he was the prestigious general manager of the Ye family, but now, in front of so many people, he was being chastised like this.

He could only say, “We need to consult with a lawyer and see how we can negotiate with the British racetrack.”

He glanced at Ye Tianhui and added, “Besides, this result may not even be accurate. Is it possible that this could be a false positive?”

Manager Hu chimed in, “To confirm the result, we can check the specific PMSG values in a few minutes. Once we get those results, we’ll be able to accurately calculate the time of pregnancy.”

Old Master Ye sighed, “Pregnant is pregnant. Don’t get your hopes up about a false positive. You should go ahead and discuss this with the British.”

Old Master Ye then turned to Manager Hu, “Are there any regulations regarding pregnant mares participating in races?”

Manager Hu hesitated for a moment before responding, “According to the rules, mares are allowed to race if they are within four months of pregnancy.”

Ye Wenyin, who had been listening nearby, hurriedly added, “Grandfather, in fact, there are countless examples of pregnant mares winning races, from lower-tier competitions to the highest-tier Grade 1 races. Famous examples like Kitten’s Queen and Chinese White are great success stories. Some even say that pregnancy can enhance a mare’s performance in competitions.”

This was Ye Tianhui’s big moment, so she naturally wanted to regain some face, and she hurriedly added her thoughts.

Old Master Ye nodded, “No matter what, since Black Rose is already pregnant, we’ll focus on taking good care of her health. If she can compete in this year’s season, that would be great. If not, there’s no need to force it. Please take good care of her and report any developments.”

Manager Hu quickly responded, “Miss Ye is absolutely right. Also, the average pregnancy duration for mares is eleven months. This means Black Rose has about nine months before giving birth. So even if she misses this season, she’ll still have time to compete next year.”

Old Master Ye listened and, of course, had no objections. He then instructed Ye Lizhen, “You’re in charge of negotiating with the British side.”

Ye Lizhen quickly nodded in agreement.

Old Master Ye stood up, intending to go check on Black Rose.

As soon as he stood, the Ye family members naturally followed suit. Ye Wenyin quickly stepped forward, intentionally or unintentionally blocking Ye Tianhui in front of her, effectively standing in her way so that she was positioned directly next to Old Master Ye.

As for Ye Tianhui, she couldn’t be bothered to argue. She was pushed aside, but it didn’t matter since she had already made her mark with Old Master Ye. These underhanded tactics wouldn’t stop her from recognizing her heritage.