Chapter 19: The Emperor's Arrangements
Hou Wei Yan woke up rather late. The sun was already at its peak and her siblings were already gone for school. She usually wakes up when the sun is just about to rise, but somehow, her sleep was so good it resulted in her current situation. She was still entangled with the quilts and her stomach aching for breakfast.
Although still in a daze, Hou Wei Yan pushed herself up and went directly to the bathroom. Fortunately, the maids still had their senses and prepared her decent clothes. Today was an important day for her.
She's moving to her husband's house!
"Madame," Fang Tao called and bowed as he saw her descending the stairs. Hou Wei Yan who was yawning at that time had her mouth hanging as she stared at him.
[ Ah, here he goes again with his Madame thing. ]
"Fang, I already told you to call me Wei Yan," she said upon reaching the end of the stairs. As she was saying this, her focus landed elsewhere.
Some men were already bringing her luggage outside. She brought it with her yesterday and she did not even have time to unpack it so the moving went out faster than ever.
"Madame," Fang Tao called out again making Hou Wei Yan sigh as they walked out the door.
Her father was nowhere in sight and she knew after her confrontation with Fe Rou Chao she'd try to avoid a collision for the time being. There was only Ran Ai waiting for her by the door and her eyes were speaking sadness.
Hou Wei Yan immediately approached her with a hug. "Auntie, I'm leaving now."
Ran knew how devoted Hou Wei Yan was to her arranged marriage, so she could only pray that her husband was nice, not a brute. "You take care okay? I'll handle the kids for you."
"Thank you, Auntie," she answered before planting a kiss on Ran Ai's cheeks. Fang Tao led the way out of the house and opened the car door for her.
"Madame," he said once more making Hou Wei Yan doubt whether he was calling her that because of his job or just teasing her.
[ Yeah, I think it's the latter. ] she thought when he called her madame once more and asked her to be careful when entering the car.
Once inside the car, Hou Wei Yan could no longer hold her tongue and asked. "What can I do to change that?"
Fang Tao who was just sitting beside her slowly shook his head. [ This woman...everyone is dying to become their Madame, and yet she was so set on not being called one. ]
But even if she doesn't like it, a certain devil wants her to be called that. He's giving her the privilege of being Madame Ji and he's giving it to her alone. So her request is useless because even if she is the Lady Boss, he is much more loyal to Ji Li Zhao.
"Nothing,"
Hou Wei Yan frowned at his answer. Getting called Madame is still too bizarre for her. "Then call me Miss instead."
"No, Madame," Fang answered sternly.
A sigh escaped Hou Wei Yan's lips once more as she slowly shook her head. There's no use arguing with him anymore. By the looks of it, Fang is a loyal person to her husband and he is not someone she can easily poach to obey her. She concluded that her husband's order is absolute to Fang and his decision on following it will not matter who he is facing.
So instead, she looked outside and in a daze asked. "Is the house far?"
"It's quite far but not too far," he answered as he was browsing the tablet which contains Hou Wei Yan's prospect assistants. As he had already clarified, he is a soldier. He may work as Ji Li Zhao's second in command but he is no doctor's assistant. He needed to find one fast so he could return to his original job description.
He took a sudden glance at Hou Wei Yan who was admiring the view outside. He shook his head at the thought of what his boss told him before deciding where to place Li Wei Mansion.
[ Boss wanted to have a solemn place where no one can disturb you considering you rarely have time for yourself. ] he thought and continued browsing the candidates.
"This house, was it built or bought?" Hou Wei Yan asked, trying to think just how rich her husband was.
Fang remained silent at first because he was intrigued by a sudden candidate on his screen. Noticing Hou Wei Yan's curious gaze on him, he had no choice but to talk. "He bought the land and built the house."
"You don't talk much, do you?" she said all of a sudden. Ever since he was assigned to her, he never really prolonged any conversation, in fact, he was trying to kill most of it.
This question made him stop what he was doing. He looked at her seriously and then returned to his tablet. "I answer questions, not inquire."
This made Hou Wei Yan raise her brows. He answers, not inquire. "How do you normally converse with my husband or even others?"
"With human language," he said as a matter of fact and did not dare elaborate it further. Although Hou Wei Yan finds it quite sarcastic, she still finds herself smiling at his strange and distant actions.
It was like he was brought up to follow rules, to oblige to what he is asked, and to carry no further emotions than obedience. She wondered if her husband had some bearing on the matter.
