Seeing the banquet atmosphere shift so suddenly, turning into a gathering for sharing old tales, Ye Zhibai smoothly set down the sauced duck leg she’d been holding.
From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Guang Yu, who was still sitting on the floor, happily munching on her pancake rolled with wasabi while shoving the chili oil as far away as possible.
The Deity had already started keeping it at arm’s length.
Sigh… Ye Zhibai was utterly done with her. They were about to hear stories from the past, and all this one cared about was stuffing her face.
She really had no idea what Guang Yu’s fellow immortals up in the heavens would think if they knew.
“Listening to a story doesn’t get in the way of eating,” Guang Yu said. “There’s no contradiction here.”
“You eat popcorn during movies, don’t you? Same exact thing.”
——The Deity had long since seen through all the world’s affairs (with absolute certainty).
Ye Zhiyun switched seats, scooting right up next to her big sister so they could listen to the tales from those bygone years together.
Truth be told, she already knew everything Ye Qinghe was about to share—she’d heard it all ages ago.
She’d moved closer simply to offer her sister a bit of warmth.
Ye Qinghe instructed the maids to clear away the plates in front of him.
Once they’d all withdrawn from the room, he lifted both arms, resting his elbows on the table and propping his chin on the backs of his hands. A glint of light flickered in his eyes.
Then he began to recount those precious memories, his voice soft and steady.
“Zhibai, please remember this: your mama’s name is Fang Qing. She’s the one who picked you up and brought you home. Blood or no blood, she’s your mother in every sense of the word. You might not remember her now, but you need to hold onto that name.”
Ye Zhibai nodded firmly to show she understood.
Fang Qing… what a beautiful name.
Just saying it aloud conjured images of clearing skies, instantly lifting her spirits.
Ye Qinghe felt the same way. “I’ve always loved your mama’s name… Fang Qing, doesn’t it sound just like ‘fair weather’? It makes you feel like there’s a bright blue sky opening up in your heart. She was the sun in my world, she… er… cough cough! Sorry…”
Ye Qinghe turned beet red right in the middle of his sentence!
Old Dad… if you’ve got thin skin and can’t pull off the poetry in front of the kids, maybe don’t try forcing it.
No flowery words meant no embarrassment, no shame.
He quickly composed himself and pressed on.
“Your mama and I met when we were about your age—both seniors in high school. She was this cheerful, lively girl, always eager to help others. I was the student council president, and she became the vice president. We fell head over heels at first sight, completely smitten with each other. Well… Xiao Qing really looked up to me back then, and then…”
“Dad, hold on a second,” Ye Zhiyun interrupted suddenly, putting a temporary halt to his storytelling.
There were some things she just had to point out.
“Dad, like I said before, Zhibai has every right to know the truth. Please don’t embellish or twist the facts. It wasn’t some mutual admiration thing—Mom told me all about it. You pestered her relentlessly until she finally gave in.”
“……”
Daughter, sure, this was a family dinner where everyone could speak freely, no big deal.
But… wah! At least leave your old dad a shred of dignity!
Respecting your elders is everyone’s duty, you know.
Ye Qinghe was a seasoned veteran of the business world, after all. No one was better at glossing over inconvenient details and steering the conversation onward.
“There were plenty of obstacles in the process of getting together with your mama,” he continued smoothly. “It all boiled down to our family backgrounds. I was the eldest son of the Ye Group, the young master of the Ye Family. But your mama came from an ordinary family. People still fuss about ‘a proper match’ these days—imagine how much worse it was back then. Your grandparents and the elders put on all kinds of pressure. Looking back, it was brutal…”
“But we stuck it out, your mama and me. After graduating university, we finally made it official. Oh, right! Zhibai, do you want to hear about our struggle back then? Those were some hot-blooded, exhilarating days! Eh… but if you’re tired… never mind. It’s not that important.”
?
Why was he being so self-deprecating?
Just tell the story already! She didn’t need him to check in for permission!
After all, he was the dad!
It was obvious Ye Qinghe was dying to relive those memories. His eyes were sparkling.
“Dad, go ahead—I’m all ears,” Ye Zhibai replied.
