Rebirth 93: Break off the engagement at the beginning and marry Bai Fumei

At the entrance of Ye Hui's shop, two short men in black suits opened the door. They looked shrewd and capable, their steps steady, clearly businessmen. Uncle Yan, standing behind the counter, looked up at the sound and immediately saw the middle-aged man in front. He was of medium build, wearing a sharp gray suit, his hair neatly combed, and gold-rimmed glasses, exuding the confidence and aura of a successful man.

Uncle Yan looked up from the front, cleared his throat, and took a few steps to greet him, a professional smile plastered on his face. "Oh, isn't this Mr. Nakahashi? What brings you here?"

The man called Zhongqiao didn't rush to answer Uncle Yan's greeting. Instead, he smiled slightly at Uncle Yan, revealing a set of white teeth. Then, he straightened up, nodded slightly to show respect, and asked, "Uncle Yan, is Young Master Ye here today?"

His voice was not loud, but each word was clear, conveying a sense of respect and composure.

“Our young master is resting in the back. Is there anything I can help you with?” Uncle Yan answered while subtly glancing at another person beside Zhongqiao. This gentleman was clearly more imposing than Zhongqiao. As soon as he entered, he stared intently at the antiques on the display shelf, his sharp eyes seeming to see right through everything.

“Uncle Yan, this is Mr. Masano Ishitani from our Komei Group, who is also the chairman of our group. He has come here today to pay a special visit to Young Master Ye.” Nakahashi said, turning to the side and gesturing to Masano Ishitani beside him, and continued, “I hope Uncle Yan will inform him.”

"Oh!" Uncle Yan was slightly startled when he heard the name "Ishitani Masano". He looked Ishitani up and down again without making a sound, then bent down and nodded with a smile. "Mr. Ishitani, I've heard so much about you. Please have a seat, and I'll go to the back and tell my young master."

"Please!" Upon hearing Uncle Yan's words, Ishitani Masano bowed slightly and replied with a smile. Although he was not tall, his demeanor exuded the aura of a superior, making him someone not to be underestimated.

Ye Hui hummed a tuneless little tune, swaying his head as he sat in the armchair, looking just like a well-fed Persian cat. He squinted, enjoying the rare tranquility of the morning, a pair of ornamental walnuts twirling in his hand as if they were priceless treasures. What a comfortable life!

Suddenly, Uncle Yan appeared in the doorway, breaking the silence. He tiptoed to Ye Hui's side, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously, "Young Master, Mr. Nakahashi is here!"

"Who?" Ye Hui opened his eyes abruptly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His eyes, which had been narrowed to slits, suddenly widened. "Zhongqiao? He hasn't shown his face for almost a year now, right? How did he find my shop in Jiangcheng?"

Uncle Yan shook his head and said with a serious expression, "He didn't come alone this time. He brought someone with him, named... Ishitani Masano."

"Ishigani Masano?" Ye Hui's eyelids twitched. Why did that name sound so familiar? He racked his brains and finally remembered who the name belonged to. It was the guy who gave him a Kangxi-era Taibai Zun on the day his shop opened in Jiangcheng! At the time, he was quite puzzled; he didn't even know this person, so why did he give him a gift?

“Young Master, Mr. Nakahashi said that this Masano Ishitani is the chairman of their Komei Group,” Uncle Yan said with a frown. “That name sounds like something from the Japanese electronics industry. We have no connection with them whatsoever.”

"Who knows? Maybe he wants to switch careers and go into the antique business?" Ye Hui said with amusement, stroking his chin.

"How about..." Uncle Yan asked tentatively, "I'll go back for you?"

Ye Hui stroked his chin, squinted his eyes, and a mysterious smile appeared on his lips: "How can that be? After all, they gave us a treasure, so we have to show them some hospitality! Let's go meet this important figure and see what he's really up to!"

After listening, Uncle Yan nodded silently and turned to leave. Ye Hui got up and was about to leave when he suddenly stopped, stroked his stubble, pondered for a moment, and then an idea came to him.

He took off the expensive-looking Tang suit he was wearing and casually tossed it on the mahogany shelf. Then, he slowly changed into a worn-out set of pajamas, deliberately leaving the buttons undone, and finally slipped on a pair of plastic slippers that made a clattering sound when he walked.

He sauntered over to the mirror, looked at his disheveled reflection, nodded in satisfaction, then picked up some walnuts from the fruit plate, casually twirled them, and wobbled away.

"Mr. Nakahashi~~~!" Ye Hui deliberately dragged out his voice. Before even reaching the door, he launched into a lion's roar, a voice so sharp it sounded like a rooster trying to imitate a tiger's roar, sending shivers down one's spine.

Startled by the sudden sound, Nakahashi and Ishitani stood up and turned to look at the source of the sound. They saw Ye Hui wearing a set of pajamas, the buttons of which were fastened incorrectly, and slippers on his feet. He was also holding two walnuts in his hand and swaying out with an air of nonchalance.

The scene, the costume, the way they appeared—all of this made Nakahashi and Ishitani's lips twitch involuntarily. The two looked at each other, unsure of how to react.

