Upon hearing this, Ye Changmin didn’t feel disappointed. Instead, she keenly realised that this was an opportunity Ye Chen was giving her.
At present, the Ye family had generally left Ye Chen deeply dissatisfied. Among them, the least disappointing was naturally the old man, and next, perhaps, herself.
Though she had once offended Ma Lan, compared to her eldest brother Ye Changkong and the others, she was still somewhat better off.
Moreover, aside from the old man, she was now the only one who knew about the half Rejuvenation Pill being offered as a reward. This meant she had already gained a head start.
As long as she worked hard to prove herself going forward, she could surely earn a better impression from Ye Chen.
So, barely containing her excitement, she said, “Chen’er, rest assured, from now on, your auntie will always put the Ye family’s interests first!”
Ye Chen nodded and handed the remaining half of the Rejuvenation Pill to Ye Zhongquan, saying, “Grandfather, please hold onto this half pill for safekeeping.”
Ye Zhongquan was a bit stunned.
Entrusting it to me?
Isn’t he worried I might not resist and eat this half too?
This was a Rejuvenation Pill, after all—possibly the thing he’d crave most for the rest of his life, perhaps the only thing he truly wanted.
And he’d never even eaten a whole one before.
Now, Ye Chen had split a single pill in two, giving him half and asking him to safeguard the other half. It was, frankly, a test of his willpower.
He quickly said, “Chen’er, this pill is priceless. I’m just an old codger, if I can’t protect it properly and it gets lost, stolen, or snatched, it’d be a tremendous loss. I wouldn’t know how to explain it to you. I think you should keep it yourself, what do you say?”
Ye Chen smiled and replied, “It’s fine, Grandfather. Only the few of us here know about this. As long as we don’t tell anyone, no one else will find out.”
In truth, Ye Chen’s decision to let the old man hold onto the half pill was a bit of dark humour.
It was also a way to test and temper his grandfather’s resolve.
Seeing that Ye Chen had made up his mind, Ye Zhongquan had no choice but to nod helplessly and say, “Then I’ll make sure to keep it safe.”
Ye Chen smiled and added, “Grandfather, why not eat your half now? It’ll save you any sleepless nights.”
Ye Zhongquan certainly wanted to eat it, but with the Gu family present, he felt a tad embarrassed.
Still, since Ye Chen had suggested it, he saw no reason to hold back.
After all, this thing was invaluable to him, its significance immense. One bite would yield immediate results.
As a man of advanced age, even a few years younger would feel like a world of difference.
So, he picked up his half of the pill, carefully placed it in his mouth, and closed his eyes to savour the pure medicinal power.
The Gu couple, having already experienced a full Rejuvenation Pill themselves, watched the old man take half and visibly grow younger. They weren’t surprised.
After all, compared to what had just happened to them, this was far less shocking.
But Ye Changmin, witnessing her father seemingly shed six or seven years in an instant, was utterly floored.
In that moment, she finally understood why the old man obeyed Ye Chen so unquestioningly, even handing over control of the entire Ye family. For an elderly person, the temptation was simply too great.
As for her, gazing at the half pill on the tea table, her longing and urgency peaked in that instant.
At the family dinner that followed, Ye Changmin was a hundred times more attentive than before.
