Chapter 31: Very Much Like My Ex-Wife

“Mr. Ye... Just now, I saw it by accident in a moment of urgency. I hope you won’t be angry.”

Lu Yao thought to herself that she absolutely couldn’t admit to having deliberately peeked. If she couldn’t admit the truth, then she had to embellish her story, even if Ye Yingtang wouldn’t believe her.

Nervously, she picked at her fingers, eyes lowered to the floor, forcing herself to endure the discomfort of Ye Yingtang’s scrutinizing gaze.

There was a long silence.

Ye Yingtang’s brows furrowed at first, his expression somewhat inscrutable as he asked, “Do you have any suggestions about this acquisition case?”

“How could I possibly dare to give you suggestions?” Lu Yao replied with a gentle smile. She noticed Ye Yingtang’s expression had grown much softer than before, and her anxiety melted away in an instant. “It’s just that I had been working on the legal risk assessment for the Xunda Technology acquisition case, and the proposal was almost complete. Right before I was due to present the plan to Ye Corporation, Director Liang, who was in charge of the acquisition, informed me on the day of the presentation that it was canceled.”

Ye Yingtang’s gaze darkened. “Liang Yi?”

“Yes, Liang Yi, Deputy Director Liang.”

“Liang Yi has always acted rashly. He’s certainly capable of such unprofessional conduct as leaving you in the lurch at the last minute. If you don’t mind, when the people from Dacheng Law Firm come to present their proposal the day after tomorrow, you should come as well.” Ye Yingtang paused, then added, “I’ll arrange for someone new to take charge of this acquisition.”

“Mr. Ye, thank you for giving me another chance.”

Lu Yao’s face lit up with delight, caught off guard by Ye Yingtang’s willingness to give her another opportunity. In that instant, her opinion of him improved dramatically.

“There’s no need to thank me. This is a chance you earned for yourself.”

Ye Yingtang gazed at Lu Yao’s pure smile, briefly stunned, his heart skipping a beat. “Miss Lu, when you smile, you look very much like my ex-wife.”

Ex-wife?

Ye Zehong’s biological mother?

Lu Yao stared at Ye Yingtang in astonishment, at a loss for words. “I’m sure I could never compare to the Second Master’s mother, who was so dignified and beautiful.”

“I can’t really pinpoint exactly how you resemble her,” Ye Yingtang said, recalling scenes from the past, his eyes tinged unmistakably with sorrow. “But the resemblance is striking at first glance—especially when you smile so innocently. It’s as if you were both cast from the same mold.”

Lu Yao watched, puzzled, not understanding why he would be seized by such emotion.

She replied with a gentle smile, “It’s an honor for me to resemble your former wife.”

Ye Yingtang gave a bitter smile and waved his hand dismissively.

Lu Yao took the hint and quietly exited the study, remembering to close the door behind her.

…

After the memorial service ended, the Ye family made it clear Lu Yao was no longer welcome.

No matter how thick-skinned she was, she didn’t dare linger.

As for tracking down her mother’s killer, she began to formulate a new plan.

If she could manage to secure the Xunda Technology acquisition project, she would successfully establish a connection with Ye Corporation. Once the legal services contract between Ye Corporation and Dacheng Law Firm expired, she’d do her utmost to have Ye Corporation appoint her as their legal counsel.

If she could successfully infiltrate Ye Corporation, she’d have far more opportunities to get close to Yang Lan and Ye Hua.

Lu Yao stared hopelessly at her ride-hailing app, which showed there were no cars nearby.

The Ye family’s old residence was built in the suburbs, and the roads nearby were strictly controlled. At this hour, there wasn’t a single soul on the main road.

Just as she was fretting, a top-tier luxury car appeared out of nowhere, coming to a halt beside her.

The window rolled down. Qiao Wan’er, seated in the front passenger seat, cast her a reluctant glance. “Lu Yao, don’t dawdle. Get in.”

Lu Yao didn’t hesitate. She got in the car at once.

No sooner had she settled into the back seat than she looked up and saw Ye Zehong at the wheel, hands on the steering wheel, eyes on her. Cold sweat broke out across her back, and she was so nervous she forgot to fasten her seatbelt.

So, this wasn’t Qiao Wan’er giving her a lift—it was Ye Zehong.

Back when he’d been secretly dating her, he’d driven nothing fancier than a BMW X Series worth less than a million.

After they broke up, he chauffeured his fiancée in a top-of-the-line Bugatti Veyron.

Lu Yao glanced at Qiao Wan’er in the front seat, her heart filling with bitterness.

In the end, she thought, she simply wasn’t worthy.