The Young Lady is a Bit Unruly [Fragrant Harbor] - Chapter 47 Pupil Tremors

Chapter 47 Pupil Tremors

At seven in the morning, Ye Baoling was awakened by her alarm clock.

The space beside her pillow was empty—she had no idea when Ye Huaizhang had returned.

She got up and practiced Chen Family Fist for half an hour on the balcony of her sitting room.

This time, her period had arrived without any pain, and she believed it had something to do with her fist practice. So, even without anyone urging her, she was determined to keep it up.

After finishing her practice, she brushed her teeth, applied makeup, and changed clothes. Sister Ping knocked and entered, carrying a bowl of bird’s nest porridge and a steamer of beef rolls.

You can eat in your room. There’s no one in the dining room downstairs either.

Mm. Ye Baoling preferred eating alone too.

Sister Ping went to tidy the bedding. Seeing the crumpled sheets, she couldn’t help muttering under her breath, These sheets are no good—they wrinkle as soon as you sleep on them. I’ll have to ask Yin Jie to have them replaced.

Ye Baoling laughed at her, Back at the Gu Family, I never saw you being so picky.

That was different. In that environment at the Gu Family, being able to eat well was already a blessing—I couldn’t afford to be choosy. Here, if you don’t pick and choose, others will walk all over you.

While making the bed, Sister Ping noticed a short, black hair on the sheet. She picked it up for a closer look and asked in surprise, Why is there leg hair here?

Ye Baoling, who had just finished changing, glanced over and thought it was remarkable that Sister Ping’s eyesight was still so sharp at her age.

Feeling guilty, she mumbled, That’s not leg hair; it’s my eyelash.

Sister Ping looked at the leg hair in her hand, then at her young mistress’s eyes, half-convinced. You scared me. I thought someone with dirty hands had left it while cleaning.

Suppressing a laugh, Ye Baoling went to the sitting room to have breakfast.

The most comfortable thing here was that Sister Ping took care of everything for her—she didn’t have to worry about daily chores at all.

After tidying the bedroom, Sister Ping came out to continue cleaning the sitting room.

She asked quietly, What did you need the needle for last night? Don’t tell me it was for removing corns.

Ye Baoling made up an excuse casually, My wallet was coming apart at the seams, so I stitched it up a bit.

Hearing this, Sister Ping seemed slightly disappointed. If you really want to make a voodoo doll, leave it to me. I’ll find someone outside to do it.

Ye Baoling admonished her seriously, Don’t bring up that topic again. If someone hears, it could cause trouble.

I know. I won’t mention it again. Do you think I’m the kind of person with no sense of discretion, who’d babble nonsense outside? Sister Ping had been feeling resentful ever since Zheng Junni gave birth to a healthy baby boy. That old fox didn’t have a big belly, but she gave birth to a baby over 8 pounds. If not for modern medicine allowing C-sections, in the old days, it would have cost her half her life. As the saying goes, blessed children are born large; the unblessed grow large in the womb.

The implication was that this child didn’t seem destined for good fortune.

Anyway, she just couldn’t stomach it.

Ye Baoling asked, Has my second aunt still not had any contact with them recently?

Afraid of upsetting the old master, she puts on a show and visits occasionally. That old fox used to smile at everyone, but now she’s putting on airs. Second Aunt is even more displeased than we are. Just wait—there might be some good drama to watch in the future.

Ye Baoling thought the same. Letting them fight each other while she reaped the benefits was indeed a good strategy.

After breakfast, she went downstairs and happened to run into Ye Baoxin at the entrance of the Hall of Flourishing Harmony, who was also heading to work.

Ye Baoxin greeted her with a smile, Aren’t you driving?

I’m taking a taxi.

I’ll drive you to work.

Ye Baoling declined: No need, it’s not on your way.

As she spoke, she stepped out first.

After exiting the main gate, she needed to walk out of Qing Tang Street to hail a taxi easily. Actually, walking to work was quite close, but to avoid trouble, she usually took a taxi that detoured, getting off in the neighboring street before walking to Jade Dragon Mansion.

Unexpectedly, just after leaving the Oldest Branch Residence, she encountered Gong Jiahua’s car.

