Chapter 21
Everyone started gossiping after their initial shock wore off.
"Young Master He just returned back to town. What is he thinking? Why is he getting involved in a fight between Young Master Xiang and Young Master Peng?"
"God knows. No one can afford to provoke him either. He disappeared for years but I heard Young Master Lu brought him home."
"No wonder."
"Look at what Young Master used as the bet."
"Oh God... He used his horse racing course as the bet!"
"Look at the driver he sent."
"Where did he find such confidence? Why did he send out a completely unknown racer?"
"He's bound to lose."
Zi Lian suddenly hoped that Zi Yi would make the mistake of betting on He Fei's racer after hearing what everyone said.
Her lips curved upwards. Since He Fei was here, she ought to find a chance to stage a fake chance encounter
She decisively handed Zi Yi her gold card after just thinking about the opportunity and said, "I have over $6 million in my bank account. If you want, you can have it all."
Zi Yi glanced at her before she took the card and headed to the betting area.
After He Fei suddenly joined the race, no one betted on him.
Zi Yi quickly placed her bet. Earlier on she had hacked into the banking system to create a new account for herself using a fake name. This way, she could avoid trouble when she won.
After placing their bets, everyone entered the race track and went up to the spectators' stand.
The stands were segregated into four zones: A, B, C, and D. Zi Yi and Zi Liang had entered zone A, so they could see the starting lineup.
All the drivers had started to prepare.
Many women leaned against the railing and shouted excitedly at the drivers.
Zi Yi and Zi Lian sat down after finding their seats and Zi Lian purposely asked Zi Yi, "Since Young Master He is here too, why don't you go over and say hi later?"
"No, I'm not going to," Zi Yi succinctly replied before her eyes turned to the racers.
Zi Lian deliberately said, "Why did you decide to bet on Young Master He's racer? Is it because you are his..."
"Stop talking." Zi Yi frowned. She turned her head and said, "If you aren't interested in such races, then go and wait outside. Stop getting in my way."
Zi Lian was angry. Although she did not care about racing, she had just loaned Zi Yi a lot of money, so she wanted to stay and witness her loss.
She suppressed her displeasure after thinking about this and promised Zi Yi. "Fine. I'll stop."
Zi Yi continued looking at the racers and since she had a top-level mental power, it was easy for her to make someone win.
Zi Yi suddenly stood up and walked forward.
Zi Lian did not see this coming. She wanted to catch up to Zi Yi, but there were so many screaming women in front of her that she found it somewhat unbearable.
She could only sit down.
Zi Yi went up to the railing closest to the track. She was stunned when she saw He Fei. She did not expect that he was the man who wanted to marry her.
The moment Zi Yi caught sight of He Fei, she inexplicably thought about the owner of the supercar workshop, Lu Jingye. She was briefly stunned before she veered her eyes away and released mental power towards the driver next to He Fei.
The race was about to begin.
At the end of the countdown the race cars swiftly drove away from the starting line like rockets.
Chapter 22
The moment the cars drove off, the spectators went nuts.
The screaming, shouting, and sound of cheering were absolutely thunderous.
The racers showed off all kinds of driving skills, such as drifting and cornering. The screech of the tires left the crowd's scalps numb and their hair standing on end.
When all the racers reached speeds of over 300 kilometers per hour, the noise from the F1 race was so deafening that it left their hearts palpitating and their ears ringing.
Zi Yi quietly left the racetrack. She could not stand the sound of the screaming women.
After Zi Yi walked out, she took out her phone and lowered her head as she calculated her winnings.
A confident and pleasant voice suddenly spoke to her, "Watch it there."
Zi Yi hurriedly halted to avoid walking into the car in front of her and turned to look towards the voice.
She was surprised to see the man walking among some smartly dressed men. "It's you."
She instinctively studied him.
His suit and black silk shirt accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs. A dignified aura radiated from him and he gave off an intense professional charm.
He probably was not just the owner of a supercar workshop.
Lu Jingye was caught by surprise too. She was not wearing any thick makeup today and looked very pretty and pleasant.
