"I heard Second Young Master Ye was so scared he split his head open! His face was covered in blood! By the ti the servants carried him away, he had already passed out!"
"For real? That’s so uncanny! What kind of ghost did he actually run into?"
"Who knows! The Ye Family summoned a physician to the mansion in the middle of the night. The whole ordeal lasted for hours!"
"Hey, have you guys heard what happened to the madam of the Ye Mansion? I heard the Ye Family was hosting a banquet yesterday. It was supposed to be a lively affair, but then their madam suddenly broke out in a rash all over her face and body! It was horrifying! The banquet ended early, and so many guests just left! I wonder if it’s so kind of sickness, and if it’s contagious..."
"Yes, yes! I heard that too! What do you think is going on with the Ye Family? All these accidents and bizarre problems, one after another?"
"Who’s to say! But don’t forget, that mansion used to belong to Ye Heng’s older brother, Ye Zheng! Ye Zheng died in an accident three years ago, and neither his wife nor his eldest son survived. That mansion... tsk, there’s sothing not right about it, not right at all!"
...
As the rumors swirled, Ye Heng found himself drowning in trouble.
No sooner had the incident with Mrs. Gao occurred than this new scandal erupted!
It wasn’t until almost noon that Ye Mingze finally woke up.
"Father... Mother..."
he rasped.
Ye Heng rushed forward. "Mingze!"
He was his own son, after all. He could be angry, but seeing his face, so injured and haggard, still made his heart ache.
Ye Mingze’s vision slowly ca into focus. When he saw Ye Heng, he opened his mouth to ask, "...Where’s Mother?"
"Your mother still isn’t well, so I didn’t have her co over," Ye Heng explained.
In truth, when Mrs. Gao heard what happened, her first instinct was to co and care for Ye Mingze herself. But then she rembered her current appearance and gave up the idea, worried she might frighten him.
Ye Shixian, who was standing to the side, breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he was awake.
"Thank goodness, Mingze. You have no idea how worried Father, Mother, and I were when you fainted! What on earth happened last night to frighten you so badly?"
Her words instantly made Ye Mingze’s sluggish mind flash back to the previous night’s events, and he shuddered violently.
He grabbed Ye Heng’s sleeve and cried out in terror, "Father! Father! It was him! It was Ye Xiting! He’s co back! He’s co back!"
At the ntion of that na, the entire room fell deathly silent.
Ye Heng’s expression darkened instantly. "What nonsense are you spouting!"
’Ye Xiting died long ago!’
But Ye Mingze was terrified. "It’s true! Father! I saw him! Last night! He even spoke to ! He... he—"
Ye Heng shot to his feet.
"I think you’ve beco delirious!"
Sensing his fury, the maids and servants in the room all bowed their heads and fell silent.
Their ears, however, were still pricked, not wanting to miss a single word.
’Ye Xiting!’
’Isn’t that Ye Zheng’s eldest son? He died in that sa accident.’
’And now Second Young Master Ye is saying... he’s co back?’
Ye Mingze was frantic. "It’s true! Every word I said is true!"
’That build, that voice... it was absolutely, without a doubt, Ye Xiting!’
Ye Heng’s face turned ashen as he rebuked him coldly, "There are no such things as ghosts in this world! You just saw wrong and your mind is playing tricks on you! You’ve spent the last few days running wild outside, and your head still isn’t clear! Xian’er, you watch him! He is not to leave this room until he cos to his senses!"
...
"Sister, you have no idea how much drama is going on over on their side right now!" Ye Yunfeng said conspiratorially. "When I passed the kitchens just now, I heard all the servants saying that Ye Mingze has gone mad!"
"Is that so?"
Ye Chutang poured a cup of freshly brewed tea. A rich, crisp fragrance wafted through the air, carrying the faint, bitter scent of dicinal herbs.
The scent was extrely subtle, however, and it vanished quickly once the tea was in the cup.
"Second Uncle must be at his wit’s end right now, then."
Ye Yunfeng snorted. "Those with a clear conscience don’t fear ghosts at their door! It’s ridiculous that Ye Mingze got that scared!"
Ye Chutang seed to recall sothing, and raised an eyebrow. "Or maybe he’s just a coward by nature. Wasn’t he scared out of his wits when he saw us at the Lan Yue Building?"
She said this as she handed the cup to Ye Jingyan. "You’ve been reading all morning. Here, have sothing to drink."
Ye Jingyan accepted the cup and drained it in one go. "Thank you, Sister."
Ye Chutang added, "In a few days, you two should be able to start your studies at the Imperial College. I’ve prepared everything you’ll need, but take a look and see if anything’s missing. We can get it later."
Xiao Wu blinked and pulled a small purse from her robes.
’This is for Third Brother and Fourth Brother’s schooling!’
Ye Yunfeng roared with laughter. "Xiao Wu! I’ve got money; you should keep your little stash to buy yourself sweets!"
But Xiao Wu stubbornly pulled out two silver notes and generously stuffed one into each of their hands.
Ye Jingyan chuckled and gently pinched her cute, upturned nose. "I appreciate the gesture. Thank you, Xiao Wu."
Satisfied, Xiao Wu carefully tucked her purse away again.
’The rest is for Sister! She said it’ll cost a lot of money to take over that shop!’
After a night of heavy rain, the sky had cleared. Seeing that the weather was perfect, Ye Jingyan washed his old clothes along with a few new outfits he had bought. He then spread them all out in the courtyard to dry.
They had suffered all sorts of hardships during their three years away. Now that they were back in the Ye Mansion, they found it strange to be waited on by servants.
Besides, the servants in the mansion were experts at sizing people up, always fawning over the powerful and stepping on the weak. Knowing Mrs. Gao and Ye Mingze disliked the siblings, their work for them was always half-hearted.
So, in the end, they simply started doing anything they could by themselves.
Ye Chutang stood up as well. "I’m going to go over and take a look."
’After all, with such a huge commotion, it’s only right to pay them a visit since we live in the sa mansion.’
She took a few steps, then turned back to caution Ye Yunfeng, who had been about to follow. "Soone over there might throw another tantrum. We wouldn’t want to expose Xiao Wu to such a scene. You just stay here and watch her."
Xiao Wu had climbed onto a low table and taken out a tiny abacus. An account book lay open before her.
It was the clinic’s ledger from the past three years. Ye Chutang had recently been tallying her funds and had taken it out to work on.
With one hand on the ledger and the other on the abacus, Xiao Wu’s chubby little face was a mask of concentration.
’I have to count all the money for Sister!’
...
After Ye Heng left, Ye Shixian dismissed the attendants and sat down.
Ye Mingze was exasperated. "Sister! I’m not lying! I really saw him last night!"
’Why doesn’t anyone believe ?’
Ye Shixian wasn’t in a good mood either. So much had happened in just two days. And of all tis, it was right before she was due to attend the Chao Hua Banquet at the Long Princess Mansion.
Listening to Ye Mingze’s constant clamoring, she grew impatient.
"Enough, stop it. Have you already forgotten the lecture Father just gave you? You’re sixteen years old now. Can’t you think before you speak?"
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