Xuan Nv Palace Palace Lord
Wang Yue couldn't help but find it a little funny. This Jiaojiao of his hadn't even gotten a taste herself yet, and she was already trying to play matchmaker for someone else.
Su Jiaojiao meant well, but Wang Yue had no intention of taking her up on it.
He had already begun to sense the feelings his two older cousins held for him. They were reserved about it—neither as warm and forward as his mother, nor as bold and direct as his aunt and her daughters. Push too hard and he might only frighten them off.
So he cut in. "What's there to argue about? I don't think you can just call someone 'ill-fated' or not. It has to be tied to strength. As long as you have enough power to protect yourself, no matter how beautiful you are, you don't have to worry about anyone coveting you."
The twin sisters snapped out of it and nodded together. "Little brother makes the most sense."
"Of course you'd take his side," Su Jiaojiao huffed, then suddenly had another idea. "What about Second Aunt at the Yang family? Do you think anyone's bullying her? She has the looks of the greatest beauty of all time, ancient or modern, and she probably doesn't have enough strength to protect herself, right?"
Bang!
The high-speed hovercar slammed hard into a large tree by the roadside, startling the three Su sisters. Wang Yue had taken both hands off the wheel; his fists were clenched so tight the veins stood out on his arms.
Su Jin'er shot Su Jiaojiao a frantic look to shut her up and hurried to soothe him. "It's all right. Second Aunt was taken as the future wife of the Yang family's young master. Even if she isn't welcome there, for the sake of face alone the Yang family won't let anyone mistreat her."
"Hah—" Wang Yue let out a long breath and managed a faint smile. "Don't worry. I'm fine. Sorry for scaring you."
For that second aunt he had never met—had only just heard of—Wang Yue felt genuine gratitude from the bottom of his heart. Without her sacrifice back then, the one taken away might have been his mother. And if his mother had been taken, he himself would never have been born into this world.
Without strength, he would have had no choice but to accept it. Acting rashly would have dragged not only himself but the three great families of Jinling into disaster.
But now his strength was already far from weak, and he possessed the potential to stand at the peak of the entire world. That only made him more impatient. Even one extra day of waiting felt like torment.
The thought that a blood relative who had done such a great favor for his mother and for him and his siblings might be living in misery twisted like a knife in his chest.
Su Jiaojiao realized she had said the wrong thing and quickly added, "Brother, I think Sister Jin'er is right. Second Aunt is still the greatest beauty of all time. What man who had a wife like that wouldn't cherish her and protect her with everything he had? Why would he ever bully her? As for why she never sent word all these years, I bet she just doesn't want to contact this side herself."
"Exactly, exactly. If it were me, sold off by my own father at six years old, I'd be full of resentment too. I'd never want anything to do with that painful place again," Su Xiuer chimed in, secretly giving Su Jiaojiao a thumbs-up. Even this thick-skinned girl could hit the nail on the head when it counted and produce the most convincing comfort for Wang Yue.
Hearing them, Wang Yue's mood did improve a great deal.
If he thought carefully there were still plenty of things to worry about, but he no longer wanted to dwell on them.
The Yang family was a place he would go—sooner or later. Just not yet. Until he set out, all he needed to do was raise his cultivation by every means possible. Thinking too much would only disrupt his state of mind and help nothing.
Shut-ins had plenty of flaws, but they also possessed one enormous advantage: unmatched mental self-regulation. In plain terms, no one was better at comforting themselves.
In his previous life Wang Yue had spent countless millennia as a shut-in inside that mysterious space. Without that ability he would have wasted away long ago. So he quickly adjusted his mood, restarted the car, and drove toward the city.
You get what you pay for. The impact had been so violent the tree had split open, yet Wang Yue's hovercar hadn't even lost a flake of paint. The only cost was a fine from the municipal authorities for damaging a tree.
In a distant, unknown land, atop a colossal mountain tens of thousands of meters high and covered year-round in ice and snow, stood a complex of buildings built entirely of ice.
At the very center of the complex rose a vast palace of ice and snow.
Inside, the palace was empty save for a single woman seated upon a throne of black ice at the highest point. She wore a long dress of ice-blue.
