04

 "Mom...?" Jiang Qiunian was still unwilling to give up.

But Jiang Nian left with Jiang Kehong in her arms, walking resolutely without ever looking back at Jiang Qiunian. The servants in the house had all been instructed to leave with Jiang Nian as the center, and most of them followed Jiang Nian away, leaving Jiang Qiunian all alone in the spacious living room.

Such days were not accidental. Every day and every moment thereafter, Jiang Nian expressed her indifference towards Jiang Qiunian without hesitation.

Even Zhou Gebai noticed it. He was a little worried, not because he was worried about Jiang Qiunian, but because he was worried that Jiang Qiunian's illness would hurt Jiang Nian.

He subtly conveyed this meaning to Jiang Nian, but Jiang Nian did not understand. In his memory, Jiang Qiunian had not yet reached the point of turning evil, so Jiang Nian frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "Didn't you used to be unable to bear seeing me and Qiunian being together?"

Zhou Gebai brushed the stray hairs behind Jiang Nian's ear with his large hand. Jiang Nian had not gone out for a long time and had not cut her hair much. Now it was a bit long, hanging down her back, following her skin and exuding a gentle temperament.

Zhou Gebai glanced at him for a few moments before replying, "He's got ulterior motives now, I'm afraid he might do something rash."

Jiang Nian didn't seem to care. Over the years, he'd realized that no matter what happened, things would unfold according to the plot, and that would certainly be the case with Jiang Qiunian. He assembled the building blocks on the table, then gently pushed them over, the colorful blocks making a crackling sound on the surface. Only then did Jiang Nian say, "Let's talk about it later."

Zhou Gebai wasn't too worried either. Just as Jiang Nian thought Jiang Qiunian was still young, Zhou Gebai didn't think a child could cause any trouble. However, he still felt that even if Jiang Nian was only slightly frightened, it was still a sin.

Jiang Nian didn't continue the topic and changed the subject. He looked up at Zhou Gebai and said, "I need to go out for a while."

"I'll go alone. Don't come with me."

Jiang Nian had been imprisoned by Zhou Gebai for years—though not strictly speaking, it wasn't a typical imprisonment. Jiang Nian was still able to go out, even traveling countless times a year. However, he always needed Zhou Gebai's company. When Zhou Gebai was busy earning money to support the family, Jiang Nian could only stay in his room, watched by the servants.

Zhou Gebai didn't agree. Jiang Nian picked up a building block and threw it at Zhou Gebai's face, angrily saying, "Is this what you call loving me! You won't even give me a little freedom!"

The sharp edges of the building block scraped his face, but Zhou Gebai seemed oblivious to the pain. He picked up the fallen block, walked to Jiang Nian's side, took his hand, placed the block in his palm, then enveloped his hand, softly saying, "How could I question my love for you? You can go out, but you have to have a bodyguard with you, okay?"

This was Zhou Gebai's compromise.

He still didn't believe Jiang Nian would stay willingly.

Jiang Nian didn't say anything, which was taken as tacit agreement.

In the afternoon, Jiang Nian went out. Actually, there was nothing to do, but she was tired of being at home and wanted to get away for a while.

But she didn't know where to go.

"Let's go to the dessert shop we went to last time. I remember you liked it," the system suggested after thinking for a moment.

Jiang Nian didn't like sweets, but the desserts

at that shop weren't too sweet and the taste was just right, so she ate a few more bites. When the system mentioned it, Jiang Nian thought about it and agreed. The bodyguard, who also served as her driver, drove Jiang Nian to the mall where the dessert shop was located. Jiang Nian ignored the bodyguard. Years ago, when Jiang Nian was thinking about escaping, she had tried to seduce a few bodyguards, but Zhou Gebai found out. After that, the bodyguards Zhou Gebai hired wouldn't pay any attention to Jiang Nian unless it was absolutely necessary. Jiang Nian had no interest in dealing with this blockhead.

She ordered and sat by the window, while the bodyguard sat silently not far away.

As Jiang Nian casually scooped up a scoop of blue ice cream, he caught a glimpse of a figure sitting opposite him.

Jiang Nian turned his gaze from the crowd outside the window to the person opposite him.

It was…

“You Xing… Xiu?”

Jiang Nian said uncertainly.

This wasn't Jiang Nian's fault; it had been ten years since he last saw You Xing Xiu. Yes, they had met once before, without Zhou Gebai's knowledge—only that one time in thirteen years. Back then,

You Xing Xiu looked travel-worn, with a full beard, disheveled clothes, a terrible complexion, and bloodshot eyes that looked like they hadn't slept in a long time.

He had somehow crawled in and ended up face-to-face with Jiang Nian, who was lying on the balcony lounge chair watching the stars in the middle of the night.

Just as Jiang Nian was about to scream, You Xingxiu interrupted her, saying, "It's me, Nian Nian."

"I've come to see you one last time. I don't know when we'll meet again."

He dropped a bombshell right away, leaving Jiang Nian stunned for a moment, forgetting everything else. Following his words, she asked, "What do you mean?"

You Xingxiu didn't answer, but stared at her with an expression Jiang Nian couldn't understand. Then, You Xingxiu suddenly laughed, his eyes dry as if about to cry, bloodshot. He asked, "Nian Nian, let me ask you a question. Would you rather the person who came to see you today be You Xingwen or You Xingxiu?"

