Chapter 2: Collision
After scolding her, Butler Yang hung up the phone. Ye Chu said goodbye to He Shuxin and hurried back to the Ye family home.
Ever since she started working as a maid to pay off her family's debt, Yu Wanyue and Ye Shiyun had done everything they could to make things difficult for her.
It was like they wanted to step on her every day. Butler Yang was even worse, always bossing her around.
The hospital was far from the Ye family home, but Ye Chu rushed back as fast as she could.
However, she tripped and stumbled forward, crashing into someone.
It was Gu Muchen.
He had come to the Ye family in person because of what happened last night. He was not the kind of man who broke his word.
Since Ye Shiyun had lost her innocence because of helping him, he had to take responsibility.
The Ye family valued Gu Muchen’s visit greatly. Ye Xingguo and Yu Wanyue personally welcomed him with smiles.
But Ye Chu’s sudden fall ruined the atmosphere.
She hadn’t expected to bump into someone. She quickly steadied herself and stepped back, putting some distance between them.
She was still wearing the same clothes from last night.
Her white shirt had two buttons torn off from all the rough movement, and her collar was now open, revealing the marks left behind.
Gu Muchen’s gaze swept over her exposed skin.
The marks stood out against her fair complexion, making them even more noticeable.
"What’s wrong with you, Ye Chu? You ran into Mr. Gu so carelessly! Apologize right now!"
Butler Yang twisted Ye Chu’s waist and glared at her fiercely.
Ye Chu endured the pain and quickly bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Gu. I didn’t mean to, I—"
But as soon as she looked up, she recognized him.
The man in front of her was the same one from last night!
Yu Wanyue thought Ye Chu was staring at Gu Muchen because she had a crush on him and had intentionally fallen into his arms.
She gave Butler Yang a signal.
Butler Yang immediately understood and twisted Ye Chu’s waist harder, speaking in a stern voice. "Do you understand the rules? Mr. Gu is someone you should respect!"
The sharp pain snapped Ye Chu back to her senses. She quickly lowered her head and whispered, "I'm sorry, Mr. Gu."
As she did, her loose shirt naturally shifted, revealing more of her skin and the marks from last night.
Gu Muchen, standing at the right angle, could see it all. His expression turned cold.
"It's fine," he said.
"Mr. Gu has forgiven you! Now get back to work!" Butler Yang snapped at her.
After nodding to Gu Muchen, Ye Chu turned and ran toward the kitchen.
As she passed by him, a faint scent lingered in the air.
It smelled familiar, as if he had smelled it somewhere before.
Gu Muchen’s gaze followed her retreating figure.
For some reason, he felt like he had seen her before.
Yu Wanyue noticed his reaction and cursed Ye Chu in her heart.
Shameless girl! She’s always trying to seduce men wherever she goes!
She quickly stepped in front of Gu Muchen, blocking his view, and smiled apologetically.
"Mr. Gu, please don’t be offended. That servant of ours has never seen the world and doesn’t know proper manners."
She sighed dramatically. "This maid of mine is always trying to climb the social ladder using cheap tricks. She’s not very clean, and she has a habit of attracting attention in the worst ways. We’ll discipline her properly so she doesn’t offend you again."
Gu Muchen's cold eyes swept over Yu Wanyue.
He came to the Ye family today to talk about Ye Shiyun, not to care about some servant.
But Yu Wanyue’s words made him think about the marks on Ye Chu’s neck.
"Muchen, you're here!"
A sweet voice called out.
Ye Shiyun ran down from the second floor, about to throw herself into his arms.
But a sharp glance from Yu Wanyue made her stop in her tracks.
She quickly lowered her head, blushing, and asked coyly, "Did you come to see me?"
Gu Muchen looked at the fidgeting Ye Shiyun and caught a strong wave of perfume coming from her.
For most people, perfume was supposed to make them more attractive.
But for Gu Muchen, that wasn’t always the case.
He hated this kind of smell.
Gu Muchen turned around without any expression and sat on the nearby single sofa, crossing his legs. Every move he made carried the presence of someone in control.
"I said I would take responsibility for you."
Ye Shiyun’s eyes lit up immediately, looking at Gu Muchen with excitement. Yu Wanyue and Ye Xingguo exchanged a glance, unable to hide their joy.
Cough. Ye Xingguo cleared his throat and asked eagerly, "I wonder what kind of responsibility Mr. Gu is talking about?"
"Someone will come in a few days to discuss the engagement with you." Gu Muchen looked at Ye Shiyun. "If Miss Ye has any requests, you can bring them up at that time. I will try my best to meet them."
Ye Shiyun was overjoyed. But to maintain her gentle and elegant image in front of Gu Muchen, she blushed and said coyly, "Muchen, we are engaged now. You can just call me Shiyun."
---
In the Kitchen
As soon as Ye Chu arrived, she joined the others, busy working.
"Ye Chu, what’s that on your neck… tsk tsk, and that burn on your arm? I heard you didn’t come back all night. Where did you go?" Xiao Ling, who was also helping in the kitchen, stared at Ye Chu’s neck with a sly smile.
Even the young lady of the Ye family disliked Ye Chu, and Butler Yang always found ways to give her trouble.
Xiao Ling often flattered Butler Yang and even helped frame Ye Chu.
Hearing Xiao Ling’s words, everyone turned their attention to Ye Chu. She wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
A few of Xiao Ling’s friends saw that Ye Chu didn’t respond and started making snide remarks.
"Could it be that she went to find some wild man?"
"Oh my god! I didn’t expect this. Ye Chu looks so innocent, but she actually has such a wild side!"
"Never judge a book by its cover, huh?"
After they finished talking, they burst into laughter.
Ye Chu lowered her head, gripping the pot of boiling water in her hands tightly. She wanted to pour it over them. But in the end, she held back.
She still hadn’t found a suitable kidney donor for her mother, and she needed money for the upcoming transplant.
Before that, she couldn't afford to cause any trouble.
"Ye Chu, don’t listen to them. They just have dirty mouths."
Auntie Wang walked over and handed her a boiled egg. "You haven’t eaten breakfast yet, have you? Here."
She patted Ye Chu’s hand gently and said, "I know you’re a good kid. Since the day you came to the Ye family, I’ve seen how hard you’ve worked and how much you’ve suffered for your mother’s illness. I know everything."
Ye Chu looked down at the boiled egg in her hand.
Her eyes turned red instantly.
Her throat felt dry, and she was a little choked up.
It had been a long time since she felt this kind of warmth.
In the end, all her grievances and gratitude turned into two simple words.
"Thank you…"
Before she could even take a bite, Butler Yang walked into the kitchen with a cold face and snapped, "Ye Chu, you’re responsible for serving the dishes!"
"What?" Ye Chu was stunned.
"This is what Miss Ye ordered. Move quickly, mind your own business, don’t look where you shouldn’t, and don’t think about things you shouldn’t! Got it?" Butler Yang warned her sternly.
Ye Shiyun clearly knew what had happened last night. So why did she specifically name Ye Chu for this task?
"What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up! Young Master Gu is waiting!" Butler Yang came up and twisted Ye Chu’s arm.
"I got it, Manager Yang," Ye Chu said quickly. She picked up the dishes and headed toward the dining room.