"My husband, what is he like?" she asked all of a sudden. Although she had met him last night, what she knows about him is close to nothing. "Is he sweet and caring? or is he the shy type?"
"He is everything you want him to be," Fang Tao said, this time his voice was much more respectful and serene. Hou Wei Yan saw how much respect he had for her husband that her formulation earlier about him dissolved into thin air.
"Are you certain he's not brutal? Or abusive because I have quite trouble handling such type," she asked again to make sure.
Fang remained silent. Only when the car stopped at the traffic light did he decide to speak up but his eyes were staring outside the window instead of hers. "He is everything. But you won't be his outlet of brutality."
"Should I be glad?"
He shook his head and sincerely looked at her. "No. You shouldn't be worried."
His boss is a businessman and at the same time the emperor of an organization. He cannot say he is all good when he has such a background and activities. But one thing is for sure, this wife of hers will forever be treasured by him like a precious jewel or a fragile glass. He was sure that even if this woman punched their boss or beat him up, he'd still accept it and wouldn't raise his fist at her.
Hou Wei Yan was completely silenced by this. She doesn't know his background but she can already say what he said was quite true. The gentle attitude he showed earlier cannot be a mere facade. The way his lips gently pressed against her hands wasn't from a cold man but rather a loving person—a loving husband.
She remained silent for the remaining time of the journey and was focused on the view outside. Before she knew it, the car had entered a big gate and was following a private road. She was foreign to the place so she observed the path they took and was awestruck when they entered a big front garden.
The car stopped and Fang shut his tablet off before looking at their awed Madame. He was the first to take a step out and offered her a hand. "Here we are,"
Hou Wei Yan hesitated for a while but took it when she noticed his seriousness. It's not a dream. She's really going to live in a big mansion. An enormous mansion!
"Welcome to your humble abode," Fang said as she finally stepped out of the car.
"This is where we will be living?" she asked as she was still calculating how much this property cost.
[ Just how rich is my husband?! ]
"Yes," he answered without hesitation and began walking ahead. "Let's meet your servants."
As Hou Wei Yan and Fang Tao entered the Mansion, there awaited 30 servants neatly piled on the end of the big stairway.
"Madame," all of them said with a bow.
Hou Wei Yan began sweating when they did this. [ Not only Fang but now even the servants? All of them! ]
She felt quite awkward because she never really dreamed nor expected to be greeted in such a way nor to be called in such a way.
Even though the Hou Family was wealthy, they were never really exposed to such treatment as their Grandmother wanted them to be independent. Her Grandfather who loved her the most continued her legacy of not spending too much or hiring a lot of servants. Thus, she felt quite frightened by this sudden change of lifestyle.
Occasionally, she would be treated more extravagantly in the Xing Family House, but she was rarely there so she never got accustomed to it. That's why suddenly getting greeted as though she was royalty felt somehow...overbearing.
"Ah, please don't call me that. I would much appreciate it if you called me plain Wei Yan," she said after being silent.
An old man in his 50s stepped out of the line and approached her with a smile. He was still blonde despite his age and she could only see small wrinkles on his face. He has a beard that makes him look even more suitable and certainly dashing in his butler uniform.
"I'm so sorry but we cannot do that. Young Master has made these arrangements for you,"
"Young Master?" Hou Wei Yan asked and curiously looked at him.
Fang who was staying silent on her side suddenly spoke up. "Your husband, who else?"
He then approached the Butler and in his poker face said. "This is Uncle Gu Man. He handles this villa and from now on...you."
Confusion suddenly overwrote her smile. Take care of her? But she was told Fang was her assistant. "Aren't you supposed to be the one taking care of such a thing?"
"I'm no butler but a soldier," he said the moment she asked such a thing. He walked toward her and emphasized his line of work to her even more. "Your guard and temporarily your assistant."
Gu Man noticed Hou Wei Yan's movement and knew she was uncomfortable with what Fang did. He coughed and drew his hand to place back Fang on his side. "Young Master has yet to find a suitable assistant for you. Someone who can help you with your medical services, Madame."
Hou Wei Yan sighed. "I see, but I am really not in need of an assistant. My work is not too hard that I require an assistant."
"Madame, the young master doesn't want you to overwork and wishes for you to come home after your shift is over," Gu Man said as he was ordered.
Ji Li Zhao was very concerned with her health and by the monitoring he made since her arrival, he saw how often Hou Wei Yan carelessly neglected her health. He wanted her to stop torturing herself and thus asked for this tiny request.