It was unclear whether he had been deliberately waiting near the entrance.

Gong Jiahua pulled up beside her. Bao Ling, let me give you a ride.

It’s not on your way, Ye Baoling repeated.

It is—I’m meeting someone near Lihua Building.

Further refusal would be impolite. Just as Ye Baoling considered getting in, she heard another car approaching.

Looking up, she saw Ye Huaizhang’s car passing from behind.

Ye Huaizhang rolled down his window and said to Ye Baoling, Get in.

Thinking Ye Huaizhang was deliberately provoking him, Gong Jiahua exclaimed, What are you doing?!

Ye Huaizhang smiled. I’m heading that way too.

Gong Jiahua had never seen anyone so tactless and was so angry he nearly fumed.

At that moment, Ye Baoxin’s car emerged from the Oldest Branch Residence.

Ye Baoling, who had been about to approach Ye Huaizhang’s sedan, halted. Not wanting Ye Baoxin to overthink the situation, she quickly opened the passenger door of Gong Jiahua’s car and got in.

Ye Huaizhang, who had intended to help his wife out of an awkward situation: …

His face instantly darkened.

Gong Jiahua, however, was beaming, his eyes sparkling with delight. He wished he could personally fasten Ye Baoling’s seatbelt.

Ye Baoxin, who had assumed Ye Huaizhang was greeting Gong Jiahua, saw Ye Baoling get into Gong Jiahua’s car. Ignoring Gong Jiahua, she rolled down her window and politely called out, Good morning, Brother Huaizhang.

Ye Huaizhang responded with a polite but artificial smile, nodded slightly, and rolled his window back up.

*

On the way to drop Ye Baoling off at work, Gong Jiahua explained with a laugh, Huaizhang just enjoys seeing me embarrassed.

Ye Baoling asked him, Don’t you usually go to work?

Gong Jiahua: I collect a salary but don’t work regular office hours. I occasionally stop by the company, but there’s not much that requires my attention.

His actual duties involved attending various charity banquets, participating in corporate PR events, and holding honorary positions at public welfare organizations.

Such was the life of a traditional wealthy scion in Hong Kong.

It was fine.

But it still fell short of the life she aspired to.

The life she yearned for was one where she could skip any social events she didn’t want to attend, sleep when she wished, shop when she felt like it, work when motivated, and lounge indefinitely without obligations—answerable to no one and nothing.

Yet that remained an aspiration. Humans are social creatures, and true unfettered freedom is hard to achieve.

Back in the product department office, Gao Lizhen had arrived earlier than her today.

Lately, Gao Lizhen’s demeanor had improved significantly compared to her previous listless state. Since their relationship hadn’t reached the point of discussing each other’s mental well-being, Ye Baoling didn’t inquire further about what had been troubling her before.

After the videotape incident, Gao Lizhen felt grateful toward Ye Baoling.

Seeing Ye Baoling enter, she proactively asked if there was anything she could help with, offering to handle any tasks assigned.

Knowing how much the other valued professional validation, Ye Baoling handed her a simplified version of the jasmine herbal tea market research report she had compiled the day before.

Please make seven copies for the meeting later. Thank you.

Alright. Gao Lizhen went off to work with great delight.

He Jiayi and Rong Jie came in one after another. They asked Ye Baoling, Bao Ling, we heard Manager Lu was fired?

I’m not sure, it’s still under investigation, right?

Rong Jie shook her head repeatedly. Ah! You really can’t judge a book by its cover. He always smiled at everyone normally—who would have thought he’d stoop to framing others behind their backs?

He Jiayi pursed her lips. I never thought he seemed like a good person.

Ye Baoling didn’t chat with them much longer, as she still needed to make her rounds to the logistics department at the appointed time.

As usual, she went to Qi Yuxiu’s office first.

Regarding Ye Baoling’s move to take down Lu Baohua, Qi Yuxiu was slightly displeased. Why didn’t you report this to me in advance?

Ye Baoling explained, After A Xia told me, I came to find you right away, but you weren’t in your office, Sister Xiu. I thought it wasn’t urgent and could wait to report another day. Who knew Lu Baohua would strike first? I was forced to respond.

