Chapter 30

Li Chunlan's surgery was very successful. Xiao Bing had been in the ward since early morning, talking to Li Chunlan. He mostly talked about Su Peiya's life in the military, and Li Chunlan was very nostalgic for her daughter.

It was clear that Li Chunlan was in a good mood, but Xiao Bing knew that even though the surgery was successful, Li Chunlan's body could not last more than two years. He decided to keep this a secret from Li Chunlan for now but needed to find a way to tell Su Xiao Xiao, who had already suffered a series of blows. How could he tell her?

It was almost noon, and Li Chunlan smiled and urged him, "Xiao Xiao will be here soon. Xiao Bing, you don't need to stay here with me. The shop still needs your help."

Xiao Bing stood up with a smile, "Auntie, don't worry. The noodle shop is in good hands with me. I'll come back to visit you when I have some free time."

"Alright, take care on your way out."

Xiao Bing left the ward and was just about to reach the stairs when he met Zhang Yizhi coming up. Xiao Bing smiled, "Old Zhang, thank you for the surgery."

Zhang Yizhi replied coolly, "Since she is Peiya's mother, I made an exception. I'm heading back to the capital tomorrow, so you don't need to see me off."

"So soon?" Xiao Bing was surprised, "Why not stay a bit longer? Leaving now?"

Zhang Yizhi said irritably, "What's the point of me staying here alone? A certain someone even sneaked out halfway through a meal."

Xiao Bing felt guilty and smiled awkwardly, "Well... there were special circumstances that day. Old Zhang, how about this: I'll make it up to you tonight. I'll take you to a different restaurant for dinner."

"Alright," Zhang Yizhi pondered for a moment, "Since I'm leaving tomorrow and I don't know when we'll meet again, let's gather tonight. I'll go check on Peiya's mother's condition. She's recovering well and should be discharged in about half a month."

Xiao Bing smiled, "That's settled then. I'll call you later. I'll treat you tonight."

Xiao Bing left the hospital and walked to the entrance of Xiao Xiao's noodle shop. Li Hong came out first and nodded at Xiao Bing, whispering, "There's someone inside looking for you. He looks like a rich young master."

"A rich young master?" Xiao Bing smiled, "I don't know any rich people in Jiangcheng."

Xiao Bing followed Li Hong inside and looked in the direction she pointed. A young man, about his age, wearing a white shirt and white pants, was sitting in a chair reading a newspaper. He had his head down, and you could only see his facial outline, but even so, if you were a woman, you would still be attracted to him. His casual and elegant demeanor and perfect facial features were captivating.

When Xiao Bing approached, the young man looked up and stood up with a smile. He gave the impression of being very polite and warm, making you feel as if he were a close friend even if you didn't know him well.

"Are you Xiao Bing?" the young man extended his hand and smiled politely, "I'm Ye Tianming, Ye Xinyi's younger brother."

Despite being from the same mother, Ye Tianming lacked the arrogance of Ye Xinyi. Xiao Bing felt a sense of goodwill and extended his hand, smiling, "Hello, I'm Xiao Bing."

The two men sized each other up. Xiao Bing had a good impression of Ye Tianming, and Ye Tianming felt the same. As a member of a prominent family, Ye Tianming had met many people, and he could tell that Xiao Bing was no ordinary person. It was no wonder his sister couldn't handle him.

Ye Tianming smiled, "Since I didn't have your contact information, I had to come here to invite you to dinner. Is it convenient for you? If not, we can set another time."

His words were considerate, showing respect for Xiao Bing and making it hard to refuse.

You respect me a little, and I respect you a lot. That's the kind of person Xiao Bing is. He thought about it and, since it was almost time for dinner, he smiled and agreed, "Alright, where?"

Ye Tianming asked, "Where do you prefer? Somewhere outside or here at your noodle shop?"

Xiao Bing laughed, "No need to worry about my business. You choose. I'm not paying anyway."

The two men looked at each other and burst out laughing. Ye Tianming smiled, "Alright, I've already booked a private room at Longjia Hotel nearby. If I don't show up by twelve, they can cancel the room. It's still early, shall we go now?"

"Sure."

Ye Tianming smiled, "Wait a moment."

He picked up the newspaper on the table, folded it a few times, and held it in his hand, smiling, "Let's go."