Hou Wei Yan slightly frowned at this. She became a doctor so she can save lives and she's not really someone who does her work half-heartedly. She decided to become a doctor and she will do her job properly. This means that her time and availability are spent on saving patients.
"I'm so sorry but I might be unable to agree with that. I stay in the hospital when I want to because I am needed there."
"Madame, you made a promise yesterday that you will follow our emperor's arrangements," Fang butted in once more because he knew what Ji Li Zhao wanted and he knew how much he will sulk and worry if Hou Wei Yan continues to work beyond her capacity.
Hou Wei Yan was rendered speechless by what Fang reminded her. She had indeed said this but it never occurred to her that he would use this to force her into submitting her overtime. "I---"
"This is really for your own good," Fang added making Hou Wei Yan much more appalled.
"Madame, this house only has little servants in it. Young Master wishes you to inhabit it or no one else will." Gu Man said which earned Hou Wei Yan's attention.
[ No one will live here if not me? ] She looked around the place and noticed how beautiful it was. What made her hesitant to disobey his order was the house and the smiling servants.
It was so inviting she could not dare refuse and let everything go to waste.
Besides, even if she tells him this, when an emergency comes she cannot really refuse any of it thus this overwork he is talking about cannot be applied.
"Can you call me Young Lady instead?" she said with a blush on her face.
[ Ah, I just wanted to match my husband! ] she thought when Fang gave her a confused look.
If he is not even called Master by the servants how can she possibly allow herself to be called their Madame?
Gu Man smiled at her. But despite this, an order is an order and they won't want to call her that and make people misunderstand. She is the Madame of the house—the Madame of the Jis—and she deserves to be referred to as their Madame.
"When there are guests, we shall call you Madame. You are, after all, the owner of this house."
Hou Wei Yan shook her head at him with a smile. "No, your master is the owner of this house."
"He named it after you," Gu Man said with honesty making Hou Wei Yan's eyes pop out.
"What?!"
[ Named it after me!? Did he name such a big, luxurious, and expensive house after me?! What was this all about?! ]
There was never a contract so she didn't know she'd be presented with such a surprise.
"It's basically yours by law," Fang Tao said making her ashen.
"Isn't this going a bit too far?" she asked, trying to figure out whether what they said was a joke. But with such serious faces and a cold attitude from Fang Tao, how can it be a joke?
Fang shook his head, confirming what Gu Man said once more. "He said it's even not enough yet."
Gu Man approached her with a smile of sincerity. "For an understanding wife such as yourself, Young Master said he will give more than anyone can imagine."
Hou Wei Yan was surprised again with what he said. "There's more?"
Fang nodded his head, followed by Gu Man who knew and even went with his master as he bought her everything she deserved. "He bought you a villa in Hawaii, a house in Korea and Japan, some more properties in China, and a mansion in America. Your car is brought here and he bought other limited edition cars for you."
Just hearing him buying such things made Hou Wei Yan almost faint. [ I'm not going to use all of it so why buy it and waste money?! It's not worth it at all! ]
She sighed as she massaged her forehead. "I didn't ask him for any of it and I'm not after his money so can you please tell him to take those things back."
Gu Man frowned at this. He was informed of Hou Wei Yan's thrifty upbringing but he never expected she'd flatly reject such luxurious things. "Young Lady, even if you ask nothing, my master will still give you everything."
"What made him do such things?" she asked. She was his wife but he didn't need to waste it on her without any thought.
She's a doctor and most of her time will be spent in the hospital, how can she possibly pay any visit and take care of the properties he bought?
"He's just a loving—doting husband," Gu Man said with all honesty making Hou Wei Yan stop thinking of such things.
She sighed when she remembered the ring he gave her. She brought it to her eye level and stared at it before slowly nodding her head with his arrangements. This thing is new to her but she is his wife and understanding the husband is on top of everything.
A smile was soon plastered on the Bulter's face as he saw her obedience. "Now, I know you're tired, let me accompany you to your room."
"Prepare Young Lady a bath," he said, now in his butler mode rather than his uncle one.
The servants who were tasked with this certain job stepped out of the line and bowed down. "Yes, Butler Gu."
As the servants scurried away, Gu Man led Hou Wei Yan up the stairs, toward her room. As they were walking, he noticed her glancing around and observing the details of the house and the furniture.
He felt alarmed. He began thinking that something was wrong and she didn't like the designs. "This house is customized for you but you can change it the way you want it to."
Hou Wei Yan returned her sparkling gaze to him and looked at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding? This house is already a safe haven in my eyes. It's perfect!"
