Chapter 121
Ye Tianhui bought those pieces of white porcelain and also bought the pen holder.
Gu Shizhang was not there at the time, and he did not ask about it afterwards, so Ye Tianhui did not specifically mention it to Gu Shizhang.
I don't know what to say when it comes to this.
She thought, maybe Gu Shizhang had already guessed it. Both of them knew that the other knew it, but how to break the window paper also requires a timing, or courage.
At least for now, neither of them wants to say anything.
She put the pen holder in the drawer of her study, took a photo of it and faxed it to Ye Lixuan.
She didn't have any resources to use, so she could only send it to Ye Lixuan and let Ye Lixuan use his connections to study this thing and find out where it came from.
After receiving the photos, Ye Lixuan was also confused: "Where did this come from? Why are you suddenly interested in these?"
Ye Tianhui then briefly recounted what had happened, concluding, "I'm just curious. I want to know if this is a modern forgery, or from some other era. Do you know anyone who can help me take a look?"
Ye Lixuan: "If you want to know the exact details of this kind of object, it's best to ask mainland archaeologists to find out the details."
He paused for a moment and said, "I happen to know there's a history academic exchange conference happening soon, and mainland scholars will be coming to Hong Kong. I can ask some history experts for help."
Ye Tianhui: "That would be great."
There seem to be great changes in the mainland in the past two years. Reform and opening up have suddenly begun, and academic exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong have increased. This seems to be a good opportunity.
As she thought about this, she suddenly remembered everything that happened when she traveled from the mainland to Hong Kong. In fact, not much time had passed in terms of time, but the circumstances during this period were so different that she felt as if she were in a different world.
When Ye Tianhui asked about the exchanges with the mainland, Ye Lixuan told her about it. Ye Lixuan seemed very interested and even mentioned that he planned to go to the mainland.
He sighed and said, "If possible, I'd also like to see our old house. Let's go back together then, and I'll show you the courtyard where your mother and I got married."
Ye Tianhui: "Yeah, okay."
Of course, those belong to others, but it’s okay to take a look.
As the father and daughter chatted about family matters, Ye Tianhui listened to the sound of wind and rain outside, and for a moment she felt warm and peaceful.
She also asked about the old man. When it came to the old man, Ye Lixuan was naturally still a little distant. There were many things between father and son that he didn't want to mention, and there was no turning back. However, he was his biological father after all, and he had loved him very much. So Ye Lixuan just ignored it lightly, didn't want to mention it, and didn't want to have any conflict.
As he said this, Ye Lixuan casually asked, "Has it rained in London these days?"
Ye Tianhui looked at the hazy rain and fog outside the window: "Yeah, it's raining. I've been carrying an umbrella to class these past few days, and it's wet everywhere outside."
Ye Lixuan smiled and said, "That's how it is over there. You just have to get used to it."
Ye Tianhui: "It's not bad. It was sunny a few days ago, so I went out to play. I just attended an art auction, and I think I'll go to the Royal Equestrian Friendship Tournament in a couple of days."
Gu Shizhang is a member of the Royal Ascot Club of the United Kingdom. The club occasionally holds friendly matches, which are actually equestrian exchange activities among British aristocrats. I heard that members of the British royal family will also participate.
Originally, Ye Tianhui had no interest in these social interactions, but when she thought about her horse coming to the UK to compete, she had to take some time out to socialize. After all, it would be good to get to know the people better.
Ye Lixuan: "Well, that's good too. Let Shi Zhang take you out more often so that you can expand your social circle."
Obviously, he also understood that Gu Shizhang had extensive connections in Europe, which would be beneficial to Ye Tianhui in the future.
Ye Tianhui: "I know..."
For some reason, she felt that her father seemed to be more and more like her father. The way he spoke and acted gave her an indescribable sense of familiarity.
As she thought about this, she suddenly remembered and instructed, "By the way, Daddy, I asked you to help me check this. If Shi Zhang asks about it, don't tell him."
