Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When he was leaving Beijing, he indeed had various means and methods. However, after meeting Wang Yao, he realized that most of the methods were not suitable, and it was necessary for him to think of other ways.
“At such a young age, he actually has the aura of ancient hermits. It is really rare and also really troublesome!”
“Money, fame, beauty—do we have to try each of them individually? But we don’t have the time!”
…
Qi Province, Jizhou City.
“Uncle He, what do you think we should do?” Guo Sirou was stressing over the matter.
“Explain the situation to him directly,” He Qisheng replied while standing at one side.
“If we do that he won’t go to Beijing. Xiao Xue’s illness has already reached a critical point!” Guo Sirou lamented.
“It’s precisely because of this that there is a need to tell him the truth. Only then will there be a sliver of a chance. Otherwise, we can only leave things be,” He Qisheng said.
Right from the start, he had actually suggested to this young miss to explain the situation of the ill-fated girl in Beijing to Wang Yao. After his various interactions with Wang Yao, it could be said that he somewhat understood Wang Yao’s personality. He was a person who would not be pushed around by force. Furthermore, Wang Yao was like an ancient recluse and harbored a deep mistrust for anyone who attempted to use money or beautiful things to move him. It was therefore much better to deal with him with sincerity.
“You mean I should explain Xiao Xue’s condition to him?”
“Yes, just tell him.”
“But I already promised the Su Family,” Guo Sirou said. She did not see herself any less than men and highly valued the honor of her words. This could be seen through what she had promised Wang Yao.
“Things are already at this stage. The Su Family will only thank you if it works. Even if it doesn’t, based on Wang Yao’s personality, he definitely won’t divulge this matter.”
“Okay, to Lianshan I go!” Without a moment of hesitation, Guo Sirou made her decision.
…
Lianshan County.
“Someone is looking for me?” Wang Ru looked at the two men in front of her.
“I don’t recognize either of them.”
“Hello, are you Miss Wang Ru?” Chen Boyuan asked respectfully.
“I am. You are?”
“My name is Chen Boyuan. Could I take up a few minutes of your time?”
“Okay.”
In a few short sentences, Wang Ru understood their purpose of coming.
“You want to invite my brother to treat a patient?”
“Yes, but he refused because he did not know us,” Chen Boyuan said.
“But I don’t know you either.”
“Then, we can call over another person to be our guarantor.”
As he spoke, another middle-aged man got out of the car outside. He was of average build and was a little plump.
“Hello, colleague Wang Ru.”
Wang Ru was stunned.
“Who is this?!”
“Huh?!”
Chen Boyuan was stunned too.
“It can’t be?”
“Vice-mayor Liu, what brings you here?!” At this moment, another balding middle-aged man ran over.
“You are?”
“I am Lianshan County’s Agriculture Bureau’s deputy director, Yang Geyan!”
“Oh, hello.”
“Vice-mayor Liu?!” Wang Ru was stunned after hearing that. The respectful demeanor her deputy director was showing, bowing and nodding his head seemed real enough. Then, what kind of power must these two people have to be able to move such people of Vice-mayor Liu’s status to act as their guarantor?
“Vice-mayor Liu, did you come to the Agricultural Bureau to observe the work here?” Yang Geyan asked. “You didn’t seem to mention that you were coming?”
“No, I’m here for personal matters. You can go on with what you were busy with.”
“Okay, then I’ll get back to work.” Yang Geyan did not dare to dally. However, he could not help but glance at Wang Ru. What relationship does Wang Ru have with Vice-mayor Liu?
“Miss Wang, how about it?” Chen Boyuan said.
He had originally planned to have Vice-mayor Liu, who managed Haiqu City’s agriculture department, to act as a guarantor, as well as to show off his power. In the end, however, he never expected to meet someone who, although working in the agricultural department, did not recognize the vice-mayor. Truthfully, Wang Ru could not be blamed. Even if it were some other normal employee in the Agricultural Bureau, it was likely that they too would not recognize Vice-mayor Liu. Their positions were too different from Chen Boyuan, and they paid attention to different things.
“Give me some time to consider.” Looking at the powerful man in front of her, Wang Ru could not be as heedless as her brother.
“Colleague Wang Ru, I can guarantee that they are not suspicious individuals,” Vice-mayor Liu chimed in.
“Quick, look! That person…”
“Hey, it is Vice-mayor Liu, isn’t it?”
“He’s talking to Wang Ru. Do they know each other?”
“I say, that seemingly ordinary person is really lucky, getting a sudden pay rise and then a promotion. I wonder what sort of backing she has!”
“Could she be somebody’s mistress?”
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
Wang Ru naturally could hear these colleagues talking nonsense in the office. Wang Ru wondered how her brother, who was always cooped up in the mountains and fields, managed to attract the attention of these people who were so much more powerful than they were. It was to the extent that they could move a vice-mayor to be their guarantor. She also thought back to how they had come looking for her. It couldn’t be that they had visited the house and was refused by her brother that made them look for her in search of a loophole, could it?
