Long Time No See

The environment around the Tulin Official Residence is quite nice. Most importantly, feng shui is very popular in Taiwan, and many wealthy people want to benefit from the blessings of the Taiwan Prefect. However, they are thinking too far ahead. The Taiwan Prefect has gone from being the head of state to being a prefect in a remote corner of the country. It is obvious that his career has declined after a high start. How can he have great fortune to bless others? They are really short-sighted.

His personal achievements are certainly beyond the reach of ordinary people, but he is still far from becoming a saint who shines with divine light to bless others. His personal realm and level of thought are far inferior.

However, its proximity to the city center makes it quite convenient and secure for enjoying modern life. Su Mei's residence is nestled in a Lush Forest, with a layout similar to that of the prefect's mansion. It is surrounded by extremely tall trees and has a maze-like spiral driveway inside. Su Mei's residence is hidden deep within this area, so much so that even the Zhu Family would not know where Su Mei is without prior notification, let alone tabloid reporters and outsiders.

Liu Chang'an walked along the roadside and saw a convoy of cars parked in the depths of a sparsely populated garden street. Not far to the side of the convoy was a black Toyota. Taiwan government vehicles tend to be Japanese. A middle-aged man of medium build, wearing a suit and showing a refined smile, got out of the car.

At the rear of the convoy, the window of a black Rolls-Royce opened, and a stunningly beautiful young woman turned to speak to a middle-aged man. Her demeanor was indifferent, with a clear hint of contempt at the corner of her mouth. She showed no intention of getting out of the car, and after exchanging a few words, the window closed.

As the convoy departed, the middle-aged man remained standing, watching it leave before finally getting into his car.

The Toyota made a U-turn and drove into the road through the Lush Forest.

Only Su Mei lived in the Lush Forest.

Liu Chang'an ran like a whirlwind.

Catching up with the Toyota, Liu Chang'an opened the car door and casually picked up a hardcover magazine from inside the car.

"Who are you?" The middle-aged man was startled, and the driver in front quickly stopped the car.

Liu Chang'an quickly tore off the magazine cover, rolled it up casually, and turned it into an extremely sharp weapon, which he then pressed against the middle-aged man's neck.

"You're threatening me with a piece of paper?" The middle-aged man calmed down and said with a sneer.

"Keep driving," Liu Chang'an said to the driver.

Don't listen to him!

The driver chose to continue driving. He had already seen Liu Chang'an running in the rearview mirror at a terrifying speed, so fast that he didn't even have time to react. He then forcefully opened the car door. The method of using rolled-up paper as a thorn was more like that of a professional assassin, but he didn't know why it was done so blatantly.

"The paper is very stiff. With just a moment of force, it can easily puncture your carotid artery, and you'll die," Liu Chang'an explained. "Stop struggling, okay? I've already twisted your neck."

The middle-aged man was completely unable to move; he could only struggle. He was horrified—which political enemy had sent this assassin?

"What do you want to do?" the middle-aged man asked calmly.

"Su Mei and I are old acquaintances. I'd like to see her and ask her some questions."

"Young man, we have no idea who this Su Mei is. There is no such person here," the driver said calmly.

"Then go see the person you need to see." Liu Chang'an glanced at the driver. "Keep both hands on the steering wheel, don't make any fidgeting, everyone cooperate, and everything will be fine, thank you."

The driver abandoned his previous thought. The young man's outburst was terrifying, yet he remained extremely calm and composed. This kind of aura made it difficult to think of any way to retaliate.

The ability to tear paper into sharp weapons in an instant was intimidating. Most importantly, the young man didn't hide his face and openly left his fingerprints. The driver's biggest worry was that he was prepared for a one-way trip. Beneath his calm exterior lay a desperate, reckless heart.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt Old Madam Su." Liu Chang'an looked out the car window at the house that was gradually emerging from the trees, and felt a little like reciting a poem.

I want to lament the passing years, the long separation, the fading beauty of youth, and the fact that all the grudges and affections have come to nothing.

