The Young Lady is a Bit Unruly [Fragrant Harbor] - Chapter 37: Hah. Women.

Chapter 37: Hah. Women.

Seeing that Ye Huaizhang truly didn’t know about the existence of the underground wine cellar, Ye Baoling began putting on airs.

She dawdled and refused to go. It’s so late, let’s go another day.

Since it’s underground, does it make any difference whether we go during the day or at night? Ye Huaizhang’s curiosity had been thoroughly piqued, and he wasn’t willing to wait.

Ye Baoling confirmed with him again: You really had no idea about this wine cellar before?

Ye Huaizhang answered truthfully: No.

The man of action had already put on his clothes and was waiting for her.

Ye Baoling smiled slyly: Then… if I take you inside, how do you plan to repay me?

Ye Huaizhang nearly rolled his eyes to the heavens. Am I just an outsider in your heart?!

Even brothers keep clear accounts, and married couples should do the same.

Now that I know about the underground wine cellar, do you think I can find the entrance?

He probably could.

It might just take a little time.

Not necessarily! she stubbornly insisted.

Still holding the advantage for now, Ye Baoling didn’t waste words and directly stated her demand. My request isn’t high – whatever secrets are discovered in this wine cellar in the future, you must tell me. I have absolute right to know. You can’t avoid me and secretly enjoy the wine cellar’s secrets alone. Only if you promise me will I take you inside.

The request wasn’t unreasonable at all.

Ye Huaizhang immediately agreed: You discovered the wine cellar. Even if you didn’t make this request, I wouldn’t deliberately avoid you.

Repaying kindness with enmity wasn’t his style.

Seeing him agree so readily, Ye Baoling finally got out of bed. We can’t go in wearing pajamas. Change into proper clothes – there’s dust inside.

The couple both changed into sportswear, put on sneakers, and brought flashlights.

Ye Baoling also quietly brought lock picking tools.

They entered the secret chamber through the mirror entrance, and only after closing the secret chamber door did Ye Baoling open the floor switch.

Looking at the inconspicuous wooden switch on the bookshelf, Ye Huaizhang tried hard not to show his surprise. He asked, How did you find the switch?

I accidentally bumped into it.

…

The downward staircase was very narrow. Ye Huaizhang went down first with the flashlight.

The stair tunnel was pitch black and unusually quiet.

Ye Baoling followed Ye Huaizhang’s steps downward until they reached a spacious area where they could walk side by side. Only then did she say: From here, we’re truly going underground.

Have you been here many times?

Not really, just a few times.

Ye Huaizhang: No wonder you kept coming to the secret chamber for no reason before.

Ye Baoling muttered sarcastically: Haha, before when you watched me secretly entering and leaving the secret chamber, thinking you knew my every move, did you feel very clever?

…

A little bit.

Actually, you’re the fool here.

…

Called a fool, Ye Huaizhang retorted: Did you think there was some treasure here that you wanted to claim for yourself, which is why you kept sneaking in and out?

If she had discovered something and wanted to claim it for herself, wouldn’t that be human nature?

Moreover, her main reason for exploring was curiosity!

Ye Baoling fired back: What did you say when you begged me to marry you before? That once I married you, I wouldn’t be an outsider but one of the family, right? Since I’m family, and I even bear the Ye surname! Would it be illegal for me to claim something for myself?

Ye Huaizhang deliberately provoked her: You’ll have to ask the police about that.

Ye Baoling stopped walking. Ye Huaizhang, do you believe you can’t enter the wine cellar without me?

The young master, who was still completely uncertain about the situation below, instantly fell silent.

He immediately admitted his mistake: No offense, you’re right. Let’s go.

Seeing his decent attitude in admitting fault, Ye Baoling chided him a few more times before continuing downward.

When they reached the third basement level and stood before the tall iron door, Ye Huaizhang was somewhat astonished.

He had never imagined there would be a wine cellar beneath the mansion’s foundation that he didn’t know about.