Qi Yuxiu said, Fortunately, you handled it well. But the allocation plan was your idea—why didn’t you mention it to me?

I didn’t expect the allocation plan to have such a big impact either. I was just as surprised when the chairman found out and I got promoted with a raise. That day at the networking event, when I proposed the plan to Lu Baohua, it was mainly to gather the management from the marketing department so I could extract information and record them…

This explanation was plausible.

Qi Yuxiu nodded, then misled her: Your promotion to planner was also because General Manager Ye Kaisen was present. He knows you’re one of us and fought for your benefit.

Faced with Qi Yuxiu’s brazen fabrication, Ye Baoling smiled gratefully. I was wondering how I suddenly got promoted to planner—even Qu Zhengming was surprised. Thank you for your support, Sister Xiu. Please also convey my thanks to General Manager Ye.

Qi Yuxiu dangled a carrot: Planner is nothing? There are plenty of higher positions waiting for you. Work hard.

Ye Baoling was all too familiar with these tactics of alternating discipline and reward—they were tricks she had long outgrown. She smiled and nodded, I’ll work hard.

However, this incident with Lu Baohua has cut off half of Qu Zhengming’s support—it’s a good thing. Next, find a way to gather evidence against Qu Zhengming. Now that she’s managing two departments alone, it’s even better. Bringing her down is like taking half of Shen Wanjie’s territory.

Ye Baoling said, Qu Zhengming isn’t quite like the former Director Liu from the marketing department. She’s very cautious, doesn’t fully trust me, and seems upright—she’s not easy to target.

The more upright someone appears on the surface, the more corrupt they are in private. Keep an eye on her; sooner or later, you’ll find her weakness. Qi Yuxiu didn’t believe there were truly good people in this company.

Not just Ye Qingtang—the whole society was like this.

Everyone has their own selfishness. It’s human nature.

After leaving the logistics department, Ye Baoling made a round through the cleaning section before heading to Wang Simin’s office.

Wang Simin was snacking in her office. Since becoming a small leader in the security department, managing over a dozen security guards, her knack for handling people and keeping them happy had the guards treating her like royalty. Her life was thriving.

She boasted to Ye Baoling, You should’ve called me directly yesterday. I’d have brought a few security guards to escort you—guaranteed to beat that Lu guy until even his parents wouldn’t recognize him.

Ye Baoling laughed and advised her, Tone it down a bit. Be careful not to get ousted right after taking your position.

Wang Simin naturally understood. Don’t worry, I’m not that stupid. I’d definitely wink at the guards to hit harder while pretending to pull them back, shouting ‘Stop it, stop it!’ Then I’d ‘accidentally’ step on him a few more times. Who doesn’t know how to put on a show?

Ye Baoling was thoroughly amused, imagining the scene with delight.

She didn’t stay long at the security department, returning punctually at ten for a meeting with the R&D team colleagues.

Regarding Ye Qingtang’s Jasmine Herbal Tea, Ye Baoling proposed her suggestions based on market research.

Instead of positioning it as an herbal tea, we should market it as a genuine thirst-quenching beverage. The flavor needs mass appeal to attract the broadest consumer base.

The R&D team leader asked, What defines mass appeal in flavor?

Light fragrance, mild sweetness, throat-refreshing and thirst-quenching. Both the jasmine aroma and herbal tea bitterness should be minimized. You have last week’s market research report with consumer taste analysis. The R&D team should prepare multiple jasmine herbal tea variations with different taste profiles for consumer sampling.

How should we conduct consumer taste tests?

First, we need to identify our target consumers. Traditional herbal tea consumers tend to be older—a market refined over decades where Ye Qingtang already stands as a leader. Jasmine Herbal Tea should target younger consumers. Young people drink beverages more frequently, representing a broader market. We could collaborate with universities and sports organizations for taste tests…

After Ye Baoling presented her views, reactions were mixed—some agreed while others opposed.

Opponents argued: Our specialty is herbal tea. Deviating from that means losing Ye Qingtang’s distinctive identity.

