Character Relationships

Liu Chang'an wasn't too forgetful about things that happened more than a hundred years ago. It's just that there's no need to think about or recall many people and things in ordinary times. The waves of that long river of time have subsided, and he doesn't have the inclination to scoop up a ladleful from time to time to savor it.

Qin Yanan's appearance activated his memories of being Ye Chenyu's closest confidante, reminding him of Ye Sijin, Qin Peng, and Su Mei, the most important people in his life. The list in front of him also made him recall more familiar people, who were once brilliant or ordinary waves in that era, leaving vivid or vague images and voices in his memory.

"I initially thought it was just normal capital operation and initial accumulation, but if it's mixed with such personal grudges... I really couldn't tell that Old Madam Su was such a gentle and kind person." Qin Yanan recalled carefully, "When Zhu Juntang was young, she studied various cases in the history of the Zhu Family's expansion, and I also discussed them with her. We thought that some businesses were done too reluctantly. Although the Zhu Family never lost money in the end, there should have been better choices and solutions at the time. The Zhu Family's actions always revealed a ruthless and merciless nature. It seemed that business was not the main thing; erasing other people's family imprints and presence was more important..."

"Of course Old Madam Su wouldn't do that; it would be Su Mei who would do it." Liu Chang'an shook his head, recalling Su Xiaocui's chubby face when she was a girl.

Qin Yanan looked at the faint smile in his eyes as he recalled the past, as if she were seeing someone flipping through a diary that recorded his life, and the beautiful emotions... It's just that what Su Mei did will probably make those memories more painful and devastating.

But isn't Old Madam Su Mei? Qin Yanan asked, puzzled, "You mean, Su Mei was more ruthless when she was younger, but only now has she let go of those old emotions? And stopped acting impulsively?"

"I originally thought it was an internal matter between the Su Family and Zhu Family, and that I, as an outsider, shouldn't casually reveal it, so I didn't tell you this secret..." Liu Chang'an looked up and around the living room.

Qin Yanan followed Liu Chang'an's gaze and looked around, understanding his meaning, "I just checked this place, there's no surveillance equipment installed."

Because of the hints from Liu Chang'an, Old Madam Su, and Su Mei, Qin Yanan vaguely sensed that this was a shocking secret. She herself was also a person with secrets, which was why she carefully checked her residence to avoid revealing any horrifying details that might be inadvertently exposed... She was not as indifferent and casual as Liu Chang'an.

"Su Mei is not the Old Madam Su... The Old Madam Su is Su Xiaocui, Su Mei's maid back then. The real Su Mei is hidden behind the scenes, and is now the Third Mistress, and also Su Nanxiu, a freshman at Xiangnan University." After Liu Chang'an finished speaking, he stopped drinking tea, went to the wine cabinet and took out a bottle of red wine, a 2007 vintage ROMANEE-CONTI, which should not be too expensive.

Liu Chang'an glanced at the signature on the bottle label, then turned to look at Qin Yanan, who was still processing the information Liu Chang'an had just shared.

Liu Chang'an poured himself a drink and recounted to Qin Yanan the details he had discovered and the process by which he drew his conclusions. These details naturally contained many more secrets, but Liu Chang'an didn't mind letting her know many of them, just like the trust that came from their intimacy back then.

He managed to restrain himself and didn't reveal the process of how Ye Sijin transformed into Qin Yanan, because right now she only wanted to be Qin Yanan.

"I feel like I'm going crazy. It's fine to keep calling someone 'Grandma' even though I used to call them that, but the real Grandma is actually the person I used to call Third Aunt. Wait... Zhu Juntang is clearly Su Mei's great-granddaughter, yet she calls Su Mei' Mom.' She could also call you 'Uncle,' and normally she calls you 'Grandpa,' but I used to think she should call you 'Great-Uncle' like I do... if we go back to my great-grandfather's lineage..."

"Stop calculating. Seniority is meaningless. Didn't I already ask you to call me 'brother'? If you really want to calculate it, then it's impossible. We'll each have our own seniority." Liu Chang'an looked at the somewhat confused Qin Yanan, smiled, and patted her cheek to bring her back to her senses. "Seniority isn't the point at all."

"Wait... the main thing is that I need to figure out the relationships between the characters." Qin Yanan rubbed her temples. "Never mind... I know. The key point is that Su Mei, also known as Su Nanxiu, has made a comeback. We should figure out what she wants to do. We must be careful that she doesn't repeat the same tricks she used against the Chen Family and other families."

"Finally, you've shaken off that 'little fool' phase." Liu Chang'an nodded approvingly.

Qin Yanan touched her head, as if she were some kind of adorable little girl like Zhu Juntang who made it her life's goal to look like a fairy. She was a grown woman; pretending to be a silly little girl was just being cute, wasn't it? Qin Yanan pouted, her eyes darting around, and she let out two short, nasal hums. Actually, who couldn't act cute occasionally? It wasn't just An Nuan's prerogative.

