She had lived for centuries, too lonely. Immortality, something many yearn for, had inexplicably fallen upon her. At 18, after a severe illness, she awoke to find her appearance unchanged, time seemingly frozen. Others aged and died, but she lived on as an old monster. Afraid to be seen, she hid in the mountains. It was too lonely. In the vast expanse of time, solitude was unbearable. She finally ventured out into the city, selling some of her gold and jewels, hoping to live like a normal person. But without an ID, she had to leave the orphanage as an orphan. This meant staying at the orphanage for a while. That’s when she met Lin Jingan. How old was he then? Eleven or twelve? He had a congenital heart condition. Very serious. He was near death. She went to the hospital to see him, and there he was, lying weakly on the bed, clutching her hand, his eyes red from crying, “Sister, I don’t want to die, sister—” It was too pitiful. She softened her heart, thinking that perhaps her immortal blood could be of some use, so she cut her wrist, collected half a bowl of blood, mixed it into watermelon juice, and coaxed him to drink it. As she expected, his health improved, and he was soon discharged from the hospital. Fearing her identity would be exposed, she quickly left the orphanage. Years passed, and she never imagined she would encounter him again. Initially, he was her husband’s student and had eaten at their home several times. They got along well; her husband admired him, her daughter liked him, and she treated him like a younger brother, taking good care of him. However, he turned out to be ungrateful, using that secret to threaten her. When she saw the “Human Immortality Project” materials in her husband’s package, she knew she had to leave. Otherwise, she would become a test subject for both the mentor and his student. Before leaving, she called Ye Xueqing, asking her to hand over the rent for half the street to Jiang Baiyuan, and then called Zhou Linchuan, asking him to look after her daughter. If they came looking for her, he should stop them. She had lived alone in solitude for centuries, and had seen through many aspects of family, friendship, and love. She arranged everything, but overlooked Lin Jing’an, who was secretly coveting her. He knocked her out, imprisoned her in a lightless basement, and daily drained her blood. He said he had a long time to wait for her, wanting to be as immortal as she was. How laughable! Immortality is not a blessing from heaven, but a curse. Xu Xiangying, recalling her long life, had nothing more to say. The conversation in the surveillance continued. “Ah Ying is too immersed in her role as a savior to pull herself out,” Meng Yuanchu said, holding a teacup in one hand and tightly gripping the armrest of his wheelchair with the other, his fingers turning white. “When I was poor, she stood by me without fail. When I became rich, she discarded me like an old shoe! The same goes for Zhou Linchuan. I suppose you’re no different.” Jiang Baiyuan said nothing, but his gaze shifted slightly. Clearly, some of Meng Yuanchu’s words had struck a nerve. When he first met Xu Xiangying, he was indeed poor and humble. Receiving her love was almost a divine favor. She was so good to him that he felt he must become better for her sake. Eventually, when he did become better, she disappeared. Upon reflection, Meng Yuanchu’s claim that Xu Xiangying was addicted to the role of a savior had some truth to it. But was that really the case? Even to condemn someone, shouldn’t one listen to her side of the story? Therefore, today’s meeting seemed pointless. Jiang Baiyuan looked at Zhou Linchuan with unfriendly eyes, “If you brought us here to listen to others gossip about Yingying, then forget it. We’re sorry for the disturbance, Mr. Meng.” With that, he stood up, signaling to his daughter, “Ruyi, let’s go.” Jiang Ruyi was sitting next to Zhou Linchuan, and upon hearing her father’s words, she followed him without a second thought. She too was unwilling to hear anyone speak ill of her mother and felt that Zhou Linchuan bringing them here was meaningless. But who would do something meaningless? Zhou Linchuan caught up, clarifying the purpose of their visit: “Give up, Jiang Baiyuan. Don’t look for her anymore.” That was her wish. These words, he ultimately left unsaid. They were too harsh. Jiang Baiyuan, unaware of these thoughts, stopped and sneered coldly, “Do you really like Yingying? If you truly liked her, you wouldn’t tell me to give up looking for her. Whether she did it intentionally or not, I will find her. Even if she’s obsessed with being a savior… ha, very well, if she is a savior…” would she reappear if he hit rock bottom? Zhou Linchuan, unaware of his thoughts, was annoyed that his sincerity was being questioned, “Don’t I really like her? Jiang Baiyuan, how deep do you think your affection is? When I met her, you were still messing with your experiments! What do you know about liking someone? Do you think anyone can let her bear children with another man?” Liking is about possession, deep love is about restraint. He had a thousand ways to possess her, even if just physically, but he didn’t. He let her go, watched her form a new family, welcome new life. “Jiang Baiyuan, where were you when Ruyi was born?” This question left him speechless. He was conducting research at that time. Xu Xiangying suddenly went into premature labor with no signs. By the time he got the message and rushed to the hospital, Ruyi was already safely born. He felt guilty, but she didn’t blame him. Later, he wanted to thank the kind-hearted person who helped, but unfortunately, there were no clues left behind. He asked Xu Xiangying about it, and she remained silent. Now thinking back, if he had gone to thank that person, Zhou Linchuan