Chapter 2763: Mortal heart

Seeing Ye Chen's confident appearance, Lin Wan'er felt at ease.

Afterward, she checked the time and said, "Young Master, it's almost eight o'clock. When do you plan to go home?"

Ye Chen said, "My father-in-law usually goes out to the Calligraphy and Painting Association at nine o'clock. That's quite close to my house. Miss Lin, you don't need to send me. The helicopter makes too much noise in the downtown area; I'll just go back myself."

Lin Wan'er said, "Young Master, how can I let you walk back alone? Let me drive you back."

Ye Chen hurriedly said, "It's really not that much trouble. I'll just walk."

Lin Wan'er said softly, "If you leave like this, Young Master, and pass through the courtyard below, if the servants see you leaving my courtyard in the early morning, they won't know what to think of me."

Ye Chen asked awkwardly, "Then what does Miss Lin think is appropriate?"

Lin Wan'er said, "Young Master, please wait a moment; I will make arrangements."

Ye Chen nodded, "Then I'll trouble you to make the arrangements, Miss Lin."

Lin Wan'er smiled happily and hurriedly said, "Young Master, please wait; I will notify them now."

As she spoke, she picked up her phone, made a call, and said, "Old Zhang, come up here."

After she hung up, Ye Chen asked curiously, "Is this Old Zhang you called the same person you called 'Grandfather' back in Northern Europe?"

Lin Wan'er's pretty face flushed, and she said somewhat shyly, "Young Master, please forgive me. At that time, I could only lie and say Old Zhang was my grandfather to prevent you from being suspicious..."

Ye Chen waved his hand dismissively and asked curiously, "Actually, he is an orphan you adopted, right?"

"Yes." Lin Wan'er nodded and said, "I told you last night, Young Master, that Old Zhang and the other two elderly people living here are all orphans I adopted many years ago."

Ye Chen couldn't help but ask, "Then, watching them change from infants to old people, don't you feel sad?"

"No." Lin Wan'er said indifferently, "Everyone has their own fate. That I can live for over three hundred years is my fate; that they could meet me is also their fate. Plus, there is no blood relationship, so naturally, I can take everything in stride."

Ye Chen nodded slightly, but in his heart, he could never truly understand what kind of feeling that was.

A few minutes later, an old man arrived outside Lin Wan'er's villa, knocked gently, and said respectfully, "Miss, your servant is here."

Lin Wan'er said in a clear voice, "Come in."

The courtyard gate was pushed open by the old man. He walked into the room and was instantly startled to see Ye Chen sitting on the armchair.

Although he no longer had the memory of seeing Ye Chen in Northern Europe, he had read Ye Chen's files and knew that this was the benefactor whom the Miss had been searching for, the one who had saved the two of them in Northern Europe.

After a moment of surprise, Old Zhang hurriedly bowed respectfully and said, "Your servant, Zhang Decai, greets Mr. Ye! Thank you, Mr. Ye, for saving my life!"

Seeing such an elderly man bowing to him, Ye Chen hurriedly stood up and said, "Old sir, you are too polite. That was just a small effort; there is no need to take it to heart!"

Lin Wan'er spoke up at this time, "Old Zhang is the butler I have always kept by my side. Young Master, you don't need to be so formal; just treat him as your own servant."

Hearing Lin Wan'er tell Ye Chen to treat him as a servant, Old Zhang was not unhappy at all; instead, he asked with some excitement, "Miss... have you... have you told Mr. Ye everything about yourself?"

Hearing Old Zhang's question, Lin Wan'er suddenly remembered what happened last night. Her pretty face turned pink, and she said unnaturally, "I have already been honest and open with Mr. Ye, and I have told him about the past three hundred years one by one. From today on, you don't need to hide anything in front of Mr. Ye. Do you understand?"

Old Zhang nodded, unable to hide his excitement, "Don't worry, Miss, I understand! I understand!"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but look at Ye Chen and said with excitement, "Mr. Ye, your servant dares to say one thing: you are the only outsider the Miss has truly opened her heart to in over three hundred years..."