Aside from that ice-blue gown she wore no ornament at all. Jet-black hair fell freely to her waist. Her bare face was so beautiful it stole the breath; her entire being radiated an air of noble elegance that was at the same time cold as frost.
Had Wang Yue seen her, he would have been stunned. In both features and figure she was identical to his mother, Su Mengyan—even the colors she preferred were much the same.
Yet unlike the cool detachment Su Mengyan usually showed, this woman's aura was like ten-thousand-year black ice. A single glance at her was enough to make a person shiver.
Suddenly, as if iron trees had blossomed and black ice had melted, a gentle smile appeared on the face of the woman in blue—a face so lovely that even fairy maidens would feel ashamed. She murmured to herself, "I never expected those little ones to care about me so much. A pity I still can't go see you yet."
If any of her fellow disciples had witnessed that smile, their jaws would have hit the floor. Ever since she arrived at Xuan Nv Palace more than twenty years ago she had never smiled—not even two years earlier when, at a mere thirty-odd years of age, she had ascended to the position of Palace Master and broken a record that had stood for centuries. Not a flicker of joy had crossed her face.
In the eyes of everyone at Xuan Nv Palace, their new Palace Master was someone who simply could not smile, a woman born without emotion, her heart as hard as ice. Otherwise she would never have meshed so perfectly with the palace's inheritance; in a little over twenty years her cultivation had reached an unimaginable realm.
A moment later the woman sighed softly. "Mother… Yan'er… and Elder Sister and Little Sister. Thirty years without seeing you. I wonder how you all are now."
Then she banished the melancholy and once more became cold as frost.
Shortly afterward a woman in snow-white robes—her beauty only half a step short of the woman in blue—entered from outside. She bowed slightly before the blue-clad woman and said, "Palace Master, the intelligence has been confirmed. The Zhang family of Tianhai is preparing to move into Jinling in force. Their target is precisely the three great families of Jinling."
"Mm." The woman in blue nodded and said coolly, "Understood. Keep a close watch. But unless the situation becomes critical, no disciples of the palace are to intervene."
The white-robed woman was taken aback. "Palace Master, didn't you say before that every danger should be strangled in the cradle? Why the change of heart?"
"No need to ask. Simply carry out the order." The blue-clad woman spoke lightly, yet in her heart she thought: Yan'er seems to have given birth to a rather remarkable son. This is a perfect chance to temper him.
The white-robed woman accepted the command and was about to leave when the blue-clad woman added, "Also, have them speed up development of a long-range remote-control surveillance program. Notify me the moment it's ready."
The white-robed woman looked at her with open puzzlement. Why is the Palace Master suddenly interested in the technology of the secular world?
But cowed by the Palace Master's authority, she dared not ask further. She answered once, and when no further instructions came she withdrew.
Once the white-robed woman's figure had vanished, a look of reminiscence returned to the blue-clad woman's face. She felt a quiet regret. With current technology, a monitoring program could only be activated remotely if it had first been installed by hand.
The people she had sent were not close enough to the three great families of Jinling to touch their communicators, so they could only place a few devices on cars and the like, letting her catch occasional glimpses of them and overhear their conversations.
If she wished, she could have ordered the disciples in Jinling to plant surveillance even in the residences—even the bedrooms—of the three families. But she only wanted to know how her kin were living now; she had no desire to pry into their privacy, and so she had not done so.
Once the long-range proximity program was finished, she would be able to follow every one of their movements at any time—almost as if she were living among them.
Mother, Yan'er… wait for me. Within ten years I will break through that realm. Then no one will be able to stop me from reuniting with you!
The woman in blue thought this, then closed her beautiful eyes and began to cultivate, drawing on the pure, frigid yin energy of the black-ice throne.
Meanwhile Wang Yue and the three girls had intended to give Chu Mo a surprise. When they reached the fitness center, however, they learned she had not come for three days.
Given how much she valued the place, that was clearly abnormal.
Su Xiuer immediately opened her communicator and called Chu Mo. The call would not go through.
"Has something happened to Momo?" Su Jin'er clutched Wang Yue's arm in alarm. "What do we do?"