He nodded at her and said, "Be careful when you are walking and stop looking at your phone."
Zi Yi put away her phone and her lips curved into a smile before she teased him, "You are still as nosy as ever."
The people walking beside Lu Jingye looked at Zi Yi in shock.
Who was this girl? How could she have the guts to speak to Lu family's second son this way?
Lu Jingye pursed his lips and looked at her with his deep eyes.
Zi Yi waved before she walked around him. "But thanks for the reminder."
The moment she finished speaking, she left.
Lu Jingye veered his eyes away from her disappearing figure and continued walking. He decisively handed out orders to the men around him, "Prepare two contracts. The first one is for the ownership transfer if they lose. The second contract is for buying back He Fei's horse racing tracks after they win."
His subordinates quickly realized his plans. They immediately and respectfully replied, "Okay."
Lu Jingye continued speaking, "Find out who placed the biggest bet."
A man swiftly checked using a tablet. "It's Young Master Ou." He added in surprise, "Someone shockingly betted over $6 million for Young Master He's racer to win."
Lu Jingye paused in his steps. "Find out who they are."
...
Zi Yi waited outside the racetrack for almost ten minutes before Zi Lian hurried over like she had seen a ghost.
The moment she came over, she took out her phone and made a call.
Zi Yi walked up to Zi Lian and said after the phone call went through, "Time to go."
The moment Zi Lian heard Zi Yi's voice, her hand trembled so hard that her phone nearly fell to the ground.
She held her phone tightly as she looked at Zi Yi in disbelief. "Y-you won!"
Zi Yi had a calm expression on her face. "Uh huh. Aren't you happy?"
"Yes, I am," lied Zi Lian. "I didn't think you were that good. You surprisingly betted on the right driver. You must have won heaps of money this time."
She was so mad that she felt as though her lungs were about to explode. It never dawned on her that Zi Yi would win when she loaned her the money.
Zi Yi glanced at Zi Lian's face and her lips curved into a smile as she generously said, "After I collect the winnings, I will give you $1 million."
Chapter 23
Li Peirong was surprised to see Zi Yi and Zi Lian come back empty-handed, when they returned to the hotel. "Didn't you buy anything?"
Zi Lian was in a bad mood, so she replied patronizingly, "Aunt Peirong, she didn't find anything she liked, so we came back after doing some window shopping."
The moment she finished her sentence, she added, "I am a little tired, so I am going to rest."
She headed back to her room when she was done talking.
Li Peirong could tell that Zi Lian was patronizing her, so she felt worried and had an ominous feeling about this.
She probed Zi Yi. "Where did you go today?"
"Window-shopping," replied Zi Yi before heading back to her room.
Li Peirong did not keep her. She frowned from behind as she watched Zi Yi leave.
After Zi Yi closed the door, she knocked on Zi Lian's door.
Zi Xu had gone out earlier in the morning and he happily asked Li Peirong, when he got back in the afternoon, "Where is Yiyi?"
"She's in her room." Li Peirong saw his expression and felt surprised, so she nervously asked, "What happened?"
"Call her over. The He family called me. Madam He wants us to bring her over and see her tonight."
Li Peirong was caught by surprise. She did not expect Madam He to summon Zi Yi so quickly.
Zi Lian happened to walk over when Zi Yi came out.
Zi Xu happily said to her, "Yiyi, get yourself dressed up. We are having dinner with Madam He tonight."
He said to Li Peirong worriedly, "Help her with her makeup. The butler said that Madam He doesn't like it when women put on thick makeup and also get her to tone down her dress style."
He stood up and headed out of the room. "I am going to get a gift."
Li Peirong watched Zi Yi as Zi Xu hurriedly walked away. She pondered in her heart how best to make Zi Yi leave a bad impression on Madam He. She then smiled and said, "Let me help you with your makeup."
She turned to look at Zi Lian. "You are coming along with us as well, so you have to get dressed."
"Okay."
After Zi Lian went back to her room, Zi Yi said, "I will do my own makeup."