When Ye Baoling had probed him for information recently, he hadn’t suspected her motives at all, never considering this possibility—he had been careless.

He pushed hard against the iron door, but it didn’t budge.

Since his wife knew it was a wine cellar inside and that there was French red wine, it meant she had been inside.

He turned to look at her: Did you learn lock picking?

Quite clever.

Ye Baoling’s lips curved upward. Beg me.

He smiled helplessly. Last time at the hospital, she had spoken to him in the same way.

Back then, he had wanted to resist stubbornly, but in the end, he had to yield.

Today, he knew better and yielded quickly. I beg you. Wife.

Ye Baoling’s decision to reveal the existence of the wine cellar to Ye Huaizhang came after much deliberation.

She wanted to continue exploring the secrets of the wine cellar, but she couldn’t do it alone.

After weighing the pros and cons between Chen Yulan and Ye Huaizhang, she chose him.

She had already shared secrets about company shares and stock trading with Yulan and had used her identity to hold shares on her behalf.

Therefore, regarding matters related to the secret chamber, she temporarily didn’t want to involve Yulan.

Moreover, Ye Huaizhang knew about the existence of the secret chamber and was her legal husband. No matter what, he was the best choice so far.

Ye Baoling took out the lock-picking needle and deftly opened the large lock on the iron door.

Ye Huaizhang exclaimed, Not bad skills.

Ye Baoling smiled slightly with pride. Diligence makes up for clumsiness. I put in a lot of effort.

Pushing open the iron door, Ye Huaizhang was still slightly stunned as the flashlight beam shone inside.

Such a large cellar, so many red wines!

They must have been hidden here for at least several decades, right?

He walked to the wine rack, picked up a bottle of red wine, and examined it closely. 1946, produced by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

This was a collection of exceptional French red wines.

Why hadn’t his grandfather told them about this wine cellar before he died?

Ye Baoling said, 1946—back then, you weren’t even born yet.

My father was still a child.

Ye Huaizhang walked around the wine rack and finally stopped before the wooden shelf missing two bottles of red wine.

Ye Baoling explained, I didn’t take them. When I came in, two bottles were already missing here.

Ye Huaizhang recalled her earlier words. You told me earlier that no matter what secrets we discover here in the future, we must share them with each other?

Exactly. Ye Baoling glanced sideways at him. Now that we’re inside, you’re not going to regret it and turn your belly into shit, are you?

What kind of talk is that!

Ye Huaizhang was speechless. Am I that shameless?

You’d better not be.

Their current relationship was such that they could get along better in bed than in conversation.

I’m not. Ye Huaizhang said as calmly as possible. Do you think there are other secrets here?

Yes.

Ye Baoling voiced her thoughts, If there are no other secrets, why build an almost completely enclosed wine cellar here? Also, this cellar should have another entrance. Otherwise, how were these wine racks and bottles brought in? They couldn’t all have come through that tiny opening in our room, right?

Especially the narrow staircase leading up from the ground—barely wide enough for one person—made it impossible for the wine racks in the cellar to have been transported through it.

Ye Baoling pointed at the iron door by the entrance, And this iron door—how was it brought in?

Ye Huaizhang nodded, There must be another entrance.

I’ve searched several times but found nothing.

He looked up and carefully examined the surrounding walls—hard cement walls with no seams or cracks.

The floor was paved with small tiles.

Ye Huaizhang wondered, Could the entrance be under the tiles?

That’s possible, but I’ve checked the tiles in all four corners and found no switches or openings.

Ye Huaizhang meticulously inspected the corners and open areas but indeed found no switches.

It was likely under the wine racks.

There were twelve wine racks in the cellar, arranged in three rows of four.

The racks were filled with wine bottles, making them extremely heavy and impossible to move.

They had no choice but to use the laborious method: remove the bottles one by one, then shift the racks.

Since they didn’t have work the next day, the young couple decided to start right away.