In an instant, she thought about numerous possibilities.
“Colleague Wang Ru, do work hard,” Vice-mayor Liu said before quickly making his move. He then bade farewell to Chen Boyuan in a respectful manner before taking his leave.
“My apologies for troubling you.” Chen Boyuan also detected that things weren’t going as well as he had planned.
“No problem.”
“So, what will you do about this issue?” Chen Boyuan asked.
“I still have to check with my brother. Also, I’d like to check, are you sure you haven’t gotten the wrong person and that you’re really looking for my brother?”
“With regards to this, I can guarantee 100% that we didn’t identify the wrong person!” Chen Boyuan said while giving a helpless laugh.
“But when my brother was in university, he studied biology!” Wang Ru said.
“Yes, we’re also aware of this.”
…
“We failed!”
Watching the back of Wang Ru’s departing figure, Chen Boyuan felt somewhat helpless. Why was it that none of the plans he had prepared before coming had resulted in an effect?
This brother and sister pair, and this whole family—why did they feel so different from others that he had interacted with before?
…
Evening – the sun was setting.
There was no westerly wind from the western Silk Road, nor any thin horses running by.
On Nanshan Hill, there came another two visitors.
“Miss Guo, Mr. He?”
“I hope we didn’t disrupt your dinner plans by coming this late,” Guo Sirou said, laughing.
“It’s no matter, please, sit.”
Wang Yao also had not expected that these two people would rush here at such a time. Evidently, it was about something urgent.
“Will Mr. Wang be willing to listen to a story?” Guo Sirou said after taking a sip of tea.
“A story?”
“Yes, it is about a pitiful, but steadfast girl.”
“Alright, I’d be happy to.” Wang Yao cupped his teacup and rested it against the chair.
“There was this one girl, the only daughter in this generation of the family. She was really loved by the family, seen as the pearl of the family. Nonetheless, she was very obedient and did not have the traits of a spoilt young mistress. Regretfully, the heavens chose to play a trick on her at this time causing her fate to be so unfair. In the prime of her youth, she contracted a particular disease…”
Wang Yao listened really attentively.
In all honesty, Guo Sirou’s story was not a particularly good one, and Guo Sirou was not a good storyteller by any measure. However, this story was one that captured people’s attention, especially when she reached the part about the strange disease and the girl’s determination.
The story was not long, and when Guo Sirou was done with the story, the sun had yet to set.
“If it were me, perhaps I’d have given up a long time ago. What did you say was the reason that gave this lady such a strong will?”
“Perhaps it was the support from her relatives, or a desire to live, or maybe…”
Wang Yao could think of many theories, but nevertheless, he felt respect for this woman’s determination. Like Guo Sirou had said earlier, if this had happened to anyone else, they probably would not have held on for so long either.
“I believe, to put simply, that she still wants to see the world and experience many interesting things, and that is why she is unwilling to leave the world yet,” Guo Sirou said in a low voice.
“The girl in this story is probably the reason you came to look for me the previous time, to invite me to treat her, isn’t she?”
“That’s right,” Guo Sirou answered honestly.
“Beijing?”
“Yes, their family had just sent people to look for you.”
“Chen Boyuan and Xia Su?”
“That’s them,” He Qisheng, who was beside him, replied.
“Hmph, it’s likely another rich family, right?”
“Yes, it would not even be a stretch to think of them as nobility,” Guo Sirou replied.
Traveling a thousand miles with a heavy promise and meeting with failure—how sad must it be!
To agree, or not to agree!
Just as Wang Yao was deep in thought, the phone suddenly rang. Picking it up, it turned out to be his elder sister.
“Sis.”
“Yao, there’s something I need to ask you.” From over the phone came Wang Ru’s serious tone. This gave Wang Yao a shock, as he had been wondering what might have happened. Following Wang Ru’s explanation, he realiszed that this really was an issue—a big issue!
“Alright, I understand. Don’t you worry; they don’t have bad intentions.”
“You be careful; their background is unfathomable. They can even move the vice-mayor.”
“Alright, I get it. Don’t tell anyone about this, not even Dad and Mom. I don’t need them to worry.”
“Okay.”
After hanging up, Wang Yao slowly let out a long sigh. He wasn’t sure whether to be amused or angry right now.
“Yesterday, after the two of them were refused by me, they went to look for my parents. Today, they looked for my sister.”
“They’re anxious.”
“Anxious?”
Wang Yao lightly rubbed his forehead.
“This is trouble!”
“Is the patient’s condition very critical now?”
“Yes, Beijing’s doctors all estimate that she would not make it past this month.”
Seeing that today was already the 23rd of April, it would only be seven more days until May.
“Seven days?”
