Chapter 2: Silver Ear and Lotus Seed Soup

Chapter 2: Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup

Before losing consciousness, Yun Fan thought, *Oh my god, I actually collapsed at work? Could it be that I've absorbed too much of the daily grind lately, and I can no longer handle it?*

*No, no, I don’t want to die yet! I haven’t even had the chance to spend the hard-earned money I’ve saved!*

*

“Why isn’t he up yet?”

“Should we call Dr. Shi?”

“Young Master, Yun Fan still hasn’t stirred.”

A deep voice responded, “Summon Shi Ning. If it’s serious, send him to the hospital immediately. I have business today and must depart. Contact me if it’s urgent.”

“Understood, Young Master Zhaofu.”

Yun Fan vaguely heard a rumbling sound, like wheels rolling. But the ceremony venue was carpeted—how could there be such a loud noise?

*What’s going on? Is there some kind of covert battle? Has the conflict escalated? That’s not good! I was counting on this project for my bonus this month!*

“Whew—” Yun Fan let out a long breath and suddenly opened his eyes.

Right above his head, a man with narrow eyes held a stethoscope, seemingly poised for the next step.

The man hadn’t expected Yun Fan to wake so abruptly. His hand, which was about to press down, paused.

“Who… who are you?” Yun Fan recoiled, trying to pull away.

Just then, a pair of slightly aged but well-maintained hands pressed down on Yun Fan’s shoulders and explained, “Butler Yun, this is Mr. Shi Ning, the Wen family’s private physician. You didn’t wake this morning, and we were unsure of the issue, so we called him to examine you.”

The doctor, impeccably dressed in a suit, smiled at Yun Fan and unceremoniously pressed the cold stethoscope against Yun Fan’s chest.

*Might as well let him check,* Yun Fan thought. *After all, it had been a long time since my last physical.*

Yun Fan lay on the bed, being poked and prodded for about ten minutes, and even had several tubes of blood drawn before Dr. Shi finally spoke: “It’s not a serious issue. It could be due to emotional factors, such as stress or adjustment difficulties.”

“Get plenty of rest and try to relax,” Dr. Shi said with a smile. “I’ll take my leave now—I have other matters to attend to. I’ll report to Zhaofu on the way, so don’t worry.”

It was only then that Yun Fan realized Dr. Shi wasn’t squinting—he just had small eyes.

He was not very tall and wore a well-fitted dark blue suit. If not for the medical equipment, Yun Fan wouldn’t have taken him for a doctor.

*Wait, what did the old man behind him just call him? “Butler Yun”?*

*Had he been sold to some film set? Yes, a film set!*

This doctor wasn’t even wearing a white coat—everything must be fake. As he thought this, Yun Fan blurted out, “The costumes and props aren’t up to par. Shouldn’t the doctor be wearing a white coat?”

The old man who had been standing behind Yun Fan moved to the side of the bed. Yun Fan looked up and saw him wearing a modified tailcoat with a white bow tie at the collar. His hair was slicked back, and his eyes were sharp.

Suddenly, Yun Fan felt as if he had been struck, a sharp pain shooting through his forehead. He quickly raised his hand, pressing his palm to his forehead, and closed his eyes in agony.

“Oh my god! Call Dr. Shi back!”

“Dr. Shi’s car is already out of sight…”

Yun Fan raised his hand, gasping for breath, his voice growing weaker: “Let me… let me catch my breath… What? Have I transmigrated into a book?”

A summary of a novel flashed clearly in his mind—wasn’t this the soapy wealthy-family drama his neighbor was reading yesterday?

Wen Zhaofu—that’s right! Wasn’t he one of the four major tycoons in the novel?

Yun Fan pinched his own cheek hard and looked up to ask, “Are there people here named Cheng Yu, Wen Haochen, and Liu Erxing?”

Whether it was the significance of the question itself or the anticipation in Yun Fan’s bright eyes, the old butler frowned after hearing it: “You’ve only been here a day, yet you’ve already gathered quite a bit of information about the young masters.”

“Hurry up and get up. I have many matters to explain to you,” the old butler said, straightening his posture and adjusting his cuff. “Remember to drink this bowl of tremella and lotus seed soup—it can help with dizziness.”

At the foot of the bed lay a white shirt, with a matching black suit underneath. Yun Fan was used to wearing such attire for work, so it felt familiar.

“We’re both wearing suits, but others look like domineering CEOs, while I’m just a little butler!” Yun Fan muttered softly as he slowly changed into the clothes.

Picking up the bowl of soup, Yun Fan took a sniff. A light sweetness wafted into his nose. He picked up a small spoon and took sips. The tremella had been stewed to a gelatinous texture, smooth on the tongue. The goji berries balanced out the slight bitterness of the lotus seeds.

Yun Fan didn’t know how long he had slept. When he stepped out of the room, he straightened up and suddenly felt refreshed. His headache was gone, his neck no longer felt numb, and even the air seemed sweeter.

Yun Fan thought, *maybe switching jobs isn’t such a bad idea after all.*

*

However, Yun Fan’s expectations for this new job were soon dashed by the old butler.

“The origin of a butler lies in the identity of a gentleman. Our employer is a gentleman, and we are the gentleman’s personal gentleman.”

The old butler spoke slowly, and his Mandarin wasn’t very smooth, making it difficult for Yun Fan to follow. This particular part felt like the old butler was being deliberately obtuse.

“Alright, take a look at this,” the old butler said, unrolling a blueprint and spreading it out on a long table. “This is the panoramic view of Wen Yanlan’s residence. Of course, people in Hong Kong call it one of the Wen Family’s Eight Great Mansions.”