"We're going straight to the Chu family," Wang Yue decided at once.
His relationship with Chu Mo was a little special right now. If they were only ordinary friends, visiting the Chu household as a friend would have been perfectly fine. If they were already a confirmed couple, arriving as a prospective son-in-law would have been even better.
But he was still "pursuing" Chu Mo; their status was unsettled, and his own identity was anything but ordinary. Showing up at the Chu house under those circumstances was a bit improper.
Yet Chu Mo had gone missing. Wang Yue no longer cared about propriety. He took the three girls and headed for the Chu residence at once.
The Chu family lived near the city center in a small villa compound enclosed by a wall that marked it as private property.
Because of their close friendship with Chu Mo, Su Jin'er and Su Xiuer were regular guests; they were not stopped at the gate.
Under the twins' direction Wang Yue drove straight up to Chu Mo's villa. The four of them went to the door and rang the bell.
"Jin'er, Xiuer—you're here!" Xu Yanran opened the door and looked genuinely glad to see the Su sisters.
"Aunt Xu, let me introduce you. These two are our cousin Wang Yue and our cousin Su Jiaojiao." Su Xiuer made the introductions. "Xiao Yue, Jiaojiao, this is Momo's mother—Aunt Xu Yanran."
"Hello, Auntie." Wang Yue and Su Jiaojiao offered a polite martial artist's salute.
"Hello, hello—come in and sit." Xu Yanran ushered them inside. Her lovely eyes spent most of their time on Wang Yue.
Lately her daughter Chu Mo had talked about this young master of the Wang family constantly, praising him to the skies. Xu Yanran was more than a little curious about a boy more than five years younger than her daughter.
At first glance Wang Yue made a good impression—honest, polite, without the slightest air of a spoiled young master from a great house.
That was rare. In Jinling the three great families stood alone at the top, and Wang Yue was their only male heir—a single seedling on a thousand acres. He had been showered with affection, yet none of it had spoiled him. That spoke well of his character.
As the saying goes, a mother-in-law looks at a son-in-law and grows more satisfied the longer she looks. Wang Yue not only had a good temperament; he was also strikingly handsome. Xu Yanran found herself even more pleased.
"Aunt Xu, where is Momo?" Su Jin'er asked the moment they were seated in the living room.
Xu Yanran's expression dimmed a little. She pointed upstairs. "In her room. Her father locked her in and confiscated her communicator. He says she isn't allowed out until after she marries Zhang Qing'tian."
"How can Uncle Chu do that!" Su Xiuer cried. "What age is this? Locking someone up—his own daughter!"
Xu Yanran looked embarrassed. "I'll call her father right away and have him let Momo out. He'll certainly give face to you girls."
"No need, Auntie. Uncle Chu will be here soon enough," Wang Yue said. "Sisters, let's go upstairs and take a look first."
Although the Chu household had not stopped them, they would certainly have reported the visitors. Once Chu Kuo received word he would come.
"Even if you go up it won't help. The walls and doors and windows of Momo's room have all been reinforced with special materials. Without the key they won't open." Xu Yanran sighed, yet felt a quiet comfort. That Wang Yue was so anxious about her daughter meant he was serious.
If Chu Mo ended up with him, even without an official title it would still be better than marrying into the Zhang family.
Truthfully, if Zhang Qing'tian had not been such a complete scoundrel, Xu Yanran would still have preferred him. No mother wanted her daughter to spend her whole life as another man's mistress without status.
But there were no ifs. Zhang Qing'tian was that much of a scoundrel, and by comparison Wang Yue looked far better.
As for Wang Yue already having a fiancée yet still pursuing Chu Mo—Xu Yanran had her reservations, but she did not take it too much to heart. Born into this era, she had long grown used to such things.
"It's all right. Even if we can't open the lock, we can still talk to her through the door." Wang Yue smiled at Xu Yanran and stood.
Su Xiuer rose at once and led the way upstairs with the ease of long familiarity.
Where there was excitement, how could Su Jiaojiao be left out? She hurried after them, leaving only Su Jin'er in the living room with Xu Yanran.
