Chapter 52: The Devoted Admirer

“Oh my, Mr. Ye~” Lying on the bed, groaning as the scab on her wound stung, Gu Qingcheng’s tone turned mocking as soon as she heard the woman’s voice on the other end of the phone. “Mr. Ye, looks like you’ll be spending a romantic night with a young lady tonight!”

“Ahem…” Ye Tian flushed at her words.

“Is this an inconvenient time?” Yang Yiqiu, on the other end, sounded a little awkward. She hadn’t expected there would be a woman at Ye Tian’s side. Did this mean her little play at acting coy would just make her a laughingstock?

“Don’t worry, the one who just spoke is my wife. She’s quite a character,” Ye Tian replied, covering his face.

“So it’s my sister-in-law, that’s fine then.” Yang Yiqiu breathed a sigh of relief, though she felt a vague sense of discomfort she couldn’t quite name. “What I meant was, since you’ve returned, I assume it’s to rebuild the Ye family. And it’s impossible to establish a family here in Zhongdu without enough friends. By coincidence, I have quite a few friends attending the gala tonight. I thought I’d introduce you to them.”

Her words were clearly well-intentioned, but in Gu Qingcheng’s ears, it sounded like a transparent social ploy. Certain ambitious women just loved using this excuse to lure pretty boys out for drinks, then find some reason to keep each other out all night. Truly malicious!

Gu Qingcheng fumed inwardly.

“Alright, set a time, I’ll come over a bit later,” Ye Tian agreed without hesitation, and after exchanging a few more words, ended the call.

“So, Young Master Ye, you’re planning to sneak off with your new flame tonight.” Gu Qingcheng pouted, her tone light but her face clearly unhappy.

“My dear sister, I have other plans tonight—don’t make trouble.” Ye Tian, helpless, gave her a pinch on her raised hip. “There’ll be people from the Sun family at tonight’s charity event. I have to go, see if I can find a breakthrough.”

Hearing this, Gu Qingcheng instantly deflated. Revenge was Ye Tian’s lifelong wish—she had no reason not to support him in this.

“Fine, but you have to come back early and keep me company. And you’re not allowed to spend the night with that woman!”

“Alright.”

Having finally pacified his senior sister, Ye Tian returned first to Tianhua Hotel, retrieved the materials he’d prepared in advance—a thin, human-skin mask.

After soaking it in a special solution, he pressed it to his face and massaged it in. Moments later, the man in the mirror was no longer Ye Tian, but a perfectly ordinary young man.

Seven o’clock arrived—the time he’d agreed upon with Gu Qingcheng. A blue Porsche pulled up in front of the hotel. The window rolled down slowly.

“Mr. Ye, must you really go like this? You don’t look handsome at all right now.” Yang Yiqiu sounded a little disappointed.

“No choice. I have ulterior motives going with you tonight—up to no good.” Ye Tian shrugged, controlling the mask to make a helpless expression.

The mask had been sent by Tang Zhenguo, with Old Master Ye instructing Tang Long to say he might need it.

“It’s ordinary, but I have to admit—it’s extremely realistic!” Yang Yiqiu laughed and opened the passenger door, inviting Ye Tian inside.

The Porsche sped off, and soon they arrived at the city sports stadium. Originally built for profit, the Zhongdu City Sports Arena had later been acquired by the Foundation and now served as the permanent venue for charitable events.

Beneath the pale lights, Yang Yiqiu gently linked her arm through Ye Tian’s, and together they entered the gala.

Ye Tian wore a calm expression, but inside he felt stiff as a board. Tonight, Yang Yiqiu wore a champagne-colored, short cheongsam, her long hair pinned elegantly behind her head, and her earrings were simple yet dazzling, shaped like delicate gems. Under the soft lights, the sequins on her cheongsam shimmered like flowing starlight, making her impossible to miss.

She was the epitome of noble grace and sweetness—a flawless beauty, radiant as a little sun on the red carpet.

With her stunning looks and distinctive features, it wasn’t long before a crowd of young heirs and prominent businessmen gathered to greet her.

“Queen Yang, I hardly know how to compliment you. I daresay you’re the center of attention again tonight!”

“Ah, I truly can’t take my eyes off you. Your beauty makes us men feel utterly inadequate.”

“With Miss Yang’s entrance, the other heiresses must be green with envy, ha!”

Their teasing was good-natured, but each word was praise for her beauty tonight.

Even Ye Tian couldn’t help but nod—he agreed with their assessment. In terms of looks and presence, she was unmatched.

But where there’s admiration, there’s also doubt. Their skepticism was not aimed at Yang Yiqiu’s taste in fashion or appearance, but at the man accompanying her—Ye Tian.

“Miss Yang, could you not find a better companion than… this?”

A young dandy approached, his eyes brazenly raking over Yang Yiqiu before finally settling on Ye Tian.

This man wore a low-key suit, his shoes were clearly not bespoke, and his face was utterly unremarkable—a stranger to all present. Yet here he was, arm-in-arm with the Queen herself? Was he worthy?

The young man felt a wave of irritation and openly began to point fingers at Ye Tian in front of everyone.

“Miss Yang, I always thought you were single because your standards were too high, but I never imagined your taste would be… like this!”

At his words, countless eyes turned their way.

“Heavens, I hadn’t noticed until he said it—Queen Yang actually brought a date tonight!”

“Exactly! The sun must have risen in the west. Isn’t Yang Yiqiu famously proud of being single, never seen with a man? How come she suddenly has a boyfriend?”

“Maybe it’s not a boyfriend,” some muttered resentfully.

The crowd buzzed with speculation, but the main subject was Ye Tian.

“But this guy is just too plain. His face is forgettable, and that suit is far from high-end. Even his shoes are bottom tier.”

“Could he have talked his way in?”

…

“Young Master Ye, let’s find somewhere to sit,” Yang Yiqiu said, unable to withstand the barrage of gossip from all sides. She quickly took Ye Tian’s hand and led him to a quiet corner.

Just then, a slick-haired young man swaggered over. He cast Ye Tian a disdainful glance before seating himself right beside Yang Yiqiu. Instantly, he put on a fawning smile. “Yiqiu, it’s been so long. What a pleasure to see you here tonight.”

But she had no interest in humoring him—she clicked her tongue impatiently and continued chatting idly with Ye Tian.

“Young Master Ye, before the donation segment, I need to go up and sing a song. Can you wait here for me?”

“No problem,” Ye Tian nodded.

“Yiqiu, you’re singing again tonight? Wonderful, I get to hear your lovely voice once more!” the young man interjected eagerly.

Who on earth is this? Ye Tian shot a questioning look at Yang Yiqiu.