The Double
Chapter 205 - 205 96 Ye San_3

205: Chapter 96 Ye San_3 205: Chapter 96 Ye San_3 Ye Mingyu was again at a loss.

Jiang Li had said she returned to Xiangyang specifically to see Old Madam Ye, but now she mentioned she hadn’t seen the old madam yet, and the old madam didn’t even know she had come back.

What was going on?

What were Young Master Ye the Eldest and Young Master Ye the Second playing at?

Ye Mingyu found his mind a mess, unable to sort out the obvious, and could only agree to engage with Jiang Li’s words and go about his work.

Jiang Li turned around and walked toward the main hall.

Tonger asked, “Miss, aren’t we going out for a walk then?”

“Not anymore,” Jiang Li laughed.

Going out was also to find out what had happened at the Ye Family; since Old Master Ye the Third had already returned to the Mansion, there was no need to go out.

She could learn everything from Old Master Ye the Third’s mouth.

It seemed that Old Master Ye the Third was an approachable man.

…

Back in the main hall, Jiang Li sat at the table where Bai Xue had brewed a pot of tea.

Ye Mingyu had not yet arrived, but Jiang Li was patient, calmly waiting.

Her patience had always been good, something even the Ye Family servants attending her had noticed.

No matter how long the wait, Jiang Li’s expression was always serene and gentle, without a hint of impatience.

For a girl of her age, this was rare.

She did not possess the haughty demeanor of a pampered daughter but was as amiable as the girl next door.

But, even as the girl next door, she was someone whose inner thoughts were inaccessible to others.

After some time had passed, Ye Mingyu finally returned.

The moment he saw Jiang Li, his eyes lit up, and he greeted her with a hearty laugh, “I thought you might have left.

How about it, have you been waiting long?”

“Not long,” Jiang Li also smiled, “I haven’t even finished one cup of tea.”

Ye Mingyu plopped down in the seat opposite Jiang Li, and as soon as he was seated, he eagerly inquired, “Ah Li, I’ve just come back from outside, and I don’t know what’s happened.

How did you suddenly come back to Xiangyang?”

“I’ve already said,” Jiang Li replied helplessly, “I wanted to visit my maternal grandmother, so I came back with Uncle Ming Xuan.”

“But you haven’t seen the old madam yet, have you?” Ye Mingyu said.

“It’s not that I don’t want to see my grandmother; it’s that Uncle Ming Hui and Uncle Ming Xuan said that the old madam is unwell, and it would be rash to upset her with my sudden appearance.

I’ve been in Xiangyang for almost half a month and haven’t found a suitable opportunity.”

After listening to Jiang Li, an embarrassed look crossed Ye Mingyu’s face.

He could tell from Jiang Li’s implication that it was the members of the Ye Family who had prevented her from seeing Old Madam Ye, not Jiang Li’s own reluctance.

Although Ye Mingyu wasn’t in Xiangyang at the time of the past events, he had heard of them and knew of the Ye Family’s cold attitude towards Jiang Li.

Her sudden return to the Ye Family of Xiangyang was not likely to be warmly welcomed.

But Ye Mingyu also couldn’t take it upon himself to allow Jiang Li to meet Old Madam Ye right now.

He spoke haltingly, trying to change the subject, “I see.”

Jiang Li said with a smile, “Uncle Mingyu, you must be tired from your journey.”

Ye Mingyu laughed, “What’s there for me to be tired about?

I was just out roaming and enjoying myself.”

What Ye Mingyu referred to as “doing business overseas” actually brought in very little profit for the Ye Family each year, and the Ye Family had grown indifferent to restraining him.

What was said to be conducting business was indeed more about frolicking around.

Precisely because of his fondness for adventure, by the age Jiang Li and Ye Zhenzhen were fifteen, Mingyu—who was the same age as Zhenzhen—had not yet started a family.

This issue had almost become a constant worry for Old Madam Ye.

Every New Year when Ye Mingyu returned to Xiangyang, the old madam would attempt to find him a suitable girl.

Ye Mingyu was quick to evade such arrangements, hitting the road immediately after New Year, escaping to the freedom of the open mountains and waters.

“That may be so, but not everyone has the courage to roam and enjoy themselves like that,” Jiang Li smiled, “To be unconstrained by convention, to follow one’s desires, isn’t that what life is all about?

Witnessing various grand mountains and rivers broadens your horizons and grants a freedom those confined within the Mansion walls can never have.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingyu froze, and the next moment, a wave of excitement surged through his heart, nearly acclaiming Jiang Li as a kindred spirit.

Everyone he knew thought he was just fooling around.

As a descendant of the Ye Family with endless family wealth, he was expected to manage the family affairs and start his own family instead of venturing into the martial arts world, wandering about, which was seen as irresponsible.

But, deep down, he craved neither stability nor comfort; he thirsted for adventure and knowledge, like an eagle that could not be caged under a roof, a wild horse that could not be tied in a stable.

The only person in the Ye Family who understood him was Ye Zhenzhen, and perhaps it was their blood connection that fostered that understanding.

It was because of Zhenzhen’s understanding back then that Ye Mingyu had always been reluctant to distance himself from Jiang Li.

After Zhenzhen died, the last person who understood him was gone.