【25】

Lakeside Villa.

Gao Shu went over some matters with Ye Zexi, he left behind the final script of "Famous General", then got up and left.

Ye Zexi was no longer sleepy at this time, lying on the soft bed, looking at the script left by Gao Shu, he was hesitating for a long time whether to throw the script out of the window or just ignore it, he decided to pick it up and read it to pass the time.

After all, the contract had been signed, sooner or later he would have to read it anyway.

Although He Jinyun did trick him, at least the payment he was given made Ye Zexi satisfied.

This was a big-deal contract, he would endure this and finish the filming, after that he would retire from showbiz!

In the novel, "Famous General" is He Jinyun's first self-directed movie, where he screen wrote the play and acted in it. This movie not only won many domestic awards, but also won many international awards that year.

With some expectation, Ye Zexi read the script.

Just that Ye Zexi didn't expect to be fascinated by the plot as he skimmed through it.

The story of "Famous General" can be summed up in one sentence: a general achieves goals while ten thousand of bones rot. [1]

In just one sentence, it depicts a magnificent and sad picture of life for the audience.

The script of more than 100,000 characters tells the audience the three most important stages in the protagonist's life.

From the young and frivolous young man, to the young general who is full of grace, and then to the great general who is deterring the nation.

It's not the feeling of being proud when being promoted.

But when you have walked 300,000 steps, you are alone in the loneliness and tragedy of Chang'an.

The end of the story is the peace and prosperity that the general left to the world, but he is still alone.

When Ye Zexi finished reading the script, it was dawn the next day.

This is a very good script, and even Ye Zexi is deeply attracted by the characters in the story.

Even his mind had the thought of "the script of "Famous General" is not bad".

But soon, this idea was rejected by Ye Zexi himself.

What do you mean not bad?

If it were not because of this script, he would get to sleep on his bed and wake up whenever he wants every day!

Filming is exhausting, so tiring.

And in the few hours that just passed, he stayed up all night because of this script.

He was using his life to read the script!

Damn it!

Ye Zexi got more and more angry, threw the script aside, covered his head with a quilt, and started to sleep.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, he slept all the way until the afternoon.

Ye Zexi was awakened by his phone ringing.

He didn't even look at the caller, he just grabbed the phone and connected the call: "Hello?"

The man's voice was hoarse and full of tiredness, and the other line knew he was not awake yet.

Ye Jianbin was silent for a second before he said solemnly, "Why are you still sleeping? What did you do last night?"

Ye Zexi reacted for two seconds when he heard this energetic voice at first, only then did he remember that the voice seemed to be his convenient father's voice.

"I was reading the new script last night. I only got to go to bed this morning." Ye Zexi yawned and got up from the bed, a little awake.

Ye Jianbin's knitted eyebrows loosened a little, and his tone became a little better: "You don't know to read it during the day instead?"

Ye Zexi: "It happened that Secretary Gao gave it to me last night. I originally planned to casually read it, but I glanced over the first page and got fascinated by the plot."

There was no sound for a while.

Ye Zexi was confused, wondering if the call got disconnected, then he heard Ye Jianbin's voice again: "Are you free in the evening? Come home and have a meal together."

As soon as Ye Jianbin said this, Yan Man and Ye Haoyan sitting on the sofa looked at each other in an instant.

Ye Haoyan glanced at Yan Man.

Yan Man shook her head slightly and motioned him not to speak yet.

Ye Zexi didn't expect Ye Jianbin to call him to tell him to go home to eat, but after another thought, it was almost two months since the original owner entered "Time Idol", and it was indeed time to go home.

Thinking about this, Ye Zexi agreed without hesitation: "Okay, then I'll come home tonight."

Hearing Ye Zexi's answer, Ye Jianbin was stunned for a moment, and soon he said: "I just told you to go home for dinner."

Ye Zexi was a little confused. Could it be that Ye Jianbin didn't hear it just now, and he repeated it with a good temper: "Okay, I'll go back tonight."