Xu Yanran had been about to say that the Chu residence used the same top-grade materials and was so soundproof that no conversation could pass through a closed door—but she saw it as a gesture of Wang Yue's sincerity and did not stop them.
Wang Yue and the two girls reached the door of Chu Mo's room on the second floor. He laid a hand on the lock and tested it with True Qi. The door and lock had indeed been specially reinforced—strong enough to withstand a peak Spirit Condensation expert. In other words, without Earth Palace cultivation, brute force was useless.
Chu Mo herself was only at Qi Condensation; locking her inside meant no fear of her breaking free.
That, of course, was no obstacle for Wang Yue. A light pulse of True Qi shattered the lock; the door swung open.
"Momo, are you all right? We've come to rescue you!" the moment the door opened Su Xiuer called into the room.
Chu Mo's figure soon appeared before the three of them. She looked at Wang Yue and smiled faintly. "You finally came."
"Eh? Momo, why do you look completely fine?" Su Xiuer asked in surprise. She had expected a girl locked away for three days to be haggard and on the verge of collapse.
Yet aside from a slightly pale complexion, Chu Mo looked no different from usual.
Chu Mo laughed. "Because I knew Wang Yue would come to save me. Even if he couldn't conveniently barge into the Chu house, he would definitely storm the Zhang family on my wedding day and snatch me out."
As she spoke, a look of anticipation actually crossed her face.
Well, that settled it. She was a victim of old-fashioned idol dramas—someone who thought the male lead descending from the sky to snatch the bride at her wedding to another man was the height of romance.
Wang Yue couldn't help smiling. "Looks like we came too early."
Chu Mo shook her head. "Not at all. At least I can get out sooner and not be locked up here every day."
Su Jiaojiao couldn't resist asking, "Sister Chu Mo, what if my cousin never came—not even on your wedding day? What would you do then?"
"I would wait until the very last moment. If he still didn't appear, it would mean I misjudged him. Then the Zhang family could have a corpse." Chu Mo spoke lightly.
Su Xiuer was startled. "Momo, don't do anything stupid!"
Wang Yue only laughed. "Sister, stop fretting. She's not that foolish. She must already have a backup plan ready."
"Xiuer, after all these years as sisters you still don't understand me as well as Wang Yue does." Chu Mo laughed with him, then grew serious. "But if you really did betray me, I can't guarantee I wouldn't do something foolish."
Wang Yue took her hand and answered with equal seriousness. "Don't worry. I can't promise to be single-minded with you alone, but in this life I will never betray you."
"Mm." Chu Mo nodded; a shy, happy flush rose on her pretty face.
"Wow! So romantic—kiss already!" Su Jiaojiao's eyes sparkled as she egged them on, only to be promptly dragged downstairs by Su Xiuer, leaving the second floor to Wang Yue and Chu Mo.
Until now Wang Yue and Chu Mo had dated several times and both were willing to go further, yet their most intimate contact had been holding hands.
Today, however, Chu Mo was unusually bold. Right there in the doorway of her room she took the initiative and kissed him.
Wang Yue had long wanted a taste of those tempting lips, but in front of Chu Mo and his two cousins he had always played the pure-hearted boy; he could never make the first move.
Now that she had offered herself, he was hardly going to be polite. He kissed her back at once, deep and wet.
Kissing was one thing; he still could not use any of his real techniques, or the persona would shatter.
Chu Mo truly had no experience at all. The result was that they kissed for nearly a full minute yet only sucked at each other's lips, never even moving their tongues.
For Chu Mo it was already more than stimulating enough. Her breathing quickened, her heart raced, her body grew hot and soft; she could barely stay on her feet.
Just then Su Xiuer's deliberately raised voice floated up from below. "Uncle Chu."
Both Wang Yue and Chu Mo understood the warning: Chu Kuo had arrived. Reluctantly they ended the kiss and walked downstairs side by side.
In the living room Chu Kuo was speaking with the Su sisters. When he saw Chu Mo coming down with Wang Yue he frowned in surprise. "How did you get out?"
"Break the lock and you can get out," Chu Mo said lightly, as if it were the most trivial matter in the world.
Chu Kuo's brows knitted tightly. In this villa, who besides himself could force a lock open? Had experts from the three great families been hiding nearby?