In fact, she felt that it was highly likely that Gu Shizhang would not ask. How could he possibly ask on his own initiative?
But what if something happens, so she still gave a reminder.
Ye Lixuan was obviously a little surprised. On the other end of the phone, he paused and asked, "What's going on? Are you going to hide it from him?"
Ye Tianhui smiled and said, "Even if you are as close as a couple, there are some things that the other person doesn't necessarily need to know. Anyway, Daddy, remember, don't tell him."
She smiled and said, "Daddy, this is a secret between us father and daughter."
Ye Lixuan listened and sighed: "I know, I won't mention it to him."
*************
Gu Shizhang went to the United States urgently and couldn't come back for a while. It happened suddenly, which inevitably made Ye Tianhui feel a little lonely.
In fact, if he came back suddenly, she would be a little at a loss.
The pen holder had a great impact on her. She didn't know how to deal with it. She also needed some time to calm down and think independently, so that she could figure out her own thoughts without being influenced by him.
She knew that Gu Shizhang was the saint in his previous life. That was his core and his soul.
But she also understood that reincarnation is reincarnation. They have both been beaten and baptized by modern society. After so many experiences, both of them have changed. She can no longer be the loyal and patriotic female general of the past, and he is no longer the scheming emperor.
In the dust of thousands of years, neither of them is the same as before.
But for her now, Gu Shizhang is more of a lover by her side, someone she depends on, someone close to her, and someone who shares the joys of the world and the trivialities of life with her.
From this perspective, she was rejecting everything in her previous life.
She was afraid that if she spoke out, all the beautiful things in her hands would be gone.
So he was also avoiding it in his heart. He was very busy in the United States, and the American financial world seemed to be in turmoil recently. He was so busy that he had no time to come back. That just gave her more space to let her figure it all out.
But the call still has to be made.
He couldn't bear to leave her, so he would call her twice a day. Sometimes he would be so busy that he would call her after ten o'clock in the evening. When he called, he would ask her if she was going to sleep. She would say that she was going to hang up and go to bed early, but she couldn't help but say a few more words.
Ye Tianhui sat on the sofa, looking at the rain outside the window. London is an overly solemn and sophisticated city, with large areas of heavy red and slightly gloomy gray, just like the oil paintings in their museums, with large areas of rich color, as if they were about to attend a dinner party at any time.
Gu Shizhang asked in a low voice: "How was today's case discussion?"
Ye Tianhui: "Fortunately, I was well prepared and my instructor even praised me."
In fact, for Ye Tianhui, case discussion itself is not difficult. Even if she doesn’t understand, Gu Shizhang can teach her step by step.
It’s just that my English is indeed limited. Now, after a period of crazy intensive study, I have made a lot of progress. I can basically express myself freely and express some deep thoughts.
She lamented, "I discovered that language itself also embodies certain thoughts and personalities. Different expressions imply different thinking patterns. For example, when I express myself in English, I feel as if I have transformed into a different way of thinking."
Feeling like digging out another person inside of you.
Gu Shizhang smiled and said, "Because language itself reflects a way of thinking. In fact, it's not just language, but also social environment, geographical environment, climate and humanities. These all have a shaping effect on character."
Ye Tianhui listened, looked at the dotted rain outside the window and the wet red roof, and chuckled: "It seems so..."
As she said this, she remembered that Gu Shizhang was in London at that time and he asked her to listen to the sound of raindrops in London.
For a moment, in that gloomy and humid weather, a soft desire suddenly arose in her body. She wished he was by her side, so she could lean on his solid and resilient body, enjoying the man's strong arms and rhythmic movements.
While thinking this, the phone fell silent and no one was talking. Ye Tianhui could clearly hear the man's breathing coming from the microphone. It was very low and deep, with a strange magnetic feeling.
Ye Tianhui felt that she was getting wet just by listening to his voice.
She blushed a little: "I'm hanging up, go to bed early."
Gu Shizhang's deep voice reached his ears: "Do you remember that time when I called you and said it was raining in London, and I wanted to listen to the sound of rain in London for you?"