Ye Jianbin's eyes were surprised.

Did he hear me wrong?

Yan Man and Ye Haoyan were even more surprised.

Ye Zexi was willing to come home for dinner?

It's a well-known fact that since Ye Zexi moved out as an adult, Ye Zexi would rather not have to come home if he could.

Occasionally, Ye Jianbin wanted to see his son, Ye Zexi would be coming to the company to see the man. However, he only stayed for two minutes, then got up and was ready to leave.

Even if it was during Chinese New Year, Ye Zexi just came back for a meal and left. Ye Jianbin had to call Ye Zexi a month or two in advance for that dinner.

Occasionally, even Yan Man and Ye Haoyan had to say something nice, so that Ye Zexi was willing to "appreciate their efforts" and come back for a New Year's Eve dinner.

Why this time, Ye Zexi was willing to come home, without any hesitation at all? Not to mention that Ye Jianbin woke him up from his sleep, but the boy did not get angry at all.

Not like Ye Haoyan was being precautious, he really doubted Ye Zexi's ulterior motives for coming back this time!

Ye Jianbin hung up the phone, his brows were still frowning, and there was a strong sense of unreality in his eyes.

The communication between them was so smooth this time that Ye Jianbin wondered if there was a problem with his ears.

Upon seeing this, Ye Haoyan couldn't hold back his words and said, "Dad, why this time Ye...Brother did not get angry when he was being woken out of his sleep?"

Ye Jianbin didn't speak.

Ye Haoyan continued: "Also, why is Brother willing to come home this time?"

Hearing this, Ye Jianbin glanced at Ye Haoyan and said coldly: "This is his home, why doesn't he want to come back?"

Ye Haoyan muttered dissatisfied: "But he didn't want to come home before."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Ye Jianbin suddenly raised his voice, "This is his house! I am his father and you are his brother, why is he not willing to come back?"

Ye Haoyan still wanted to say something, but he immediately met with Yan Man's eyes, he closed his mouth angrily.

Yan Man glared at him and blamed him for talking too much.

However, Ye Zexi's attitude has indeed changed a little bit, and it aroused some doubts in people.

Yan Man looked at Ye Jianbin and said with a smile: "It's rare for Zexi to come back. I will cook a few dishes in the evening."

Facing Yan Man, Ye Jianbin's anger suddenly disappeared, and he nodded: "It's hard for you to still think about that bastard."

Yan Man smiled, didn't say anything, but thought in her heart, I can't help it, you are the one treating him like a precious treasure, right?

It's just a pity that Ye Zexi never took her actions to heart, only felt that it was justified.

Thinking of this, Yan Man silently made a list of a few dishes she is good at.

It's a waste to make them for Ye Zexi!

Maybe she would justify it upon his attitude.

Yan Man was not used to that brat!

If Ye Zexi dared to show her a disgusted face tonight, she would immediately switch out the food.

But what Yan Man didn't expect was that Ye Zexi not only didn't show her a disgusted face when he came home in the evening, but even brought her a gift.

Not just her, even Ye Haoyan, who Ye Zexi hates most, had gifts.

Ye Zexi woke up in the afternoon and found out that all the appearance fees of the top ten "Time Idol" had been paid to his account. Ye Zexi was very excited.

Originally, he was planning to save the money for himself, but then he thought of going back to the home that was strange to him at night to meet strange relatives.

Thinking back about the complicated situation of the original owner's family, Ye Zexi felt that it was not good to go back empty-handed.

He never thought about befriending Ye Haoyan and Yan Man, but he didn't want to be impolite.

After all, Ye Haoyan would inherit the company at a later time, and his future share dividends depended on Ye Haoyan!

Ye Zexi called Gao Shu and asked Gao Shu to prepare some suitable gifts for him.

With the bracelet for Yan Man, a pair of limited edition AJ collected by the original owner for Ye Haoyan, and a box of good tea for Ye Jianbin, Ye Zexi returned to the Ye family mansion.

