The next day, Yue Mingyuan accompanied Ye Zhiqiu to visit her mother Ye Yunshuang’s grave at the public cemetery.
“Mom, this is my beloved Mingyuan,” Ye Zhiqiu said, turning her head to look at Yue Mingyuan with deep affection in her eyes.
Yue Mingyuan stepped forward, his voice firm and clear. “Mom, I promise to take good care of Zhiqiu, to love and cherish her, and to walk hand in hand with her through life.”
Ye Zhiqiu then updated Ye Yunshuang on the progress of the case against Shen Daqiang and Wang Fengqin. From an acquaintance, Yue Mingli had learned that the trial for Shen Daqiang and Wang Fengqin had been scheduled. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the verdict would be delivered by the end of the month.
“Mom, when Ya Ya is a little older, I’ll bring her to see you.”
Ye Zhiqiu crouched before the tombstone, wiping away the dust with a cloth. “If you were still here, you would absolutely adore Ya Ya.”
“Second Uncle says she looks exactly like you did as a child. Ya Ya is exceptionally well-behaved and sensible. Sometimes, I even wonder if… if it’s you, come back to me.”
“Mom, I miss you so much. I’m sorry it took me this long to clear your name.”
This would forever be a scar on her heart. Every time she thought of it, she wanted to slap herself hard.
“Zhiqiu, Mom wouldn’t blame you.”
Yue Mingyuan knew how deeply Ye Zhiqiu blamed herself. He pulled her into his embrace as she wept, her sobs shaking her shoulders. To wish to care for a parent who is no longer there—it truly is one of the cruelest things in the world.
After leaving the crematorium, Yue Mingyuan and Ye Zhiqiu went to visit Dong Hesong. It wasn’t until she saw Dong Hesong that Ye Zhiqiu’s mood began to lift slightly.
Dong Hesong immediately noticed Ye Zhiqiu had been crying. He glared at Yue Mingyuan. “Zhiqiu, what happened?”
“Grandpa, I just went to pay my respects to my mom,” Ye Zhiqiu explained, knowing he had misunderstood and speaking up for Yue Mingyuan. “It has nothing to do with Mingyuan.”
“Mingyuan, don’t think that just because I’m old now, I can’t teach you a lesson if you dare bully Zhiqiu!” Dong Hesong warned Yue Mingyuan. “Zhiqiu is not without family support. Even though we share no blood, since I’ve acknowledged her as my own, she is my granddaughter in every way that matters.”
“Grandpa, if that day ever comes, you have my full permission to beat me. If I so much as flinch, may I be st—”
Before Yue Mingyuan could finish his oath, Ye Zhiqiu quickly reached out and covered his mouth, her beautiful eyes flashing with reproach.
Yue Mingyuan’s eyes, however, held a smile. He pursed his lips and planted a kiss on her palm. Ye Zhiqiu hastily withdrew her hand, her face burning with shyness.
Noticing the young couple’s intimate gesture, Dong Hesong gave a light cough. “Oaths are like passing wind—just a puff of air. What matters is a person’s actions, and not just for a day or two, but for a whole lifetime.”
“Go on, I’m hungry.”
Dong Hesong deliberately sent Yue Mingyuan away and called Ye Zhiqiu to his side. “Zhiqiu, don’t think your grandpa is being hard on that Yue boy. I’ve seen too many women come to regret things later.”
“General Yue and his wife are reasonable people, and from his looks, Mingyuan seems like an upright and responsible young man. But people change. Being good now doesn’t guarantee he’ll be good later.”
“Those who give no thought to the future will find trouble at their doorstep. One must prepare for the worst, especially in marriage. What you hold in your hand is real; all those feelings and love can be fleeting illusions.”
“Is his salary in your hands?”
Ye Zhiqiu nodded. “Yes, Grandpa. As soon as he gets paid each month, he gives it all to me. I also hold the household savings passbook. And the siheyuan courtyard house his grandmother left him has been transferred to my name.”