Ye Huaizhang said, Let’s begin with the first row. Move all the racks against the wall.

After removing more than half of the bottles, they finally managed to move the racks with their combined strength.

They shifted the racks against the wall and reinserted the wine bottles one by one.

Moving just one row of four racks took over an hour.

They decided to leave the remaining two rows for the next day and returned to their room to sleep.

After showering again, Ye Baoling fell asleep almost as soon as she slipped under the covers.

When she woke up, she found Ye Huaizhang gone. Glancing at the alarm clock, she was surprised to see it was already past 10 a.m.!

She got up and went downstairs for breakfast, where a servant informed her that the young master had gone out early.

Ye Baoling decided not to return to the Gu Family that day and headed back to the cellar to continue working. But as she reached the second basement level, she noticed light coming from below.

Startled, she quickly turned off her flashlight.

Treading softly, she slowly descended.

The large iron door to the cellar was wide open, with a high-wattage battery-powered lamp hanging at the entrance and another inside the cellar.

Peeking inside, she saw that most of the wine racks had already been pushed against the walls.

It must have been Ye Huaizhang’s work from earlier that morning.

But no one was in the cellar.

As she straightened up and was about to enter, a figure suddenly emerged from behind the door, startling her so much she nearly dropped her flashlight.

Hearing the noise, Ye Huaizhang turned to look at her, You’re awake?

You scared me! Aunt Zhang said you’d gone out. When did you get back?

I went out to buy two lamps… I just finished moving everything.

The work was already done.

So, she had arrived just in time.

Standing at the entrance, they looked inside. The spots where the twelve wine racks had been were clearly outlined, free of dust.

They each inspected the twelve marks but found nothing unusual.

Ye Baoling asked him, Did your grandfather ever share any hints about this?

Ye Huaizhang shook his head, No.

Maybe he told your father but not you.

Ye Huaizhang spoke with considerable confidence: The possibility is low. This bedroom of ours used to be where Grandpa lived. After I came of age, he gave the room to me. When I turned 20, he told me about the secret chamber and the safe.

The implication was clear—he was the heir chosen by his grandfather, while his father was merely the nominal boss.

Ye Baoling asked doubtfully, You told me before that your grandfather was ill for over a year before he passed away. Why didn’t he tell you about the existence of the wine cellar during that year?

That’s what I can’t figure out either.

Did he think it wasn’t important and forgot about it? How could he forget? When he told you about the secret chamber and the safe, he should have revealed everything at once. I’ve checked—each bottle of this red wine is worth tens of thousands now. There are several hundred bottles here. Standing diagonally across from him, Ye Baoling began to doubt whether her earlier judgment was correct.

Could it be that this wine cellar is like a wine jug—small at the mouth but large in the belly, with only one exit?

This analogy made Ye Huaizhang laugh.

If there’s only one exit, as you questioned earlier, how was the iron door brought in?

Right…

They couldn’t easily dismiss their initial judgment.

They searched the room again but still found nothing.

She joked, If all else fails, we’ll just tear up all the floor tiles!

Ye Huaizhang replied, Then how are we any different from Sun Dianying?

Sun Dianying, unable to open Empress Dowager Cixi’s tomb, had resorted to using explosives to blast it open during the looting of the Eastern Qing tombs.

Ye Baoling laughed, The difference is that Sun Dianying succeeded, while we’re still hesitating.

What a master of sophistry!

Both of them laughed.

Let’s rest for now and go back to rethink. My grandfather left two diaries behind—I’ll study them to see if there are any clues.

Ye Baoling did not object.

Another week, a fresh start.

The Product Department, Marketing Department, Brand Department, along with Administration and our Logistics team, have developed a jasmine-flavored herbal tea. They’re planning a product launch event and may need our coordination. Just document what we’re responsible for. If tasks are too difficult for us to handle, decline them. If they’re manageable, take them on.

Understood.

