Chapter 59: Something is Amiss (Second Update)

“I heard that Second Young Master Ye was so terrified that his head was bleeding and his face was covered in blood! When the servants carried him away, he had actually fainted!”

“Is that for real? Is it really that eerie? What kind of ghost did he run into?”

“Who knows! The Ye family summoned a physician in the middle of the night, and they were fussing over him for most of the night!”

“Hey, have you heard about the Madam of the Ye Estate? They say during the Ye family banquet yesterday, which was supposed to be a lively affair, Madam suddenly broke out in rashes all over her face and body! It was terrifying! The banquet didn't even finish before many people left! I wonder if she caught some kind of disease, and if it's contagious...”

“Yes, yes! I heard that too! What is going on with the Ye family? Accidents keep happening, and strange troubles follow one after another.”

“Who knows! But don't forget, that Ye estate used to belong to Ye Heng's older brother, Ye Zheng! Ye Zheng met with an accident three years ago, and neither the Madam nor the eldest son survived. That house... tsk, it's hard to say, really hard to say!”

...

Rumors swirled incessantly in the streets, and Ye Heng was also in a state of total chaos.

No sooner had Lady Gao had her incident than this scandal broke out!

It wasn't until nearly noon that Ye Mingze finally woke up.

“Father... Mother...”

He spoke with a raspy voice.

Ye Heng immediately stepped forward: “Mingze!”

He was his own flesh and blood, after all; as much as he was angry, seeing his son looking so injured and haggard filled him with heartache.

As Ye Mingze's vision gradually cleared, he saw Ye Heng and asked again, "...Where is my mother?"

“Your mother hasn't recovered yet, so I didn't let her come,” Ye Heng explained.

In truth, upon hearing of the accident, Lady Gao's first instinct was to come and care for Ye Mingze personally, but upon thinking of her current appearance and fearing she might frighten him, she had relented.

Standing to the side, Ye Shixian felt a sense of relief upon seeing him awake.

“That's good, Mingze. You have no idea how worried Father, Mother, and I were while you were unconscious! What on earth happened last night to scare you like this?”

Because of those words, Ye Mingze's somewhat sluggish brain instantly flashed back to the scene from last night, and he gave a sudden shudder.

He grabbed Ye Heng's sleeve and cried out in terror, “Fa—Father! It was him! It was Ye Xiting! He's back, he's back!”

As soon as that name was uttered, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Ye Heng's expression darkened instantly: “What nonsense are you talking!”

Ye Xiting had long since died!

But Ye Mingze was terrified: “It's true! Father! I saw him! Just last night! He even spoke to me! He, he—”

Ye Heng stood up abruptly.

“I think you've gone delirious from your illness!”

The maids and servants attending the room sensed his fury and lowered their heads in silence.

However, their ears remained perked, unwilling to miss a single word.

Ye Xiting!

Wasn't that Ye Zheng's eldest son? He had also died in that accident back then.

Now the Second Young Master was saying... he had returned?

Ye Mingze was desperate: “It's true! Everything I'm saying is true!”

That figure, that voice—it was undoubtedly Ye Xiting!

Ye Heng's face turned pale with rage as he rebuked coldly, “There are no ghosts or gods in this world! You simply misidentified something in a moment of confusion! You've been out playing too wild these past few days and your mind has lost its clarity! Xian'er, watch him! Until he is fully lucid, he is not permitted to leave this room!”

...

“Sister, you wouldn't believe how lively it is over there right now!” Ye Yunfeng said mysteriously. “When I passed by the kitchen just now, I heard the servants all gossiping, saying that Ye Mingze has gone mad!”

“Is that so?”

Ye Chutang poured a cup of freshly brewed tea. A rich, fresh aroma drifted out, faintly carrying a hint of bitter medicinal herbs.

However, the scent was extremely light; once the tea was in the cup, it quickly dissipated.

“Then Second Uncle must be quite overwhelmed right now.”

Ye Yunfeng snorted coldly, “If you do nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear from ghosts! For Ye Mingze to be scared like that is truly laughable!”

Remembering something, Ye Chutang raised an eyebrow. “It could also be that he is naturally timid. Didn't he get quite a fright when he saw us at Lanyue Pavilion before?”

As she spoke, she handed the tea to Ye Jingyan. “You've been reading all morning; moisten your throat.”

Ye Jingyan took it and drained the cup in one gulp. “Thank you, Sister.”

Ye Chutang added, “In a few days, you all should be heading to the Imperial Academy to study. Everything has been prepared; see if anything is missing, and we will supplement it later.”

Little Wu blinked and pulled a small pouch from her bosom.

—To be used for Third Brother and Fourth Brother's studies!

Ye Yunfeng laughed loudly, “Little Wu! Your brothers have money. Keep your little treasury to buy candy for yourself!”

But Little Wu stubbornly pulled out two silver notes, generously giving one to each of them and stuffing them into their hands.

Ye Jingyan chuckled and pinched her cute little nose. “Third Brother accepts your kindness. Thank you, Little Wu.”

Only then was Little Wu satisfied, carefully tucking her pouch away again.

—These are all for Sister! Sister said it would take a lot of money to take over that shop!

After the heavy rain last night, the weather cleared today. Seeing how beautiful it was outside, Ye Jingyan washed his changed clothes along with several new sets and spread them out to dry in the courtyard.

Having lived abroad for three years, they had endured all kinds of hardships. Now that they had returned to the Ye Estate, they actually found it somewhat uncomfortable to have people serving them.

Furthermore, the servants in the estate were the type to treat people based on their status, habitually flattering the high and trampling the low. Knowing that Lady Gao and Ye Mingze disliked them, they were always very perfunctory in their duties.

Therefore, in the end, they did everything they could themselves rather than relying on others.

Ye Chutang also stood up. “I'll go over there and take a look.”

After all, such a large commotion had occurred. Being in the same estate, it was only right to pay a visit.

She took two steps, then turned back to instruct Ye Yunfeng, who intended to follow: “There might be someone losing their mind again in a moment; it wouldn't be good for it to dirty Little Wu's eyes. Just watch her and wait here peacefully.”

Little Wu climbed onto a small table, pulling out a tiny abacus with an account book placed before her.

It was the account book from the medical clinic over the past three years. Ye Chutang had been reviewing the funds recently, so she had brought it out to calculate again.

With one hand flipping the pages and the other flicking the abacus, Little Wu's chubby little face was filled with concentration.

—She was going to calculate all the money for Sister!

...

After Ye Heng left, Ye Shixian dismissed the attendants and sat down in a chair.

Ye Mingze was extremely frustrated. “Sister! I wasn't lying! I really did see him last night!”

Why wouldn't anyone believe him!

Ye Shixian was also in a bad mood. So many things had happened in just two short days, and right before she was supposed to go to the Princess's manor for the Spring Flower Banquet.

Listening to Ye Mingze's incessant shouting, she grew impatient.

“Enough, stop talking. Have you forgotten how Father just scolded you? You are sixteen now; can't you think before you speak?”

(End of Chapter)