Chapter 77: The Ye Family Truly Knows How to Play

Ye Yaoyao’s sudden compliance caught Shen Yan off guard, leaving him momentarily stunned, but he could not help feeling delighted inside. At last, this woman understood the pains he took for her sake.

The dishes Ye Yaoyao ordered were all light and delicate, thoughtfully composed with various ingredients to nourish his stomach. Of course, as an outsider to such matters, Shen Yan remained oblivious, and Ye Yaoyao did not bother to explain.

Prompted by his reminder, Ye Yaoyao later looked into the matter and relayed what she’d learned to Yu Wanquing.

“You can’t be serious! Yan Cheng, that boy who’s always kept a low profile, actually belongs to the Gu family of the capital?”

Yu Wanquing was astonished. “My god, what kind of big shots am I surrounded by?”

By comparison, Yu Wanquing felt her own status was rather unimpressive.

“Yaoyao, I really need to step up my game, or I’ll never keep up with you big shots.” She feigned a sob. “Boo hoo... Yaoyao, you mustn’t ever look down on me in the future.”

“I advise you to quit while you’re ahead.”

At Ye Yaoyao’s words, Yu Wanquing instantly dropped the pretense.

The Gu family of the capital...

Ye Yaoyao truly felt a headache coming on.

She had only just settled matters with the Shen family, and now another household appeared?

After agreeing to Yan Cheng’s request that night, she had gone home and pondered the situation thoroughly.

Indeed, she concluded, there was no such feeling between them.

Her emotions remained steady in Yan Cheng’s presence.

Shen Yan, though he often left her speechless, was, after all, someone she truly cared about.

Reflecting on this, Ye Yaoyao realized she was thinking of Shen Yan yet again—she felt she must be mad.

She had promised herself to make a clean break with that man, so why...

Her thoughts drifted involuntarily to how he had offended the Gu family of the capital for her sake.

“Yaoyao, Yaoyao?”

Yu Wanquing had called her several times on the phone, but got no response. “Are you still there?”

“Ah... I’m here. What is it?”

“What were you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” Ye Yaoyao replied, shaking her head.

The next moment, Yu Wanquing shrieked from the other end, “Yaoyao, get online right now! Oh my god!”

Ye Yaoyao’s fingers danced swiftly over the keyboard. Seeing the top trending topic, she felt both unsurprised and yet caught off guard.

The Gu family of the capital had publicly acknowledged Yan Cheng’s identity, while making it clear he had no connection to Ye Yaoyao.

With the release of this official statement, Ye Yaoyao once again became the target of attacks.

In this awkward predicament, her reaction was simply that she could now enter the entertainment industry as a celebrity—after all, her current popularity far outshone that of any minor star.

There were only two points on which she was mocked: her orphanage upbringing and her ambiguous relationships with various men.

“My god, what kind of heroine script has Ye Yaoyao landed herself? First the Shen family, then the Ye family, and now the Gu family of the capital! If it were me, I wouldn’t mind being scolded every day if I could have her luck!”

“Are you alright? An orphanage girl flitting among the beds of wealthy heirs every day—would you really want that?”

“People, use your brains! I just don’t think this Ye Yaoyao is that simple. With access to so many resources, her background is probably not what it seems!”

...

Yet rational voices were rare. Most lashed out at Ye Yaoyao, driven by jealousy.

In the Ye family, Liu Ruyan was furious as she read the comments.

There truly was no shortage of trash at every level of society, each type more bizarre than the last.

Unable to bear seeing Ye Yaoyao maligned, she quickly registered a social media account and posted:

“What orphanage? Are you all blind? Yaoyao is my goddaughter! Rather than claiming she’s reaching for these so-called rich heirs, it’s more accurate to say they’re climbing up to her! After all, the Ye family’s power speaks for itself!”

Liu Ruyan’s acknowledgment only fueled the flames.

The topic burned ever hotter, wave after wave.

Yu Wanquing, as an insider, was already relishing the drama—what of outsiders?

“Yaoyao, your Ye family really knows how to play the game. You have a perfectly legitimate blood relation, yet you choose to play the goddaughter card?”

Ye Yaoyao felt powerless—this was all rather absurd.

Liu Ruyan’s announcement made her relationship with Ye Shen seem all the more reasonable—a goddaughter and a son; it was perfectly natural for them to be close.

Meanwhile, in the Gu family of the capital, Liu Ruyan’s response left Gu Shicheng astounded. He had not expected that little girl to have any connection to Liu Ruyan.

So far removed from the center of power, he was unaware of many happenings in the capital.

If Ye Yaoyao were truly the Ye family’s daughter, a match between her and Yan Cheng wouldn’t be out of the question.

But as just a goddaughter, what did it matter?

“Master, should we issue another response? The online crowd says our Gu family doesn’t know a good thing when we see it,” the assistant reported faithfully.

“Don’t know a good thing? Hmph, just a goddaughter—Liu Ruyan’s three-minute enthusiasm, nothing more. When her popularity fades, what will Ye Yaoyao amount to?”

Gu Shicheng exhaled sharply. “Find someone and drag Yan Cheng back! I won’t have him disgracing us any further in the entertainment world!”

“Master, if the young master resists, should we force the issue?”

“He resists? He wouldn’t dare! After all the disgrace he’s brought on the Gu family lately—he dares defy me?”

At the mention of Yan Cheng, Gu Shicheng’s agitation spiked again; he slammed the desk repeatedly. “If he dares rebel, break his limbs and drag him back.”

“This...”

“Go!”

“Yes, sir.” The assistant retreated, trembling.

He knew well enough these were words spoken in anger. If anything were to happen to the young master, they would be the ones to bear the consequences!

...

Thanks to Liu Ruyan’s response, the trending storm finally died down.

That day, when Ye Yaoyao returned to her apartment and was about to close the door, a bloodied hand blocked her way.

Startled, she looked down and saw Ye Qian clutching his abdomen, blood smearing the floor.

“Second Brother...”

She hurried to support him. “What happened to you?”

“Just a streak of bad luck; I got hurt. Is it convenient for me to come in?”

“Of course, come in.”

Ye Yaoyao helped Ye Qian onto the sofa and fetched the medical kit to tend to his wound.

It was a deep cut, but nothing life-threatening.

Once she finished, she glanced at his abdomen and teased, “Second Brother, you’ve been eating too much lately—your abs are gone.”

“Yaoyao, your dear brother is half-dead and all you care about are my abs?”

Ye Qian shook his head with a sigh. “All these years, my love for you has been wasted.”

“I was just joking.”

After lightening the mood, Ye Yaoyao grew serious. “Second Brother, what really happened?”

“I was betrayed. My whereabouts were exposed,” he replied, voice calm, though his eyes brimmed with murderous intent.

Those who betrayed him would never end well.

“Yaoyao, these are matters for men. As a girl, there’s no need for you to get involved.”

Ye Qian had no intention of drawing her into this. It was also why, for years, the Ye family had kept her identity secret.

In the world of the powerful, danger lurked everywhere, and the Ye family had no shortage of enemies. They feared their foes would set their sights on her.