Chapter 39.2: This is a betrothal gift for my future wife

After coming down the mountain, Ye Tianhui told the driver to stop at a random spot. This area was lively, with streets, public buses, and payphones—she had no need for a driver to follow her around.

Once the driver left, she instantly felt free.

Though the scenery of these wealthy households was indeed beautiful, and the fine food left a lingering taste, it was uncomfortable to be watched wherever she went.

Thinking back to her previous life, she actually had many choices in life. She could have chosen to be a noble lady from a prestigious family, found a good match and married, or even married into royalty.

Out of so many paths, she chose the one that the world saw as the hardest—perhaps that was just her nature, she couldn’t stand those constraints.

She took out a letter she had prepared and mailed it first. It was going to the mainland, addressed to that Feng Suqin. She also sent five hundred Hong Kong dollars to Feng Suqin.

Five hundred Hong Kong dollars—at this time, that should be a considerable sum for Feng Suqin, enough to tempt her and make her eagerly come to Hong Kong.

After mailing it, she put her hands in her pockets and leisurely strolled down the street, thinking about her next plan.

As she walked, she saw a payphone on the roadside.

A thought suddenly rose in her mind.

She still held a sliver of hope for Gu Shizhang, wondering if she should give him another call.

But then again, maybe she shouldn’t bother with him. He didn’t call her after returning to the country either. There was also that woman in his house—maybe a maid, maybe a relative, but possibly even a girlfriend or wife.

Ye Tianhui felt very conflicted.

She thought feeling conflicted over such things was shameful—it made her look down on herself—but she couldn’t control it.

She always thought she was indifferent to romantic matters.

For example, in her previous life, even during her seemingly dull military career, there had been a man she had developed some feelings for.

He was from an aristocratic family, outstanding in appearance, bright and upright—a naturally good-looking man. At the time, she liked him very much, even nearly promised to spend her life with him.

But unfortunately, in the end, that man let her down. Without explanation, he suddenly got engaged to another girl.

She didn’t understand, but quickly let it go. The two of them weren’t suitable anyway—it was just a moment of infatuation with his looks. Now that he had withdrawn, she could also let it go.

She sincerely wished him a harmonious marriage and a lifetime of companionship, even gave a generous wedding gift. Later, when his family faced misfortune, she lent a helping hand and saved him from prison. His wife had even come to her home to kneel and express her gratitude.

Looking back, she considered it a kind of life experience.

That was why she believed she could handle Gu Shizhang well. After all, it was just her own feelings—there was never anything real between them.

But now, she found herself thinking about it again and again.

After a moment of silence, she laughed at herself. “What’s the big deal? Just call him again. If I have doubts, I’ll ask him directly. If he’s already married or has a girlfriend, then it’s he who led me on by being inappropriate—not my fault. We’ll just part ways cleanly and never see each other again.”

Once she had made up her mind, she resolutely dialed Gu Shizhang’s number.

The phone rang quickly—once, twice, three, four times.

Ye Tianhui found the ringtone unbearably dull and grating. It rang several times before the line was automatically disconnected—no one picked up.

She froze for a moment, then took a deep breath. “Forget it, forget it. Why should I embarrass myself? I shouldn’t have assumed anything. He was just being kind, feeling sorry for me. Why did I think he saw me differently? He went abroad and probably forgot about me completely, yet I’m still clinging to memories!”

“And that nonsense about hearing the sound of rain in my voice—pfft, just flowery words from a man!”

She shook it off and got on a bus. She wanted to find Jiang Lingfeng. She had brought so many snacks and wanted to share them with him.

But when she finally arrived at the storefront where his family business had been, the signboard had already changed hands. When she asked around, a few hooligan-looking men gave her amused looks. One even chuckled, “Hey girl, want half a red snapper?”

She gave the man a cold glance and walked away.

It seemed that Jiang Lingfeng’s old shop was gone. In Hong Kong’s underworld, power shifted constantly—it was normal for one family to be prosperous today and another tomorrow. Still, she didn’t know what Jiang Lingfeng was doing for work now.

After some thought, her worry got the better of her. Afraid something might have happened to Jiang Lingfeng, she took the bus straight to the squatter houses on Kowloon Hill.