Ye Qingtang’s hallmark is traditional herbal tea. With Lo Han Kuo Herbal Tea already as a new product, adding Jasmine Herbal Tea would only fragment our existing market without gaining new consumers. The current market is saturated with carbonated drinks but lacks tea beverages that appeal to young consumers. Why not explore this untapped market?

Another countered, Young people don’t like tea beverages.

Does milk tea count? So many young people enjoy silk-stocking milk tea—proof that they won’t reject tea beverages if the flavor suits them. Future tea beverage trends gave Ye Baoling confidence that young demographics held untapped potential, provided the taste resonated.

As hesitant objections continued, Xu Chengping interrupted: Among new products, the current Jasmine Herbal Tea sales lag far behind Lo Han Kuo’s—it’s already a failed product. Given this, why not follow Gu Baolin’s suggestion and attempt a completely new direction?

Qu Zhengming nodded. Exactly. Since it’s already a failed product, we should burn our boats and pivot entirely.

Will General Manager Shen approve this direction?

I’ll go communicate with him—it shouldn’t be a major issue. We can begin the R&D and improvement work immediately. Speed is crucial since the company is going public in September. Currently, the sales of Jasmine Herbal Tea are underperforming, which is unfavorable for the IPO.

In the end, it was decided to proceed with formula improvement and R&D in the direction suggested by Ye Baoling.

Ye Baoling was put in full charge of the R&D and promotional planning for Jasmine Herbal Tea, while also coordinating with the R&D team, marketing department, and branding department.

During the lunch break, after finishing her meal, Ye Baoling returned to her workstation and read the newspaper.

She was reading the third issue of Tumbleweed Financial Weekly. Though the weekly only had four pages, every small column was packed with essential and intriguing content.

As she read, she came across a piece of news that jolted her awake—despite having skipped her nap and feeling drowsy.

The news contained two key pieces of information: Edward Planning had taken on two new projects for listed companies—one involved renaming Fukang Fermented Soybeans, and the other was the IPO of Lijing Optical Company.

Edward Securities planned to rename Fukang Fermented Soybeans to Golden Soybeans, while Lijing Optical Company would officially be named Bright Eyes after its listing.

Finally, she had gathered all three Witch stocks.

These three Witch stocks were: Hot Spicy, Golden Soybeans, and Bright Eyes.

Truly, it was like finding something without even looking—effortless.

Tumbleweed Financial Weekly was practically her lucky charm.

Ye Baoling made a point of noting that the editor-in-chief of Tumbleweed* was Bai Zhu.

She recalled that the journalist for the previous news about Dapeng Port was Bai Zhulin, and upon checking, she found that the journalist for this Edward Securities news was also Bai Zhulin.

She had reason to suspect that Bai Zhu and Bai Zhulin were the same person.

After reading through all four pages of news, aside from Bai Zhulin, there was only one other journalist.

It seemed this new newspaper had a limited staff, and one could imagine their financial situation was quite tight.

She hoped they could hold on a bit longer.

Ye Baoling neatly folded the newspaper. After work, she went straight to Qiyuan Investment to discuss the next investment plan with Liu Haonan.

Her plan was straightforward: since Hot Spicy was set to surge in September, and the other two Witch stocks would skyrocket in October before the stock market crash.

First, they would use 10 million Hong Kong dollars to build a position in Jiaming Shares, which had not yet been renamed Hot Spicy.

Liu Haonan expressed concern, Jiaming Shares’ performance is quite mediocre, and the stock price has been hovering at low levels. Are you sure you want to invest that much?

If it weren’t for Jiaming Shares’ small market cap, Ye Baoling would have loved to pour all 40 million she had on hand into it.

For a stock set to rise 22-fold in the future, investing 40 million would undoubtedly alter its trajectory prematurely. Not wanting to take that risk, she had to restrain herself from being too greedy.

Don’t focus on its performance—it’s irrelevant. There are still over two weeks left in August; building a 10-million position won’t be a problem.

Liu Haonan had no choice but to follow his boss’s lead.

Ye Baoling added, For the remaining 30 million, you decide how to invest it appropriately. I don’t need huge returns, but it must be flexible—I need to be able to withdraw funds at any time.