At the coordination meeting, Ye Baoling encountered Lu Baohua, the deputy manager from the Product Department who had helped her before.

The Product Department needed Logistics to arrange security and commuter shuttle services. Ye Baoling noted everything down, saying she’d provide feedback after reporting to Manager Qi, and that it shouldn’t be a problem.

They also needed an English translator. None of the departments had suitable candidates—not that there weren’t English speakers, but the timeline was tight. Those proficient in English were too busy, while those who didn’t know English couldn’t help.

Since the translation task was relatively simple and didn’t require facing external parties, Ye Baoling volunteered in the end and agreed to assist.

After the meeting, Lu Baohua approached her with a smile. Director Qu asked me to thank you for your strong support.

Ye Baoling smiled back. There’s not much else I can help with.

Lu Baohua replied, Don’t be too modest. I saw the commendation notice from the Administration Department on the bulletin board this morning. You managed to outmaneuver those seasoned slackers—your capabilities shouldn’t be underestimated.

Ye Baoling humbly said, I was forced into it. Without the help of other colleagues, I wouldn’t have made it through. Manager Lu, when will you need the translated materials?

I’ll have a colleague bring them to you later. You can draft the translation, and someone else will review it afterward.

Alright.

During her lunch break, Ye Baoling translated several pages of product instructions and handed them to the liaison in the Product Department as soon as she returned to work.

The colleague was astonished by her efficiency.

Well, as a hardworking professional forged in the competitive 21st century, high efficiency was a basic requirement.

Near the end of the workday, Qi Yuxiu returned from outside and immediately called Ye Baoling into her office.

Ah Ling, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.

What is it?

Qi Yuxiu set down her bag, pulled out a chair, and sat. Have a seat.

Once Ye Baoling was seated, she continued, Earlier, I was in a meeting upstairs and ran into Director Qu from the Herbal Tea Product Department on my way down.

Ye Baoling had met Director Qu at the coordination meeting that morning.

Director Qu was quite different from Qi Yuxiu—in her thirties, very stylish and efficient.

Director Qu spoke very highly of you. The Product Department is seriously short-staffed, and she wants to transfer you over to help.

This came as a surprise to Ye Baoling.

Would you like to go?

Of course she would. Moving through different departments to better understand the company’s operations was exactly what she hoped for.

But she had worked hard to earn Qi Yuxiu’s trust and didn’t want to miss out on other opportunities.

After all, Qi Yuxiu was Ye Kaisen’s person.

She smiled and said, Sister Xiu, I’ve only just passed my probation.

Qi Yuxiu understood the underlying message. That’s what I thought as well. You’ve just become a regular employee, and the Cleaning Section can’t do without you right now. The head of the Security Section is retiring, and I was actually considering handing it over to you. I feel a young woman managing the Security Section would be more suitable—less likely to confront issues head-on.

Managing the Security Section?

Ye Baoling wanted that too, but judging by Qi Yuxiu’s tone, she might no longer be the first choice.

She could only smile and say, Sister Xiu, whatever you decide, I’ll cooperate.

Ye Baoling arrived at the company early in the morning. After the morning meeting, she received a commendation letter from the administration department.

She was granted early confirmation of her permanent position, promoted to salary grade 5, and awarded an extra 1,000 yuan bonus.

Wang Simin also received a 500 yuan reward.

Some of the senior colleagues in the department were somewhat envious and urged them to treat everyone.

Wang Simin, who was usually generous, turned frugal today. If I made money from stocks, I’d definitely treat everyone, but this is my hard-earned income—I’m saving it.

Ye Baoling smiled and said, Let’s talk after the money comes through. The bonus hasn’t even been deposited yet. I’m broke right now.

Then, Liu Haonan put down his newspaper and said, I’ll treat everyone at noon.

Wow, did the sun rise from the west? Did you win the lottery?

Liu Haonan replied, I’ve resigned. I’ll be leaving after this week.

Everyone was surprised and asked where he was going for his new job.