It hadn’t been that long, but many new squatter houses had sprung up—cramped and crowded. The narrow streets were lined with bun sellers, barbers, and vendors hawking daily necessities. Brightly colored clothes hung outside the homes, and pots and pans were piled up everywhere—it was full of the gritty signs of daily life. The life of the poor.

Perhaps because she had been living in the Ye family villa for the past few days, the squatter area now seemed especially cramped and oppressive to her.

After asking around, she finally found Jiang Lingfeng’s grandmother. The old woman was overjoyed to see Ye Tianhui and warmly pulled her inside.

The room was cramped but tidy, clearly showing that the old woman was a capable person. Sitting quietly in the corner was Jiang Lingfeng’s younger sister, Xiao Yu, who was a bit shy and flipping through a book.

Ye Tianhui took out the snacks she brought and gave them to the girl. The girl was embarrassed, her eyes bright with expectation as she looked at her grandmother.

Grandmother said, “Your Ye Jie brought them. Go ahead and try some.”

The little girl finally whispered a “thank you” and accepted the snacks.

Grandmother then sent the girl outside to play and poured a glass of water for Ye Tianhui as she sat down to chat.

She was clearly worried about Jiang Lingfeng. “He’s out all day and never home. I ask him and he won’t say. Just says he’s busy outside. Sometimes he comes home and falls right asleep—must be exhausted!”

Ye Tianhui listened and made a few sympathetic comments.

The grandmother continued, “Tianhui, our Lingfeng is a quiet boy. He doesn’t have many friends. Now that he finally has a friend like you, if there’s anything wrong with him, please be patient.”

Ye Tianhui quickly replied, “Lingfeng is a good person. He’s helped me a lot.”

The old woman smiled. “He’s a good child.”

She then started talking about how hard life had been for Jiang Lingfeng. How he was always looking for odd jobs and saving every penny to put his sister through school. How he had lost his parents at a young age.

Ye Tianhui patiently listened, imagining what Jiang Lingfeng must’ve been like as a child.

The Jiang Lingfeng she knew was a cool and aloof teenager—it was hard to picture him as once being vulnerable, or bullied.

After chatting for a while, someone called out from outside—someone had come to collect goods. His grandmother did small handwork at home to earn pocket money.

Seeing this, Ye Tianhui got up to leave.

But just as she stepped outside the squatter house, she saw someone hurrying toward her—it was Jiang Lingfeng.

As soon as she saw him, she broke into a smile and waved. “Jiang Lingfeng!”

Jiang Lingfeng looked up, saw her, and froze for a second—then smiled back.

Just then, a bus stopped nearby and the door opened. A crowd of people poured off, while others jostled to get on. The rush of the crowd quickly separated the two of them.

The throng of people cut off Ye Tianhui’s view. Across the narrow street, all she could see was a faded signboard and the dilapidated buildings nestled into the hillside in the distance.

She quickly called out, “Jiang Lingfeng!”

But the crowd surged forward again, and she couldn’t see him anymore.

Just as she was feeling helpless, a cheerful voice called out beside her, “Ye Tianhui, I’m right here.”

She turned and saw Jiang Lingfeng. He was wearing a slightly ill-fitting, cheap suit, his hair slicked back with gel, smiling at her.

Ye Tianhui: “Aiya, what are you doing here?!”

Just then, a two-story bus arrived at the stop and another wave of passengers got off. She quickly grabbed his arm and ran to the side. It wasn’t until they reached an old shop nearby that she finally stopped.

Jiang Lingfeng: “Why are you here?”

Ye Tianhui also smiled and asked, “What about you? Why are you in a suit? What are you up to?”

She couldn’t help but think—did he become the head of some gang? A big boss?

Jiang Lingfeng was also very happy. He looked at her, his eyes brimming with excitement. “My original gang branch disbanded. After that, I thought I’d look for another job. Who would’ve thought I’d get lucky and meet a fellow townsman. He works at Mt. Wutai. He saw I was young and had some martial arts skills, so he introduced me to a job as a stunt double. The pay’s quite good, and most importantly, it’s a proper job.”

Ye Tianhui: “Mt. Wutai? Where would Hong Kong have a Mt. Wutai?”