Ye Tianhui leaned weakly on the sofa: "Well, remember..."
Gu Shizhang: "Now it's your turn to listen to the rain in London, and I——"
He said in a slightly hoarse voice, "I'm imagining you by my side."
**********
He is right. A city’s cultural and geographical environment has a shaping effect on people’s character.
In addition to studying in class, Ye Tianhui spent most of her time in the library these days, and went home directly when it got late.
The continuous rainy season made everything around her wet, and the short separation made the longing in her heart ferment numbly.
After a simple dinner that day, she drank a cup of coffee and lazily leaned on the sofa to read a book borrowed from the library. The book told some local anecdotes in London, as well as the history of British horse racing, telling how the former king was obsessed with horse racing.
Among them are several horses raised by the Queen of England and the superb riding skills of British royal princesses.
As I read, I felt a little sleepy, so I put the book aside, wrapped myself in a blanket, and fell asleep in the sound of the rain.
I don’t know how long I slept, but I seemed to have a dream in a daze.
She returned to her previous life, that rainy night, she wore a battle robe and stepped into the imperial study.
In the imperial study, the young emperor in plain robes had gentle eyes and brows. He lowered his eyes from behind the imperial desk and looked at her. He smiled and asked her, "General Ye, you are at the frontier, but your heart is with the emperor?"
She stared at him blankly, at the eyes behind the crown, those gentle yet incomprehensible eyes.
She opened her lips and wanted to speak, wanting to say, "Aren't you Gu Shizhang anymore? Have you forgotten me? How could you forget me?"
Only then did she realize that she didn't want to go back to the past. She didn't want the emperor who used both kindness and power. She wanted Gu Shizhang, the gentle and affectionate Gu Shizhang.
At this moment, he suddenly stretched out his hand and whispered, "Come here."
Ye Tianhui stood there, but seemed to have been hit by a needle in her acupoint, unable to move at all.
The rustling sound of wind and rain hit the window frames of the imperial study, and the dripping sound seemed to last forever, but she could not tell what year it was.
Seeing that she didn't move, he walked around the imperial desk and came to her side.
The tall and noble man lowered his head slightly and looked at her with deep eyes. His eyes seemed to be covered with a thin layer of ice, and under the ice was boiling lava that could erupt at any time and melt everything.
He stared at her for a long time, then raised his hands to hug her.
The hands of the man who represented the power of life and death seemed to be burning. Ye Tianhui wanted to dodge, but she had no strength and her body was out of control. She could only watch.
The battle robe was too thick and cold, and the water on it stained the man's brocade robe, but he didn't seem to care.
He held her face in his hands and murmured, "Huihui, I'm your third brother. You don't remember me. You don't like me, do you?"
As he spoke, he leaned over and kissed her.
He was too gentle, and his unignorable aura wrapped around her tightly like silk.
His kiss was gentle and passionate, awakening all her senses.
The temperature in the imperial study then rose, and before she knew it, her battle robe fell, landing wetly and heavily on the white jade tiles of the imperial study.
The man's strong and warm arms lifted her up by the waist and placed her on the imperial desk, so that the bright yellow silk paper with the majestic imperial power written on it was spread under her narrow waist.
In her dream, she had no idea what to do, so she could only hold on to his shoulders.
With her long hair scattered, she looked up at the man above her.
He held her face gently in his hands: "Huihui, I listened to the sound of rain outside and couldn't sleep. I was thinking about you, and you came to me. I almost thought I was dreaming."
As he said this, he leaned down and kissed her eyes.
Ye Tianhui was originally a little tense, but after being kissed by him, she instantly relaxed.
He became passionate, completely different from his usual gentleness.
Her flexible and slender body was placed on the imperial desk at the waist, and she heard herself moaning softly.
The sound made her blush and she could hardly believe it came from her!
There were people guarding outside the imperial study. They must have known that General Ye had entered the imperial study. They all held their breath, waiting for possible major changes in the court.
Who knew they would hear such ambiguous sounds between a man and a woman? This is simply a joke!