Ye Hui walked up to the two men, saw their expressions, smiled smugly, and bowed, saying, "Oh, Mr. Nakahashi, what an honor to have you here! It's been so long since we last met!"

"Please sit down, please sit down, don't be shy!" Ye Hui said, gesturing for the two to sit down. He also proudly showed off his plastic slippers, his smug expression making it seem as if he were wearing priceless treasures, not slippers.

"Young Master Yan, hello. I haven't been able to visit you since we met in Shencheng last year. I apologize for the intrusion!" Zhongqiao said, bowing slightly to Ye Hui.

“That’s right, Mr. Nakahashi,” Ye Hui said, swaggering over to the sofa, plopping down, and crossing his legs high. He looked at Nakahashi with a smile and asked, “I was just telling Lao Yan that I was wondering if you had offended Mr. Nakahashi. Why did you suddenly stop coming? And I couldn’t get through to you when I called. It really bothered me for a while!”

"Young Master Ye, you're too kind," Zhongqiao waved his hands repeatedly, his face full of apology. "It was indeed my oversight that I didn't explain to Young Master Ye, causing him to misunderstand. Actually, during the time I was away, I was busy with company matters back in our country. As soon as I finished dealing with those matters, I rushed back without stopping, just to visit Young Master Ye as soon as possible!"

Ye Hui pretended to suddenly realize something, slapped his thigh, and said, "So that's how it is! No wonder Mr. Nakahashi suddenly disappeared without a trace. I thought..." He deliberately dragged out his words, gave Nakahashi a meaningful look, but did not continue.

Upon hearing this, Zhongqiao broke out in a fine sweat. "Good heavens," he thought, "did you think something had happened to me?" He quickly explained, "Young Master Ye, please don't misunderstand. I cherish our friendship deeply; how could I deliberately distance myself from you?"

He paused for a moment, then said sincerely, "Besides visiting you, I have another reason for coming: I would like to introduce you to my old friend."

As he spoke, Zhongqiao turned to the side and solemnly introduced the silent Ishiya Masano to Ye Hui, "Young Master Ye, this is Mr. Ishiya Masano, the chairman of Komei Group. When he was in our country, he heard me talk about you and admired you very much, so he came here to visit you this time."

Ye Hui turned his gaze to Ishiya Masano, his expression scrutinizing.

Sensing Ye Hui's gaze, Ishitani Masano bowed slightly and said in broken Chinese, "Young Master Ye, I've long admired your name. I am Ishitani Masano. Please take care of me."

"Oh!" Upon hearing the name, Ye Hui's face immediately lit up with a smile. He stood up abruptly and warmly shook Ishitani Masano's hand. "So you are the legendary Mr. Ishitani! Seeing is believing, you are indeed a handsome and distinguished man!"

As Ye Hui spoke, he looked Ishigani Masano up and down, his gaze so intense it seemed he could see the pattern on Ishigani's underwear through his suit.

"I have a very deep impression of the gift you gave me. I display it in the most conspicuous place in the store every day, and I praise you to everyone I meet for your generosity and discerning eye!" Ye Hui said, deliberately lowering his voice and speaking mysteriously, "Let me tell you, because of that treasure you gave me, my store's business is booming, and money is rolling in!"

Ishitani Masano was clearly taken aback by Ye Hui's sudden enthusiasm. He smiled awkwardly, but before he could speak, Ye Hui began to boast to himself, "Let me tell you, I may not be good at much else, but I love making friends, especially successful people like you who have status, position, and good taste!"

As Ye Hui spoke, he patted Ishitani Masano's shoulder forcefully, his expression as if the two were old friends who hadn't seen each other for years. Ye Hui said that Mr. Ishitani's presence was a great honor for his humble abode! He insisted that they must treat Mr. Ishitani well today, and that no one was allowed to leave; they would drink until they were completely drunk!

Ishitani Masano was a bit stunned by Ye Hui's combination of punches. He originally thought Ye Hui would be the kind of aloof scion of a noble family, but he didn't expect him to be so familiar with people. This contrast caught him off guard.

However, being a man of the world, he quickly regained his composure. He stood up, bowed slightly to Ye Hui, and said, "Young Master Ye, you flatter me. I am merely a commoner who loves antiques. Mr. Zhongqiao is the true expert in this field. We often exchange ideas and discuss things together, and he always mentions you, saying that you are a descendant of the Chinese imperial family, of noble status, and that your discerning eye is unmatched. I have long admired you! It is truly an honor to meet you in person today!"

After hearing this, Ye Hui knew perfectly well that the Japanese were just saying polite things, but he was still very pleased. Ye Hui smiled and waved his hand, just about to say something, when he heard Ishiya Masano say, "Young Master Ye, I apologize for visiting you. This is a small gift I prepared for you. I hope you like it!"

As he spoke, Ishitani Masano placed a brocade box in front of Ye Hui, smiling and gesturing for him to open it. Ye Hui smiled wryly and gently pointed at Ishitani Masano, "Oh dear, Mr. Ishitani, you're too kind. How could I possibly accept such an offer?"