He wanted to prove that their love was pure.
The next day.
The banquet was held at the Ye residence. The servants started decorating early in the morning. To give Ye Ziyu the most luxurious welcome banquet, Ye Qian had requested all four of his sons to be present the previous evening.
Ye Shaoting had canceled his work. He stood on the second-floor balcony, watching the servants place fresh flowers on the courtyard decorations below.
"Mingjue, I'm so nervous."
On the other side of the balcony was Ye Ziyu's room. Ye Shaoting heard the familiar voice and, with interest, decided to pause and listen.
Di Mingjue looked at the gown Ye Ziyu had already put on, his eyes radiating deep affection. "You look beautiful tonight, like a fairy. Don't be nervous."
The gown fit her measurements perfectly. When Ye Ziyu put it on, she looked like a bride about to walk down the aisle, breathtakingly beautiful.
She touched the necklace at her chest and murmured, "It's so heavy, my neck is so sore."
The necklace she wore was a global limited edition, one of a kind, impossible to buy even with great wealth.
Di Mingjue helped Ye Ziyu sit down and carefully lifted the pendant at her chest. "Take it off for now and wear it later."
There was still a long time before the banquet began, and there was a risk of bumps and scrapes. Ye Ziyu, considering its value, agreed.
Di Mingjue took off the necklace and casually placed it in the jewelry box.
Without the necklace, the heaviness on her neck instantly vanished. Ye Ziyu hooked her arms around Di Mingjue's neck, playfully demanding he carry her downstairs.
The sound from next door disappeared. Ye Shaoting took out the pocket watch necklace from his neck. He opened the outer watch case, revealing a steel-stamped ID photo of a girl.
Ye Shaoting lovingly traced the photo with his finger, tears of longing falling onto it.
She lay in the cold earth, so why should he have a happy life! He closed the pocket watch case and cast a malicious glance at the room next door.
As time passed, the invited guests began to arrive.
"I heard the Ye family's long-lost eldest daughter is back?"
"Her birth mother was Lu Yuman. I didn't expect her to leave Sijiucheng for so many years and still leave the Ye family with a child."
Lu Yuman and Ye Qianzhi's love had caused a stir throughout Sijiucheng. Now, Ye Ziyu's return, with her status, had once again reminded the people of Sijiucheng of Lu Yuman's existence.
Shen Meixiu, dressed in an elegant gown, listened to everyone's discussions. Deep down, she wished Ye Ziyu would appear in a disheveled state.
How dare a mere young girl try to vindicate her mother?
Shen Meixiu's appearance attracted a group of wealthy wives. They offered congratulations on the surface, but inwardly, they waited to see her embarrassed.
"Mrs. Ye, congratulations. You had a daughter without pain."
"I envy you so much. When will I have such good fortune?"
Everyone smiled, discussing Ye Ziyu's return.
Shen Meixiu maintained a pleasant demeanor, unfazed by any subtle mockery.
Eventually, the others lost interest and stopped talking.
Shen Meixiu glanced at the children peeking down curiously from the second floor and sighed, lamenting with concern, "It's good, but this child was spoiled while being raised outside. She's nothing like a young lady from a wealthy family, more like a commoner. You don't know, the three children she brought back are more mischievous than the last. If I say anything, she gets upset."
"Really?"
High society valued etiquette above all else. How arrogant one might be in private was unimportant; when it came to public appearance, one had to be impeccable.
Seeing Shen Meixiu's displeasure with Ye Ziyu, and wanting to please her, they chimed in, "I heard she had children out of wedlock. What kind of mother, what kind of daughter, I suppose."
Di Mingjue's identity was not difficult to uncover. A quick search online revealed his romantic history.