Xiao Bing watched his every move carefully. Ye Tianming was a polite, considerate, and meticulous man, and with his background in a prominent family, he was the epitome of a perfect man in any woman's eyes.

A mid-range car was parked by the roadside, with two bodyguards standing by the door. Ye Tianming and Xiao Bing got in, and the bodyguards followed, sitting on either side. The car drove off smoothly.

"I hope I'm not being too presumptuous by coming to see you, Mr. Xiao. The matter is urgent, and I had to come. I also want to apologize on behalf of my sister. She can be quite strong-willed and might have offended you in the past, but please believe she had no ill intentions."

Xiao Bing looked out the window and smiled, "She's not strong-willed; she's just very smart. Sometimes, being too smart can backfire. In comparison, you seem to be the truly smart one."

Ye Tianming laughed, "My sister has always been better than me in everything. She's beautiful, and all the young men in Jiangcheng chase after her. She's also academically excellent, having been the top student in the city. Moreover, she has a good business sense. My father gradually handed over the business to her and me before he fell ill, and she has done a better job than I have."

As he spoke, Ye Tianming sighed deeply, "Sigh, my father's health..."

He stopped there and didn't say more.

Xiao Bing smiled faintly. Ye Tianming was too modest. From his way of speaking and his behavior since they met, it was clear that Ye Tianming was extremely disciplined, cautious, confident, and wise. The most impressive thing was that he maintained a low profile, which made him even more remarkable.

Xiao Bing suddenly became very interested in the Ye family, not because of their wealth and status, but because of the three siblings. Ye Zi, in Xiao Bing's view, was as intelligent as her brother and sister, just more innocent. Ye Xinyi was undoubtedly a smart and capable woman, and if she had been dealing with someone else, she would have succeeded. As for Ye Tianming, he had already won Xiao Bing's favor from their first meeting.

Rich families often produce spoiled children, but the three Ye siblings, even the one Xiao Bing disliked the most, Ye Xinyi, were far superior to those spoiled children. What kind of family could raise such remarkable individuals?

After pausing, Ye Tianming started talking about some of the buildings in Jiangcheng. He seemed very knowledgeable, not just about books but about life. For example, as they passed each street and building, he could talk about the history and stories behind them, which impressed Xiao Bing even more.

Longjia Hotel was not the most luxurious in Jinsha District, but it was of medium to high quality. This made Xiao Bing feel neither neglected nor overly formal, showing that Ye Tianming had put a lot of thought into it.

The hotel manager saw Ye Tianming enter and immediately escorted Xiao Bing and Ye Tianming to the private room. Ye Tianming's two bodyguards followed and stood behind him. The manager asked warmly, "Young Master Ye, shall we start serving the dishes?"

Ye Tianming smiled, "Yes, please."

"I'll go arrange it. I won't disturb you two. Oh, Mr. Xiao, here is my business card."

The manager handed Xiao Bing a business card before leaving, partly out of politeness and partly because Xiao Bing was a guest of Ye Tianming.

The hotel was efficient, and the waiters quickly served six dishes and a soup, along with a bottle of Lafite. Ye Tianming waved them away and smiled, "Mr. Xiao, are you satisfied?"

Xiao Bing looked at the table full of dishes and shook his head, "You've gone to too much trouble."

"No, no, it's my first time treating you to dinner, so it's appropriate. Here, let me fill your glass."

Xiao Bing didn't refuse, letting Ye Tianming fill his glass. Ye Tianming raised his glass and said, "Mr. Xiao, this glass of wine is my apology on behalf of my sister. I'll drink it first."

With that, Ye Tianming finished his glass in one go.

Ye Tianming looked like a refined man, but his actions were very generous.

Xiao Bing couldn't be petty, so he raised his glass and smiled, "The past is just trivial matters. Everything is over. I'll drink with you."

He also finished his glass in one go.

Ye Tianming pointed to the dishes with his chopsticks and smiled, "Let's eat."

Xiao Bing watched Ye Tianming quietly and took the initiative to start the conversation, smiling, "I, Xiao Bing, was a soldier before retiring. I like to speak directly. You must have a reason for coming to see me. Let's talk about it."

Ye Tianming, seeing Xiao Bing's directness, put down his chopsticks, "Alright, let's talk about it. This time, I have a favor to ask!"