Yu He ate her meal leisurely, saying nothing.
Old Mrs. Ye had little appetite and put down her chopsticks after a few bites.
Seeing Yu He eating heartily, finishing even the greens and leaving nothing behind like a starving ghost, she said with disdain, "Be careful you don't stuff yourself to death."
"Grandma, Yu He doesn't get to eat such good food in the mountains. It's her first time, so she can't help but eat a lot. She can go for a walk later," Ye Zisu said.
Her words seemed to be helping Yu He out of a tight spot.
But upon closer inspection, they actually implied that Yu He, having come from the mountains, was uncivilized.
Ye Jianming's slight good impression of Yu He due to her attractive appearance was diluted. He looked at her with undisguised disdain.
"The school matter is settled," he said, then rose, preparing to go to his study.
Yu He finished her last bite of rice and put down her chopsticks.
She elegantly wiped her lips with a napkin and said, "I don't have the habit of wasting food."
Ye Jianming paused in his steps.
The Ye family's company had risen from being nouveau riche, but its operations had never been smooth.
The company had been in deficit for a long time. It had finally turned profitable, but within a few years, competition from peers intensified, thinning their profits.
In recent years, if not for the cooperative support provided by the Gu family in their business dealings, they would not have been able to maintain their current comfortable lifestyle.
Making money was not easy. Although Ye Jianming never demanded that his family be frugal, he had often spoken about avoiding waste.
Did that make them seem wasteful now?
"Then that's a very good habit you have," Ye Zisu said with a sweet smile.
In her heart, she thought: Just keep pretending! Let's see how long you can keep it up!
Yu He ignored her sarcasm and stood up.
"I'll go to Kaiwei for school. If you can't arrange it, then don't bother arranging anything for me."
After speaking, she turned and headed back to the guest room.
"Don't you understand what I'm saying?!" Ye Jianming shouted at her retreating back.
"Dad, don't be angry. Perhaps Yu He just wants to go to the same school as me," Ye Zisu quickly soothed.
"What makes her think she's so capable? She wants to go to Kaiwei, so she can just go? With her grades from that mountain village, can she even pass Kaiwei's entrance exam? Isn't this deliberately trying to disgrace the Ye family?" Ye Jianming cursed indignantly.
"But if Yu He doesn't try, how will she know she's truly incapable?"
Ye Zisu's tone was soft, as if she were genuinely speaking up for Yu He.
"Zisu is right. If we don't let her try, she won't know how useless she really is," Old Mrs. Ye agreed with a nod.
"If she wants to go to Kaiwei, then send her to Kaiwei. To outsiders, even though she's adopted, we treat her equally and satisfy all her requests. But whether she can get into Kaiwei is her own problem."
Ye Jianming suddenly found this line of reasoning sensible.
When Yu He failed to get into Kaiwei, her limitations would be exposed. The Ye family could then say they didn't look down on her for coming from a mountain village, and they had chosen the best school for her according to her wishes. But if she wasn't capable enough, they would then, without any disdain, arrange for her to attend City High School.
"It's Zisu who is sensible and considerate," Ye Jianming said, patting Ye Zisu's shoulder with relief. "Maintain a good relationship with the Gu family. When you get married, Dad will give you a generous dowry for a grand wedding."
"Thank you, Dad," Ye Zisu said sweetly.
She looked at the door of the guest room where Yu He was staying and sneered inwardly.
What's the use of being biological? I am the true young lady of the Ye family!
—
Yu He returned to the guest room, opened WeChat, and searched for "Lu Fanren".
Lu Enhua, the dean of Kaiwei International Academy. "Lu Fanren" was the name Yu He had given him because she found him annoying.
Clicking on it, she saw a message muted icon next to "Lu Fanren" in the chatbox.
Their message history went back two years:
Lu Fanren: [Xiao He, the educational resources in the mountains are limited. Would you consider transferring to another school, perhaps Kaiwei International Academy?]
Yu He: [I refuse.]
Lu Fanren: [Could you tell me why? Is it because our Kaiwei International Academy's educational resources are not good? Or...? (Pleading face emoji/image)]
Yu He: [No reason, too lazy to make one up.]
Lu Fanren: [Woe is me emoji/image.]
Three months later.
Lu Fanren: [Xiao He, the back-to-school season in September is approaching. Have you considered Kaiwei International Academy?]
Lu Fanren: [If not, I'll ask again tomorrow.]
The next day.
Lu Fanren: [Xiao He, the back-to-school season in September, are you really considering Kaiwei International Academy?]
Lu Fanren: [If not, I'll ask again in a couple of days.]
...
Similar invitations had flooded their two-year chat history.
Her fair, slender fingers moved, and she finally sent a single word back:
[Okay.]
As soon as the message was sent, the other party replied immediately.
Lu Fanren: [That's great! I've been waiting for two years, and you've finally agreed! I'll send a car to pick you up on the first day of school!]
Lu Fanren: [No, no, no, I'll pick you up personally!!]