Jiang Shining tried to change the subject, hoping to steer the conversation away from its current direction.
She looked out the window. “Mr. Gu, where are we going now?”
Jiang Shining noticed the car had already driven out of the city and into the suburbs.
Gu Yan glanced at her and replied calmly, “To a place. You’ll know when we get there.”
The Audi eventually stopped at the entrance of a university.
Jiang Shining got out of the car and stared at the gate of “Jiangcheng University,” her face filled with confusion.
“Let’s go.”
With that, Gu Yan led the way through the university gates.
This place wasn’t far from the coffee shop where she worked.
She remembered Song Ya also attended this university.
As they walked onto the campus,
Jiang Shining watched the students in their uniforms.
Gu Yan asked, “What are you looking at?”
Jiang Shining shook her head. “Nothing. It’s just nostalgic being back on a campus again.”
“Nostalgic?”
Gu Yan paused mid-step, narrowing his eyes. “You didn’t continue with university?”
The dangerous glint in his eyes instantly made Jiang Shining realize she’d slipped up.
She had graduated from university long ago—what was there to continue?
As for the original owner of this body, she hadn’t wanted to attend university and had been expelled long before.
Jiang Shining forced a smile. “No, it’s just… life got in the way. I couldn’t afford the tuition.”
Gu Yan said, “Money isn’t a problem.”
Damn it.
Of course she knew university tuition would be no issue for Gu Yan.
But she…
“Uncle Gu, didn’t you say there was something to do? Shouldn’t we focus on that first?”
Jiang Shining changed the topic, this time careful not to linger on the students, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead.
She couldn’t accept having to go through university all over again.
…
The two arrived at the western corner of Jiangcheng University.
There stood a locked iron gate.
Looking at the rust-covered lock, Jiang Shining asked, puzzled, “What is this?”
Gu Yan stepped forward.
He lifted the iron lock with one hand.
“Do you remember when I asked you why your mother came to Obsidian Street?”
Jiang Shining asked, “Why?”
Gu Yan pulled a prepared key from his sleeve and inserted it into the lock.
Click.
The rusty iron lock made a sound as the latch opened.
Gu Yan removed the chain from the gate and tossed it onto the nearby cement ground.
“During our university years, Wan’er and I were in the same research club. Our research topic at the time was ‘Tulips.'”
“After graduating from Kyoto University, the research materials for the project ended up in Jiangcheng. Do you think… it’s possible Wan stayed in Jiangcheng because of these flowers?”
The iron gate swung open.
A vast field of pale pink tulips unfolded before Jiang Shining’s eyes, stretching from the gate all the way to a distant glass greenhouse. A gentle breeze swept through, causing the pink tulip stems to sway gracefully.
Beautiful.
And breathtaking.
Jiang Shining stood frozen in place.
Meanwhile, Gu Yan walked into the tulip field. “If I hadn’t met you, I never would have thought Wan’er had been living in Jiangcheng all this time.”
After scanning the surrounding tulips, Gu Yan bent down and picked one.
“Do you think it’s possible your mother stayed here because she was thinking of me too?”
Gu Yan gently stroked the tulip petals before turning to look at Jiang Shining.
Their eyes met.
Jiang Shining was somewhat moved by the nostalgic atmosphere.
But…
How could Jiang Wan have stayed because of these tulips?
Since moving into Obsidian Street, she had hardly ever left, let alone visited Jiangcheng University.
As the female lead, Jiang Wan had no idea about any of this!!
Looking at her wealthy father, lost in memories while holding the tulip,
Jiang Shining nodded.
She looked at Gu Yan with a sincere expression, “Uncle Gu, you’re right.”
“I never imagined you were so close with my mother!”
Such a dramatic, heart-wrenching story, yet such an important detail for recalling memories wasn’t even mentioned in the book.
Gu Yan nodded in satisfaction.
He walked toward the nearby glass greenhouse and emerged moments later with a pair of scissors in hand.
He spoke to himself, “Jiangcheng University sealed off this base a few years ago, yet these precious tulips have flourished so beautifully in the wild, just like your mother.”