If that were true, things would become troublesome.
He leaned toward the Zhang family and believed the three great families of Jinling would not survive this crisis, yet until a clear winner emerged he had no wish to offend them.
Originally he had regarded the matter between Chu Mo and Wang Yue as nothing more than childish drama that would never rise to the family level. But if the three great families had dispatched Earth Palace experts or higher to back Wang Yue, the situation was entirely different.
It meant the three families already had the Chu household in their sights and were using Wang Yue and Chu Mo's relationship to force him to choose a side.
Chu Kuo harbored no great ambitions; so long as the Chu family could keep its footing in Jinling he was content. That should not have been difficult—simply remain neutral.
Yet he had once been foolish enough to seek a marriage alliance with the Zhang family, and now he was riding a tiger he could not dismount.
Still, Chu Kuo had a certain boldness. Since the three great families meant to force his hand, he might as well lay his cards on the table. "Wang Yue, could we speak alone in my study?"
"Of course. After you, Uncle Chu." Wang Yue agreed with a nod and gave Chu Mo a reassuring glance.
They went to the study. Because Chu Kuo did not live here, the room was little more than a decoration, yet it was quiet—perfect for discussing secrets behind a closed door.
"Sit." Chu Kuo gestured Wang Yue to a seat, took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one. When Wang Yue shook his head he lit one for himself, drew deeply, and asked, "You know Momo has a marriage contract with the Zhang family?"
"I know." Wang Yue nodded.
"If I remember correctly, you also have a marriage contract with Chen Xi of the Chen family, don't you?" Chu Kuo asked, though he already knew the answer.
"That's right." Wang Yue nodded again.
Chu Kuo had expected that bringing up Wang Yue's own engagement would make the boy feel ashamed, giving him the upper hand in the conversation. Instead the kid's face was thicker than day-old oil sticks; he showed not the slightest reaction.
"Since both of you already have engagements, why go looking for trouble with this free-love nonsense?" Forced into a corner, Chu Kuo dragged his own daughter into it. "Isn't that irresponsible toward both families?"
"You're right to scold me, Uncle Chu. But you were young once yourself. You should know that once feelings arrive, they simply aren't under our control." Wang Yue looked thoroughly sheepish.
Chu Kuo nearly choked. "Feelings aren't under our control" was exactly the line every multi-partner playboy—or playgirl—used, and he himself had used it more than once.
How could a man who was not clean himself demand purity of others with that argument?
Chu Kuo suddenly realized that this seemingly simple young master of the Wang family was far harder to deal with than he had imagined. Though years younger than Zhang Qing'tian, next to him Zhang Qing'tian looked like the real child.
Anger mixed with a reluctant flicker of admiration. Given another chance—and without knowing who stood behind the Zhang family—he would absolutely have chosen to give his daughter to Wang Yue.
But the marriage contract with Zhang Qing'tian was already signed; regret came too late.
Besides, Chu Kuo felt no real regret. Wang Yue was superior to Zhang Qing'tian in every way, yet the power behind the Zhang family was simply too great. Once they moved, the three great families of Jinling would be wiped out in an instant.
Without the three families as backing, what use was Wang Yue's excellence?
Having decided to stand with the Zhang family, Chu Kuo stopped being polite. His voice turned cold. "In short, as Chu Mo's father I am telling you: from now on the two of you are not to see each other again!"
"I'm afraid that isn't up to you," Wang Yue said with a faint smile.
Chu Kuo flared. "Wang Yue, don't force me to make a scene. Neither of us will look good if this blows up!"
"Fine. Let's blow it up." Wang Yue smiled as if it meant nothing. "I'm still a child. At worst people will say I lack manners."
Chu Kuo's expression froze. True enough—Wang Yue was only a fifteen-year-old boy. Even if faces were torn, the worst that would stick to him was a reputation for poor upbringing. One word from the Wang family that they would discipline him better and the matter would pass.
But he himself, head of the Chu family, quarreling with a child? That would be a humiliation he would never live down—a lifelong stain.
Chu Kuo glared at Wang Yue for a long moment. In the end all his fury collapsed into a sigh. "I oppose you not only for the Chu family but for Momo as well. If you truly care for her, stop pestering her so she won't be dragged down by you."
