This Su Mei, That Su Mei

Zou Ji was over eight feet tall and handsome. He asked his wife, concubines, and guests. "Who is more handsome, me or Xu Gong?"

The answer, of course, was that Zou Ji was more handsome.

Zou Ji was very self-aware, believing that "my wife praises me because she loves me. My concubine praises me because she fears me. My guest praises me because he wants something from me."

Therefore, the most important thing about such problems is self-awareness, rather than seeking answers from others... It is very important for a man to have self-awareness and to understand the reasons behind the other person's words, so that he will not become arrogant and lose sight of the bigger picture.

Women often don't care much about self-awareness; as long as a man says sweet words, she's happy and doesn't care much about the truth.

Under such circumstances, the answer a woman wants is often not the objective truth, but only one correct answer: You are beautiful, you are beautiful, you are the most beautiful in the whole world.

As long as you're happy.

A guest came from afar, leaving me a letter.

The first line speaks of longing and yearning, the second of a long separation.

Liu Chang'an recalled this poem. Although there was no letter, Qin Yanan had mentioned Su Mei's name, and Su Mei hadn't said "longing for each other," it had indeed been a long time since they had been separated.

So long ago, Liu Chang'an remembered that Su Mei had asked him this question repeatedly many years ago, but he had forgotten what his answer was.

Su Mei is extremely jealous, possessive, and controlling, a personality completely different from Ye Sijin's. However, beautiful women are like the colorful flowers in the Grand View Garden, each delicate and beautiful, yet no two are alike, each possessing their own unique charm, both charming and naive.

"Hey." Qin Yanan nudged Liu Chang'an, who was silently munching on a chicken leg. His reaction was so strange. "I wasn't asking who's prettier, me or An Nuan... Oh, no, if I asked that, you wouldn't be embarrassed at all. You just said An Nuan is the prettiest in the world, and I'm the one who moved to the back."

After speaking, Qin Yanan chuckled softly. Outside the door, the fine rain drifted like threads in the breeze, turning into even finer mists before touching the ground and disappearing without a trace. Only the emotions that seemed to have somehow emanated from her lingering and alluring presence remained.

"Qin Yanan is really beautiful," Liu Chang'an remarked.

"How do you know Su Mei?" Qin Peng couldn't possibly gossip about Liu Chang'an's past with a junior, especially since it involved Su Mei.

Su Mei is Qin Peng's cousin. Years earlier, Qin Peng's grandfather Qin Zhao, served as the textile commissioner of Jiangzhou and was involved in a famous case at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Su Mei's grandfather used his own head as collateral to clear Qin Zhao, allowing the Qin Family to continue to thrive to this day without being executed along with his entire clan at that time.

If they hadn't been exonerated at the crucial last moment, both the Su Family and Qin Family would likely be finished.

Qin Peng naturally treated Su Mei with the same respect and courtesy... even though Qin Peng had left home alone to rebel when he was young because his ideals clashed with those of his family.

"Why wouldn't I know Su Mei?" Qin Yanan knew from Liu Chang'an's answer that Liu Chang'an also knew about Su Mei, and might even know some gossip he got from his great-grandfather. "Old Madam Su is still alive and well. I visit her every time I go to Taiwan."

Liu Chang'an put down the chicken leg bone he had gnawed clean and wiped his hands.

"I remember Su Mei died a long time ago." Liu Chang'an shook his head. "The Su Mei you're talking about is definitely not the same person."

"The Su Mei I'm talking about is my great-grandfather's cousin, Su Mei, who married the eldest son of the Zhu Family." Qin Yanan wasn't entirely sure if the Su Mei she was talking about was the same person Liu Chang'an was referring to.

"It's the same person." Liu Chang'an nodded, but this was completely different from what he knew.

What happened? Liu Chang'an remembered that he was not present when Su Mei passed away for some reason. She only left a letter to him. Liu Chang'an also went to the Su Family to inquire. The Su Family kept the death a secret, but the person was indeed gone.