Liu Haonan suggested, Buy indices—both the Hong Kong and U.S. stock indices are good options. The market has been performing well lately; you’ll profit from any index, and the risk is relatively low. When you need the money, you can sell anytime without worrying about finding a buyer.

Buying indices was a stable approach. The returns might not be huge, but given the current market conditions, it was unlikely to result in a loss.

Ye Baoling recalled that before the stock market crash, Hong Kong stock indices had risen more sharply than U.S. stocks. She said, Then allocate 20 million to buy the Hang Seng Index and convert 10 million into U.S. dollars to purchase the S&P 500 index.

They would lay low for another month before targeting two more witch stocks.

She still held 1 million in Hong Tong Industries at Baihui Securities, which had also risen significantly, so she decided to leave it untouched for now.

With Liu Haonan handling more capital, he needed to hire an assistant and an accountant. Recruitment matters were delegated to him and Chen Yulan.

*

The Fang family mansion was located at No. 5 Qing Tang Street. Its position was rather unique—situated at the tail of an L-shaped street with one side facing Maine Street.

This was Ye Baoling’s first visit.

Her evening gown for the occasion had been specially prepared by the old master through Xing Shu and his wife.

The necklace around her neck was also chosen by them.

To successfully marry her off, the elder branch of the family had invested considerable resources.

Although located on the same street, they still arrived by car.

The Fang family patriarch was a knight honored by the British royal family. While not the wealthiest family on the street, they held the highest status in political and social circles. He had been close friends with Ye Qizu and Gong Fonian for many years.

Upon hearing of Ye Qizu’s arrival, Sir Fang came out personally with his sons and grandchildren to greet him.

Brother Qizu, I heard you’ve become a grandfather again?

Ye Qizu laughed, Yes, heaven has been kind. You must come for the full-month celebration. The whole family is invited.

Absolutely, we’ll definitely be there.

Ye Qizu pointed to Ye Baoling and introduced her, This is my eldest granddaughter, Bao Ling. She hasn’t spent much time at home before, so I believe this is her first visit to your esteemed residence. Bao Ling, quickly pay your respects to Sir Fang and Uncle Fang…

Ye Baoling, who had been following behind her grandfather, smiled and greeted, Good evening, Grandfather Fang. Good evening, Uncle Fang.

Bao Ling, is it? I think I met her when she was little. It’s amazing how time flies—she’s all grown up now, graceful and intelligent. Unaware of Gong Fonian and Ye Qizu’s matchmaking intentions for their grandchildren, Sir Fang cheerfully called to his grandson, Shanxing, take Bao Ling to meet your friends of the same age.

Fang Shanxing?

The good friend of the male lead from the original storyline.

Fang Shanxing was around the same age as Ye Huaizhang and Gong Jiahua. Chubby and highly sociable, he hit it off instantly with the outgoing Ye Baoling. Within just a few sentences, they chatted like old friends.

It was past 7 p.m., and the sky hadn’t completely darkened yet.

The charity evening was divided into an auction and a cocktail reception.

The auction was scheduled to start at 8 p.m. in the garden, where over a dozen tables were set up.

The cocktail reception took place in the main hall of the Fang mansion. Some guests were playing the piano, others were dancing, and small groups stood chatting while enjoying drinks and delicacies.

Fang Shanxing handed Ye Baoling a cocktail and asked, Last time when you were playing pool with Le Yan and the others, I was watching from the side. I had to leave before the final match—who won the last game?

Ye Baoling smiled, We won the final round. Brother Shanxing, do you know Fang Haiming?

He’s a friend of mine. Do you know him?

I don’t, but I’ve seen his antique appraisal show on TV and found him quite interesting. Let’s invite him out to hang out next time. Ye Baoling thought about how she had altered Man’er’s career path and wondered if Man’er would still meet the original male lead. She needed to find a way to reconnect their matchmaking thread.

Fang Shanxing agreed readily, Sure, let’s play tennis together next time.

Alright.

The two exchanged phone numbers.

Afterwards, Fang Shanxing brought Ye Baoling to meet the wealthy young masters and ladies in their social circle.

