Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
There was no need for him to swear his innocence. Qin Shu believed in him. Even if the most enchanting beauty on earth were to pass him by, Fu Tingyu would not spare her a second glance; such was her faith in the man who proclaimed everlasting love for her.
Yet, Jun Li’s parting words sowed a seed of doubt. Qin Shu could not help but wonder if his words would ever come to pass.
Fu Tingyu held Qin Shu’s hand and said with a smile, “Let’s go. They’re all waiting.”
Qin Shu followed Fu Tingyu to meet up with the rest of their company. Jun Li had to be overthinking things. Although Fu Tingyu was exceptionally attractive, he was not some casanova. Many years had passed since they met, but no one ever caught his fancy.
No one but her, of course.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Qin Feng plaintive complaint, “Is it not enough that the two of you are husband and wife? Do you need to act all lovey-dovey in public? What about the rest of us who are still bachelors?”
Even though Qin Feng bemoaned his status, it did nothing to dampen the teasing smile on his lips. It was a smile devoid of jealousy; it was a smile of unmitigated joy for the person he cared about.
Qin Feng knew many couples who stuck to each other like glue while in the honeymoon phase of their relationships, only to have it all fall apart once they got married. It was not an uncommon phenomenon and occurred more so after they had children. Petty quarrels would escalate into arguments, eventually breeding contempt and resentment.
It was a common problem faced by every sector of society to varying degrees. In the upper echelons of society, the most significant contributor to these break-ups often had their roots in extramarital affairs during pregnancy.
When he saw that Fu Tingyu’s feelings for Ling Bao were unchanged and, instead, had improved, the Ling Yan he once knew seemed to have turned over a new leaf.
Qin Feng thought it was a cause for celebration.
“Let’s go,” came Hua Wuyan’s clipped response.
“Okay.”
The group of six people got into different cars.
Fu Tingyu, Qin Shu, and Qin Feng took one car.
Han Xiao, Hua Wuyan, and Yan Shuang took another.
The two luxury cars headed to the airport.
It took them two hours to arrive at the airport.
The six of them walked into the departure hall.
Their subordinates had already checked in their luggage.
The plane would stop over at Nan Yue and land in Min Zhou. From there, they would be driven to Mount Qi, which was closer to North Star.
–
After boarding the plane…
The tickets they booked were all first-class seats. Whether it was the seats or the space, they were much better than economy-class seats.
Naturally, the person who sat beside Qin Shu on the plane was none other than Fu Tingyu.
“Babe, you should get some rest.”
Qin Shu yawned. It was getting late, her eyelids drooping over her tired eyes. She had not slept much the previous night, and the accumulated fatigue was starting to get to her.
“Okay… I’ll sleep for a while.”
Since Qin Shu gave birth, the quality of her sleep improved tremendously. She rested her head on Fu Tingyu’s shoulder. Moments later, the soft, steady sound of her breathing sounded in Fu Tingyu’s ear.
He cast a loving look on Qin Shu’s sleeping form with a smile. It was going to be a long flight. Picking up a book he had brought with him, Fu Tingyu settled himself comfortably in his seat to enjoy his read.
It was four o’clock in the afternoon when they arrived in Nan Yue. There were six people in the group, excluding their subordinates; together, they made a party of nine. They arrived at the ancient city by car at seven-thirty in the evening.
It was not tourist season in Nan Yue, so there were not many sightseers crowding the streets, and it was not hard for them to check in at one of the local inns. This time was not the peak season for tourists, so there were not many tourists.
–
Wind Shaw Inn…
After checking in, Qin Feng said, “Let’s take a break. We’ll meet up again at dinner.”
“I’m rooming with Ye Xiao, am I not?” Hua Wuyan flashed the number on his key card.
“It doesn’t matter; it’s the same in the end.” Qin Feng withdrew the key card to his room and led the way up to the second floor.
Fu Tingyu held the key card in one hand and hugged his wife in the other as they made their way upstairs.
Ye Luo accepted his card and carried the luggage, following the entourage upstairs.
Unlike the others, Yan Shuang was not in a hurry to head to her room. Sighing, she muttered, “I remember how we used to go down the mountain, passing by this very inn. It’s been almost eight years since then… The years have gone by in a flash, and much has changed…”
Han Xiao stared out at the familiar street that looked so alien now. Indeed, things were not as they had been eight years ago.
–
In the guest room…
Ye Luo put down his luggage and left President Ba in his guest room.
Fu Tingyu tidied up his luggage, changing the bedsheets and quilts into the ones he brought with him.
Meanwhile, Qin Shu peered out the window facing the street below. Several giant red lanterns hung outside many shops lining the ancient city. It added some colour to the time-worn stones forming the city’s foundation.
