Chapter 35: An Unexpected Encounter—Li Ze

Fine needles of rain tapped against the car window, transmitting a chill through the door seams. Yu Zhi had been in the car all night, and her mind felt somewhat muddled.

Fang Zhixiao noticed she had woken up and reminded her, "Are you cold? We’ll be there in a moment. President Ning sent a message earlier saying he would meet you at the gate."

Yu Zhi nodded, not at all surprised that Ning Qi'er had arrived early. She sighed inwardly, wondering why he couldn't have just sent someone else to guide her.

The Ning family’s ancestral estate occupied a vast area with numerous courtyards. It was a complex structure of gardens within residences and residences within gardens; without someone familiar to lead the way, one could easily wander for hours. For Yu Zhi, who had only been there twice before and had unpleasant experiences both times, this was a hellish difficulty level.

The car came to a smooth stop. Yu Zhi had spotted the person standing by the road early on and asked in disbelief, "Is this the gate your President Ning was talking about?"

Assistant Fang, who had been hired by Ning Qi'er after he left the main family, did not know the internal layout of the Ning estate. However, even he could glimpse the extraordinary status of his boss’s family just by looking at the overly grand gatehouse plaque. Compared to this estate, the company his boss currently owned was merely a drop in the ocean.

"Yes, President Ning usually has me drop him off here."

Yu Zhi pursed her lips; no wonder Ning Qi'er had specifically mentioned this. This was merely the road entrance; from here, it was about two kilometers to the actual Ning residence.

Stepping out of the car, she walked straight into Ning Qi'er's embrace.

"Button up your coat. It’s cold out."

The two watched as Assistant Fang drove away, falling into silence.

"Why didn't you drive in?"

"Things have become noisy inside. We'll walk back slowly; it’s a good way to avoid it."

Yu Zhi understood and silently wrapped her coat tighter around herself.

Old Master Ning had married three times and fathered four sons and two daughters. Ning Qi'er was the second son of the first wife, and he had an older sister. The second wife had two sons, and thanks to them, she still lived in the main residence even after divorcing the Old Master.

As for the third wife, even Yu Zhi had to express a measure of admiration. She was silver-tongued and knew how to bend and stretch as the situation required. Not wanting to see the second wife, she had persuaded the Old Master to live with her in an outside residence. Not only could the couple enjoy their own private life, but she could also whisper in his ear to secure benefits for her own son. Being able to sway the Old Master meant she was not a person to be trifled with.

The monthly family banquet was attended by every branch of the family, everyone fearing that if they missed a single one, they would lose a share of the spoils. After marrying Ning Qi'er, she had attended twice. Adhering to the idea of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," she had once proposed living in the ancestral home with him. However, the younger siblings had been anything but friendly. They would play pranks on her every few days, not to mention fabricating baseless rumors and posting them on StarBlog. Much of the "black material" surrounding her had been left behind from that period. Back then, however, she had enough die-hard fans that the "haters" couldn't stir up much trouble.

Thinking of this, Yu Zhi let out a breath. "Has the young aunt returned?"

"She always makes the grand finale with the Old Master, not to mention that Ning Qihe is already here as a representative."

Yu Zhi’s expression softened slightly; Ning Qihe was the only person in the Ning family who had ever shown her a kind face. The "young aunt" was the Old Master’s third wife, who had a son and a daughter. The son was studying abroad and did not attend the family banquets, leaving only Ning Qihe, who always ran to the scene the fastest.

Ning Qi'er seemed to want to say something, but after a long moment, he swallowed his words. Regarding the person Ning Qihe had brought back, he decided it would be better for Yu Zhi to see for herself.

...

The night was sufficiently tranquil, and with their deliberate pace, the two seemed to turn the two-kilometer walk into twenty. It was now six or seven in the morning, just as the Ning family’s breakfast banquet was concluding. The timing Ning Qi'er chose for Yu Zhi was perfect.

Passing by the dining room, a flamboyantly dressed girl rushed toward them. Yu Zhi couldn't dodge in time and had to open her arms to catch her.

"Little sister-in-law! I missed you so much! It’s all brother’s fault for not letting me find you. You don’t know! He’s so mean! He actually..."

A sudden tug prevented the rest of her words from surfacing. Ning Qi'er gripped her wrist tightly and pulled her out of Yu Zhi’s arms. "Ning Qihe, mind the occasion. And what is going on with the hair on your head?"

"Old fuddy-duddy!" Ning Qihe held her head high with pride. She certainly had the capital to be headstrong, Yu Zhi thought with a faint smile. Dressed in a girl-group outfit, the girl radiated a lethal charm. Her perfectly applied makeup smoothed over the awkward age gap.

"It looks good..." She was never stingy with her praise.

Ning Qihe grabbed Yu Zhi’s other hand. "Little sister-in-law is the only one who is nice to me, unlike some people who only know how to threaten me. One day, when my cat runs off with someone else, you won’t even know how to cry..."

Facing Yu Zhi’s questioning look, Ning Qi'er did not explain where the cat had come from, only saying, "Dye your hair back before lunch."

"Yu Zhi needs to rest now. Don’t be a nuisance," he added.

The two stood in a silent standoff. Just as Yu Zhi was about to intervene to smooth things over for Ning Qihe—after all, it was normal for a twenty-year-old girl to love beauty—her peripheral vision caught a figure that had no business being there. Her gaze turned cold instantly.

"Zhi, what a coincidence. You’re here too?"

Li Ze stood before her, wearing a double-breasted suit tailored from top-tier wool blend. His smoke-gray eyes narrowed behind his lenses, and his lips curled into a smile that felt like a morning breeze—slightly cool, yet touched by sunlight. It was both fervent and heartless.

"Professor Li certainly has quite the means," Yu Zhi remarked, her tone ambiguous and laced with sarcasm.

Looking at Ning Qi'er’s expression, it was clear he had known Li Ze was here all along, yet he hadn't revealed a word to her. Did he want to watch her lose control? She was merely being used as a target again. Hiding the subtle flicker of emotion in her eyes, Yu Zhi said goodbye to Ning Qihe.

"Hehe, I’ve been traveling all night. I’ll keep you company tonight."

With that, she didn't say another word to the two men.

Seeing Yu Zhi leave, Ning Qi'er realized what she was thinking and hurried to catch up and grab her. "Yu Zhi, I didn't know he would be here."

"Ning Qi'er, even if you didn't know, you still received the news. Your eyes and ears are everywhere in the Ning family. Can you really say you didn't know?"

Her words left him with no reply. He had indeed received information, and although he didn't understand the situation, he had already sent people to investigate.

"You know me—someone as calculating as I am would never pass up the chance to ask for credit. If I had truly known more, why would I have missed such an opportunity?"

"You go rest first. There is a tough battle ahead this afternoon. I’ll have someone take you back."

Ning Qi'er then called out to a passing servant, "Escort your mistress back to our courtyard."

Under Ning Qi'er’s coat, Yu Zhi curled her fingers, offering no opinion on his explanation. No matter how he justified it, a deception remained a deception. There had clearly been a more honest way to handle it. Did he really think that by lowering his head slightly, he could earn her forgiveness? That was far too naive.