C27 Kawase Yuki

Ye Ziyan offered a reminder. The private detective, with a smile, accepted the card and nodded in agreement, seemingly indifferent to the situation.

In today's entertainment industry, which celebrity doesn't have a bit of dirt on them? Once this issue blows over, he could sell the scoop to someone else and make a killing. Why wouldn't he? Professional ethics? If people really had professional ethics, who would work as a private detective?

Three days later, inside a café, a stack of photos was tossed across the table, and Ziyan's face darkened at the sight.

She had already known that Ye Tian was living in Jinghao, but seeing the photos of Ye Tian freely coming and going from the place as if it were her own home infuriated Ziyan to the point where she wanted to claw at Ye Tian's face.

"I also found out that Ye Tian has been cohabiting with this man. They've even been to the hospital together, twice. Here, take a look at these photos," the private detective informed her.

Ziyan examined the photo. The man was Gu Qinian. They went to the hospital together? For what purpose?

She considered Qinian's behavior towards Ye Tian and shook her head slightly. Then she remembered Qinian's warning to her the other day.

Perhaps Qinian had already fallen for that despicable woman!

That's right, the last time she was at the hospital, she had also encountered Qinian and Ye Tian together.

Could it be that Ye Tian was pregnant?

At the thought, Ziyan, enraged, hurled the cup in front of her. The private detective, accustomed to such outbursts, summoned a waiter to tidy up. "Calm down. They didn't visit the maternity ward. They were in a VIP room and seemed to be consulting with a specialist. I know the expert; I've interviewed him for a magazine before. But as to what exactly they were doing, I'd need to dig deeper to find out..."

Before the private detective could finish, Ziyan gestured dismissively and placed a thick envelope of cash on the table, then turned on her heel and left, "No further investigation is necessary."

The private detective, content with the payment, said nothing more.

Little did he know that shortly after leaving the café, before he could even enjoy the newly acquired cash, he would be abducted.

"Who was that woman asking you to investigate?" The private detective's eyes were covered with a black cloth, and he spewed curses as a fierce punch landed on his stomach.

Writhing in pain, he remained curled up for quite some time, unable to recover.

The man repeated his question. At first, the private detective was defiant, but upon hearing the rustling of sleeves, he quickly changed his tune and pleaded, "Ye Tian! It's Ye Ziyan, the celebrity Ye Ziyan. She hired me to look into someone named Ye Tian, her own cousin."

As the footsteps drew nearer, the private detective shrank back, insisting, "I'm not lying, I swear!"

Kneeling before him, the man inquired, "So, what did you find out?"

"It was... it was taken," the detective stammered out.

"Oh?" The man let out a soft chuckle, stood up, and took a few steps forward.

What followed was a barrage of punches and kicks, even more brutal than the first assault.

"I'll talk, I'll talk! There's a backup on my phone," the detective cried out, cradling his head with one hand while frantically searching his pockets with the other. "The... the phone's in my backpack."

Five minutes later, silence enveloped him.

"Is... Is anyone there?" the detective tentatively lifted his head covering, listening for any signs of movement.

Pulling off the mask, he saw his shattered phone beside him.

Picking up his bag, the detective cursed under his breath, "Damn, such bad luck. No wonder things aren't going my way. Damn it all!"

He blamed everything on Ye Ziyan. If he hadn't taken this case, he wouldn't be in this mess. Surely, it was this woman who had crossed someone.

At the top floor of the Whole Horn Building.

"Sir, about these photos..." his subordinate began respectfully, "Gu Qinian should be aware that Ye Ziyan is having someone investigate Ye Tian."

The photos had been successfully copied, and the originals completely destroyed.

"It's fine," the man dismissed.

He knew that Gu Qinian's interest in Ye Tian paled in comparison to Ye Ziyan's.

"Yes, sir," the subordinate replied, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the photos on the monitor, pondering if this was indeed the person his boss longed for day and night.

The man smiled, uncorking a bottle of red wine, and savored the images before him. They were all solo shots of Ye Tian, taken from various angles, each meticulously examined.

He moved to the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the vast expanse of A City, and his thoughts once again returned to that face, now grown and more beautiful than ever.

The corners of the man's lips lifted ever so slightly.

"Tian, I'm back."

At the Ye residence.

"My dear daughter, how have things been going with Qinian?" Ye Yongcheng inquired, his concern evident. Securing Gu Qinian a day earlier would have elevated the Ye family to new heights. They would not only cement their status in A City but also pave the way for international expansion.

Ye Ziyan was clearly irritated. "Let's not talk about it."

She turned to leave.

"What happened? Is there a problem?" Ye Yongcheng quickly caught his daughter's arm, knowing the gravity of the situation demanded clarity.

With a huff, Ye Ziyan sat down, arms folded, and recounted the entire ordeal.

"My good girl," Ye Yongcheng coaxed, holding Ye Ziyan's arm and whispering in her ear, "If you do this..."

"Fine!"

A vengeful gleam shone in Ye Ziyan's eyes.

...

"Miss Ye Tian, no more sleeping in. It's yet another weekend of overtime," Shang Yuvyuv gently chided.

"Overtime every single day, with no regard for the workers..." Ye Tian grumbled as she hung up and got out of bed to freshen up.

Shang Yuvyuv, under the guise of the studio, had landed her another private gig.

Truthfully, it was Shang Yuvyuv's dream to photograph the wealthy elite.

As soon as the word got out, Shang Yuvyuv, who had been anxious about where to find celebrities, found them knocking at her door.

With palpable excitement, Shang Yuvyuv gushed, "Ye Tian, have you ever heard of Kawase Yuki? The Kawase family!"

Ye Tian shook her head, puzzled. "What's got you so worked up?"

"It's not just the thrill of interviewing him, it's the fact that they reached out to me first! They took the initiative! Mom, I've made it!" Shang Yuvyuv couldn't contain her excitement, causing Ye Tian to shove snacks and cookies into her mouth to calm her down.

"You've certainly made it, at the expense of my weekend. So, how do you plan to make it up to me?" Ye Tian demanded, expecting a hefty compensation.

Shang Yuvyuv grinned mischievously. "Once you get me those perfect shots of Kawase Yuki, I'll figure out a way to treat you to a state banquet if you want."

"I don't need a state banquet, but how about the Yi Lin family's signature set meal?"

Shang Yuvyuv gestured grandly, "All set!"

"If it weren't for his availability only on weekends, I wouldn't dream of asking you!" Shang Yuvyuv said with a mischievous grin. "Hurry along now. Just head to the Whole Horn Building downtown and give them your name at the reception."

"You're not coming?" Ye Tian asked, puzzled.

Aren't there interviews for the magazine?

"It's not that I'm not going; it's just that he prefers not to have the interview and the shooting on the same day. Weekends are for resting, after all. Filming is a bit more laid-back than interviewing, so we'll shoot first and I'll attend the interview on a weekday," Shang Yuvyuv clarified.

"Okay." Ye Tian nodded, then turned back, "And I expect to be reimbursed for the cab fare both ways!"