She headed back to her room.
Li Peirong was worried, so she followed behind her.
After Zi Yi went back into her room, she continued using the tablet.
Li Peirong asked, "Aren't you going to do your makeup?"
Zi Yi did not look up. "Didn't Dad say Madam He doesn't like women who wear thick makeup? Since I am already pretty without makeup, it doesn't matter if I don't put on any."
This suited Li Peirong's plans well, but she attempted to sound concerned about the potential marriage and said, "I think that's a bad idea."
"It's perfectly fine."
Zi Yi was determined and kept using the tablet with no intention of putting on makeup.
Li Peirong assumed she was playing video games. She forced the smile on her face down and asked, "What do you plan on wearing?"
Zi Yi replied, "The white outfit with ruffles."
It was a pantsuit.
"Aren't you going to wear a dress?"
"Nope."
Li Peirong finally left the room in satisfaction to tell Zi Lian to doll up.
She was not going to remind Zi Yi that it was deemed rude to go without makeup, especially when they were visiting an elder.
Zi Xu came back with a gift. He frowned when he saw Zi Yi walking out of her room, when they were preparing to leave.
"Why are you wearing that?"
He could not tell that Zi Yi was barefaced.
However, he felt that girls looked the best in dresses. "Go put on a dress."
Chapter 24
Zi Yi shrugged before she headed back to her room and changed into a dress.
Zi Xu was finally satisfied when his daughter instantly transformed into a little fairy.
The four of them got into the car and headed to the He family.
Zi Lian could not help covering her mouth and exclaiming in astonishment when the car arrived at the He residence entrance, "My God! The He residence is huge!"
The He residence consisted of an entire stretch of villa district and was not just a single villa. The main entrance looked grand and a team of armed security guards stood at its entrance.
Zi Lian's eyes lit up when she saw this.
Zi Xu could not contain his excitement either.
In ancient times, the He clan would be considered royalty and the Zi family would be deemed a merchant at best. If they managed to marry Zi Yi into the family, the Zi family's status in society would rise.
He could not help reminding Zi Yi, "Watch what you do and hide those terrible habits of yours well. If you have trouble answering Madam He, then watch my cue."
Zi Yi glanced at the anxious Zi Xu and acknowledged him calmly.
The car was stopped at the entrance.
Zi Xu told the chauffeur to open the car windows and told the security guard, "We are Madam He's guests. My surname is Zi."
The security guard nodded and gave him directions about where to go before he said, "All other areas are off-limits."
"Got it."
Zi Xu told the chauffeur to close the window before they drove in.
The He residence was huge, so the car drove for almost five to six minutes before the main villa finally came into sight.
A lot of cars had pulled up outside the villa and many servants were standing at the entrance. The doors were slightly open and light came out through the doors; many guests could be seen inside.
Li Peirong found it odd. "Why are there so many people in the villa?"
Zi Lian added, "Why do I have a feeling that there is a banquet going on?"
Zi Yi turned her head sideways to see the villa entrance and promptly figured out what Madam He was trying to do.
Madam He had deliberately not informed them there was a banquet going on in an attempt to embarrass them.
Zi Xu instantly caught on and looked upset.
"What should we do?" Li Peirong was genuinely worried. Even though she did not want to see Zi Yi marrying into the He family, she did not want their family embarrassed.
Zi Xu had the urge to turn around and leave, but he could not do it.
For the sake of letting Zi Yi marry into the He family, he had to put on a bold front and bring his daughter into the villa.
Fortunately, his daughter was gorgeous. She looked exceptionally presentable... when she did not open her mouth.
"Try not to talk later."
After Zi Xu reminded Zi Yi, he raised his hand to straighten his tie before he got out of the car and led them into the villa.
A middle-aged man came out to welcome them as they approached the entrance.
"Mr Zi, how do you do? I am the butler. You can call me Butler Wu. Madam He is waiting to see you in the living room. This way, please."
Butler Wu subtly studied Zi Yi as he spoke and was briefly awestruck by her good looks, before he inwardly shook his head.
