The old Mrs. Ye spoke with increasing anger, slamming her chopsticks and bowl onto the table.
"Mom, please calm down, don't get sick from anger," Cheng Lizhu quickly advised.
Old Mrs. Ye pushed her away. "I'm perfectly fine! Xiao Cui, pour me a glass of water. I can scold for another half hour!"
Yu He: "..."
"Madam, please don't worry. Since the old madam took the pills the young lady gave her, her physical condition has improved greatly compared to before," Aunt Cui said as she poured a glass of warm water.
"Speaking of which, since I started taking the pills these past few days, my blood and qi have improved a lot," Cheng Lizhu quickly changed the subject. "Your father's stomach problems also seem to have gotten much better. I haven't heard him complain about stomach discomfort lately."
"As long as there's no discomfort," Yu He replied.
Just then, a commotion was heard from outside the courtyard. It sounded like Ye Qichen and his group were back. Aunt Cui went out to check and soon returned, seeing Ye Qichen and his assistant supporting a thoroughly drunk Ye Jianming.
"How did he get so drunk? Hurry and take him to his room, don't let him catch a chill," Old Mrs. Ye got up and went over. "Xiao Cui, quickly go and make some hangover soup."
Ye Qichen and his assistant took Ye Jianming to his room, and Cheng Lizhu hurried after them to attend to him.
When Ye Qichen came back down, he sent his assistant away. He collapsed onto the sofa, also reeking of alcohol. No matter how Old Mrs. Ye asked, he remained silent.
Clearly, he didn't want to bring company matters home and worry his family.
"What's going on?" Yu He went out to the courtyard and stopped the assistant, who was preparing to leave.
The assistant seemed to be in a temper. Seeing that Yu He was not an outsider, he explained the whole situation.
It turned out that Ye Qichen had recently been negotiating a cooperation with a state-owned enterprise. Just as the contract was about to be signed, Qin Meimei suddenly approached the general manager of that company, wanting to negotiate a stake in the collaboration. She also sent people to spread negative information about the Ye family to the company, causing the contract, which was on the verge of being signed, to be put on hold.
Ye Qichen had originally planned to announce this good news at the company's annual meeting after the cooperation was finalized. Now, not only was the contract unsigned, but the venue he had booked at Di Sheng for the company's annual meeting was suddenly declared unavailable. The Gu family had rented it at a higher price, forcing them to find another venue.
Di Sheng Hotel was one of the hotels under the Qin Corporation, famous in Bei Shi and highly favored by major affluent families. It was usually very difficult to book a venue at Di Sheng, and Ye Qichen had gone to great lengths to secure it.
Logically, a high-class hotel like Di Sheng should prioritize its reputation and maintain its integrity. They should understand the principle of first come, first served and not do something as detrimental to their reputation as canceling a confirmed booking for a higher bidder.
However, the current manager of Di Sheng was a distant relative of Qin Meimei, and Qin Meimei, being a member of the Qin family's collateral branches, held considerable power and influence, which naturally allowed her to bend the rules.
With the annual meeting fast approaching and the venue suddenly canceled, coupled with the approaching year-end, most star-rated hotels and venues were already booked. Finding a suitable alternative was not only difficult but also humiliating.
Ye Jianming had already been targeted by the Gu family once. After lying low for so long, he had finally picked himself up, only for Qin Meimei to stir up trouble again. He naturally refused to accept this and arranged to meet the Di Sheng manager to plead his case. However, he ended up drinking himself into unconsciousness and failed to sway the manager.
"Young Master Ye is also very helpless right now," the assistant sighed.
"Does the venue's decision-making power lie solely with the manager?" Yu He asked.
"Yes, unless the general manager of Di Sheng intervenes, we have no way to compete with Qin Meimei," the assistant replied. "But the general manager of Di Sheng is also a member of the Qin family."
He sighed again, remarking that power and influence truly could achieve anything.
Yu He understood. "I see. Please be safe on your way back."
In the living room, Ye Zi was uncharacteristically well-behaved, helping Ye Qichen wipe his face with a towel. Old Mrs. Ye stood aside, chattering incessantly. Upon seeing Yu He return, she immediately said:
"Yu He, have you contacted Master Qin Qi? That bitch Qin Meimei, just because she's from a collateral branch of the Qin family, she's gotten so arrogant. Our Master Qin Qi is the future heir to the Qin family! Are we not allowed to be arrogant?!"
Yu He: "..."
"When did Master Qin Qi become ours?" Ye Zi suddenly asked. Did she agree to this?
"Sooner or later! Don't spoil the mood, I'm talking to your sister!" Old Mrs. Ye said, then looked at Yu He again. "Did you hear me?!"
Yu He: "........"
"Alright, Grandma, please stop nagging. You don't need to worry about this. I'll find a way. Go and rest now," Ye Qichen said, not wanting his family to worry about company matters, and even less did he want Yu He to beg Qin Beiting.
If worse comes to worst, he would just switch to a less prestigious venue.
Could Qin Meimei possibly book all the star-rated hotels in Bei Shi?
"Leave the venue issue to me," Yu He said.
She was already looking for a suitable opportunity to retaliate against Qin Meimei for kidnapping her. And now, here was an opportunity handed to her.
Ye Qichen immediately sat up straight. "No, don't get involved in this. Just focus on your studies."
"Am I not a member of this family?" Yu He retorted.
Ye Qichen was taken aback and immediately replied, "Of course you are."
"Since I am a member of this family, isn't it natural for me to contribute to this family?" Yu He continued.
Ye Qichen's heart suddenly warmed. Although he had been trying his best to integrate Yu He into the family, they were, after all, strangers with a blood relation. After seventeen years of not living together, it was impossible to expect immediate harmony. Therefore, subconsciously, there was always some distance.
But at this moment, he suddenly felt that this distance had shortened.
Even Old Mrs. Ye was momentarily stunned, then reacted and urged, "Then hurry up and contact Master Qin Qi, tell him to destroy them! It's best to make their Gu family go bankrupt and never be able to hold their heads up in Bei Shi again!"
Yu He: "..."
She needed to read fewer melodramatic CEO novels.
"If you don't like him, don't force yourself, understand? Debts of gratitude are the hardest to repay," Ye Qichen cautioned.
Yu He: "........"
Who said she was going to find Qin Beiting?
"I have a way to handle this. You all should rest early. I'm going back to my room now." With that, she went upstairs.
The next day was New Year's Day.
After breakfast, Yu He asked Ye Qichen to drive her to Di Sheng.
Ye Qichen didn't know what method Yu He had, but the fact that she asked him to drive her indicated that she wasn't going to seek Qin Beiting's help.
The two arrived at Di Sheng. The hotel was very lively today, with people coming and going, and even parking spaces were hard to find.
Yu He asked Ye Qichen to drop her off at the entrance, and she would go in alone.
As soon as she got out of the car, she ran into Qin Meimei, who was coming out.
Qin Meimei also saw them and deliberately stepped forward, sneering, "Is Young Master Ye still not giving up? The manager has already signed the contract with me. I advise you to turn back and find another venue."
Ye Qichen glimpsed a corner of the contract peeking out of her bag, and his expression darkened.
"Don't listen to this scoundrel. Wait for me," Yu He said, bypassing Qin Meimei and entering Di Sheng.