Jiang Nian didn't know what was wrong with You Xingxiu, but remembering the mission, she assumed he was there to rescue her. So she said, "What does it have to do with You Xingwen? Of course, I hope it's you! You already know the answer, why are you still asking? Stop talking! Qiu Nian is downstairs. We'll take him with us."

"Okay, I understand." You Xingxiu smiled, as if letting go of the past. He said, "But I'm sorry, Niannian, I'm going to a place where I might not be able to guarantee your livelihood. I can't take you and the child with me and risk our lives... But Niannian, you can come to see me. I'll always wait for you, wait for you to come find me."

After saying that, You Xingxiu gave an address, looked deeply at Jiang Nian, afraid that his faint body odor might affect her and be abrupt to the beauty, so he only traced her outline with his fingertips. After doing all this, afraid that Jiang Nian might not remember, he put a note he had prepared beforehand into her hand and instructed her again, "I'll wait for you, Niannian, you must come to this place."

"I will!"

...

"Why are you hesitating? Don't you remember me?"

After many years, You Xingxiu had lost his sharp edges and was no longer as destitute as he was ten years ago. Instead, he spoke gently, with a refined and elegant air. He sat opposite Jiang Nian, his hands folded on the table, looking at her tenderly.

It was as if they hadn't been separated for that long; it was just a casual afternoon tea date.

Jiang Nian was somewhat speechless, hesitant because, besides not having seen You Xingxiu for so long, there was also the fact that You Xingxiu had changed so much—not just in appearance, but also in temperament; he was completely different, unlike himself.

But thirteen years was too long; long enough for someone to change.

So Jiang Nian shook her head and said, "I haven't forgotten you, it's just that I feel you're becoming more and more like your brother."

Jiang Nian had been involved with You Xingwen for a while, but it was short-lived, not as long as her involvement with You Xingxiu. The three of them had a serious conflict, which You Xingxiu won in the end. You Xingwen seemed to have gone abroad to heal from his grief.

It had been too long; Jiang Nian couldn't remember clearly and hadn't paid much attention.

"You mean You Xingwen?" You Xingxiu's fingers twitched, a wry smile appearing on his handsome face. He sighed, "You actually still remember my older brother. I thought you'd forgotten him long ago."

Jiang Nian couldn't say she had no recollection of You Xingwen, but it was all in the past, so she remained silent.

You Xingxiu's fingers twitched even more violently. After a moment, he spoke again, "I thought you only loved me. Could it be that you also loved my older brother?"

"Give me an answer, Nian Nian."

Jiang Nian knew that You Xingxiu couldn't let go of her past relationship with You Xingwen, but what was the point? You Xingxiu himself said he loved her, yet he only contacted her once in over ten years. It was really pointless to bring this up now.

"Asking this is meaningless." Jiang Nian didn't want to say anything more to You Xingxiu. Zhou Gebai was handling the mission; he didn't want to cause any more trouble.

But just that one sentence suddenly enraged the seemingly stable You Xingxiu. He spoke with resentment, each word distinct and enunciated.

“How could it be meaningless?”

“If you ever loved You Xingwen, then everything I’ve done for the past ten years has been a joke… a huge joke.”

His voice was so calm that Jiang Nian didn’t even notice the tremor in his voice at the end; he was restraining his emotions.

Jiang Nian was also furious. Last time they met, You Xingxiu had said some incomprehensible things, and this time he questioned her without a word. Jiang Nian retorted fiercely, "How would I know what you've done for the past ten years?!"

"Even if you've done a lot, I don't know, I just don't know. All I know is that you're only coming to find me now."

You Xingxiu was stunned. After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse and strained, as if sanded, filled with bitterness, "You could have known."

"I gave you the address; if you had just come, you would have known everything, but you didn't."

"Nian Nian, you've never come to see me even once."

You Xingxiu seemed lost in a fantasy, almost manic. His eyes were wide open, his brown pupils reflecting Jiang Nian's calm face. This realization made You Xingxiu's pain even more intense. He said, "I think about you every moment. If you appeared before me, I would accept anything, I would do anything. I would take you away, fly far away, regardless of the consequences, but you didn't."

“But no! Niannian.”

Jiang Nian stared intently at You Xingxiu and said, “I’ve been to that address.”

“What?”

Jiang Nian repeated, “I went there last year.”

“A year ago?” You Xingxiu asked instinctively.

“Yes.” Jiang Nian was being watched by Zhou Gebai and couldn’t get away. She only found a chance to check the address on the note last year, but when she arrived, the room was empty. The neighbors said the person had moved away months ago. The place

was deserted, and Jiang Nian received no information. Naturally, she didn’t know what You Xingxiu meant by arranging a room in a residential building.

“A year ago, hahaha… It’s too late, Niannian, it’s really too late.”

You Xingxiu was utterly devastated, his whole being broken. He covered his face, forcing down the taste of blood rising in his throat. He didn’t know whether to be happy that Jiang Nian had actually been to that address, or to hate the capriciousness of fate and the injustice of heaven for making Jiang Nian come so late. Everything

was too late, everything was meaningless.

But it didn’t matter.

Perhaps this was also Heaven's will, preordained that his choice would lead him down a single path, with no detours and no turning back.

You Xingxiu smiled again, and when Jiang Nian asked him what the meaning behind that address was, You Xingxiu replied almost inaudibly, "No."

"No meaning, it's all in the past."

No one could know the ever-growing corruption within him.

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