Dong Hesong stroked his beard, satisfied. “That’s more like it.”
“And if you spend the money, do you need to inform him? Does he say anything?” Dong Hesong pressed further.
“For large expenses, I’ll discuss it with him. We’re husband and wife; it’s only right we know about household matters. He never criticizes my spending. Just yesterday, he took me shopping for clothes and bought me a gold necklace and a pair of gold ear studs.”
Ye Zhiqiu, wearing the new jewelry for the visit, showed it to Dong Hesong.
Only then did Dong Hesong’s worries ease. At his age, he didn’t have many years left. Only two things weighed on his mind: the passing down of his medical knowledge, and the well-being of Zhiqiu and Xiao Mei.
He didn’t care if others found him meddlesome or annoying. His only wish was for these two ‘children’ to be happy and free from hardship.
Li Shuying had previously given Ye Zhiqiu similar advice. Ye Zhiqiu understood right from wrong and knew her family members had her best interests at heart, fearing she might be taken advantage of.
Before she and Yue Mingyuan had truly connected, especially when she learned he had a girl he liked, she was naturally reluctant to accept his possessions.
But now that everything was out in the open between them, she wouldn’t pretend otherwise with him.
She knew that financial stability was one of the foundations of a happy marriage. Moreover, since Yue Mingyuan offered it willingly, refusing would have been foolish.
“Grandpa, Ya Ya asked me to return these medical books to you. Could you perhaps give her a few new ones?”
Ye Zhiqiu took the medical books Dong Hesong had previously given her out of her bag and placed them before him.
Dong Hesong was astonished. “You’re sure Ya Ya asked you to return them? Has she memorized them all?”
“I can’t be certain if she’s memorized them, but these past few days, both I and Jiusi have been reading them to her every day. Ya Ya listens very attentively each time.”
If this were any other child, it would indeed defy logic. But with Ya Ya, it was entirely possible she really had remembered them all.
“Wait a moment.”
Dong Hesong stood up, went to his bookshelf, and selected several more medical texts compiled by their own school. He handed them to Ye Zhiqiu. “Continue reading these to her when you get back.”
“Alright.”
Back at the compound, Yue Mingyuan met up with Tan Jianping.
“Brother Tan, I have to return to my unit tonight. This person will contact you then,” Yue Mingyuan said, giving Tan Jianping a contact method.
Tan Jianping, on his end, had already completed his investigation.
“It seems someone is secretly helping us. My people’s inquiries went remarkably smoothly.”
Tan Jianping handed a file folder to Yue Mingyuan. “That day, Chen Can went to Baihua Hutong to meet a woman named Huang Jing. They met dancing at a ballroom not long after Chen Can got married.”
“This Chen Can is quite the philanderer, isn’t he? Keeping a wife at home while sowing his wild oats outside.”
The moment Yue Mingyuan saw Huang Jing’s photo, his expression darkened. There was a faint resemblance—about thirty percent—in the features between Huang Jing and Ye Zhiqiu.
“Brother Tan, I recall your second sister works in the same department as Xu Wan, General Xu’s granddaughter.”
Yue Mingyuan placed the file folder on the table and tapped it twice. “Could you trouble her to discreetly pass this information to Xu Wan?”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. However, I think informing Xu Wan might not be very effective. It would be better if General Xu and Xu Xun found out.”
Tan Jianping offered, “Mingyuan, let me handle this matter.”
“Thank you, Brother Tan.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Meanwhile, Wu Qingyun had given Ye Zhiqiu a reply: the higher-ups did not approve of her working as a model.
Ye Zhiqiu immediately called Huang Yun to apologize.
“Xiao Ye, it’s quite alright. The issue is already resolved on my end. A colleague found several suitable candidates at our factory.”
“Oh, and one of the girls bears a bit of a resemblance to you.”