Liu Haonan answered vaguely, I’m going to work at a relative’s company.

What kind of company?

An investment company. Liu Haonan was unwilling to elaborate.

The others didn’t quite believe him but still said with a smile, Brother Nan, don’t forget about us when you make it big.

In the morning, Qi Yuxiu had to go out for business and asked Ye Baoling to attend a meeting on her behalf, which was being held by Ye Qingtang’s product department.

Such mid-to-low-level meetings usually didn’t involve members of the Ye family, but Ye Baoling still cautiously asked, Who will be attending the meeting?

Qi Yuxiu nodded slightly. We’ll consider the security department matter later. The product development team needs personnel, and I’d like to assign you there on secondment. Your position will remain in our logistics department, but you’ll be temporarily transferred. This way, you can handle responsibilities in both departments simultaneously, and we can apply for a raise to level 6 for your salary.

Handling two departments at once?

Just as she was thinking about it, the opportunity arrived. Ye Baoling smiled and asked, Is that really possible?

Of course. Right now, the product development team is begging me to release personnel.

I have no objections, Ye Baoling repeated her usual line. I’ll follow whatever arrangements Sister Xiu makes.

This statement was crucial. She seized every opportunity to repeat it once or twice, reinforcing in Qi Yuxiu’s mind her image as both capable and highly obedient.

Qi Yuxiu nodded with satisfaction. Once you’re there, observe carefully and listen attentively. If there’s an opportunity for advancement, we can transfer your position there permanently later.

Ye Baoling seemed to have guessed Qi Yuxiu’s intention—she wanted her to act as an internal spy in the product development department.

After all, Leaf Pure Tea fell under Lin Zhong’s management, and Ye Kaisen would certainly want to plant his own informants.

Thank you, Sister Xiu, for this opportunity. I’ll work hard.

Qi Yuxiu smiled. The product development team is full of shrewd people. You’ll need to be sharp when you’re there. I’ll communicate with them tomorrow, and you can start then. As for your current duties, just keep an eye on the cleaning department. When you’re too busy, let Sister Mei share the workload—she handled these responsibilities before and has experience. Just don’t let her know about the cardboard money situation…

Ye Baoling nodded in understanding.

After finishing work discussions with colleagues in his office, Ye Huaizhang was interrupted by Dong Jian knocking on the door.

Young Master, Xiao Dahai is here.

Let him in.

Xiao Dahai entered and had barely taken a seat before announcing, Lai Zhenglan died in an accident.

Ye Huaizhang set aside the documents he had just signed and put away his fountain pen. How did he die?

After we commissioned the Bamboo Triad to issue the kill order, countless people responded. To evade pursuit, Lai Zhenglan and his son fled separately by boat to Southeast Asia. The fishing boat Lai Zhenglan was on encountered a storm during the journey—it sank, and he drowned.

So, in a way, heaven had dealt with Lai Zhenglan.

This was the best possible outcome.

Xiao Dahai handed over two photographs: one showed Lai Zhenglan’s corpse when it was discovered, while the other depicted a severed finger.

Ye Huaizhang asked, Whose finger is this?

It belongs to Lai Zhenglan’s son, Lai Yaoming. The ship Lai Yaoming took reached Southeast Asia safely. But even after arriving, he was relentlessly hunted. He cut off his own finger, took this photo, and sent it to us, begging for forgiveness. Lai Yaoming sent a message through an intermediary, claiming everything was his father’s idea. Now that his father is dead and he’s sacrificed a finger, he hopes we’ll spare his life. He swore he would never set foot in Port City again.

Ye Huaizhang shook his head slightly, refusing the plea. That’s not enough. Tell him to come confess his crimes before me personally—if he has the courage.

Xiao Dahai replied, Understood. I’ll spread the word.

Ye Huaizhang wanted to meet Lai Yaoming primarily to uncover one mystery: after returning from South Africa, he had switched to a new car and kept his schedule extremely confidential. How had they pinpointed the exact location of his new vehicle to orchestrate the car accident?