Having come to this realization on his own, Gu Yan picked up the scissors and began carefully selecting tulips from the field.
Meanwhile, Jiang Shining had already taken out her phone to vent.
Lin Momo was still shaking coffee nearby. Seeing Gu Yan’s preparations, Jiang Shining knew he was planning a surprise for Jiang Wan.
With both of them unavailable, Jiang Shining decided to message Qin Wang.
【Ning: First time realizing that love at an older age can still be so intense.】
【Image】
The photo showed a small patch of tulip fields.
【Ning: Beautiful, isn’t it?】
On the other end, Qin Wang, still at his apartment, saw the message and opened the image. He quickly replied with two words.
【wang: Beautiful】
Jiang Shining’s lips curved into an unconscious smile.
Ding.
【wang: Do you like tulips? I can plant some for you too.】
Jiang Shining’s smile froze on her face.
Seriously!
She was just sharing.
Looking at Qin Wang’s eager tone on her phone, Jiang Shining feared this gang leader might actually turn into a gardener. If that happened, wouldn’t his underlings band together to skewer and kill her?
In ancient times, Daji brought ruin to kingdoms; today, she’d be the one turning a gangster into a flower gardener.
Thinking this, she hurriedly tried to dissuade him.
【Ning: No, don’t even think about it, seriously! I just wanted to show you the photo, /facepalm/】
【Ning: I was just sharing. Don’t you find it soothing to look at?】
Jiang Shining looked away from her phone and gazed at the flower field across from her.
The faint floral scent and the pink blossoms—she found them beautiful.
And very soothing.
…
Obsidian Street, Abandoned Factory
Crash
A baseball bat swept across the table, sending a glass shattering to the floor.
“You beat my man Qiangzi to a pulp, and this is the attitude you show now, Qin Wang?!”
Lin Yaotian, the boss of South Street, glared at him furiously.
Wang Qiang, who had been beaten unconscious some time ago, had finally been discharged from the hospital. His arm was still wrapped in bandages, and he looked at Qin Wang with lingering fear.
Even after all these days, Brother Qiang could barely walk.
“Brother Lin, it’s this Qin Wang. He doesn’t respect you at all. You have to stand up for me!”
Listening to their shouts, Qin Wang didn’t even lift his eyes.
His slender, well-defined fingers simply typed three words on his phone.
【Very soothing】
A faint smile tugged at Qin Wang’s lips, as if he could see Jiang Shining gazing at the flower field through the phone.
It was just a pity…
Jiang Shining could share her life, but he couldn’t.
Lin Yaotian: “Think about how to settle this!”
The smile vanished as Qin Wang looked up.
“Settle?”
His eyes were mocking and icy. “You barged into South Street, laid hands on my people, and now you’re asking me for an explanation?”
From Qin Wang’s side, Brother Hei stepped forward.
“That’s right! Boss Zhang, it was your people who charged into Obsidian Street and tried to harm the boss’s woman. You brought this on yourselves.”
“Exactly!”…
Territories inherently represented domains.
In the suburbs of S City, each area managed its own territory.
But Lin Yaotian from South Street wouldn’t care about that today.
“Hmph!” Lin Yaotian snorted coldly, planting his baseball bat on the ground.
“I don’t care what ‘sister-in-law’ or not, I’m here today to get justice for my brother!”
“Either I beat your people until they’re like Qiangzi here.”
“Or you hand over the Jianan Apartment land.”
Hearing the familiar apartment name, Qin Wang narrowed his eyes.
He looked at the people shouting in front of him.
Lin Yaotian had brought enough men this time to enter Obsidian Street—at least one-third more than his own people.
Lin Yaotian: “Well?”
The provocative gaze directly made Qin Wang’s brow turn cold.
With a flip of his palm, a dagger appeared in his hand.
The dagger spun, tracing two elegant arcs in the air.
With a sharp clang.
Though Qin Wang hadn’t used much force, the dagger plunged straight into the wooden table.
Sinking deep into the wood.
Qin Wang raised his eyes, his gaze icy.
“Not well.”
He would choose neither option.