Chapter 31
Although the Ye family is now basically in Ye Yan's hands, Ye Hongchang has been in charge of the Ye family for many years and still wields considerable influence.
The younger generation all treated him with great respect and dared not be disrespectful in his presence.
No descendant had ever spoken to him as boldly and jokingly as Qin Su.
Ye Hongchang was surprised for a moment, then suddenly felt a surge of emotion.
He looked at Ye Yan, then at Qin Su, and smiled, "I'm relieved that you two have a good relationship."
As people grow old, the ambition and desire for fame and fortune that they had in their youth have long since disappeared.
He only hoped for a happy family, a reunion of the whole family, and that his children and grandchildren would be filial and happy.
"You two shouldn't go back tonight, stay here for the night." Ye Hongchang said kindly, "Ye Yan's room has always been cleaned, just tidy it up a bit."
Ye Yan did not refuse, so Qin Su readily agreed.
Shortly after the meal, the rest of the Ye family took their leave.
Ye Yuanqing passed by Qin Su with a face full of indignation.
He tried to steal a chicken today but ended up losing the rice instead. He didn't even anger Qin Su; instead, he got a lecture from her, and he felt incredibly frustrated.
He was thinking that he wouldn't lose face, so he prepared to say a few harsh words, but before he could open his mouth, Qin Su smiled at him first.
"Yuanqing."
She deliberately used a senior's tone, drawing out her words, "For the sake of our family, today's instruction will be free."
"But you should be more careful. Don't always think that I'll teach you for free. If you do that again, you'll have to pay next time."
who?
Who was paying attention in class?
Ye Yuanqing almost choked on his breath, jumping two meters high: "What did you say?"
"Tsk." Qin Su glanced at him sideways. "Are you getting impatient?"
The phrase "You're getting impatient" seems to possess a special magic; when you utter it, even if the other person isn't actually impatient, they will feel a sense of urgency and anger.
Ye Yuanqing's face immediately darkened, and he retorted loudly, "Who's in a hurry? I'm not in a hurry!"
"Okay, okay, you're not in a hurry." Qin Su's perfunctory attitude only added fuel to the fire. "I know everything, you're such a humble and easygoing young man."
Qin Su held out her hand in front of him, then closed her fingers and opened them again: "Have a bigger vision, a bigger vision."
Ye Yuanqing: "..."
He was so enraged by this series of attacks that he felt dizzy and thought that every time he spoke to Qin Su, he would lose at least a year of his lifespan.
The people next to him saw that his face was ashen, and fearing that he might actually get sick from anger, they quickly coaxed and persuaded him to leave.
Ye Hongchang sat not far away, and it was unclear whether he had heard what they were saying, but he was always smiling.
These things were probably minor in his eyes and wouldn't affect the Ye family, so he turned a blind eye and pretended not to see them.
After everyone had left, he said to Qin Su, "Haven't you toured the garden yet? Have the steward show you around. I'll ask Ye Yan to go to the study for a chat."
Qin Su knew they might have something to talk about, so she glanced at Ye Yan and stood up: "Okay, then I'll go out for a walk."
Ye Yan frowned when he saw her about to leave wearing only a dress, and took off his coat for her.
"Wait a minute, it's getting a bit chilly in the evening, put on a coat."
Despite Ye Hongchang's intense gaze, Qin Su remained calm and accepted the package, saying, "I understand."
***
The Ye family's old residence is a large estate with mountains, water, and fountains.
Qin Su came out of the restaurant and walked slowly along the wooden corridor, listening to the butler introduce the origins or design concepts of different buildings.
A refreshing evening breeze carries a delightful floral fragrance.
Following the butler's directions, Qin Su turned the corner, and a bright and open space suddenly appeared before her.
There is even a large lotus pond in the manor.
The scenery is breathtaking, with mountains and waters, ten miles of red lotus blossoms, lotus leaves swaying in the wind, and the red water reflecting a delicate fragrance.
Seeing that she had slowed her pace, the butler smiled and said, "This lotus pond is natural. It wasn't filled in when the manor was built; it was just planned out of the way. Do you like it here?"
also?
Qin Su was very perceptive: "Does Ye Yan like this place too?"
It's hard to tell that Ye Yan is someone who likes scenery.
"Yes," the butler sighed, as if remembering something. "He used to love coming here the most."
The butler pointed to a boat and said to Qin Su, "Look, there's another boat over there. He used to sleep and spend the night in it when he was a child."
Qin Su squinted and examined the boat.
She seemed to sense something: "What does Ye Yan like to do here? Look at the flowers? He even spends the night on the boat just to see the flowers?"
"No," the butler said with a wry smile.
Thinking that Qin Su was not an outsider, he truthfully said, "Mr. Ye and his wife at the time had a big fight, and the child was caught in the middle and had nowhere to go, so he came here."
Qin Su was stunned for a moment, then realized that the Mr. Ye the housekeeper was referring to was Ye Hongchang, and the wife at the time was Ye Yan's mother.
“But you could also say you came to see the flowers.” The butler’s face showed a look of being lost in memories. “After all, flowers can’t talk, and they won’t bother him.”
Qin Su thought of the information she had read: "Weren't Ye Yan's parents both very good to him?"
The butler paused for a moment: "Yes, everything is fine, which is why he is in the most difficult position."
He had worked at the manor for decades and watched Ye Yan grow up; in his heart, Ye Yan was no different from his own child.
There are some things that others cannot or should not say, but his butler, who is both a relative and a friend, can say.
"Mr. Ye is a good man and a good father, but he may not be a good husband."
The housekeeper was not young either, with a few gray hairs at his temples.
The orange light from the flower-viewing pavilion shone on his face, reflecting the sighs left by the years.
"Mr. Ye always felt that being a good father was enough, but he forgot that his wife was also the mother of his son."
Of course, the butler couldn't tell Qin Su all about the grudges and past events of the Ye family's previous generation; he simply gave a brief overview.
But Qin Su had information about this world and was exceptionally intelligent. Combining this with what he said, he understood everything perfectly.
In his youth, Ye Hongchang was a playboy who frequented brothels without ever getting involved with anyone.
After exploiting Ye Yan's mother's sincerity and feelings for his own benefit, he returned to his life of revelry with women every night.
Ye Yan's mother only realized after giving birth to Ye Yan that she had been deceived by Ye Hongchang's sweet words, but the feelings she had given were like water spilled on the ground, impossible to take back.
She was mired in a quagmire of suffering, but Ye Hongchang turned a blind eye.
But Ye Hongchang treated Ye Yan very well and cared about him a lot.
He did his best to fulfill his responsibilities and obligations as a father, and he did not neglect Ye Yan in any way.
Therefore, for Ye Yan, Ye Hongchang was both the source of his mother's suffering and a qualified father.
Ye Yan couldn't completely hate him, nor could he respect or love him.
Especially after his mother passed away from depression, Ye Yan's emotional turmoil became even more intense.
In real life, the love and hate entanglements between people cannot be clearly divided into black and white, or simply into yes or no.
Some people never manage to understand their own psychological emotions throughout their lives, let alone Ye Yan, who is only a teenager.
He was Ye Hongchang's heir, whom he had groomed early on. Bearing the family's responsibilities, he needed to be rational, restrained, and clear-headed.
But he was also a young man deeply entangled in complicated family relationships, harboring confusion and distress that he had no one to confide in.
Qin Su leaned on the pavilion railing and sat in the spot the steward had suggested, as if she could see Ye Yan sitting quietly ten years ago.
He had a bellyful of worries, but only the moon, the lotus flowers, and the light boat on the rippling water knew them.
He could only remain silent in the face of the world.
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