Who had leaked his itinerary?

This was crucial to him.

After work, Ye Huaizhang declined all social engagements and returned home early.

Upon returning home, he immediately buried himself in the study, carefully examining the two diaries left by his grandfather.

Ye Baoling didn’t return to the Gu Family today either. After work, she went back to the old third residence and found her husband deeply engrossed in research in the study.

He didn’t even have time to acknowledge her presence as she stood before him.

A focused man is the most attractive.

Ye Baoling leaned closer and saw him drawing the Eight Trigrams. Curious, she asked, What are you drawing? The Eight Trigrams diagram?

Information I found in Grandpa’s diaries.

Any leads yet?

Still studying it. Haven’t figured it out yet.

She glanced at the two weathered diaries by his hand and asked, Can I take a look at your grandfather’s journals?

No. He refused without hesitation. They contain some of Grandfather’s personal privacy.

Ye Baoling shot him a glare. So now I’m an outsider.

Ye Huaizhang finally looked up, avoiding her sarcastic remark, and said, Grandfather’s journals repeatedly mention this Eight Trigrams diagram. I’ve looked into it—it’s not the common Bagua hung above doorways, but the Fuxi Bagua Diagram.

You mean the wine cellar exit might be related to this Fuxi Bagua Diagram?

Possibly. Not certain yet. Need more research. Should have answers soon.

Ye Baoling could tell he also wanted to solve the mystery quickly, so she didn’t press him further.

Today marked the seventh cup of Nuptial wine. By next Monday, after the eighth cup, it would complete the forty-nine days.

Ye Baoling discussed with him, My grandfather wants me to move back to the Oldest Branch. I’m trying to buy time—we only have one week left until the 49 days are complete. I’ll return after that period.

Ye Huaizhang’s hand, which was writing, paused slightly before he continued finishing the character. Are you suggesting we live separately?

It’s not really separation. I’ll tell them I’m splitting time between the Oldest Branch and my grandmother’s place. It won’t affect our twice-a-week arrangement.

Won’t affect twice a week.

She stated it so bluntly that Ye Huaizhang defensively retorted, That’s not what I meant.

That’s exactly what you meant.

…

Ye Huaizhang simply set down his pen. Then I’ll make sure to perform well tonight.

Ye Baoling grew nervous and quickly changed the subject: Earlier, you promised to help me with three things. How about fulfilling one now—something simple for you?

What do you want me to do?

I don’t want my family to know I’m working at Ye Qingtang. Think of a way to place me somewhere they won’t question, where I don’t need to work on-site.

It was a simple matter, and Ye Huaizhang agreed.

He asked curiously, Why don’t you want your family knowing you work at Ye Qingtang?

Ye Baoling fabricated an excuse: I want to climb the ranks on my own merit and surprise them.

Ye Huaizhang nodded slightly. You really want their approval.

He understood.

Ye Baoling couldn’t be bothered to argue and let it pass.

Even though that wasn’t the case.

Hurry up and figure it out. Let me know tomorrow or the day after how you plan to arrange it.

Understood. I’ll have Dong Jian make the arrangements and notify you.

Only then did Ye Baoling return to her room.

Before bed, Yang Pinxian had someone bring the Nuptial wine.

Within half a minute of drinking it, Ye Baoling could feel her body growing slightly warm.

At that time, Ye Huaizhang was in the study on an overseas call.

Ye Baoling simply tied up her hair and took a cold shower.

The Nuptial wine now seemed to have no effect on Ye Huaizhang, but for Ye Baoling, each cup had a stronger impact—though not yet unbearable.

After her cold shower, the heat subsided.

Ye Huaizhang, who had intended to perform well tonight, returned from his call to find her already deep asleep.

Hah.

Women.

Author’s Note:

Ye Baoling: The Duke of Zhou is more appealing.

Ye Huaizhang: Hah.