Jiang Lingfeng explained, “It’s actually the TV station on Broadcast Drive in Hong Kong. There are five stations clustered there, so they call it Mt. Wutai^[1]Wu – five Tai – broadcast station. Mt Wutai is one of the 4 sacred mountains and home of the Bodhimanda of Manjushri..”

Ye Tianhui suddenly understood: “Got it!”

Jiang Lingfeng: “They said if I perform well, I might even get a chance to appear on screen. That would mean more money.”

Ye Tianhui thought it sounded pretty good too. “Work hard. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll become a movie star. I heard there’s a Chinese star called Bruce Lee, he’s a global martial arts icon.”

She had actually considered this path before, but ultimately found it meaningless. She didn’t want to be constantly in the spotlight.

Jiang Lingfeng: “I’m not aiming that high. That’s too far-fetched. I just want to earn some money to support my family.”

Ye Tianhui nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, yes, exactly!”

Jiang Lingfeng: “So what are you doing here?”

Ye Tianhui: “I just went to your house. Saw your grandma and your sister. Your sister’s a sweet kid, just from the way she talks!”

She smiled and added, “I heard your sister’s school enrollment is already sorted. She’ll be starting soon. Congrats!”

Jiang Lingfeng: “That’s good to hear.”

He looked at her. “Did you come to find me? Why’d you suddenly come looking for me?”

Ye Tianhui: “I happened to have time today, so I came to check in on you. I don’t have many friends in Hong Kong anyway.”

Jiang Lingfeng smiled—a faint one—but it made him look really good.

He smiled and asked, “What do you plan to do now?”

Ye Tianhui: “Just wandering around, no plans really, just catching some breeze.”

Jiang Lingfeng: “Have you eaten?”

Ye Tianhui: “Had breakfast. I’m not really hungry right now.”

Jiang Lingfeng lowered his head slightly, thought for a moment, then said seriously, “Then let me treat you to something delicious, and then take you to Victoria Harbour? I’ve heard the scenery there is beautiful.”

Ye Tianhui smiled. “Sounds good!”

………

The Gu family entered the Ye residence in grand fashion and both families sat down with their respective elders at the head. Old Master Gu and Old Master Ye were clearly in good spirits, chatting away. Old Master Gu brought up the newly acknowledged granddaughter of the Ye family. Old Master Ye said helplessly, “I heard she went out early. I told her to stay home, but maybe it was too late. This child really has no sense of decorum.”

Old Master Gu chuckled. “Kids will be kids. Everyone has their own stuff going on. We can’t always expect young people to accommodate us. Besides, we came without warning today—it’s us who were being presumptuous.”

Old Master Ye quickly said not at all, then brought up Ye Tianhui again. “The child just joined the family, so there’s a lot to learn. She’s even taking driving lessons, so she’s busy too.”

The two old men laughed heartily as they chatted, but Gu Zhixin felt nothing but frustration. He hadn’t expected Ye Tianhui to not be there!

He was planning to explain things to her, to clear things up—at least make some progress. Who would’ve thought she wouldn’t even be around?

Why wasn’t she here? Was she avoiding him on purpose? Was she angry?

That little mainland girl—wasn’t her temper a bit too much?

Gu Zhixin grew somewhat impatient. He felt like he couldn’t possibly marry someone with such a difficult personality, nor should he be so emotionally affected by her. But then again, thinking of all her qualities, he felt unwilling to let go. She was so wonderful—maybe he could try tolerating her a little longer?

Fortunately, at that moment, the two elderly men wanted to go admire some calligraphy. They liked peace and quiet, and naturally didn’t want the younger generation tagging along, so everyone dispersed. A few of the second generation sat nearby drinking tea and chatting, while the younger ones said they were going to play tennis.

Next to them, Ye Wenyin looked at Gu Zhixin. “Zhixin, are you going?”

Gu Zhixin didn’t really feel like it, but he figured some fresh air wouldn’t hurt, so he got up as well.

The Ye family garden had a swimming pool and a tennis court—everything was well-equipped. Second Madam had the maids prepare various snacks and refreshments for the younger ones to enjoy.