Wang Yue's heart stirred. "What do you mean by that, Uncle?"
Chu Kuo sighed again. "For Momo's sake I'll tell you something. The Zhang family has already secretly allied with forces from Tianhai. Before long people will arrive, and their target is precisely your three great families."
Wang Yue was taken aback. "Why tell me this?"
"Momo and I are father and daughter, yet she has never been close to me since she was small. She believes I wronged her mother. There were reasons for that." Chu Kuo said, "But she is still my first child. How could I not love her? She likes you. If something happened to you she would be heartbroken. So take my advice: have your three families voluntarily abandon Jinling. You might still have a path to survival."
Wang Yue was startled again.
Because of Chu Mo he had always held a poor opinion of Chu Kuo, regarding him as the same sort of man as his own maternal grandfather—someone who would sacrifice anything for the family's benefit. He had never expected the man still harbored such fatherly affection for Chu Mo.
"If there were reasons, why not tell Momo? At least it would improve the relationship between you two." Wang Yue couldn't help saying.
Now it was Chu Kuo's turn to be surprised. After revealing something so serious, Wang Yue was still worrying about his relationship with his daughter. His impression of the boy improved another notch.
"Those reasons are… difficult to speak of." Chu Kuo mumbled, then added, "Besides, as a father and as head of the Chu family, I can hardly go bowing and scraping to my own daughter."
Well then—not a cold-blooded family head, but still an old-fashioned patriarch.
Wang Yue privately rolled his eyes, yet found Chu Kuo a little more likable than before.
"Does Uncle know which force from Tianhai stands behind the Zhang family?" Wang Yue asked.
Chu Kuo shook his head. "I don't know that yet. But Tianhai is full of powerful experts. Even a mid-tier force would be more than anything we in Jinling could withstand. So my suggestion is that you go back and discuss it carefully with your grandmother."
"Thank you for the warning, Uncle Chu." Wang Yue offered sincere thanks, then continued, "In return I'll give you a piece of advice of my own. I won't force you to side with the three great families this time, but you'd best not get too close to the Zhang family either. When they are wiped out, the Chu family might get caught in the crossfire."
"You… you mean to destroy the Zhang family?!" Chu Kuo was thunderstruck.
Wang Yue only smiled and said nothing, yet he looked nothing like a man joking.
"Our talk ends here. Remember—I only spoke to you about Momo. I said nothing else." Chu Kuo's mind was in turmoil; he urgently needed a quiet place to calm down.
Wang Yue's words might not represent the attitude of the three great families, but what if they did? Before the Tianhai forces arrived, the Zhang family alone could never withstand the three families—even with the Chu family added, it would be useless.
Leaving the study, Chu Kuo did not even bother with a farewell; he hurried away.
"Wang Yue, what did you two talk about?" Chu Mo asked, a little uneasy.
Wang Yue smiled. "What else? Your father tried to move me with emotion and reason me with logic into leaving you, of course."
"And then?" Chu Mo grew more anxious.
"Then I turned it around and tried to move him with emotion and reason him with logic into agreeing to let us be together." Wang Yue said. "Unfortunately the man is stubborn as a mule. I talked myself hoarse and still couldn't persuade him."
Chu Mo immediately relaxed. "I expected that. As long as he didn't persuade you, it's fine."
"Of course not. I told you—I will never betray you in this lifetime." Wang Yue spoke with deep feeling.
Chu Mo smiled in pure happiness.
"Ugh, my goosebumps!" Su Xiuer teased. "Could the two of you please go sprinkle dog food somewhere farther away?"
Su Jiaojiao laughed and sang, "Cold, cold dog food slapped all over my face~ A whole string of goosebumps falling off~"
Xu Yanran, however, wore a look of quiet relief. That her daughter had found a boy who treated her with genuine feeling was far happier than her own fate as a family sacrifice.
Su Jin'er suggested, "Momo's been locked up so long. Now that she's free, why don't we go out and clear our heads?"
"Yes, yes!" At the mention of going out to play, Su Jiaojiao was the first to raise her hand.
