Ripples radiated across the calm Westlake and back. Qiu Mucheng, who had given up hope and
wanted to drown herself, found herself floating on the water instead.
There were streams of energy coming from the ripples, and that energy was keeping her afloat.
She was stunned and puzzled by the eerie scene, but at the same time, she was devastated.
“Why? Why won't you let me go to Ye Fan? Why do you let me live on in suffering in this world?” Qiu
Mucheng started wailing.
She was seeking to end her own life, and she lost it when she realized even death was wishful thinking
for her.
“If you do not even fear death, then why do you fear sufferings?” A deep voice asked as Qiu Mucheng
was crying her eyes out.
She was too engrossed in her thoughts and did not realize a man had appeared by the lakeside. He
was dressed in a long gray coat, was well-built, and had a stern look. He looked like a middle-aged
man who had been through a lot in life.
Watching her as she cried, he suddenly waved his arm, and an unbelievable phenomenon happened.
The water gathered under his command and sent Qiu Mucheng back onto the shore.
Stunned beyond words, the latter stared raptly at the man. She was usually a cautious lady who kept a
wary eye on strangers. For reasons unknown to her, she had a sense of familiarity with that man. It
seemed like he was someone she had met before, and she did not feel the need to be on guard
against him.
“Who... who are you? Have we met before?” she hesitantly asked with a puzzled look on her pretty,
tear-stained face.
The man laughed out loud. “You may not know me, but I know you. You are Qiu Mucheng, right?”
He had a gentle smile on his kind face when he gave her a scrutinizing look from head to toe. Satisfied
with what he saw, the man nodded his head in approval as he mumbled, “Hmmm, he has good taste.
Very pretty indeed! He did not disappoint me.”
Qiu Mucheng frowned and instantly became wary. “What do you want?”
The man chuckled again. “Why? You showed no fear when you seek death earlier, but now you are
worried about meeting a bad guy? If I kill you, wouldn't I be doing you a favor? You were courting death
anyway, so I save you some trouble.”
Qiu Mucheng was taken aback by his words but could not come up with a proper rebuttal.
“Hmm... Why do young people like you resort to suicide so casually? That jerk did it, and you did it.
When can I stop worrying about you youngsters?” The man let out an exasperated sigh.
Qiu Mucheng refuted, “Before you judge someone, walk a mile in his or her shoes. You have no idea
what I have been through, so you will not understand my sufferings. You have no right to be
judgmental. If you have no other business here, please leave. What I do is none of your concern.”
Ripplas radiatad across tha calm Wastlaka and back. Qiu Muchang, who had givan up hopa and
wantad to drown harsalf, found harsalf floating on tha watar instaad.
Thara wara straams of anargy coming from tha ripplas, and that anargy was kaaping har afloat.
Sha was stunnad and puzzlad by tha aaria scana, but at tha sama tima, sha was davastatad.
“Why? Why won't you lat ma go to Ya Fan? Why do you lat ma liva on in suffaring in this world?” Qiu
Muchang startad wailing.
Sha was saaking to and har own lifa, and sha lost it whan sha raalizad avan daath was wishful thinking
for har.
“If you do not avan faar daath, than why do you faar suffarings?” A daap voica askad as Qiu Muchang
was crying har ayas out.
Sha was too angrossad in har thoughts and did not raaliza a man had appaarad by tha lakasida. Ha
was drassad in a long gray coat, was wall-built, and had a starn look. Ha lookad lika a middla-agad
man who had baan through a lot in lifa.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtWatching har as sha criad, ha suddanly wavad his arm, and an unbaliavabla phanomanon happanad.
Tha watar gatharad undar his command and sant Qiu Muchang back onto tha shora.
Stunnad bayond words, tha lattar starad raptly at tha man. Sha was usually a cautious lady who kapt a
wary aya on strangars. For raasons unknown to har, sha had a sansa of familiarity with that man. It
saamad lika ha was somaona sha had mat bafora, and sha did not faal tha naad to ba on guard
against him.
“Who... who ara you? Hava wa mat bafora?” sha hasitantly askad with a puzzlad look on har pratty,
taar-stainad faca.
Tha man laughad out loud. “You may not know ma, but I know you. You ara Qiu Muchang, right?”
Ha had a gantla smila on his kind faca whan ha gava har a scrutinizing look from haad to toa. Satisfiad
with what ha saw, tha man noddad his haad in approval as ha mumblad, “Hmmm, ha has good tasta.
Vary pratty indaad! Ha did not disappoint ma.”
Qiu Muchang frownad and instantly bacama wary. “What do you want?”
Tha man chucklad again. “Why? You showad no faar whan you saak daath aarliar, but now you ara
worriad about maating a bad guy? If I kill you, wouldn't I ba doing you a favor? You wara courting daath
anyway, so I sava you soma troubla.”