Shame made Ye Tianhui's body tense, and she subconsciously resisted, against the man in front of her and against her own instincts.
The man obviously felt it, and he was in high spirits and couldn't stop. He kissed her and coaxed her.
************
After a long time, Ye Tianhui opened her eyes, and in the moist water light, she finally saw the man in front of her clearly.
There was no emperor, no General Ye, and no imperial study.
Gu Shizhang held a soft towel in his hand.
Ye Tianhui looked at him in a daze, confirming that he was Gu Shizhang, not that him.
Gu Shizhang sensed something was wrong with her and raised his eyes: "Huh? What's wrong?"
The man's mellow voice was unusually hoarse, and his eyes looking at her were focused and gentle.
Ye Tianhui shook her head and moved her eyes upwards. He was only wearing a white silk pajamas, which was not neat.
Her face flushed slightly, and she looked away, but she knew in her heart that she was now in her villa in London, lying on the sofa and half asleep.
Gu Shizhang suddenly returned from the United States.
He gently stroked her forehead: "Just now when I came back, I saw you half lying down. I missed you and couldn't help it. I thought you were half awake."
Ye Tianhui was actually still a little confused, and her soul was still in the imperial study.
Her gaze fell on his smooth, strong shoulders, where there were two shocking scratches, fresh and obviously left by herself.
She thought, he was out of control, and she was out of control too.
I just don't know what she said while crying in that half-asleep dream.
She moved her lips and finally asked, "Was I awake just now? Did I speak?"
She asked tentatively, "What did I say?"
Gu Shizhang laughed hoarsely and whispered in her ear, "I've told you, do you want to listen? I'm afraid you'll be embarrassed."
Ye Tianhui: "...then don't mess with him."
Gu Shizhang stood up, wrapped her in a towel, kissed her cheek, and asked in a low voice: "Take a bath? I hold you in my arms?"
Ye Tianhui: “Yeah.”
There was a light sound of rain outside, and the bathroom was warm. In the mist, Ye Tianhui lay weakly on Gu Shizhang's shoulder, enjoying his care for her.
She was not feeling well now, so she wanted him to take care of her.
He was so gentle, so gentle, completely different from the emperor in her dream. This was what she wanted, and she wanted to hold him tightly for the rest of her life.
But as she rested her forehead on his chest, she suddenly remembered, "You didn't use that?"
This was said implicitly, but he naturally understood it.
He is indeed useless.
So she felt it clearly.
Gu Shizhang understood what she meant and whispered in her ear, "I took some medicine, I'll be fine."
Ye Tianhui suddenly understood and leaned into his arms: "This is also good, it feels very comfortable."
Gu Shizhang listened, was slightly stunned, and then smiled. His smile was low and hoarse, but also very warm.
He bent down and kissed her tenderly: "I think this is good too."
The temperature in the bathroom rose, and the man's kiss became more affectionate and lingering, but Ye Tianhui thought of her dream again.
This intersection of time and space and the contrast of identities made her feel even more ashamed.
She leaned in his arms, but she thought in her heart that she would probably keep this secret for the rest of her life.
I don't want to face him with another identity, ever.
*************
Afterwards, Gu Shizhang never mentioned that night again, nor did he ask her what she had auctioned. As for the small white porcelain pen holder, Ye Tianhui put it in the drawer and never mentioned it again.
Even if he saw it, she would play dumb.
Obviously, both of them had this tacit understanding and pretended to be stupid together.
After he came back from the United States, he turned his attention to the Royal Ascot. He first took her to visit the activities of the Royal Ascot and then to the Royal Equestrian Championship.
It has to be said that the UK is indeed a country that has developed horse racing into a world-class industry. The training facilities in the stables here are the best in the world. As for horse trainers, jockeys and horse breeding experts, they are even more talented. Even the thoroughbred horse testing institutions have the world's most advanced technology.
Ye Tianhui also visited the flat and obstacle horse racing here, and was amazed at the high level.