Wen Yanlan’s residence consists of eight main buildings, along with smaller structures serving other functions. The estate is located in Lanwan Bay, facing the sea and backed by mountains. At first glance, it seems nestled within the embrace of the mountains, offering a strong sense of security and privacy.

“As you know, our Wen family is currently the most prestigious family in Hong Kong.”

“One of the most prestigious,” the old butler added.

The old butler slightly raised his head, his gaze distant, a proud yet elegant smile on his lips. At that moment, Yun Fan knew he should agree with him, but he truly had no background knowledge to draw from.

“I… I don’t know,” Yun Fan replied. “How about… how about you tell me about it?”

“You!” The old butler was taken aback, but his inherent elegance prevented him from speaking harshly. He could only say helplessly, “These matters are a long story. I’ll explain them to you slowly another day.”

Following the old butler’s pointing finger, Yun Fan saw the words “Langyun Terrace.”

The old butler sat up straight, cleared his throat, and said, “Each building here has its own name. The one we are in now belongs to Mr. Zhaofu. He is the eldest grandson of the Wen family’s second branch and also the CEO of Wen Group.”

“Langyun Terrace is second only to the Taiping Qingshui Residence where the great grandfather lived. It’s larger than the other six buildings.”

Yun Fan cooperatively looked around.

They were likely in the living room. The ceiling was very high, and Yun Fan thought that admiring the ornate chandelier here probably wouldn’t cause neck problems. Looking further inside, a staircase that went up and then doubled back led to the bedrooms on the second to fourth floors.

It was indeed enormous. It was so quiet that their voices echoed.

“When the great grandfather acquired this land plot, several major families were competing for it. He offered a higher price and secured this property for his descendants.”

“As butlers, we ask for nothing more than the Wen family’s lasting prosperity,” the old butler said with emotion.

“That’s true. Everyone wants an iron rice bowl,” Yun Fan replied.

The old butler gave Yun Fan a look, as if wanting to say something but holding back, with a hint of embarrassment at being seen through. However, he quickly composed himself and continued educating Yun Fan: “You must promptly familiarize yourself with and remember the owners of these eight mansions and their relationships.”

“Are we responsible for all these mansions?” Yun Fan asked in shock.

"Not quite," the butler tapped on the table. "Your duties will be confined to Langyun Terrace. I sometimes go to other places for work."

Yun Fan looked at the places he pointed to—Red Cotton Lodge, Baofeng, and Anning Manor. The names were quite pleasant-sounding.

"Previously, all matters at Langyun Terrace were my responsibility. Now that you're here, you can lighten the load. I'm getting older, and it's time to train a successor," the butler said meaningfully.

Yun Fan nodded, with only a partial understanding, as the butler began to ramble. He spoke in extremely ornate but convoluted language about the main duties of a butler.

In general, they were to cater to every need of their employer—anticipating their thoughts, sharing their urgency, resolving their worries, all while preparing for the unexpected.

They were to oversee the employer’s daily life, wear impeccably tailored uniforms, execute elegant dining etiquette, and arrange exquisite table settings to match carefully prepared meals.

"Of course, these things are difficult for a novice butler to master," the butler said with a smug smile. "Unlike me—my family has served as butlers in England since my great-grandfather’s time. Through experience and connections, we uphold many traditions."

"Let me tell you a small story. My grandfather once served a duchess who demanded that all candles be lit ten minutes before she returned home each day."

"For this, my grandfather specially ordered candles from a supplier to match the duchess’s temperament—each one uniquely carved and scented."

"So wasteful!" Yun Fan exclaimed. "Light them all and then call 119 to put out the fire?"

"Ah, don’t make such a fuss—" the butler said impatiently. "Besides, here we dial three dogs."

"What?!" Yun Fan was baffled.

Just then, a deep but amused voice came from behind them: "Three nines. He meant the emergency number, 999."

The butler sprang to his feet, and Yun Fan also stood and turned around.

"Young Master, you’re back!" The butler looked thrilled, striding over to Wen Zhaofu.

Wen Zhaofu lifted his gaze to Yun Fan. Yun Fan, still amused by the "three dogs" remark, wore a smile, his eyes bright.

For a moment, Wen Zhaofu was speechless. He looked at Yun Fan—his delicate face, almond-shaped eyes, dark pupils gleaming like precious pearls, clear and pure.

Those eyes were fixed on him, brimming with delight, and for Wen Zhaofu, who had seen countless people, it made his heart skip a beat.

Because the laughter in those eyes was just laughter, without any other motive.

"The sky has brightened…" Wen Zhaofu murmured softly, his eyes like deep, still wells still fixed on the ethereal being who seemed to have descended from the heavens.

The butler, standing nearby, heard Wen Zhaofu’s words and chimed in, "Ah, yes, the rain has stopped, the sun is out, the sky has cleared."

Meanwhile, Yun Fan’s mind was buzzing with connections. *So this is Wen Zhaofu! Ahhh, the book was right—he’s so handsome!*

*Truly, seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times! This transmigration was totally worth it! How can someone look like they stepped out of an oil painting—with such defined features, deep eyes, and an aura of authority between his brows.*

Even though Wen Zhaofu was seated in a wheelchair, Yun Fan felt his powerful presence—his straight back, his stature like a mountain.

Yun Fan was mesmerized, and Wen Zhaofu, who was watching Yun Fan, also remained still. The butler became alarmed—how could a butler dare to lock eyes with his employer for so long!

Gradually, Wen Zhaofu’s hand pressed against his thigh, his slender fingers tense and knuckles pronounced. The smile on his face slowly faded.

Yun Fan’s heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out the classic line: "Young Master, why have you stopped smiling?"