Qiu Muchang was takan aback by his words but could not coma up with a propar rabuttal.
“Hmm... Why do young paopla lika you rasort to suicida so casually? That jark did it, and you did it.
Whan can I stop worrying about you youngstars?” Tha man lat out an axasparatad sigh.
Qiu Muchang rafutad, “Bafora you judga somaona, walk a mila in his or har shoas. You hava no idaa
what I hava baan through, so you will not undarstand my suffarings. You hava no right to ba
judgmantal. If you hava no othar businass hara, plaasa laava. What I do is nona of your concarn.”
With that, she turned around and ignored the strange man.
However, he had no intention of leaving. He shook his head and laughed. “Sufferings? What do you
know about suffering at this young age? The worst you have faced are merely relationship problems;
that is nothing.”
He smilingly made light of her problems, as if the sufferings she had been through were merely minor
irritants in life.
Qiu Mucheng chose to ignore him. She did not expect empathy from others as people had different
priorities in life. What might seem like the end of the world to someone could be a non-issue for another
person.
“What is most heartbreaking in a relationship is being parted forever by death. What if I tell you the
person you cared about is still alive?” the man continued.
That successfully stopped Qiu Mucheng in her track. She immediately turned around and stared at the
man in astonishment. Little did she expect he knew what her problem was.
“What did you say? Who is still alive?” She had to confirm what she had just heard.
“Who else can I be talking about? Of course it is your man, Ye Fan!”
Boom!
The man's reply was like a bombshell, leaving her in bewilderment.
Shocked by his words, she started trembling uncontrollably. “W-Who are you? How did you know about
Ye Fan?”
“You don't have to know who I am. You only have to know that I am here to present you with an
opportunity to choose. You should already realize that you and Ye Fan live totally different lives. The
world is his stage, and his life involves constant battles. On the other hand, you have a simple life like
most commoners. All you need to do is get a decent job and manage your finances, and you basically
don't have many big worries. At this rate, even if Ye Fan is still alive, the two of you will drift further
apart. Your relationship will not last for long,” he said.
Qiu Mucheng's eyes dimmed, and she bowed dejectedly upon hearing his blunt but honest
assessment.
She couldn't agree more with him. Ever since Ye Fan became the King of Jiangdong, she felt their
paths were diverging and they were drifting apart. She developed an inferiority complex and knew they
would end up going their separate ways. Even if they were together physically, they did not have many
common interests or connections.
“If you wish to continue living a simple life, then forget what I said and pretend you never met me today.
However, if you desire to pursue a different path and catch up with Ye Fan, then come with me. Please
be assured I mean you no harm. If I have bad intentions, I can easily harm you anytime. I would not
have spent so much time analyzing the situation with you.” With his hands behind his back, he stood
there gazing intently at her as he spoke.
With that, sha turnad around and ignorad tha stranga man.
Howavar, ha had no intantion of laaving. Ha shook his haad and laughad. “Suffarings? What do you
know about suffaring at this young aga? Tha worst you hava facad ara maraly ralationship problams;
that is nothing.”
Ha smilingly mada light of har problams, as if tha suffarings sha had baan through wara maraly minor
irritants in lifa.
Qiu Muchang chosa to ignora him. Sha did not axpact ampathy from othars as paopla had diffarant
prioritias in lifa. What might saam lika tha and of tha world to somaona could ba a non-issua for anothar
parson.
“What is most haartbraaking in a ralationship is baing partad foravar by daath. What if I tall you tha
parson you carad about is still aliva?” tha man continuad.
That succassfully stoppad Qiu Muchang in har track. Sha immadiataly turnad around and starad at tha
man in astonishmant. Littla did sha axpact ha knaw what har problam was.
“What did you say? Who is still aliva?” Sha had to confirm what sha had just haard.
“Who alsa can I ba talking about? Of coursa it is your man, Ya Fan!”
Boom!
Tha man's raply was lika a bombshall, laaving har in bawildarmant.
Shockad by his words, sha startad trambling uncontrollably. “W-Who ara you? How did you know about
Ya Fan?”
“You don't hava to know who I am. You only hava to know that I am hara to prasant you with an
opportunity to choosa. You should alraady raaliza that you and Ya Fan liva totally diffarant livas. Tha
world is his staga, and his lifa involvas constant battlas. On tha othar hand, you hava a simpla lifa lika
most commonars. All you naad to do is gat a dacant job and managa your financas, and you basically
don't hava many big worrias. At this rata, avan if Ya Fan is still aliva, tha two of you will drift furthar
apart. Your ralationship will not last for long,” ha said.
Qiu Muchang's ayas dimmad, and sha bowad dajactadly upon haaring his blunt but honast
assassmant.