At the moment, fallen leaves danced through the garden, the food was delicious, and the air was filled with laughter from the brightly dressed young people playing tennis—it was a lively scene.

Meanwhile, on the terrace by the study, Ye Lixuan brought over a cup of freshly brewed coffee for Gu Shizhang. “Try this, tell me what you think.”

Gu Shizhang thanked him, took the cup gracefully, and sipped it. “Smooth and refined, excellent oils, with a subtle fruity aroma.”

Ye Lixuan smiled. “It’s coffee from Panama, grown at an altitude of 1700 to 1800 meters. Extraordinary, isn’t it? Looks like this plantation has great potential.”

Ye Lixuan was thirty-eight this year, and Gu Shizhang was twenty-five. Although they were thirteen years apart, they were technically the same generation. Besides, Gu Shizhang had been mature beyond his years since he was three or four—like a little adult—so the two had always gotten along well.

Both of them were passionate about coffee and pursued it to the extreme. They had even bought a farm in Panama together. The property had originally been a ranch, but in recent years had started growing coffee. Now they were planning to implement refined management of the coffee trees and bring in high-precision coffee machinery, aiming to professionalize the plantation.

Of course, both of them were only casually involved; the actual coffee cultivation was left to the professionals.

Since they rarely had the chance to sit down together, they started discussing future plans. Naturally, they hoped to participate in coffee competitions to gain some recognition—maybe even turn this batch of coffee into something exceptional.

As they sipped their coffee and chatted leisurely—

Suddenly, Gu Shizhang looked up at Ye Lixuan. “Lixuan, did you really call me over just to talk about coffee?”

Ye Lixuan, caught off guard, didn’t bother hiding it. “I do have a small favor to ask.”

Gu Shizhang raised a brow. “Oh?”

Ye Lixuan said, “You keep a few horses at the Happy Valley Racecourse, don’t you?”

Gu Shizhang looked at him inquisitively. “I don’t recall you being interested in horses.”

Ye Lixuan replied, “Well, I’ve recently developed an interest.”

Gu Shizhang raised an eyebrow. “So?”

Ye Lixuan said, “There’s one I’ve taken a liking to. I was hoping you’d be willing to part with it.”

Gu Shizhang asked, “Which one?”

Ye Lixuan answered, “A horse named Teng Yunwu.”

Gu Shizhang chuckled. “You’ve got good taste, going straight for that one.”

He stood up and looked out the window through the rich aroma of coffee.

Outside, the autumn wind rustled. The younger members of the Gu and Ye families were playing an intense game of tennis, and a few had gone over to the pool.

He said calmly, “That horse—I’m afraid I can’t let it go.”

Ye Lixuan said, “Oh?”

Gu Shizhang turned to look at him and explained slowly, “That horse is very important to me.”

Ye Lixuan raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

Gu Shizhang added, “It’s the betrothal gift I’ve prepared for my future wife.”

Ye Lixuan was surprised. “Future wife? You’re dating someone? Engaged?”

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t ask about such private matters, but this was too unexpected—Gu Shizhang had a girlfriend?

Gu Shizhang smiled. “I’m not engaged, nor am I dating anyone. But that doesn’t mean I never will. I’m bound to have a wife someday.”

Then he said, “I believe my wife will love that horse. It’s the betrothal gift I’ve prepared for her.”

Ye Lixuan: “……”

He was silent for a moment before asking, “And how can you be sure she’ll like it?”

Gu Shizhang replied, “Because I won’t marry anyone who doesn’t.”

Ye Lixuan was left speechless.

Gu Shizhang said, “Let me guess. You didn’t want it for yourself, did you? It’s for someone else, isn’t it?”

Ye Lixuan’s expression turned a bit gloomy. “Yeah.”

Gu Shizhang asked, “Oh? Who’s gotten you so invested?”

Ye Lixuan shot him a glance and said coolly, “No one important. Since the horse means so much to you, forget it.”

Gu Shizhang said, “Lixuan, I do have a few other fine horses. You can take a look.”

But Ye Lixuan only looked at him for a long moment.

Then, without much expression, he said, “We’ll talk later.”

Author’s Note:

Father Ye must realize, protect against fire, guard against theft, guard against close friends.