Su Jin'er added, "Aunt Xu, you come too."
Xu Yanran was in good spirits today and felt tempted, but after a moment she shook her head. "Forget it. I'm only an ordinary person. If I go with you I'll only spoil your fun."
Wang Yue said at once, "Easy. We'll just go somewhere suitable for ordinary people."
"Right—let's go to the amusement park!" Su Jiaojiao proposed immediately.
The amusement park again?
Wang Yue was speechless. Chen Fei was still childish enough that wanting an amusement park made sense, but Jiaojiao was only a month younger than he was. She was a fifteen-year-old young lady—why was she still thinking of places like that?
To his surprise, Su Jiaojiao's suggestion won unanimous approval from everyone except him.
Four of them plus Xu Yanran and Chu Mo made six. Wang Yue's hovercar would be cramped, so they left it at the Chu house and took a seven-seater from the Chu family instead.
Because Xu Yanran was with them, they did not start with the most thrilling rides. First they rode a sightseeing tram around the entire park, then played a few leisurely group games.
Before long Su Jiaojiao could stand it no longer and insisted on high-altitude bungee jumping.
The tallest platform here was nearly three hundred meters. Even a martial artist who had not reached Heavenly Origin would be smashed to pieces falling from that height—extremely thrilling.
This time the first to agree was Chu Mo.
She had been locked in her bedroom for three full days and nights. She claimed she had not worried, but her mood could not have been good. She wanted something exciting to loosen up properly.
As Chu Mo's best friends, Su Jin'er and Su Xiuer naturally had to keep her company.
Only Xu Yanran shook her head with a smile. "You go ahead. I'll rest down here for a while."
Wang Yue had zero interest and said, "Yes, you go. I'll stay with Auntie. Don't worry."
"There's no need. I'm perfectly safe here. You should go with them." Xu Yanran smiled at him.
"Auntie, just give him a chance to curry favor with his future mother-in-law," Su Xiuer laughed, then waved a hand. "We're off!"
The four girls dashed toward the bungee platform while Wang Yue accompanied Xu Yanran to the far side of the deep lake beneath it.
Before long Chu Mo was the first to leap.
Watching her daughter scream as she plummeted through the air, Xu Yanran suddenly said to Wang Yue beside her, "Momo isn't little anymore, but she still has a childish streak sometimes. You'll have to be patient with her."
"You're too kind, Auntie. If anyone has a childish streak it's me—far more than Momo. And I think that side of her is even more adorable." Wang Yue smiled, then made conversation. "Did you know? She actually hoped I would wait until the day she married into the Zhang family and then appear to snatch her away in front of everyone at the wedding."
Xu Yanran did not smile. She only sighed softly. "What she wants isn't a bride-snatching. It's something earth-shaking."
Wang Yue started. "What do you mean?"
Xu Yanran said, "You already have an engagement. She can never be the wife you marry with proper ceremony. Because of her feelings for you she can accept that, but of course she still feels some regret. So she hopes something unforgettable will happen between you—something to make up for that shortfall."
Only then did Wang Yue understand. Chu Mo had not been poisoned by old idol dramas. A warm ache rose in his chest, and he silently decided: You want something earth-shaking? Then I'll give you something earth-shaking!
Changing the subject, he said, "Auntie, I think Uncle Chu really does love Momo. Why is their relationship so poor?"
"Chu Kuo loves Momo?" Xu Yanran looked surprised. "I never noticed."
"It's true. He said so himself. He just never shows it in front of her because he wants to keep a father's dignity." Wang Yue went on, "Uncle Chu also said he has his reasons. Forgive me for asking, but is there some misunderstanding between the two of you?"
"No misunderstanding. But he does have his reasons." Speaking of it, a faint flush touched Xu Yanran's cheeks. After a pause she continued, "We simply aren't close. We hardly ever talk. Perhaps that's why Momo misunderstood, and Chu Kuo never said anything caring to her either. Over time it became what it is."
What kind of reason could keep both husband and wife from telling Chu Mo?
Wang Yue privately guessed—could Chu Kuo be impotent?
But that couldn't be right. Rumor said this Uncle Chu had several mistresses and other children as well.