“Alright then!”
Energized now, Ye Qinghe really got into it. He gestured wildly with his hands, using body language to amplify his excitement and nostalgia for those passionate years.
“Here’s the rough rundown! Your mama and I worked from inside and out, spending four whole years convincing the family elders who opposed our marriage. I won’t get into just how tough it was—that struggle was way harder than your grandpa starting his business from scratch! And your mama? Smart as a whip, like fresh snow and ice. The elders took to her in no time. Xiao Qing just had this incredible personal charm!”
“She never cared whether the Ye Family was rich or poor. Hers was an optimism that transcended family ties, unbound by money. She had this natural way of winning people over. If she was the sun, then I was the moon—we complemented each—er… sorry.”
For the second time that evening, Ye Qinghe flushed red.
But Ye Zhibai’s attention wasn’t on his latest poetic flourish.
No, it was on the sheer passion pouring out of him as he spoke of the past.
Yeah… aside from that offhand dig at their poor, never-met grandpa, everything else brimmed with his love and longing for their mother.
No doubt about it—the two of them had shared a long stretch of mutual support, weathering hardships side by side.
The happiness shining through his words right now proved it.
“Eventually, I took over as chairman of the Ye Family conglomerate, married Xiao Qing, and the company just kept thriving. Then one day, she came home with a child she’d picked up—wrapped in a blanket, she said, found along the riverbank. We investigated for ages but never tracked down the birth parents. I thought it was odd and suggested sending the kid to the orphanage, but Xiao Qing insisted on keeping her and raising her. I couldn’t say no… so I gave in.”
“Zhibai, that child was you. I’m endlessly grateful for that decision—it made you part of our family.”
“A little over a year later, Xiao Qing gave birth to Yun’er. Suddenly we had two daughters. Those were the happiest days… family and career both flourishing. The pinnacle of my life…”
Ye Zhibai might have looked impassive on the surface.
But deep down, she was deeply comforted.
Back in the orphanage, when she had nothing—no one—she’d envied the other kids whose parents picked them up after school.
In her childish innocence, she’d used crayons to draw pictures of parents holding a child’s hand at sunset, laughing and chatting as they walked home together.
Was this what a harmonious family felt like?
Lost in that warm glow, Ye Zhibai almost missed Ye Zhiyun’s well-meaning heads-up.
“Sis, heads up—Old Dad’s about to have one of his episodes. Listen if you want, or just plug your ears for the next part.”
“Hm?”
Ye Zhibai hadn’t quite caught her meaning when—
Bang!
The sound was massive.
Not an earthquake or anything dramatic like that.
It was Ye Qinghe suddenly slapping his own forehead with his palm!
Are you Iron Man or something?! You scared her half to death!
Even Guang Yu thought it was a quake at first. She popped her cute little head above the table for a peek.
Oh. Just someone being stubborn as an iron skull.
She ducked back down and resumed munching her pancake.
Just like that, Ye Qinghe’s joyful tone cracked, filling with sobs.
He drew in a sharp breath, pounded his fist on the table, his face twisted in regret.
“Why did I ever let Xiao Qing go abroad on that business trip? I figured it was just a vacation, a chance to unwind. She left with a big smile, promising souvenirs for you girls. Who could’ve known she’d run into a massive typhoon on the road? Waaah! She’s gone—my wife is gone!!”
“And the most heartbreaking part? Her very last message to me was to take the clothes off the balcony line. Damn it all!! Why did it have to end like that?!”
Ye Zhibai frowned. “Dad… do you mean you’re upset she didn’t get to say a proper goodbye?”
“No! I mean, there wasn’t a drop of rain here at the time!! What clothes?!”
“Eh… eh? Wait, what…”
Ye Zhibai was baffled.
How had her train of thought just careened through spring, summer, fall, and winter in the span of a single sentence?!
Where was she even supposed to begin complaining about a speech like that?!
She wanted to offer some comfort, but had no clue where to start!
“Life is fleeting, the world is unpredictable,” Guang Yu chimed in. “Eating pancakes is the real way to go.”
No wonder the Deity had seen through every facet of mortal existence long ago.
