“That’d be fantastic!” Ye Zhongquan beamed.
He genuinely adored Gu Qiuyi. He’d watched her grow up, and during the years when Ye Chen’s whereabouts were unknown, even he had sometimes given up the search. But Gu Qiuyi never did. For a young girl to show such loyalty and devotion to his grandson warmed his heart as a grandfather and left him quietly grateful.
More than that, when the Ten Thousand Dragons Hall stormed Ye Ling Mountain, the Gu family knew full well the Ye family stood no chance, yet they stood firm alongside them that night. That kind of loyalty was worth its weight in gold.
The old man knew he couldn’t call the shots for Ye Chen, or he’d have long insisted Ye Chen marry Gu Qiuyi on the spot.
Since Ye Chen had given the Gu couple two Rejuvenation Pills, they’d been too sheepish to bring up the engagement in front of the old man, which eased the pressure on Ye Chen considerably, leaving him far more relaxed.
Just then, Aunt Ye Changmin returned with a tea set and leaves, personally brewing a pot of top-grade Jinjunmei for everyone.
As they sipped tea and chatted, the conversation steered clear of the engagement topic.
Beyond the matter of the engagement, the old man was also concerned about the Qing Breakers.
So, he asked Ye Chen for an update on their progress.
Ye Chen gave a brief rundown, then, thinking of Tang Sihai, asked, “Grandpa, any news of Steward Tang lately?”
“Nothing at all,” Ye Zhongquan sighed. “It’s like Sihai vanished into thin air after that. I’ve tried all sorts of ways to track him down, but there’s been no trace.”
Ye Chen felt a pang of regret and mused, “I wonder what hidden troubles Tang had that made him leave without a word. But I’m certain he bears no ill will towards me or the Ye family.”
Gu Yanzhong, puzzled, asked, “Why would Sihai leave? Logically, with Chen’er needing help now more than ever, he’s been with the Ye family for years, knows the ins and outs, and has managed the family’s businesses flawlessly. Honestly, I’ve always admired his ability and character. If he’d stayed as Chen’er’s right-hand man, he’d have been a huge asset. There’s no reason for him to up and vanish without a peep, and so thoroughly at that.”
Ye Chen nodded, pondering, “I’ve always felt that, though Tang’s been with the Ye family all these years, diligent as ever, he wasn’t directly serving the Ye family itself.”
Curious, Gu Yanzhong pressed, “Chen’er, you’ve got something in mind, don’t you?”
Ye Chen explained, “That photo album of my father’s showed up out of nowhere, and it must’ve been Tang’s doing, wanting me to spot something in it. Then he disappeared right after. If he were serving the Ye family, there’d be no need to vanish. If he was serving my father, I doubt my father could’ve planned 20 years ahead. Someone else must’ve given him that order.”
Gu Yanzhong, still confused, asked, “If Tang had another master all along and kept it hidden for years, why not keep hiding? Vanishing without a word is as good as exposing himself, isn’t it?”
Ye Chen sighed.
Some things he couldn’t explain too deeply to Gu Yanzhong.
For instance, Gu Yanzhong didn’t know about his ability to use psychological suggestion, effortlessly altering someone’s mind or reshaping their self-perception.
Tang Sihai must’ve left abruptly after the album surfaced because he feared Ye Chen could use that power to pry out his secrets. Knowing he couldn’t resist such influence, he’d chosen to disappear completely to avoid the risk.
Ye Zhongquan spoke up then, asking Ye Chen, “Chen’er, should we arrange a global search for Tang’s whereabouts? With your AI model at Hongqiao now, combining the two, finding him shouldn’t be too hard.”
Ye Chen waved it off, “No need. I know Tang wouldn’t mean me any harm. If he’s got secrets he thinks I shouldn’t know, I don’t see the point in digging them up.”
