Chapter 153

Arthur lowered his head upon hearing this. His right index finger and thumb rested on his chin, and his index finger continuously rubbed back and forth. Seeing this, Feng Qingquan let out a relieved breath. The Heart-of-Lake Pavilion, finally...

A sudden flash of blue light crossed Arthur's eyes, and the corners of his lips curved upward as he feigned indifference. "Well, since the method you proposed is only a general direction, from now on, for the next year, half of the Heart-of-Lake Pavilion belongs to me, and half belongs to you."

"What? Arthur, what did you say? You can't be this ruthless!" Feng Qingquan bristled, instantly leaping up from the sofa and speaking in anxious agitation.

"Yet, you truly hadn't thought of a concrete plan, didn't you?"

"Th... Then... you at least have to give me time to come up with one!"

"Time?" Arthur glanced at Feng Qingquan and said airily, "I'm very sorry, but I've already thought of a solution. You've missed your chance!" With that, Arthur strode gracefully out of the living room.

He left behind a barely restrained Xiahou Yu and a trembling, furious Feng Qingquan. Realizing there was no more show to watch, Xiahou Yu stood up, walked over to Feng Qingquan, patted his shoulder with a sympathetic expression, and said, "I have matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving first." Having spoken, he turned on his heel and walked away with casual elegance.

Rome, Italy — Water Love Garden

Yingyue had recovered all her memories, and she now had a rough understanding of her own birth and lineage. Never had she imagined that the reason she was torn from her parents' arms in her childhood stemmed from the entanglements of love and hatred generations before her. The motive was absurd to the extreme—merely the frantic action of a woman driven mad by jealousy seeking revenge upon a man who did not love her. And she herself happened to be that thoroughly unlucky child.

Sighing, she found the cause somewhat laughable upon reflection. Yet, when she thought of everything that had transpired over the years, she could no longer laugh, especially—

Yingyue's gaze suddenly dimmed. She recalled the phone call she had made a few days prior, remembering how she had been able to use such an indifferent tone and such ruthless words to cast aside the man who had been entangled with her for so many years. It made her realize that love is sometimes fragile beyond endurance; people could actually abandon a man who still yearned for her—a man she herself held deep in her thoughts—cruelly and for a trivial reason.

Heh. Sometimes, women are truly the most merciless creatures! A man leaves a woman because he no longer loves her, whereas a woman leaves a man precisely because she loves him. Come to think of it, such a frantic and emotional feat is something only women could execute with such effortless mastery.

"Xiaoxiao, what are you thinking about?" Just as she was lost in deep contemplation, a clear, resonant male voice reached her ears, laced with a hint of tender care and a smile.

At the sound, Yingyue turned. In the span of a single breath, the relaxed muscles of her face shifted instantly. The moment she faced the man, a brilliant and radiant smile bloomed across her features. She replied softly, "Nothing, Brother, just daydreaming for a bit."

Shilei looked at the still-beautiful person before him, noting the absence of her former vibrant spirit, and felt a twinge of pain in his heart. After holding it in for a moment, he spoke up anyway. "Xiaoxiao, was what you said on the phone the other day true?" He paused, observed Yingyue's expression, and continued, "Do you really not plan to be with him anymore?"

Yingyue heard this, a flash of deep, shadowed light passing through her eyes before she said with calm composure, "Brother, it's not that I don't want to be with him. Even now, the person I love in the depths of my heart is still him, and only him." As she spoke, a trace of sorrow flitted across her face, followed once more by a tranquil tone. "It's just that after experiencing so much over the years, our relationship has been an endless cycle of coming together and parting ways. Although the reasons for those separations were always for my own good, or born of temporary helplessness, in the end, my love for him was worn away by fifty separations. Even though I still love him, we can no longer be together." Walking over to the balcony, she looked out at the gleaming river below and said quietly, "I now... no longer know how to face him."

Shilei felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking at the girl standing before him, who was so calmly recounting the death of her own romance, his eyes filled with immense heartache. He stepped forward, pulled the girl into his embrace, and said softly, "Xiaoxiao, Brother won't say it anymore. Brother will never mention him again. Your affairs are yours to decide. Whatever you choose to do, Brother will support you. Brother will always stay by your side, always."

Yingyue rested her head against Shilei's chest, absorbing the warmth surrounding her. Her nasal passages stung, and her eyes grew slightly red, though no tears fell. She smiled as she spoke, "En, Brother, you must always stay with me."

The two held each other in a quiet embrace for a moment before Shilei eased his arms away. Looking at Yingyue with a smile, he said, "Come, let's go see Grandpa. The old gentleman has been terribly worried about you. All these years, he has never given up searching for you. He cares for you deeply."

"En, let's go." Yingyue smiled in assent. Shilei pulled her into the crook of his arm, and they left the room.

In the living room, three elderly men were seated comfortably, sipping tea. The air was rich with a soothing, subtly sweet tea fragrance. Seeing Yingyue and Shilei approach, Xuanyuan Xuanjing's dignified face broke into a broad smile, and he said affectionately, brimming with indulgence, "Child, come here quickly. Let Grandpa take a good look at you."