Most people didn’t know Ye Baoling, but upon learning she was the eldest granddaughter of the Ye family’s main branch, they all became very welcoming.

Someone asked: Are you and Ye Baoxin sisters?

Someone who knew better quickly nudged the questioner’s elbow and interjected with a laugh, Don’t mind him.

Ye Baoling replied with graceful composure, It’s fine. Baoxin is my stepsister from my stepmother’s side.

Since she and Ye Baoxin were born in the same year, she still didn’t know which of them was older.

Oh.

Those who hadn’t known now understood.

Fang Shanxing was quite the social butterfly—there wasn’t anyone at the party he didn’t know.

Baoling, let me introduce you to a fitness coach. Having heard that Ye Baoling was practicing boxing, Fang Shanxing brought over a handsome, muscular man.

The man openly showed off his arm and invited Ye Baoling to feel it.

Ye Baoling reached out to touch it, but in such a public setting, she was afraid her grandfather might see and have a stroke.

Yet, she couldn’t resist giving it a try. If he had a stroke, so be it—who cared!

Just as she stretched out her hand, she heard a familiar cough.

Turning around, she saw Ye Huaizhang standing nearby.

Awkward.

Caught red-handed before she could even indulge.

What a coincidence… Ye Baoling laughed awkwardly, withdrawing her hand.

Meanwhile, Gong Jiahua, who had come with Ye Huaizhang, rushed over and shooed the muscular hunk away.

Fang Shanxing stared at them, baffled. What’s going on?

Gong Jiahua, thinking Ye Huaizhang was backing him up, puffed out his chest. Shanxing, how could you casually introduce such questionable people to Baoling?

Fang Shanxing rolled his eyes. Questionable? He’s a legitimate fitness coach! He’s here for charity. Why so tense?!

Ye Baoling teased, These two are straight out of the Qing dynasty.

Fang Shanxing chuckled. Yeah, that’s a perfect way to put it.

Ye Huaizhang deliberately tried to send Fang Shanxing away. Shanxing, Sir Fang is looking for you at the entrance.

Alright. You guys chat, we’ll play cards later. Thinking his grandfather wanted him to entertain important guests, Fang Shanxing headed toward the main entrance.

Ye Huaizhang then handed his car keys to Gong Jiahua. Go to my trunk and get the gift I brought for Sir Fang. I’ll wait for you by the pool at the back of the house.

Gong Jiahua, though feeling ordered around, tolerated it since the other was his future brother-in-law.

He scurried off toward the garage.

Ye Baoling asked Ye Huaizhang, Why are you sending them away?

I need to talk to you. With that, Ye Huaizhang headed toward the back of the house first.

Ye Baoling waited until Ye Huaizhang was farther away and no one was paying attention to her before setting her cocktail down on a table and following him out back.

Behind the house was a modest-sized swimming pool, dimly lit at the moment. She found Ye Huaizhang behind a pillar.

Why come all the way out here? she asked.

Ye Huaizhang gazed toward the back hill. Want to go for a drive up the mountain later?

Ye Baoling shook her head at the thought of the pitch-black night. It’d be fine during the day, but at night? I’d be scared.

We’ll be driving. What’s there to be afraid of?

After a brief exchange, Ye Baoling tried to leave, but Ye Huaizhang grabbed her. Didn’t you ask me to find a way to get Gong Jiahua to stop pursuing you?

Yeah. What’s your plan? Lure him up the mountain and beat him up? Her imagination ran wild.

Ye Huaizhang wrapped an arm around her waist. He’s here.

Huh?

Before Ye Baoling could process what was happening, Ye Huaizhang leaned in and kissed her.

Their breaths mingled instantly.

Gong Jiahua, seeing the couple locked in a passionate kiss from a distance, was about to tactfully slip away when something felt off. He looked back more closely, and his eyes widened in shock!

Ye Huaizhang and Ye Baoling?

His mind still stuck in the Qing Dynasty, he couldn’t process what was happening.

This… this… was simply immoral!

Author’s Note: Gong Jiahua: I want to gouge my eyes out!

Ye Huaizhang: Being blind isn’t so bad either.