After receiving the exquisite gift boxes, the few people in Ye Family Villa except Ye Zexi had similar expressions---all with an unbelievable look.

In contrast, Ye Zexi was extraordinarily calm and even began to tour the villa.

This villa was much larger than the one he lived in, Ye Zexi sighed while admiring it.

The Ye family deserves to be a filthy rich family. Unfortunately, he is still used to living alone.

Yan Man looked at the delicate box in her hand, and couldn't help but open it.

Gold.

She squeezed it a bit, very delicately!

It's real gold.

Yan Man was even more puzzled.

What's wrong with Ye Zexi?

Why did he bring her a gift?

Ye Haoyan was also confused.

Those AJ Ye Haoyan have been wanting to own one for a long time! It's just that damn Ye Zexi, every time he would send him a WeChat to show off, and it only made him feel even more envy, but the other did not give him any!

Ye Haoyan was strictly controlled by Yan Man and was not well-off. Even back then, he finally saved enough money and wanted to buy those shoes, but he could only watch Ye Zexi buy the limited edition in front of him.

Ye Haoyan was so angry.

Later, he put away his pride to beg Ye Zexi, but Ye Zexi ridiculed him so much that he couldn't lift his head.

Since then, Ye Haoyan has vowed that he will never ask Ye Zexi for anything.

Only--

Staring at the rare pair of AJs in the box, Ye Haoyan couldn't move his eyes.

Limited edition, he doesn't have yet.

As long as he gathers these shoes, he will be short of nothing!

After gritting his teeth, Ye Haoyan's blue veins broke out on his forehead.

He wants them!

He can't get through this temptation.

Ye Jianbin's expression was even more complicated. This was the first time Ye Zexi gave him a gift since his ex-wife left.

His eyes got a little red, Ye Jianbin resisted the overwhelming emotion in his heart, and said, "Since you are home, let's eat first."

After a meal, the other three had different thoughts, and only Ye Zexi was more than satisfied.

Before he finally left, he still did not have enough of the small dried fish dish on the table, and he couldn't help but glance at it again.

Yan Man saw Ye Zexi's glance and said, "If you like to eat dried fish, I will pack some for you to take home?"

Yan Man regretted it as soon as she spoke.

What was she doing?

What kind of person is Ye Zexi, and here she was rushing to give him the goods, she would definitely be ridiculed by Ye Zexi...

"Okay." The boy's voice came.

Ye Zexi's expression was not that of an all-mighty devil that Yan Man imagined.

Ye Zexi looked like Ye Jianbin with a smile on his face, and even said to Yan Man politely: "I'm sorry to trouble Auntie."

Yan Man: "..."

Something definitely is wrong!

Until Ye Zexi left for some time with the dried fish, Ye Jianbin's voice sounded in the lobby of the Ye Residence: "It seems...it is the right choice for him to enter the entertainment industry."

Yan Man did not answer.

Ye Haoyan held the pair of precious shoes in his arms, and nodded in approval: "Brother has become more generous!"

This sentence is his sincere compliment, not degrading at all.

Ye Jianbin himself made a cup of tea from the tea Ye Zexi gifted him and took a sip with satisfaction.

Well, as long as there are good resources from now on, he will give them all to Ye Zexi.

His son is sensible, and he even knows to bring him tea!

Poor Ye Zexi, who has no idea what will happen in his future.

---

Notes:

[1] a general achieves goals while ten thousand of bones rot -- Actually ten thousand is not exactly ten thousand, but refers to extremely many. And the bones are a metaphor of the soldiers, meaning many many soldiers have sacrificed their lives in the wars. This sentence dates back to about 1200 years ago and it really reveals a cruel and unfair truth that in a group the inferior-hierarchy persons always sacrifice for the superior-hierarchy persons. The inferiors suffer while the superiors gain benefits, honors, and statuses.