So what if she was pretty? They were from a tiny family. How could they dream of marrying Zi Yi into a powerful family like the He's?
He gestured for them to enter without batting an eyelid.
Zi Xu could not suppress his displeasure and asked, "It seems we aren't the only guests tonight."
Butler Wu sneered in his heart. Would Madam He have pulled this stunt if she genuinely wanted He Fei to marry Zi Yi?
He replied courteously, "We already had the banquet in our schedule. Since Miss Zi is in town, Madam He thought it would be nice for her to be introduced to the young ladies of the capital's high society. It will be a real boon for her."
Chapter 25
Zi Xu certainly did not buy what the butler said, but regardless of what Madam He wanted to do to them, he did not have the courage to take his family and leave.
Zi Xu hoped that Zi Yi could behave.
He replied calmly, "That's so thoughtful of Madam He."
The butler felt even more contemptuous towards them as he led the four of them into the villa.
Before they entered, he pretended to remind them out of kindness, "Madam He has invited ladies of the high society today. I heard that Miss Zi tends to be more... lively. I hope she can get a close look at how real ladies interact, so as to avoid any embarrassment."
Zi Xu was instantly insulted. Zi Yi was his daughter. No one had the right to discipline her, let alone a little butler.
Zi Yi looked at Butler Wu from behind and pursed her lips before she suddenly said, "Hang on."
Everyone stopped to look at her.
Zi Xu was worried that she would make trouble, so he frowned and looked at her threateningly.
Zi Yi took out a lipstick from her clutch and said unhurriedly, "Sorry. My lipstick accidentally came off, so I need to touch it up a little."
Li Peirong and Zi Lian looked at her strangely. When did she apply lipstick?
Zi Yi was not seeking permission here. Instead, she opened the lipstick cap and applied the lipstick.
She looked like an innocent fairy without makeup on. The moment she applied her lipstick, her aura instantly changed.
She had a powerful seductive aura that left everyone automatically staring at her lips.
Zi Yi put her lipstick away before she said to the butler, "All done."
The butler automatically opened the door for her.
The laughter and chatting in the room surged towards them. In a second, the guests detected their presence and instinctively turned to look at the entrance.
The moment they caught sight of Zi Yi at the door, the women were awestruck.
She was gorgeous!
Who was she?
Why had they never seen her before?
Zi Yi glanced at the swarm of impeccably dressed women in evening gowns before she calmly headed towards Madam He who was facing the door.
Madam He was so awestruck by Zi Yi that she only managed to compose herself when Zi Yi was just a few steps away from her.
The moment she composed herself, she was displeased.
How could a merchant's daughter attempt to intimidate her?
Despite her displeasure, she pretended not to know her as she asked her, "And you are?"
Everyone snapped out of their daze when they heard what Madam He said.
They were even more surprised by who Zi Yi was.
Zi Yi smiled ambiguously as she said quizzically, "Didn't you invite us, Madam He? Why did you invite me if you didn't know me?"
No one expected Zi Yi to speak this way.
In an instant, the living room fell into silence.
The atmosphere was becoming increasingly awkward.
Since Madam He was from a powerful family, she could not allow Zi Yi to gain the upper hand. She smiled graciously and said, "Pardon my memory. Since I had the butler invite you here, you are all my honored guests, Miss..."
"Zi Yi."
"Welcome, Miss Zi."
Zi Yi nodded before she turned to look at Zi Xu and the others who were in shock.
None of them saw this coming. Zi Yi had spoken so boldly to Madam He!
However, Zi Xu inexplicably felt triumphant that she took control of the situation.
Zi Xu strode over and said to Madam He, "Madam He, how do you do? I am Zi Yi's father, Zi Xu."
Madam He smiled and nodded to him nonchalantly before she suddenly waved at a woman. "Shiya, why don't you show Miss Zi around?"
The woman called Yang Shiya walked over. "Sure, Aunt He."
She said to Zi Yi, "Miss Zi, this way, please."