Chapter 8: My Lady, Our Ancestor Is Acting Strange

Housekeeper Xu beamed with delight at the thought. Replacing ten phones—three for his wife, three for his daughter, one for his son, and three for himself—it worked out perfectly.

As he walked away, he muttered to himself, "Keep breaking them, you little ancestor."

Zhou Yinhe sat on the floor, leaning against the bed, his head tilted back as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

Jiang Jibai returned the call quickly. "Wen Ling is staying at Langpo Bay. She bought two adjacent villas; she lives in one, and her nannies, housekeepers, and private doctors stay in the one next door."

Zhou Yinhe blinked his eyes, which were dry and bloodshot from lack of sleep. He gave a faint, indifferent "mm" and hung up.

He stood up slowly, shuffled lazily downstairs in his slippers, and tossed the phone to Housekeeper Xu, his entire demeanor dark and decadent. "I’m going to sleep. Don't wake me for anything."

Housekeeper Xu caught the phone and, seeing him turn to head back upstairs, stepped forward with concern. "Young master, shouldn't you have some breakfast before you sleep?"

"No."

Left standing where he was, Housekeeper Xu watched him go upstairs. He then turned and dialed the number for Zhou Yinhe’s mother, Madam Ning Qing, a prominent socialite in the capital.

"Madam, our young master isn't himself."

Ning Qing was having breakfast in the Zhou family garden. Clad in a light-colored cheongsam with her hair styled elegantly, she sat at an English-style table, radiating an aura of grace and sophistication.

Among her five children, only her youngest, Zhou Yinhe, resembled her, which was why she doted on him so much. Upon hearing the housekeeper's words, her poise vanished instantly. Panicked, she asked, "What is it? What happened?"

Housekeeper Xu told her how Zhou Yinhe hadn't slept all night, how he had smashed his phone, and how he had called Jiang Jibai to inquire about someone being ill.

Ning Qing let out a sigh of relief and settled back into her chair, her composure returning. She said softly, "A small matter. He probably had an argument with a girl he likes. It's time he thought about his future anyway. Did you happen to hear the name of this girl?"

Housekeeper Xu thought carefully. "It sounded like... Ling? Wen Ling?"

"Who did you say?!"

Ning Qing stood up abruptly. She was well aware of the impact the name Wen Ling had on her youngest son. Any trace of grace and sophistication was now completely gone.

"You said Yinhe asked where Wen Ling lives, if she’s sick, and if she’s seen a doctor?!"

Housekeeper Xu replied, "Um... I believe so?"

Ning Qing began pacing back and forth, muttering in a low, distressed tone, "It's over, it's all over."

Housekeeper Xu was confused, and Ning Qing did not explain. That incident from years ago had been suppressed by the family; other than Zhou Yinhe’s friends, the main residence's housekeeper, and a few loyal servants, no one else knew about it. Coincidentally, Housekeeper Xu had been on a six-month leave at the time, so he remained in the dark.

Ning Qing instructed him, "Take good care of him. Keep a close watch for anything else unusual, and if something comes up, tell me immediately." She paused, then added, "I’ve already arranged for your daughter’s school. She can enroll next semester."

Housekeeper Xu thanked her joyfully, assuring her he would keep a close eye on the young master.

After hanging up, Ning Qing called her second son, Zhou Congyu. Zhou Congyu had just arrived at the office and was standing at the entrance of the conference room, preparing to lead a meeting with the company's executives.

He signaled for the executives to go in and wait for him, then walked to the corridor window to take the call.

"Mom, have you had breakfast?" Zhou Congyu asked with a warm smile.

In the capital, the Zhou family’s three sons and two daughters were all considered the "ideal children" of others. The eldest son, Zhou Yanqiu, had naturally taken over the group; the eldest daughter, Zhou Qiyue, managed real estate and development; the second son and eldest daughter were twins, with the second son currently managing the Ning family’s interests; and the second daughter was currently traveling, performing in theaters across the globe with her violin.

As for the youngest, Zhou Yinhe, he had started his own financial investment holding company and had successfully taken it public through his own merits.

"Who has time for breakfast!" Ning Qing said frantically. "Hurry and check if that Wen Ling has come to the capital and if she has met your younger brother!"

Zhou Congyu paused, then laughed helplessly. "Mom, even if Wen Ling came to the capital and met Xiao Wu, that’s his business. If I go snooping and he finds out we’re interfering, he’ll definitely lose his temper again."

Ning Qing sighed heavily. "I don't want to pry, but just thinking about what your brother was like three years ago makes me terrified."

Zhou Congyu tried to comfort his mother, but she remained lost in her memories, clearly unhappy. He had no choice but to agree to look into it for her.

"Mom, I’ll have someone check into it and let you know when I find out, okay? Don't worry. Xiao Wu is different from how he used to be; what happened three years ago won't happen again."

Ning Qing finally let out a small sigh of relief.

When Wen Ling woke up again, she felt stifled and hot. Her pajamas were soaked with sweat, as if she had been trapped in a steam box.

She sat up, feeling that her head wasn't as heavy as before, and went to the bathroom to take a hot shower.

When she returned to the bedroom, she found her phone ringing incessantly under the covers and answered it.

"Why did you take so long to pick up? Did you get Zhou Yinhe?" a man’s lazy voice drifted through.

"No," Wen Ling said, recalling the phone call with some disappointment. "I had a fever, I just woke up."

"What happened?" The man’s voice turned frantic. Wen Ling didn't notice and simply recounted what had happened the day before.

The man gritted his teeth. "You’d risk your own health just to plot against Ruan Miaomiao?"

"Only this way would they start to doubt Ruan Miaomiao’s hypocrisy and pave the way for my future moves. Besides, didn't I turn out fine?" Wen Ling pouted, not caring in the least.

The man was even angrier. "Do you have any idea what your condition is? A single illness could cost you half your life, and you still dare to act like this."

Wen Ling also found it strange. "I’m perfectly fine this time. It was just a fever, and I felt better as soon as I woke up."

The man stopped speaking. After a moment of silence, he hung up the phone.

Wen Ling didn't understand what was wrong with him. She blinked, scratched her nose in confusion, and then a knock sounded at the door. Auntie Zhou’s voice came through: "A-Ling, are you awake?"

Wen Ling got up and opened the door, smiling softly. "Auntie Zhou, I’m awake."

Auntie Zhou touched her forehead. It was no longer hot, and she sighed with relief. "Thank goodness the fever broke."

Wen Ling smiled brightly. "Mm-hmm, I don't know why, but I recovered especially quickly this time."

Auntie Zhou glared at her. "Isn't it a good thing you recovered quickly?"

"It is." Wen Ling hooked her arm through Auntie Zhou’s, and they headed downstairs. Auntie Zhou suddenly tapped her head. "I almost forgot; I wanted to ask what you wanted for lunch."

Wen Ling thought for a moment. "I want noodles. Clear broth noodles, the kind you make."

For some reason, ever since she’d had Auntie Zhou’s noodle soup, it had stayed in her mind, and she craved it from time to time.

Auntie Zhou patted her hand affectionately and smiled. "Alright, I’ll go make them for you."

After Auntie Zhou left, Wen Ling picked up her phone again, her eyes cast downward as she looked at the call logs on the screen.