would have suffered more, right? “Don’t think you’re so deeply in love; our love is no less than yours!” Zhou Linchuan pointed towards the direction of the parlor, whispering fiercely, “Why is Meng Yuanchu sitting in a wheelchair? He risked his life to keep her, but she still turned a blind eye. I don’t want you to end up like that!” “Thank you,” Jiang Baiyuan thanked him for his past help and current concern. But that was all he could do. “No matter what, I have to find her!” He was still stubborn, glancing at Meng Yuanchu being wheeled out, and then at the portrait of his wife hanging on the wall, which he took down, “Since my wife sponsored you, consider this painting as a return gift!” He took the painting away. No one stopped him. Jiang Baiyuan returned home with his daughter, placing the painting in the storage room. The storage room held many of his wife’s things. He rarely went in there, but now, glancing around, he noticed several paintings, none signed by Meng Yuanchu. He suddenly remembered there were also some in the bedroom and rushed in to check. Similarly, none were by Meng Yuanchu. He felt a mix of relief and sadness, unsure whether it was for himself or for Meng Yuanchu. His emotions were complex, as if something was pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe. “Daddy, I’m here,” Jiang Ruyi could sense his sadness, climbed onto the bed, sat beside him, and patted his shoulder, “Daddy, don’t be sad. Here’s a hug of love.” His daughter was so considerate. Jiang Baiyuan hugged her, drawing strength, “Yes, Daddy won’t be sad.” To shake off the oppressive mood, he made a delicious meal for his daughter, watching her eat with satisfaction, which made him feel much better. That evening, he took his daughter to play basketball at a leisure area near their apartment. He lifted her to shoot hoops repeatedly, breaking a sweat. After returning, they showered, with Jiang Baiyuan preparing a bath for his daughter. They then settled on the couch to watch TV, which was showing children’s shows, not very entertaining. Poor Jiang Ruyi, with an 18-year-old soul, had to pretend to be engrossed, which was quite torturous. Later, she used the excuse of being sleepy to slip back to her bed and played with her phone. The next day, Jiang Baiyuan didn’t leave the house as they had visitors. Lin Jing’an, one of his students, came to visit, bringing some toys and fruits for Ruyi. Previously, Ruyi had somewhat liked him, but now, with a different adult soul, she was not very enthusiastic about him. Moreover, seeing his thesis on brain research, she always felt that her father’s misguided path had something to do with him. Therefore, when she looked at him, she was very wary, and her gaze became sharp without her realizing it. Lin Jing’an keenly noticed this, a fleeting glint hidden behind his glasses: “It’s only been a few days, and little Ruyi has forgotten me?” Jiang Ruyi, with her head down, played with the little flowers on her skirt, silent. Jiang Boyuan saw this and gave a simple explanation: “She’s throwing a tantrum with me, wanting to go out to play.” “Then take her out to play,” Lin Jing’an approached, ruffling her hair and asked, “Where does little Ruyi want to go? Brother Jing’an will take you.” Jiang Ruyi bit her lip, not speaking. She had wanted to go to Zhou Linchen’s place before, but since he was here, she decided not to go. However, Jiang Boyuan had a change of heart: “Alright. I’ll call him. If he comes to pick you up, you can go to his house.” “I’m not going,” she quickly said, breaking off a banana from the coffee table, eating while saying, “I don’t want to go anymore.” Jiang Boyuan was puzzled: “Why suddenly don’t you want to go? Are you still angry with your dad?” “No, I just don’t want to go,” she touched the remote control, pretending to watch TV, but actually perked up her ears to listen to their conversation. Seeing she didn’t want to go, Jiang Boyuan didn’t press further and went along with her wish, discussing the thesis with Lin Jing’an instead. Initially, it was just an academic discussion, but then Lin Jing’an led the conversation to a private research institute, implying that the investors were foolish and rich, spending a lot of money on this project, and if Jiang Boyuan joined, he could make a lot of money. Jiang Boyuan frowned upon hearing this: “You’re young, don’t be so eager for quick success.” “No,” Lin Jing’an blushed, looking like a thoughtful student: “I was thinking you might need money, especially with Xu Jie still missing. There’ll be many expenses in the future, and there’s little Ruyi, she’ll need money for school.” Hearing this, Jiang Boyuan’s expression softened: “You worry too much. Focusing on your studies is the right thing to do.” He indeed needed money, and finding his wife needed even more money. Although Ye Xueqing gave him rent money, it was his wife’s money, and spending it all the time would make him no different from a gigolo. He still needed to work to earn money! Lin Jing’an, seizing the moment, said, “If you’re short of money, just tell me. You and Xu Jie have helped me a lot, I’ll definitely help if I can.” Jiang Boyuan didn’t take it seriously: “What’s a student thinking about this for? Just focus on your studies. I’ll review the thesis soon and give you feedback.” “Thank you for your trouble,” he nodded slightly, respectful and polite. Jiang Ruyi observed his every move from the corner of her eye, still biased: This guy talks about money all the time, clearly trying to lure her dad into a money trap, and that brain research project, it doesn’t sound like a legitimate organization. In conclusion, Lin Jing’an isn’t a good person!
Author’s Note: Thank you for your support. Since this is a book, the female lead is immortal, which is part of the setting.