Still somewhat embarrassed, Qin Yanan brushed aside her long hair, revealing a reserved and dignified demeanor. "I understand. What you're worried about now is that if Su Mei, now Su Nanxiu, knows that your former identity was Ye Chenyu, and if she can't forget her old feelings and remains true to her nature, then any girl you're close to will fall into her hostile circle." Qin Yanan frowned slightly. "It seems that it was a secret that Zhu Juntang and I accidentally revealed during our conversations... But since she's known for a long time and hasn't done anything about it, it should be said that her state of mind is much more peaceful now."

"Back then, she did those things perhaps because she thought I had changed my identity again and integrated into a certain family, and she wanted to force me to reappear... That's quite possible. For her, it was a win-win situation. But when I was by her side, she still acted like a harmless Little White, and some of her actions weren't too extreme." Liu Chang'an held his wine glass. "Since she still cares about me, she wouldn't act recklessly."

"You sound like a scumbag." Qin Yanan smiled and said with a sigh of relief. It was good that she was wary; she didn't want Su Mei to cause trouble here and disturb Liu Chang'an's peaceful campus life.

Liu Chang'an frowned. "How is he a scumbag? Does it mean I took advantage of her concern? This concern wasn't entirely about emotional dependence, but rather that my very presence made her rationally restrain her unbridled desires and impulses."

"It's better to say it this way."

"The force that helps ordinary people restrain their criminal desires is the violent apparatus that enforces the law. For someone like her, the force that helps her restrain them is me."

"It's our Nine Provinces Wind and Thunder Sword Sect." Qin Yanan felt a surge of passionate excitement, as if the power struggle between superpowered individuals was finally about to begin.

Liu Chang'an smiled and then scratched the top of her head.

Qin Yanan could only shut her mouth. She realized that Liu Chang'an really treated her like a little girl, the kind of reaction an elder would have when looking at a younger person with such a cute look in his eyes.

"I'll find some time to talk to her."

"How about... I meet her first?" Qin Yanan said, somewhat eagerly.

Liu Chang'an hesitated.

"Consider it a buffer before you officially meet her, just like how many important figures have subordinates contact them before they officially meet."

"You want to make contact with other abnormal humans besides me?" Liu Chang'an understood somewhat. People are always contradictory. Qin Yanan was unwilling to expose her own secret, but she also had the desire to meet her own kind.

"That Guan Yuan... seems too weak, too frivolous, and too low-level." Qin Yanan nodded.

"Okay... I won't be home tomorrow. You ask Su Nanxiu... that's her name now. Ask her to meet you downstairs at my place. Don't leave the area around the sycamore tree." Liu Chang'an earnestly instructed, "Anywhere else is acceptable."

"Okay." Although Qin Yanan didn't understand the deeper meaning behind his arrangement, she didn't ask why. It was nice to be a sweet and obedient little sister to her brother.

Men are often reluctant to answer women's "why" questions.

Liu Chang'an considered the matter of Qin Yanan and Su Nanxiu meeting for a while, and after thinking it over, he ultimately didn't say anything or try to stop them.

"The red wine escargots you made last time were delicious. Is there enough wine left in this bottle to make another serving?" Liu Chang'an was a little hungry.

"Brother, no one uses red wine worth over 100,000 yuan to bake snails."

"Why?"

"Alright... but I don't have any snails here today. How about I make you a red wine steak to tide you over, and then I'll make you a late-night snack later?"

"Okay, Zhou Shuling brought a bunch of lamb testicles, lamb liver, and lamb chops last night... Just don't eat anything from the lamb today."

Qin Yanan walked into the kitchen, took a deep breath, pressed her hand to her chest, and looked at the woman reflected in the bright shop window with an indescribable expression. She wondered how Liu Chang'an would handle his relationship with Su Nanxiu. Would he let Su Nanxiu be his secret lover, or would he be honest with An Nuan and have the two women share one husband?

In any case, she'd probably end up being relegated to a corner next to him... That's normal, since they don't have that kind of intimate foundation that couples have, and that's something she can accept.

Qin Yanan swiftly chopped the beef into two pieces, causing the juices to splatter everywhere.

After finishing their steak, Qin Yanan and Liu Chang'an went to the observation deck. As dusk fell on the mountains, Qin Yanan turned on the projector and watched a video with Liu Chang'an. Feeling a bit hot, Qin Yanan asked Liu Chang'an if he wanted to take a dip in the water. After Liu Chang'an shook his head, Qin Yanan changed into her swimsuit and came up to sit in the water, watching the program that Liu Chang'an had chosen.

"I've discovered that I don't have to worry about my skin getting wrinkled from soaking in water for too long anymore," Qin Yanan said, touching her arm.

Qin Yanan noticed that Liu Chang'an didn't say anything. She turned around and saw him staring at her. She couldn't help but feel a little smug and shy, as if she had gotten her way. "What are you looking at?"

"I'm thinking about your injury tolerance. If I were to shatter your upper body bones with a single punch, how long would it take you to recover?" Liu Chang'an pondered for a moment. "When should we do a stress test?"

Qin Yanan scooped up a handful of water and angrily splashed it all over him.

Liu Chang'an didn't dodge, but sighed. Why did she get so angry about such a serious and scientific topic? He wasn't really going to shatter her upper body bones with a punch. Testing her limits was always necessary. He'd discussed this with her before. Didn't she want to know her physical capabilities and limits?

-

-

Requesting monthly votes