CHAPTER 258: CHAPTER 258

Watching her earnestly choose dishes, Gui Xingli’s eyes shimmered with deep indulgence.

Soon, the dishes were ordered!

Ye Yuning handed the menu to the server. "Please hurry, I’m a bit hungry. Thank you."

"Of course." The server smiled and took the menu away.

Ye Yuning looked up, only to meet Gui Xingli’s adoring gaze, which she hadn’t withdrawn in time. She was startled at first. However, when she looked again, Gui Xingli’s eyes had returned to their usual calm and seriousness. Gui Xingli seemed to be about the same age as Ye Yuning, yet this seriousness about her was far beyond her years.

Gui Xingli asked, "Are these all your favorite dishes?" She spoke first, breaking Ye Yuning’s train of thought.

Ye Yuning nodded. "Mm, I don’t know if you like them or not. You didn’t choose when I asked you to." Except for that one time with the fish.

"I wanted to see what you like to eat," Gui Xingli admitted, voicing the thought.

As she spoke, her tone carried an undeniable depth of meaning, once again causing Ye Yuning to freeze. Confused, she looked at Gui Xingli. "Are you very interested in me?"

"Mm, I know about you. You’re the adopted daughter of the Ye Family. They treat you poorly, yet you’ve achieved everything on your own. I admire you for that." When she said "admire," Gui Xingli’s voice was tinged with a hint of bitterness, concealing a touch of heartache.

If he were here, would he ever let his only sister suffer like this? He would surely treat her like a princess, giving her whatever she wanted. He would protect her, love her, and ensure she lived without a care in the world.

Ye Yuning didn’t catch the emotion in Gui Xingli’s tone and laughed. "I admire you, too."

"You admire me?" Gui Xingli exclaimed, surprised.

Ye Yuning nodded. "It’s quite an achievement to stand out from so many heirs at such a young age, let alone reach where you are today."

Ye Yuning knew all too well what kind of place the Gui Family was. Old Mr. Gui’s sons and daughters were notoriously difficult to handle. For Simon to ultimately fall into Gui Xingli’s hands demonstrated her remarkable abilities; she must have undoubtedly endured hardships that ordinary people could not imagine.

Gui Xingli smiled at these words.

"I really like you," Gui Xingli said, not addressing Ye Yuning’s previous point but offering this statement instead.

Ye Yuning quickly retorted, "You decided to cooperate with me because you like me?" For an heir, that’s hardly a sufficient reason, is it? Her gaze towards Gui Xingli was somewhat conflicted.

Gui Xingli nodded. "Mm, you could say that. In some ways, we’re similar."

"Don’t say that! I can’t compare to you!" Ye Yuning hastened to add. Simon, after all, was a very important partner to her. Compared to Gui Xingli, the money she made was merely a drop in the bucket.

Seeing her reaction, Gui Xingli laughed even more.

"Why not? If you wanted to reclaim Ye Corporation, what could Ye Shilong and the others even do about it?"

Ye Yuning was speechless.

Ye Corporation, huh? Truthfully, if one were to calculate it, the entire Ye Corporation should indeed be hers. But it wasn’t obtained through her own efforts, nor was it something she was supposed to inherit. Due to the peculiar circumstances of its acquisition, she had never thought of fighting for it. However, because she wouldn’t allow it, no one could take away her shares in Ye Corporation. To put it bluntly, she just wasn’t interested! Ye Yuning cherished the sense of accomplishment that came from self-made growth...

Seeing her silence, Gui Xingli asked again, "Do you want to take back Ye Corporation?"

If she wanted to, Gui Xingli would help her! The stars that he hadn’t had time to gather for her—she, Gui Xingli, would now guard them in his stead and give them to Ye Yuning.

Gui Xingli’s tone suddenly became profound, making Ye Yuning unconsciously glance at her again. Ye Yuning took a sip from her water glass and shook her head. "I don’t want to."

"Why not? The Ye Corporation only exists in Upper City because of you," Gui Xingli pressed. She was somewhat shocked by Ye Yuning’s answer. Was it truly disinterest? Or was she not being truthful because they weren’t well-acquainted, or because they were merely business partners?

Ye Yuning put down her water glass and smiled. "You actually know how Ye Corporation came to be." Gui Xingli had always been in Luozhou; it was unexpected for her to be so familiar with affairs in Upper City.

"Of course, I know. And I also know that the Ye couple recently tried to take your shares for their biological daughter," Gui Xingli stated.

Ye Yuning was silent.

Hearing this, she subconsciously glanced again at Gui Xingli opposite her. Especially as Gui Xingli spoke, her tone carried an unmistakable chill, making Ye Yuning wonder about her intention in bringing this up.

Before Ye Yuning could speak, Gui Xingli continued, "If I were you, I’d make sure none of them came to a good end." Each word was spoken with unprecedented fierceness.