Chapter 30

River City, Sonorous Calls Lake.

Amidst the serene environment, a huge mansion perched in the middle of the lake.

The famous Green Lake Mountain of River City sat behind the mansion. It could be said that the mansion had the best feng shui in the entire River City.

Of course, there was another more crucial reason! One of the most influential families lived here—the Chu family from River City!

The history of the Chu family in River City could be traced back to the Ming Dynasty where the Chu family ancestor was a general in the Ming Dynasty!

He once rode into war alone and killed nearly thousands of his enemies! Then, he managed to retreat from war!

The Chu family’s name prospered ever since the war!

However, the Chu family gradually declined over time. Yet, they managed to retain a seat among the Four Great Families in River City!

Their position was unchallenged here!

Presently, a young lady was watering the plants in the courtyard of the Chu family mansion.

The young lady was extremely beautiful. She wore a black tight tank top and a pair of casual white pants which brought out her tall and slender figure. She looked endlessly elegant and charming.

The young lady was the daughter of the Chu family, Chu Shuran.

While Chu Shuran watered the plants, a hint of gloom flashed across her beautiful eyes.

She often had nightmares since the eradication of the Ye family from River City. A bloodied young man would often appear in her dreams, and despite not being able to see his face clearly, she was sure that the young man was Ye Chen.

Ye Chen, the same person who she had humiliated in public.

Five years ago, Chu Shuran only meant it as a joke. However, she had begun to feel regretful of her action.

She sighed, placed the watering can on the ground, and mumbled, “Why do I keep thinking about the fella. He’s just trash. Even if he survived, he might even be living in the streets right now with that pushover personality of his and become actual trash.”

It was at this moment that He Qian walked over, appearing slightly out of breath.

“Shuran, I finally met you! It’s been around half a year since we last met! I see that you’ve gotten prettier. I can’t even start to guess how many men have fallen prey to your beauty!” He Qian said excitedly.

Chu Shuran merely nodded half-heartedly. “Sit.”

“Okay.” He Qian felt Chu Shuran’s cold indifference too. He Qian knew that after staying overseas for three years after graduation, Chu Shuran had returned a different person. He Qian could not help feeling like they had grown apart.

“You said you saw Ye Chen. Are you sure it’s the same Ye Chen who confessed his love to me?” Chu Shuran asked in a flat tone as if she was indifferent to the matter.

He Qian nodded and gave Chu Shuran a recap of what happened at Myriad Link Square today.

At first, Chu Shuran listened without any expression on her face, then her eyebrows furrowed together. At the end of the story, she had descended into a thoughtful silence.

After a long while, she lifted her head and asked, “You’re saying that you’re not sure if that person is Ye Chen? He only looks like Ye Chen, and his surname’s coincidentally Ye?”

He Qian was stunned by Chu Shuran’s response, but she nodded anyway.

“Shen Haihua is an acquaintance of mine. He’s a person whose experience is second only to his ego. You said he bent and bowed to a young man. It’s not impossible.

“But Shen Haihua must look up to the young man a lot, or that the young man is someone with a powerful disposition!”

“Even if that useless Ye survived, what could he achieve in five years?” Chu Shuran said confidently while fiddling with her plants.

He Qian was about to say something before Chu Shuran continued, “The Ye family disappeared five years ago. Ye Chen’s long gone too. Even if he lived on in East Money Lake, he’s probably just another tramp.

“This world doesn’t have a place for a lowly ant like him. He’d only be mercilessly crushed by the rules of the world, then he’d succumb eventually. Wasn’t the incident at the Cloud Lake Manor five years ago enough proof yet? He Qian, do you understand what I’m saying?”

He Qian could no longer keep up with Chu Shuran’s line of thought. The current Chu Shuran seemed to exude a form of unexplainable pride. No matter the words she spoke or the look she gave He Qian, Chu Shuran seemed like she above everything.

He Qian knew that Chu Shuran’s temperament must have originated from her unshakable confidence.

He Qian had heard about how the great-grand old master from the Chu family in River City had just entered some martial arts realm at their high school gathering last year. That might have propelled the Chu family into becoming the first family in River City to step up and gain a position among the families in Jiangnan Province.

Was that the source of Chu Shuran’s confidence?

“Shuran, what if- I’m just saying, what if… the person I saw today was really Ye Chen?” He Qian persisted.

Chu Shuran stopped fiddling with her plants and gave a cold laugh.

“So what if Ye Chen has returned? River City is no longer the same city five years ago! I, Chu Shuran, am no longer the same Chu Shuran five years ago!

“It doesn’t matter if Shen Haihua bows to him or if he’s a person with extreme power!

“Once he stands in front of the Chu family door, he can only stare dreamily into the Chu family just like he did five years ago!”

Once Chu Shuran finished her sentence, He Qian looked somewhat pale. She felt oppressed by Chu Shuran’s imposing manner.

There was nothing He Qian wanted more right now than to ask what happened to Chu Shuran these past few years, but she had already issued a removal order.

“Perhaps I can only admire Chu Shuran for my entire life. I wonder what kind of man will be able to conquer her,” muttered He Qian to herself.

…

Grand City Apartments.

Ye Chen and Sun Yi returned home with a handful of shopping bags.

Sun Yi, who had just returned from a shopping trip, made Ye Chen a feast out of excitement.

She made him two dishes of meat, a dish of vegetables, and a bowl of soup.

Ye Chen ate six bowls of rice before stopping, and that gave Sun Yi quite a shock.

She knew Ye Chen was a glutton, but she did not expect him to be that much of a glutton.

“Are you the reincarnation of a hungry ghost? Those who don’t know might think that I’ve been starving you!” Sun Yi snickered.

Ye Chen swept up all the leftovers, patted his stomach, and said with a smile, “Truth be told, I haven’t had a meal like this in years. In the past, my mom used to…”

At this point, Ye Chen stopped abruptly. Then, he smiled. “Let’s not talk about the past. Seriously though, you’re a great cook. Will you cook again tomorrow?”

Sun Yi knew Ye Chen must have thought about his late parents. For some reason, it touched her at the softest corner of her heart. With tears welling at her eyes, Sun Yi pledged in all sincerity, “If you want, I’ll cook for you every day from now onwards. How’s that for a landlady? Not bad eh?”

“What, you’re saying you’re never going to marry?” Ye Chen blinked. “Or are you indirectly confessing your love for me? I’m telling you, there are many criteria to meet to become my wife.”

Sun Yi perked up in curiosity. “Tell me, I’ll help you look around.”

Ye Chen cleared his throat and spoke in a serious tone, “Number one, big boobs. Number two, big boobs. Number three, still big boobs… Say, I think you fit those criteria perfectly. Shall we make do?”

Sun Yi picked up a pillow from the sofa and threw it at Ye Chen!

What an infuriating man!

“Sure, go on… Throw more of them at me… Stretch further before you throw. That would hurt more…”