Let's recite it:

Gulls, egrets, and mandarin ducks live together in one pond, but their plumage is not suited to each other.

If the spring breeze does not favor the flowers, why not let the intertwined branches of the tree flourish?

What comes to mind is Zhu Shuzhen's poem "Sorrowful Thoughts." Two people who were never meant to be together, and then discover they should "not be together forever," why force themselves to be "like seagulls and mandarin ducks in one pond" in the first place?

Women often naively hope for love from the very beginning, but little did they know that before writing "Sorrowful Thoughts," Zhu Shuzhen had also written to this man, "My longing has nowhere to go, so I draw a circle instead. The words are outside the circle, but my heart is inside. A single circle represents me, a double circle represents you. You have me in your heart, and I have you in mine. The moon waxes and wanes, a full circle signifies reunion, a half-circle signifies separation. I add circle after circle, so you must understand my meaning. There are countless longings, and I will circle them all the way to the very end."

"You... who exactly are you?" The middle-aged man had been scrutinizing the calm-looking Liu Chang'an, when suddenly he felt that Liu's appearance was familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before!

The tenderness of Zhu Shuzhen's words still lingered on Liu Chang'an's fingertips. Without answering the question, he gently knocked out the middle-aged man and the driver, got out of the car, and looked at the mansion in front of him.

Whether it was the surveillance cameras around the mansion that detected the anomaly, or the driver who issued a warning at some point, more than twenty men dressed in black had gathered outside the mansion, looking wary and pointing guns at Liu Chang'an.

Liu Chang'an put down the plastic bag he was holding, which contained his soaking wet clothes.

Who goes there!

"Stop!"

"Immediately put your hands behind your head and squat down!"

"Take another step forward and you will be killed on sight!"

Liu Chang'an raised his head, feeling the wind stop on his cheek. The shouts ahead abruptly ceased. Some were surprised, some were angry, but most showed indifference and waiting. All these expressions were frozen in time, like wax figures cast in the moment of their creation. The gun barrels were dark and exuded a faint smell of gunpowder. Beneath the men's strong muscles were strong hearts. In the early June summer manor, the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the sense of crisis that could tear the tranquility apart. Liu Chang'an felt the leap he took from the Baolong Center, his rebuilt body becoming more and more effective.

Liu Chang'an turned around, picked up his plastic bag, walked past the fallen men in black, and pushed open the gate of the courtyard.

In the distance, the Lush Forest stands leisurely like the high walls of an ancient city. The mansion in the center is full of the elegance and romance that young ladies of the Republic of China era loved. It is as if Miss Su's villa has traveled through time and space and moved from the early 20th century to Taiwan. The garden next to her is full of colorful flowers, but instead of the colors that the elderly usually like, it is full of the pink and tenderness of a young girl.

In a wheelchair beside the fountain, an old woman put on her reading glasses. All her emotions and expressions seemed to be frozen by the passage of time, leaving only her cloudy pupils looking at the man from a hundred years ago, step by step, stepping on her aging heartbeat, as he walked up to her.

Liu Chang'an grasped her aged and wrinkled hand, which was cool and soft, lacking the icy skin and delicate bones of a woman, leaving only the primal touch of flesh.

"Long time no see." Liu Chang'an's gaze was gentle as he softly stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead.

Beauty fades quickly, and throughout history, it has always been men who have wronged women.

Liu Chang'an had not let Su Mei down, at least that's what he thought. It's just that there were some things she did that he couldn't accept, so he couldn't give her what she expected.

But he still remembered Su Mei's infatuation back then:

The lingering smoke and dew made me want to linger for a moment.

Hand in hand, we walked along the lotus pond, as a light drizzle fell on the plum blossoms.

She's adorably naive, unafraid of being guessed; she falls asleep fully clothed in someone's arms.

The time of parting is most poignant; upon returning, I am too weary to sit at my dressing table.

She used to be just like that, just like that, so adorable.

The old man closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face, and tightly grasped the young man's hand.