Gu Man sighed in relief at her reply. Ji Li Zhao spent many years thinking of a good design for the house. He spent most of his rare free time envisioning a house that would fit Hou Wei Yan and accommodate all of her needs.
"We're glad you like it," he said as he opened up the double door. Hou Wei Yan was awed as she saw it was designed like her very own room in America.
It had a minimal design, the walls and floor were made of wood clad. She may be someone who was raised quite far from luxury but she had always spent money and attention on her room.
The king-sized bed was colored in gray but the quilt and the pillow were all colored in white. There was a big television on the fireplace and the room had its own sofa. She noticed the mini-library of the room and fell in love with the books on its shelf.
There was also an aquarium tank which she had always wanted in her room but couldn't dare place because of her hectic schedule. Now, with this many servants monitoring, they won't starve and die.
Hou Wei Yan took a step inside and was drawn by the veranda of the room. She instantly approached it and went outside. It was big and spacious, only having a table, a swing chair, and a plant in it. She loved how much space it had for her to go around when she was thinking. But more than that, what took her heart away, was the panoramic view.
The place was surrounded by forest making her feel nauseous as she was enveloped by Mother Nature. As a child, she had always adored the forest and wanted to embark on an adventure in it, but she was always reprimanded by her father.
Now, she can do what she cannot do in the past. This thought made her euphoric. [ This is heaven! ]
She went back inside and noticed the room was too big for her to occupy. "Uncle, this room. Is it just mine?"
"It's the master's bedroom. It's a suite for the both of you." Gu Man said taking Hou Wei Yan by surprise.
[ Both of them? Does he mean? ]
"You mean he will really come back home and stay here?" she asked for confirmation which the butler immediately answered with a nod of his head.
"Yes, but not too often. The young master has a lot of affairs to finish. But he will check on you from time to time." he said.
Hou Wei Yan was confused once again. He made arrangements to hide his identity from her and yet he was willing to share a room with her. "I was told I can't find out his identity?"
Gu Man nodded his head. "Indeed. But you don't have to worry, young lady. Young Master has his way with things."
Before asking for Hou Wei Yan, his master has already prepared everything. He knew Wei Yan was a heavy sleeper so sneaking in for a glimpse of his wife won't be a problem. Besides that, he had already made an underground transportation system that connected his other house to Li Wei Mansion.
All of this was done and planned to ensure that Hou Wei Yan wouldn't get too involved with his matter. He will be coming in and out of the mansion without outsiders' knowledge.
"In the meantime, please enjoy yourself," he said when Hou Wei Yan fell silent. "Your clothes are already inside the closet along with other clothes and accessories Young Master ordered specially for you."
Hou Wei Yan took a glance at the door to which Gu Man was referring. She walked inside and almost fell at the sight of what was inside. Its size was almost as big as their room and it was filled with everything a woman needed.
Half of the wardrobe was filled with women's necessities and the other was filled for men. She was appalled by all the limited edition clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, and even perfumes on her side of the room. Gu Man who was behind her took her by surprise once more. "If you have any particular dress you want, please tell me so I can arrange it for you."
[ Any particular dress? Every notable dress of the year and prominent fashion designer was already there. What more can I ask for? ]
Besides, these dresses can even last for 2 years, how can he say that? Before she can even say her protest, Gu Man has already bowed down for his leave. "Good Day, Young Lady."
Just like that, she was left all alone, gawking at everything inside the room. All of it—from the size to the contents—was overwhelming. Sure all of her mother's closet is much wider than this, but she is different from her—fashion does not matter to her that much. She would even go out with a plain t-shirt and pants for all she cared.
"Ahh, what am I gonna do with this?" she blurted out in frustration.
[ This is too much. Clearly too much! ]
Having enough of the room that could blind her, Hou Wei Yan left and closed it. She then lay on the bed and a sigh escaped her lips. This is all new. But she cannot say she didn't like—well...most of it.
She tossed around and looked at the veranda. She remembered her husband and a smile unknowingly escaped from her lips.
[ I must admit, having someone to take care of you to such an extent feels nice. ] she admitted and slowly allowed herself to be taken in by exhaustion.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
themilesaguanta
themilesaguanta Hi my awesome readers. Thank you for your support on this novel. I never imagined that the first book I decided to publish would receive such warm welcome on this page. Your comments makes me energized to continue this on, so you don't have to worry, I'm not planning on dropping this book.
Again, thank you for your patience and your support. I really love you guys.
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