That really was a long time ago, Jiang Xulin had never mentioned that past to anyone, not even his sister knew the truth.
Five years had passed, but he still could not forget.
"Xulin, take Zheng Xue and leave South City immediately, something has happened, we—"
"Bang!"
The sound was swallowed by the huge noise, as if even the world was roaring.
That day he received a notification from the police: a car with the license plate "South A7451U" had plunged off a cliff, the driver and passenger were dead on the scene, and the police were urgently retrieving the bodies.
That day was his twenty-first birthday.
In front of him were a delicate cake, the lit candles, and the birthday song his sister sang.
But he no longer had his mom and dad.
Three days later, he only received a cell phone from the police, the only keepsake of his parents.
Inside, there was just one failed text message.
[No matter what happens in the future, please always remember that mom and dad love you.]
The greatest sorrow in this world is the kind you can't cry out.
He lied to his sister, who was only in junior high, telling her that mom and dad were invited by the World Intangible Cultural Heritage Center's professor to work on a very big project and it would be a long time before they could return.
His sister believed it.
He also deceived and numbed himself with that lie.
But when he graduated, received his first paycheck, and wanted to buy a cake to celebrate, he suddenly realized...his mom and dad were no longer here.
A son wants to support his parents, but they are not there to be supported.
Such is the ruthless nature of the world.
Jiang Xulin suddenly raised his head and said word by word, "How exactly do you know this?!"
Ye Wanlan looked at him: "From you."
In the time loop, all events are fixed and unchangeable, but she can actively explore, take different paths, meet different people, and obtain more information.
These four words completely ignited Jiang Xulin's nerves; rage filled his mind, and he threw a punch fiercely and lethally, like a roaring tiger.
But there wasn't much of a fight.
Ye Wanlan sidestepped, very easily avoiding the punch he threw at her face.
She was as steady as Mount Tai, blocking all of Jiang Xulin's attacks with just one hand.
"Bang!"
Ye Wanlan pinned him against the wall and asked calmly, "Have you calmed down?"
"But you have no idea what I'm facing! How can you say that?" Jiang Xulin's nerves were in pain, his fists clenched tight, out of control, "I'm telling you, you wouldn't survive even with a hundred lives, you'll just die!"
The dark side of the car accident had frightened him, and with his own power, he was completely unable to resist.
Indeed, the clues had broken off in Jiangcheng, but the important thing was that he no longer dared to investigate further.
He could afford to throw away his life, but he still needed to take care of his sister.
Ye Wanlan did not get angry; her demeanor remained as calm as ever: "No, they are the ones who will die."
Her tone was indifferent but contained a power that could shatter all else.
Jiang Xulin stared at her intently: "Who the hell are you?!"
"A regular person here to do business with you," Ye Wanlan said with a slight smile.
"A regular person?" Jiang Xulin calmed down, and after staring at her for three seconds, he chuckled softly, "Okay, but in addition to that, you have to promise me one more thing. My sister is about to start her senior year of high school; you have to ensure she gets into a top-tier college."
Ye Wanlan nodded: "No problem, I'll get her into Yunjing University."
Yunjing University, the top-ranked institution in Shenzhou.
Jiang Xulin took a deep breath, gritted his teeth: "You better take care of yourself first."
How could he know she had dropped out of school in her first year of high school and only had a junior high education, yet talk about Yunjing University?
Daydreaming.
Jiang Xulin wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Speak, what else do you want?"
"I like dealing with intelligent people," Ye Wanlan said casually, "Your aunt is Quan Zhaoning, the chairman of the Zhaoyan Group; I need you to take me to see her."
Jiang Xulin's expression paused: "How do you know that?"
The relationship between him and Quan Zhaoning had never been revealed to the public.
Ye Wanlan was neither hurried nor slow, "You told me yourself."
Jiang Xulin fell silent.
He began to wonder if he had encountered a lunatic who had escaped from a mental institution.
In the end, he still spoke, "Alright, I will contact her for you, but whether or not you can cooperate with her is out of my hands."
Ye Wanlan looked out the window and said softly, "I should have found you four years ago."
Jiang Xulin raised an eyebrow, "Then why didn't you? How old were you four years ago? Just a little brat, do you think I would have met with you?"
Ye Wanlan fell into a rare silence, staring at the roaring waves beneath Little Gold Mountain, saying nothing.
Jiang Xulin scratched his head in irritation, "Fine, never mind then."
Such a mysterious person.
He must carefully investigate exactly who Ye Wanlan really is.
The wind stirred, and leaves rustled down, it was a starless deep night, even the moon was obscured.
Little Gold Mountain seemed even more terrifying at this moment, the racers had all left, leaving only Yan Tingfeng quietly leaning against a tree.
"Young Master." Bing He appeared silently, "There's more than one group looking up Miss Ye Wanlan's information. Should we do something about it?"
"No need," Yan Tingfeng seemed to smile, "She can handle it herself."
Bing He was taken aback, "By herself? Can she manage?"
"Shh—" Yan Tingfeng put his index finger to his lips and laughed coldly, "You're blocking my moonbathing."
A chill ran through Bing He, and he quietly retreated.
Having followed Yan Tingfeng for many years, Bing He could never quite grasp his temperament.
One second he might be watching fallen flowers in peace, the next he might be reveling in the rain.
Straight-up madman.
Bing He was somewhat worried about Ye Wanlan's situation; those looking into her came with foreboding momentum.
But perhaps her skills... were indeed formidable?
Just who was she?
Bing He truly couldn't understand and could only crouch down to play with ants.
**
Ye Wanlan was on her way home when a chat window suddenly popped up on her phone screen.
[Neptune]: You're being looked up by more than one person.
On the other side, the icon was the astronomical symbol of Neptune, a trident.
Ye Wanlan's expression remained unchanged.
[YN]: I know.
[Neptune]: I've intercepted some critical information regarding you.
[YN]: Let them search.
[Neptune]: What's been going on with you these four years? Why haven't you contacted us?
Ye Wanlan's eyelashes drooped.
Over these four years, the Transcendent Woman had taken control of her body, and she couldn't do anything about it.
[YN]: There was a bit of an issue.
[Neptune]: Do you need help?
[YN]: Not for the moment.
[Neptune]: Contact me if you need anything.
The other party's icon quickly turned dark, it was unclear if they had gone offline or turned invisible.
At two-thirty in the morning, Ye Wanlan silently returned to the Lin Family's home.
Just then, a light came on, illuminating the person on the sofa.
Ye Wanlan paused in her steps.
Khor Peiqing seemed to have been waiting for a while; she asked indifferently, "Why have you come back so late?"
Ye Wanlan closed the door, "Auntie, you haven't slept yet?"
Khor Peiqing's gaze was icy, and her voice carried a chill, "Did you go to see Zhou Hechen again, am I right?"