During the competition that day, Ye Tianhui quickly noticed several outstanding speed racing thoroughbreds. These horses were obviously also going to participate in the upcoming Royal Ascot, and they would obviously be strong competitors of the Hell King.
What surprised Ye Tianhui the most was a horse called Goodwood The Stars, which belonged to the Ratcliffe family.
She carefully looked at the horse's resume and found that it had an impressive record. At the age of two, it had already won second place in the Grade 1 Irish Oaks, and later won the Irish Derby and the King's Diamond Stakes. At the age of four, it competed in the European Racing Federation, but unfortunately lost to a famous British horse at the time and finished second.
However, since then, it has won six games and never lost again, and it can be said that it is very powerful and famous in Europe.
Seeing Ye Tianhui's attention on Goodwood The Stars, Gu Shizhang explained, "The Ratcliffe family started out in the chemical industry. They're known as the Chemical Kings. They're now the world's largest chemical manufacturer and have recently entered the shale gas market."
"The family has invested a lot of effort in racehorses in recent years. Goodwood The Stars was bought at a thoroughbred auction. The British royal princess also participated in the auction. In the end, Ratcliffe bought Goodwood The Stars at a high price. He invested a lot of effort in Goodwood The Stars, and Goodwood The Stars has lived up to expectations."
Ye Tianhui listened to his introduction and looked carefully at Goodwood The Stars. She had to say that Britain was indeed a land of outstanding people and beautiful scenery. It was the hometown of thoroughbred horses and the world's largest horse breeding base, which was incomparable to Hong Kong.
Her Hell King is certainly a top-notch horse, but it is not easy to win in a competition of the level of the Royal Ascot.
However, if we want to work hard, we must take the first step into international competitions. We cannot stay complacent in Hong Kong, so we cannot retreat from the Royal Ascot this time.
At this time, the Ye Horse Racing Company in Hong Kong had already begun preparing for the Royal Ascot in the UK, but the news spread quickly. After the Hong Kong media learned of the news, they began to publicize it extensively. Newspapers in the streets and alleys began to analyze the outcome of the Hell King's battle in the European Royal Ascot.
Soon, British television media and newspapers also published this news, with the headline "Hong Kong Horse King Conquers Britain".
Ye Tianhui had not expected that what was originally just a trial attempt would cause such a stir.
So much so that when Ye Tianhui was in class at school, her classmates would ask her whether her racehorse was going to participate in the Royal Ascot.
Ye Tianhui was surprised, but Gu Shizhang began to analyze the reasons behind it: "You know that the mainland has started to reform, right?"
Ye Tianhui: “I know.”
Ye Lixuan also mentioned that there are more academic exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland, and the atmosphere is quite different.
Gu Shizhang said, "This matter can be viewed within this broader context. The mainland has begun negotiations with the UK, attempting to discuss the issue of Hong Kong's ownership and sovereignty. I've heard that the mainland has already established a relevant office to improve relations with Hong Kong's business community."
After hearing this, Ye Tianhui understood: "So the British government also has considerations and pressure in this regard."
Gu Shizhang: "Yes, so this time the Hong Kong Horse King's expedition to the UK will be given special attention by both Hong Kong and the UK, and is bound to become the focus of everyone's attention."
Ye Tianhui listened and suddenly remembered: "It seems that there are indeed some new measures in the mainland now?"
Gu Shizhang nodded. "The mainland has already invited the Governor of Hong Kong to Beijing. A wave of policies will be implemented soon."
He paused and said, "If there is an opportunity, I am also prepared to invest in the mainland, so I may go there to conduct an inspection next."
Ye Tianhui was silent for a moment.
After a while, she said, "These things are too far away for us. The most important thing for me now is this horse race."
Originally, it was just a matter of interest, and I wanted to give the King of Hell another chance.
But I didn’t expect that it would be pushed to the forefront and become a sensitive topic.
So this game suddenly had more pressure.
Hong Kong occupies such a critical position in the political landscape at that time, so everyone is waiting to see when the Hong Kong horse king goes to Britain at this time.
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