The same phone call, brief as it was, was all it took to send Cheng Yi hurrying to a hotel.
Ye George, father of Ye's brother, had come to China without a word. He claimed it was for a family visit, but with an air of mystery, he insisted that no one else should know of his arrival.
"Yi, one of our relatives is in hospital. Would you come with me to visit them?"
"Sure. But… why not bring Mingzhe and the others along?"
"There's no time for that. I'll explain later."
So urgent?
Puzzled but compliant, Cheng Yi quickly picked up some fruit and flowers from a nearby shop, then followed George to a cardiac specialist hospital. At the entrance, a large crowd was already gathered—men and women of all ages.
"Brother George, why didn't you tell us you were coming? We would've picked you up."
"Did you inform me when Mother had to undergo such a serious surgery?"
"Brother, doctors said the surgery was low-risk, and it's already done. There was no need for you to fly back."
"Mother's not young anymore, what if something had gone wrong?"
Visibly agitated, George brushed past them and strode toward the ward, forcing Cheng Yi to jog to keep up, with the crowd following closely behind. Their entrance was dramatic enough to make passersby glance over, assuming something serious had happened.
Mother?
But hadn't George's mother passed away years ago? Cheng Yi distinctly recalled seeing photos in the old Ye family home, and the woman in them certainly wasn't the kindly old lady before her now. She was brimming with questions but held her tongue—matters involving elders were not to be probed lightly.
The old lady, appearing to be in her eighties, looked frail after the surgery, yet she radiated an unmistakable strength. The way everyone deferred to her, obeying her commands without hesitation, spoke volumes about her authority within the family.
"You must be Cheng Yi?"
How does she know me? Cheng Yi had never met this old lady before.
"Yes… "
"George often talks about you. He says you're a good girl, and he's especially fond of your cooking."
"Oh, it's nothing really, just some simple home-style food."
"Shufang was an excellent cook too, wasn't she, George?"
The old lady's eyes gleamed with a hint of mischief as she glanced at George. He immediately averted his gaze, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
"Mother, please… don't tease me in front of the younger generation."
"Since when did you care about that?"
The old lady beckoned Cheng Yi closer and took a necklace from her pocket, She moved to place it around Cheng Yi's neck, but Cheng Yi immediately stepped back, waving her hands.
"No, no—it's too precious. I really can't accept it."
George patted Cheng Yi's shoulder, nodding for her to take it. The necklace was simple, a red silk cord with a jade pendant shaped like a leaf. Yet up close, Cheng Yi could tell it was old, possibly antique. The jade was carved in such exquisite detail that the leaf seemed almost alive, as if a light breeze might set it fluttering.
"Mother has made up her mind, so don't refuse. Take it."
"George, doesn't she remind you of a young Shufang?"
Sensing that her presence might be intruding on a private conversation, Cheng Yi excused herself and stepped outside, leaving the 'mother and son' to speak alone. Waiting outside were the old lady's family—two sons, two daughters-in-law, and a cluster of grandchildren. They were all exceptionally warm towards Cheng Yi, though none of them introduced themselves, and she didn't feel it was her place to ask.
When they noticed the jade pendant around her neck, the atmosphere shifted slightly. They exchanged glances, Cheng Yi started to feel uneasy, instinctively reaching to remove the necklace and return it.
"It's too precious... I'm worried I might damage it. Could someone please return it for me?"
"No need, no need for that. May I ask your name, miss?"
"Oh—sorry, I should have introduced myself earlier. I'm Cheng Yi."
At that, the mood instantly brightened, and they all seemed genuinely delighted.
"So you're Cheng Yi! Wonderful!"
Wonderful? What's so wonderful?
Cheng Yi was baffled. She didn't know any of these people, only that they were related to the Ye family.
Cheng Yi quickly realised that nearly everyone here seemed to know her, and their enthusiasm felt a little over the top. Before she knew it, her hands were full of "gifts", two jade bracelets and several gold rings, all slipped off and handed to her on the spot. Though she had grown up in Z City, she had never encountered such a lavish custom—being showered with gold and jade at a first meeting, and all taken off right in front of her.
She did her best to refuse, but how could one voice stand against so many? In the end, both her hands were full, and she had no idea what to do with any of it.
George finally emerged from the room, the entire group gathered around him with marked deference. After a few questions about the surgery and some quiet instructions, George gestured for Cheng Yi to follow him out. Who said the Big Boss didn't resemble his father? He was practically a younger version of him.
As they walked, Cheng Yi finally brought up the heavy jewellery now weighing down her hands. George, noticing her plight, couldn't resist a playful remark.
"Yi, looks like you've struck gold!"
"George, please don't joke. What am I supposed to do with all this?"
George rubbed his chin thoughtfully before a spark of inspiration lit up his face.
"Buy a safe. Lock it all away."
The Ye family, Cheng Yi mused, were truly a peculiar bunch.
There was George, the elusive type, always appearing and disappearing without a trace.
Then Ye Mingzhe, the shrewd and strong-willed one, cold and sharp-tongued.
Even Ye Minglang had been caught up in the family's quirks, cunning, capricious, and impulsive.
These days, Cheng Yi has seen it all.
There really was no such thing as the strangest person, only ever stranger things.