The moon shed its fluorescent tears over the redrimmed city. It was a breath-taking sight.
On the way, she had heard Fu Tingyu and Qin Feng mention the ancient city of Feng Yue. They reminisced the days she would sneak out to play, though she ought to have been practising martial arts on Mount Qi.
Yet… she did not have the slightest impression of it.
After Fu Tingyu tidied up the bed, he noticed Qin Shu standing by the window. He went up to her and asked, “What are you looking at?”
Qin Shu turned around, coming face to face with Fu Tingyu, who was hovering over her like a sentry. “Feng Yue is beautiful. The view of the city at night is amazing.”
Fu Tingyu’s lips curled into a smile. Grabbing hold of Qin Shu’s delicate hand with his much larger one, he said, “I’ll take you to a place.”
“Where are we going?” Qin Shu asked.
“You’ll know when we get there.” Fu Tingyu clasped her hand in his, pulling the guest room door open. Like a puppet on a string, she had no choice but to follow him.
Initially, Fu Tingyu had wanted to jump out of the window with Qin Shu in tow. That way, they would not have to meet any others along the way. It was something he would have done had he been in peak condition.
Unfortunately, Fu Tingyu’s abilities had regressed because of his illness, and he still needed time to recover fully; otherwise, he would have opted for the more romantic option.
If he insisted on hopping out through the window, he would not be the one to carry Qin Shu – it would have been the other way around. The mere thought was enough to mortify him.
Qin Shu held onto Fu Tingyu’s hand tightly, following him downstairs. “Aren’t we going to eat together later?” She asked hesitantly.
“They can have dinner together.” Fu Tingyu led her out of the inn, unfazed.
Han Xiao had just walked out of the guest room when he saw Fu Tingyu holding Qin Shu’s hand as they went downstairs. He thought they were going downstairs to eat, but when he walked to the stairs, he found that they walked straight out of the inn.
He paused for a fraction of a second before giving chase.
Although it was not tourist season for Feng Yue, the streets were only marginally less crowded.
Qin Shu allowed Fu Tingyu to drag her along without complaint. No matter how she looked, she saw no sign indicating the existence of Mount Qi.
Mount Qi was supposed to be close by, but there was nary a mountain in sight. It seemed that it would not be an easy feat to locate the entrance to the sacred mountain. Perhaps it would be as difficult as ascending the heavens above.
Fu Tingyu finally stopped at the entrance of an alleyway. Confused, Qin Shu scanned her surroundings. The alley led to what looked like a snack street. Even some distance away, she could smell the mouth-watering fragrance of food wafting out into the main road.
As soon as she stepped into the alley proper, the sights and smells of a food lover’s paradise greeted Qin Shu.
Fu Tingyu beamed when he caught sight of the twinkle in Qin Shu’s eyes. He knew that she would like it. “Would you like to eat wonton noodles?”
“Wonton noodles?” Qin Shu remembered hearing of this particular dish on the way to Feng Yue. From the way they described it, ‘wonton noodles’ should be a delicacy. Her response was immediate.”Yes! I want to try some.”
“I’ll take you to my favourite hawker. She serves the best wonton noodles in all of Feng Yue.”
“I didn’t know you knew so much about food.” Qin Shu muttered.
Fu Tingyu did not respond to his wife’s jab at him. He simply shot her an indulgent look, escorting her into the snack street.
They walked for quite some time. The snack street had changed a lot in the many years since they had frequented it.
“I wonder if that noodle shop is still there?”
Qin Shu surveyed the shops on either side with a fanatic gleam in her eyes. “What’s the name of the noodle shop?”
“Aunty’s Wonton Noodles,” was Fu Tingyu’s short reply.
Aunty’s Wonton Noodles?
It was a ubiquitous but uncommon shop name.
Soon, Fu Tingyu caught sight of a non-descript sign a little ways away that said ‘Aunty’s Wonton Noodles’. With barely restrained excitement, he pointed at the shop he hoped to patronize. “That’s the shop.”
Qin Shu looked in the direction Fu Tingyu was pointing. As he would have it, the shop was called ‘Aunty’s Wonton Noodles’. After so many years, the wooden sign had aged a fair bit, darkening several shades from the exposure to the elements. A red lantern illuminated hung from the rafters, revealing just enough for a passerby to make out the words ‘Aunty’s Wonton Noodles’. The words were barely legible up close. Qin Shu doubted anyone could have identified the words from afar.
“Let’s go in.” Fu Tingyu led the way into the small establishment.
Han Xiao, who had been tailing them, slowed down, inspecting the sign above the shop. It read, ‘Aunty’s Wonton Noodles’..