Noticing the genuine affection and sincere concern in Xuanyuan Xuanjing's eyes, Yingyue felt a wave of warmth wash over her heart. A stunning smile blossomed across her face, and she answered crisply, "En, Grandpa." With light, quick steps, she walked over to Xuanyuan Xuanjing and sat down beside him.

"Child, how has your health been lately? You haven't been having any more headaches or anything, have you?" Xuanyuan Xuanjing still harbored deep concern for her well-being. After all, the old man had suffered greatly during that period, and worse still, deep within his heart lay a profound sense of self-reproach. He always felt that today's predicament was a result of his own negligence, which left him burdened with heavy guilt.

"Grandpa, you don't need to worry. My health has fully recovered; there's nothing major to worry about," she replied with sweet docility. She genuinely liked this grandfather of hers. Although she had remained ignorant of his existence for all these years, to the present Yingyue, family ties were now the most indispensable thing in her life.

Seeing that Yingyue's complexion was good, Xuanyuan Xuanjing's mind was somewhat put at ease. But a moment later, another thought crossed his mind, causing his brows to knit together once more. "Child, tell Grandpa truly, do you really not want to be with that young man anymore?"

Yingyue's eyebrows twitched slightly at these words, but she did not rush to answer. Instead, she picked up the cup of black tea from the table, took a small, elegant sip, and set the cup back down. Only then did she lift her gaze to meet Xuanyuan Xuanjing, whose expression held a faint hint of urgency. "Grandpa, I don't want to think about these things right now. For me at present, the most important thing is not romance, but family."

Xuanyuan Xuanjing stared intently at Yingyue without blinking, then said with solemn seriousness, "Child, have you truly thought this through? If you still care for that young man, Grandpa... will not object. Furthermore, Grandpa can tell that he is sincere in wanting to treat you well." If Xuanyuan Xuanjing had previously opposed Yingyue and Arthur being together, then ever since learning of Arthur's true identity, not only would he not object, but he would actually strongly approve. For he understood Arthur—no, to put it more accurately, he understood the lineage of the Rivers. That bloodline had always been like wolves; when it came to their life partners, they practiced lifelong monogamy with a vow never to change their devotion. Therefore, if Yingyue were to be with Arthur, he would feel entirely reassured and at ease.

However, observing Yingyue's current demeanor, he unhesitatingly dismissed that thought. No matter how devoted Arthur might be, as long as his granddaughter did not want him, he would never force the issue. He would respect his granddaughter's decision; after all, nothing surpassed the importance of her happiness.

"Grandpa, please rest assured. I have thought it through very clearly. I know what I want and I understand myself. I will not let myself be wronged, nor will I leave myself with any regrets." Seeing Xuanyuan Xuanjing's expression, Yingyue knew what he was thinking. It was simply that she was currently unwilling to see Arthur; she truly did not know how the two of them could act as though nothing had ever happened, interacting naturally and without any lingering emotional barriers.

Yes, she currently harbored emotional walls toward Arthur!

This was the exact reason why, even though she still loved him deeply, she refused to accept him.

Looking at Yingyue's detached expression, Xuanyuan Xuanjing couldn't help sighing inwardly. Ah, no matter what era it is, matters of the heart remain the most agonizing trials of all. So be it, so be it; let everything unfold according to fate.

"Very well then, Grandpa won't interfere in your affairs anymore. But there is one thing you must know: the only reason Grandpa agreed to let you follow your own will is because our ultimate goal is for you to be happy!"

Yingyue felt a stinging sensation in her eyes. Although she had only known this person for a few days, blood was thicker than water after all, and that genuine, heartfelt care warmed her soul to its core. With this thought, she suddenly threw herself playfully into Xuanyuan Xuanjing's arms and cooed, "Grandpa, you're the best!"

This heartfelt declaration of affection instantly delighted the doting grandfather. Wrapping his strong arms tightly around his precious granddaughter, Xuanyuan Xuanjing beamed with a face full of smiles.

The others nearby could not help but break into wide grins at the sight, thoroughly pleased with the present turn of events.

"Oh, by the way, Xiaoxiao, you probably don't know yet—your good friend Yuwen Xi is actually Mr. Weiting's biological son! It was announced at your engagement ceremony," Shilei said, seemingly remembering something.

Yingyue was shaken by the news. She truly hadn't expected Xi to possess such a background, though that was not what she cared about. Even so, her brows furrowed deeply, for she had not forgotten that she had personally accepted Yuwen Xi's proposal of marriage, only to fail to appear at the engagement ceremony!

Ever since she first crossed paths with Yuwen Xi, it seemed she had been constantly in his debt—indebted to his deep affections, while he offered his devotion seeking nothing in return. This blow must have been devastating to him, for she clearly remembered how radiantly happy he had been when she agreed to marry him!

Reflecting on this, Yingyue looked toward Shilei and asked, "Brother, where is Yuwen Xi now?"

"He returned to China just a few days after that incident."

"Is that so? He went back to China?" Yingyue murmured softly, "Perhaps... I should return to China to see him."