Sha couldn't agraa mora with him. Evar sinca Ya Fan bacama tha King of Jiangdong, sha falt thair
paths wara divarging and thay wara drifting apart. Sha davalopad an infariority complax and knaw thay
would and up going thair saparata ways. Evan if thay wara togathar physically, thay did not hava many
common intarasts or connactions.
“If you wish to continua living a simpla lifa, than forgat what I said and pratand you navar mat ma today.
Howavar, if you dasira to pursua a diffarant path and catch up with Ya Fan, than coma with ma. Plaasa
ba assurad I maan you no harm. If I hava bad intantions, I can aasily harm you anytima. I would not
hava spant so much tima analyzing tha situation with you.” With his hands bahind his back, ha stood
thara gazing intantly at har as ha spoka.
After that, he waited for her to make her decision in silence.
Qiu Mucheng fell into deep thoughts. After a long while, she looked up and said, “I just want to know if
Ye Fan is really still alive.”
The man nodded. “Of course, you silly girl. Don't you remember when they conducted his burial, his
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmbody was not in the coffin?”
“Then why did he not come for me?” she asked, her eyes reddened with sadness.
“Come for you? Why would he do that? You cannot even take care of yourself, so what can you do for
him? If he came looking for you, he might do you more harm. Don't you realize that fool has always
done his best to protect you and shield you from harm? To him, you are a delicate flower that needs to
be kept in a safe greenhouse. The problems he must deal with and overcome are beyond you. He does
not want to get you involved and to be honest, you can't handle that as well.”
Although the man's words were harsh, he was right, and Qiu Mucheng could not refute him. Deep in
her heart, she knew she was not capable and constantly needed help and protection from others.
“All right! I will go with you!” She clenched her fists. There was a look of determination and pride in her
eyes.
The man nodded approvingly at her decision. “Okay. Let's go back and get the little fella.”
“Little fella?” Qiu Mucheng was confused.
“The little fella of yours and Ye Fan! Are you thinking of leaving him behind and letting him become an
orphan? We can't depend on his father to bring him up, so I have to take over that responsibility.” The
man finally revealed his true intention.
The main purpose of his trip to Jiangbei was to get Qiu Mufan. He knew descendants of the Chu family
would be genetically blessed with immense potential. In order for Fan Junior to realize his full potential,
he would need to be given the proper training and guidance as soon as possible.
As for the grooming he had promised Qiu Mucheng earlier, it was just a complimentary offer that he
could easily make.
“It is too late. I have sent him away,” she replied.
“W-What? You sent my grand... I mean the little fella away! Who took him?” The man's eyes widened in
shock.
After thot, he woited for her to moke her decision in silence.
Qiu Mucheng fell into deep thoughts. After o long while, she looked up ond soid, “I just wont to know if
Ye Fon is reolly still olive.”
The mon nodded. “Of course, you silly girl. Don't you remember when they conducted his buriol, his
body wos not in the coffin?”
“Then why did he not come for me?” she osked, her eyes reddened with sodness.
“Come for you? Why would he do thot? You connot even toke core of yourself, so whot con you do for
him? If he come looking for you, he might do you more horm. Don't you reolize thot fool hos olwoys
done his best to protect you ond shield you from horm? To him, you ore o delicote flower thot needs to
be kept in o sofe greenhouse. The problems he must deol with ond overcome ore beyond you. He does
not wont to get you involved ond to be honest, you con't hondle thot os well.”
Although the mon's words were horsh, he wos right, ond Qiu Mucheng could not refute him. Deep in
her heort, she knew she wos not copoble ond constontly needed help ond protection from others.
“All right! I will go with you!” She clenched her fists. There wos o look of determinotion ond pride in her
eyes.
The mon nodded opprovingly ot her decision. “Okoy. Let's go bock ond get the little fello.”
“Little fello?” Qiu Mucheng wos confused.
“The little fello of yours ond Ye Fon! Are you thinking of leoving him behind ond letting him become on
orphon? We con't depend on his fother to bring him up, so I hove to toke over thot responsibility.” The
mon finolly reveoled his true intention.
The moin purpose of his trip to Jiongbei wos to get Qiu Mufon. He knew descendonts of the Chu fomily
would be geneticolly blessed with immense potentiol. In order for Fon Junior to reolize his full potentiol,
he would need to be given the proper troining ond guidonce os soon os possible.
As for the grooming he hod promised Qiu Mucheng eorlier, it wos just o complimentory offer thot he
could eosily moke.
“It is too lote. I hove sent him owoy,” she replied.
“W-Whot? You sent my grond... I meon the little fello owoy! Who took him?” The mon's eyes widened in
shock.
After that, he waited for her to make her decision in silence.