"I heard that your great-grandfather and Old Madam Su used to have a good relationship?"

"You two have a good relationship?"

"Oh... it seems 'good relationship' isn't the right word; it should be more like 'having seen the ocean, other waters are nothing; having beheld the Wushan, other clouds are not worth seeing'?"

"Su Mei plotted against him." Liu Chang'an picked up a cup of realgar wine, took a small sip, and said, "Forget it, it happened many, many years ago, better not to talk about it."

"How was it ambush?" Qin Yanan was unwilling to accept it. It was just as frustrating to have the story cut off halfway through, like reading a novel and suddenly getting stuck at a crucial point with the message "No more chapters available."

"I don't want to talk about it. Why are you kids always asking about your elders' private affairs?" Liu Chang'an waved his hand.

"Fine, I won't tell you then." Qin Yanan picked up a lily from her bowl, its petals resembling delicate, white fingernails. "Oh, by the way, the girl I wanted to introduce you to is Su Mei's great-granddaughter Zhu Juntang."

Liu Chang'an slowly turned his head, and very rarely did he lose control of his facial muscles. The flesh on his cheeks twitched a few times. He raised his hands and patted his face, feeling the grease from the chicken leg he had just been eating on his palms. He washed his face before coming out and asking, "You said Zhu Juntang is Su Mei's great-granddaughter?"

"Yes." Qin Yanan turned around and pointed in the direction of Baolong Center. "She lives in Baolong Center over there. She went back to Junsha last night. If you'd like, you can meet her this afternoon."

A light drizzle, like smoke, enveloped the entire sky of Junsha. Only the light from the top-floor lights of Baolong Center pierced through the rain and mist, making the entire building almost invisible. It was as if some fairy maiden resided there amidst the clouds and mist.

"No." Liu Chang'an shook his head. This kind of encounter was not the first time in his life. Seeing the descendants of many old friends always reminded him of the various romantic stories of the past.

Liu Chang'an wouldn't get so excited that he had to go see Zhu Juntang, then burst into tears and lament his lost youth, reminiscing about his turbulent teenage years, and recounting trivial matters, whether vague or clear.

He just felt that Zhu Juntang would come looking for him again, and that he could treat her better and not use the "Wild Goose Descending on the Sand" tactic on her again.

"Have you finished eating? I have something to do," Liu Chang'an said, standing up.

"Since you've said that, how can I just sit here and keep eating?" Qin Yanan had no choice but to get up and glare at Liu Chang'an.

"I'll treat next time." Liu Chang'an was a man of principle.

"Your cooking skills? Let me do it." Qin Yanan was a little skeptical. A single guy living alone would be lucky to keep his room tidy; as for cooking, he'd probably only make something barely edible, and it certainly wouldn't have any flavor.

Liu Chang'an didn't argue with Qin Yanan about this. He watched Qin Yanan's figure, holding an umbrella, disappear into the misty rain, then grabbed a set of clothes, put them in a plastic bag, bought a train ticket, and headed to the train station.

It was raining today, and the departure time on the ticket was too close, so even though the train station wasn't far away, Liu Chang'an didn't have to run and took the subway instead.

The continuous drizzle made the air in the subway feel humid, and most people remained listless, each engrossed in their phones reading novels or playing games.

Liu Chang'an was researching the Zhu Family's information. After all, the Zhu Family was a powerful family that had taken root on the Taiwan. The information that could be found was basically what some people knew before the liberation. After decades of severing ties after the liberation, many things that happened on the Taiwan during that period were difficult to find on the mainland internet, let alone the rise and fall of a family and the personal information of its members.

Among the numerous members of the Zhu Family listed online, Su Mei is not mentioned at all, as if she has no reason to exist publicly within the Zhu Family.

Zhu Juntang, on the other hand, is quite famous. Liu Chang'an only just learned that Zhu Juntang has been ranked as the "Number One Heiress" by netizens on the Taiwan internet.

"That title is really awful," Liu Chang'an smiled and stepped off the subway.