Chapter 2 Uncle Fu's Generous Heart

Ye Li opened her eyes to a stark white ceiling.

Her mind briefly stalled.

The last image she had seen before everything went black was a vast expanse of snowy land.

She felt a whirl of dizziness.

And then, her memory cut out.

Realizing belatedly that she had fainted, Ye Li thought of an online news story about people picking up unconscious bodies at the entrance of bars, and she abruptly sat up.

Still in the clothes she had worn when she left the house in the morning,

her white down jacket, now dirty and gray from a week's wear, hung loosely and snow-white on a coat rack.

The off-white room was cozy and simple, yet suffused with the owner's luxurious taste.

Even the carpet beneath the coffee table was crafted by a master from Paris.

Next to her bed stood a cabinet with a cup of tepid honey water.

The room was warm and unfamiliar,

permeated only by a faint scent of sandalwood.

It felt as if the house were perched next to a temple at the summit of a snowy mountain, absorbing the coldness of the snow and the incense from the temple.

Ye Li paused for a moment, then went forward and opened the door.

"Miss, are you awake?"

Downstairs in the living room, Aunt Lan, the housekeeper, was softly instructing a servant.

Upon seeing Ye Li, Aunt Lan smiled and said, "There's hot water in the bathtub, and I've put fresh clothes in the wardrobe. Take a bath, change, and come down to dine."

Ye Li stood dumbfounded at the bedroom door on the second floor.

Aunt Lan was the Ye Family's housekeeper.

When the Ye Family went bankrupt and sold the villa, they dismissed all the servants, including Aunt Lan.

Seeing Aunt Lan again after a week, if not for the unfamiliar surroundings, Ye Li would almost have thought she was at home.

"Aunt Lan, this is…"

"Uncle Fu's house."

The Fu Family was among the top tycoons of Imperial City.

Old Mrs. Fu was famously compassionate among the elite.

Second Young Master Fu, Fu Yanci, not only controlled the Fu Group but was also the new head of the Fu Family.

Whether it was the distant or close relatives of the Fu Family who relied on Yanci, or those from Imperial City who sought to connect with the Fu Family for business, they all respectfully addressed him as Uncle Fu.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that his every move could shake Imperial City.

Yet, unexpectedly, that ruthlessly influential Uncle Fu, as known to the people of Imperial City, also showed such a generous side.

Ye Li remembered him, with a somber face, carrying her inside.

A private doctor and a nutritionist arrived shortly after.

Aunt Lan, with tears rimming her eyes, said to Ye Li, "It's lucky you met him. If he hadn't found you in that freezing and snowy condition, what would have become of you?"

"After bringing you here, he left and probably won't be back for a while. Go have a bath… we can talk more after you've eaten."

Even though Ye Li was no longer the baby she had once held nor the esteemed young Miss of the Ye Family, Aunt Lan remained as gentle and patient as ever.

Ye Li nodded and turned into the bathroom.

The steam filled the room, gradually easing her tensed body.

Ye Li sighed deeply, and a cold, resolute figure surfaced in her mind.

Fu Yanci.

Apart from being Uncle Fu and the Second Young Master of the Fu Family, Fu Yanci had another title in relation to Ye Li.

Little Uncle.

Fu Yanci was Zhou Hecchen's little uncle.

The Ye Family and the Zhou Family lived in the same villa complex, and from a young age, Ye Li had followed the Zhou children around.

When they called him Little Uncle, Ye Li did the same.

Two years ago, on her 18th birthday party when she got engaged to Zhou Hecchen, calling him "Uncle" had become even smoother for her.

Ye Li never dreamt that in her most embarrassing moment, it was Fu Yanci who happened to pass by and lend a hand.

Thinking of that one billion, Ye Li felt a slight stir in her heart.

However, the thought had just surfaced when she immediately stifled it.

Zhou Hecchen was her fiancé, yet he was unwilling to help her.

Having called off the engagement, she had nothing to do with Zhou Hecchen anymore.

Let alone Zhou Hecchen's uncle.

In the past, money was just a number to Ye Li: cars worth millions, jewelry worth hundreds of thousands, as long as she liked them, she would buy them without blinking an eye.

She never thought that one day, a billion would leave her utterly helpless.

Ye Li closed her eyes for a moment and lay back in the water.

…

Fu Yanci hadn't returned even after it had gotten dark.

In the dining room, Aunt Lan pushed an old bank card towards Ye Li, "There's 1,160,000 in the card, all saved from my years working for the Ye Family. It's not much, and it's just a drop in the bucket for you, but take it and use it in case of an emergency!"

"Aunt Lan, I can't accept this!"

Ye Li quickly pushed the card back into Aunt Lan's hand, her eyes suddenly reddening.

Aunt Lan smiled and caressed Ye Li's face, "Just consider it a loan from me! When you have money in the future, you can repay me!"

Twenty years ago, Aunt Lan, holding her daughter who had just learned to walk, had fled from a remote mountain village all the way to the Imperial City.

It was only when she met Ye Li's mother, Li Xueqing, and settled in the Ye Family that she could finally live a stable life.

Over the years, her daughter had become a top student, and Aunt Lan had virtually moved into retirement mode at the Ye Family.

Unexpectedly, overnight, the Ye Family had collapsed.

Without connections or substantial wealth, the only help Aunt Lan could provide was this 1,160,000.

"Xiao Li, in my heart, your Sister Xiao Cao is first, you are second, your mother and I come third..."

Aunt Lan forced the card back into Ye Li's hand, "Keep it safe. Together, we will pull through this tough time, and things will eventually get better. Xiao Li, you must stay strong!"

Fearing she would start crying if she continued, Aunt Lan, her eyes glistening with tears, got up and left the dining room.

Ye Li sat alone, lost in thought for a very long time.

When Fu Yanci entered, he immediately noticed Ye Li sitting straight on the living room sofa.

It seemed like she had been waiting for him to return, sitting upright.

It was unclear how long she had waited, her head leaning on the sofa's backrest, as she had fallen asleep just like that.

The usually deserted villa felt a bit warmer because of her presence.

A softness uncontrollably welled up on Fu Yanci's cold expression.

The last time he had seen her was at someone's dinner party.

The girl, wearing a smoke-gray dress, had appeared in the dining hall arm-in-arm with Zhou Hecchen.

Her smile blossomed beautifully, bright and radiant, making her whole person shimmer.

Even from a distance, Fu Yanci could feel that the men and women around him turned their heads to look at her the moment she walked in.

Both men and women had eyes full of amazement.

But how long had it been?

The girl was like a pear blossom on the treetop, battered by wind and rain, trembling as if about to fall.

Her face was so small, not even as large as his palm.

Her chin had become much sharper.

Her pale white skin was nearly translucent.

She seemed like a glass doll, as if she would shatter with the slightest touch.

His gaze intensely fixed on her face for a long time, Fu Yanci suddenly turned and walked out of the villa.

The moment the door closed, Ye Li abruptly woke up.

The next instant, her phone started ringing.