After saying this, Old Zhang realized his wording wasn't quite accurate and hurriedly explained, "Your servant means that you are the only adult the Miss has opened her heart to in all these years. Unlike us, we were all raised by the Miss and have followed her as servants since we were young. Only after the Miss saw that our character was sound did she tell us her secrets little by little..."

Ye Chen smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to respond for a moment, so he had to change the subject, "Old sir, you don't need to refer to yourself as 'your servant' in front of me. I really don't deserve such honor..."

Old Zhang said without hesitation, "No, no, no. Ever since I was enlightened, I swore to stay by the Miss's side as a servant for a lifetime and serve her. You are the benefactor of both the Miss and your servant, and you are also the Miss's friend. Naturally, your servant cannot break the rules of etiquette!"

As he spoke, he suddenly sighed, "Mr. Ye, your servant will speak from the heart. I have been by the Miss's side for nearly ninety years, and you are the only friend the Miss has had in all these years... Your servant is truly happy in my heart, and I sincerely hope that you and the Miss can..."

Lin Wan'er noticed his tone was off and hurriedly coughed twice, "Old Zhang, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Old Zhang said hurriedly, "Miss, your servant saw the benefactor and was incoherent for a moment..."

After saying this, he hurriedly said to Ye Chen, "Mr. Ye, your servant hopes you can come over often to keep the Miss company. She has been alone for so many years without a single friend she can confide in; she is indeed very lonely..."

Lin Wan'er was both shy and embarrassed at this time and hurriedly said, "That's enough, Old Zhang. Go and tell Old Qiu to arrange for all the servants to stay in their rooms and not come out. Also, go and prepare a car; I want to send Mr. Ye off in a while."

Old Zhang said without hesitation, "Your servant obeys!"

After saying this, he bowed to Ye Chen again and said respectfully, "Mr. Ye, your servant will take his leave!"

Ye Chen nodded, "Take your time, old sir."

After Old Zhang left, Ye Chen asked Lin Wan'er, "Miss Lin, did you give Old Zhang his name?"

"Yes." Lin Wan'er smiled and said, "I named him Decai, meaning 'virtue and talent,' not 'obtaining wealth.'"

Ye Chen smiled slightly and asked her again, "Then where did Old Zhang's surname come from?"

Lin Wan'er smiled and said, "Young Master, the children I adopt are mostly nameless abandoned infants. I cannot verify their original surnames, but I don't want them to have the surname Lin to avoid unnecessary trouble. So, I write the hundred family surnames on paper, roll them into small paper balls, and let them grab one themselves. Whichever one they grab, that becomes their surname."

Ye Chen asked awkwardly, "Is it that casual?"

Lin Wan'er asked curiously in return, "Otherwise? If I gave them names myself and they didn't like them when they grew up, wouldn't they blame me? So, just like the 'grabbing the first birthday' tradition, letting them grab their own surnames is quite fair and reasonable. Not only can they choose their own surnames, but I can also play a little game along with it. It's the best of both worlds."

Ye Chen nodded. Although he didn't say anything, in his heart, he felt that although Lin Wan'er had lived for nearly four hundred years, she seemed to still have a very strong youthful heart. Perhaps, as she said herself, she had maintained a young girl's thoughts and a young girl's way of living for these hundreds of years.

At this time, the elderly Old Zhang ran down the stone steps with small steps.

His body actually couldn't support such exercise, but he was exceptionally excited in his heart, so his feet felt much lighter.

Just as he ran to the main hall of the courtyard on the next level, Qiu Yingshan, who was drinking tea with Sun Zhidong, asked curiously, "Old Zhang, why are you running so fast? You're at such an age; aren't you afraid of not catching your breath and lying down here..."

Old Zhang looked at the two of them with a smile, panting heavily, and said with trembling, irrepressible excitement, "Good... good news... great news!"

Sun Zhidong put down his teacup and said with a chuckle, "What good news, Old Zhang? Are you getting married?"

Old Zhang glanced at him and scolded with a smile, "You really can't expect ivory to come out of a dog's mouth!"

As he spoke, Old Zhang came to their tea table and sat down slowly, saying to the two of them with a serious face, "I feel like the Miss has moved her mortal heart!" ===== CHAPTER 2764 =====