I, Qing Huan (Modern Chapter) 3

Chapter 3

　Nanyang didn’t stay at Mei’s for too long and left after a while. Mei Zhongli gave her the key to his villa and asked the secretary to send her home.

　　Sure enough, when Nanyang has only just left the building with her front foot, Zhu Qing Huan entered the Meishi Garden with her back foot. Mei Zhongli asked Liu Zhen and Sun Guohui to leave first, before Zhu Qing Huan into his office and chatted with her alone.

　　”Uncle Mei…” Zhu Qing Huan took the initiative to speak.

　　Mei Zhongli sat down calmly and interrupted, “Girl, I know what you want to say. Your father called me and said that you left home after arguing with him last night. You ran away?” 

Zhu Qing Huan’s thoughts were blocked by Mei Zhongli’s preemptive strike. She pursed her lips and nodded: “Yes.”

　　Mei Zhongli motioned to his assistant to pour Zhu Qing Huan a cup of coffee. Stroking his beard, he chuckled: “Have you seen Nanyang?”

　　”No. Is she back already? “Zhu Qing Huan frowned slightly.

　　Mei Zhongli nodded, it seems that Ancestor didn’t reveal her identity when they met earlier. He guessed that the boring temperament of the ancestor must be the type to say one word, but never two.

　　”She just came back today and should be on her way home now. Prepare yourself and go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to register your marriage with her tomorrow afternoon.”

　　Zhu Qing Huan was startled.

　　Marrying… tomorrow?

　　Why so urgent?

　　”Uncle Mei, I…actually I…” The refusal was squeezed to her mouth with difficulty and she was about to spit out.

　　Mei Zhongli seemed to be able to penetrate her mind and slowly said: “Girl, Nanyang is a very good person. You will be very happy if you marry her. I, Mei Zhongli, wish for the two families have a good friendship for many years. If you get married, it will only make the friendship between our two families deeper. If your father and I become in-laws, it will be much more convenient to help him in the future. Of course, it will be much more convenient to help you as well.”

　　Zhu Qing Huan gritted her teeth and dared not say more.

　　How could she not hear the threat hidden beneath Mei Zhongli’s gentle words?

　　What he meant was obviously that if you marry obediently, you would help your family. If you don’t obey, I will show you a fact: It is very easy to help you, it is equally easily to crush you.

　　When she was young, she always thought that Dad and Uncle Mei were very good friends since their relationship was so close. However, when she grew up she had discovered that only people of equal status are worthy of being friends. Dad is just a little person who is trying to take advantage of the benefits that Mei brings hi, and is eagerly trying to get along with Mei Zhongli.  She is the destined scapegoat in this “friendship”.

　　But what can she do? She doesn’t care about her career in acting, won’t mind giving up all her acting awards, and can give up Mei Zhongli’s many high-quality resources. But can she not care about the life and death of her parents?

　　If the Mei Group wants to crush Dad’s small company, it would be as simple as trampling an ant to death.

　　In the past few years, they have flourished under the good blessings of the Mei group and the family had become well off. Mom and Dad are used to such a generous life. If the whole Zhu family is down because of her stubbornness, how can her parents get used to their days in poverty?

　　The courage she had accumulated for a long time was easily disintegrated by a few words from Mei Zhongli.

　　Her destiny had been decided from birth. She was born to be kept in captivity, confined, and shackled.

　　She can’t resist, nor can she be willful, just like how an ant’s arm can never lift a human’s foot.

　　”Tomorrow at two o’clock in the afternoon, I will ask a chauffeur to drive you to the Civil Affairs Bureau.” Mei Zhongli’s indifferent voice seemed to be sentencing her to a crime, “Remember to wear a white shirt and put on a beautiful makeup. You are going to take a wedding picture tomorrow. This photo will be the only wedding photo in your life.”

　　Zhu Qing Huan lowered her head and her nails dug into her palm.

　　When Nanyang arrived at the new house, it was lunch time. She opened the security door, changed shoes at the entrance, and watched the takeaway with her mobile phone.
　　Suddenly, a young girl in an apron hurriedly rushed over from the kitchen. With delicate features and clear eyes, her white forehead was covered with oily sweat. When she met Nanyang, she looked surprised and started to kneel while holding the spatula: “Greetings to the esteemed Ances-“

　　Nanyang held her by the arm, “No need to bow.”

　　” Esteemed Ancestor, you are back. Will you have dinner? I’m going to make it right now.” The girl suddenly remembered something, “Yes, I forgot introduce myself. My name is Sun Xuxue, my grandfather is Sun Guohui. Grandpa asked me to take care of you.”

　　Nan Yang was a little confused, her identity is a secret. Generally speaking, Mei Zhongli and the others would not easily tell their families this.

　　Sun Xuxue saw Nan Yang frowning and immediately explained: “I am the 66th-generation heir chosen by my grandfather. Grandpa said that after he passes away, it will be my duty to protect you.” 

Nan Yang nodded and said, “You don’t need to be so polite. It’s good to treat me as a peer.”

　　“No,” Sun Xuxue shook her head solemnly. “Since childhood, grandpa told me that you are more important than my relatives and lover. Rebellious. How can I be worthy of treating you as a peer?”

　　Nanyang couldn’t help sighing.

　　Three thousand years ago, she obtained immortality by using a forbidden technique. Her three direct disciples feared that their beloved Master would run into accidents after they died so they came up with such a bad idea: find a successor for each generation and use near brainwashing methods to make their Master the faith of these successors. The God in their hearts becomes the only meaning for them to live, and then let that descendant find the next descendant, and so on. Sometimes Nanyang is curious what sort of method Yuntang and the others have used to extend this set of brainwashing teaching for dozens of generations until today.

　　”Are you eating now? Or will you eat after a short rest?”

　　”Let’s eat now.” Nanyang walked to the table and turned over two glasses to pour water, “Has your grandfather talked to you about me?”

　　”Of course.”

　　”…What did he say?”

　　”Grandpa said that you are a person who doesn’t talk very much, but you are actually very nice and especially kind.”

　　Kind?

　　Nanyang’s fingers on her cup of water shrank and the end of his eyes wrinkled bitterly.

　　Sun Xuxue set down plater after plate of hot dishes, “He told me about your past. Grandpa said, more than three thousand years ago, you picked up a seven-year-old beggar when you happened to be out. You took her back to Beichao and accepted her as your youngest apprentice. That apprentice is Master Qing Huan. Master Qing Huan fell in love with you at the age of seventeen. You hesitated and escaped several times, but in the end you still chose to disobey the yin and yang conventions. When you fell in love, you had a very happy time together. Later, by chance, Beichao discovered that Master Qing Huan was the young master of the No. 1 demonic sect. When the young Master Qing Huan was only three years old, it was Beichao and other righteous sects who slaughtered her whole family and turned her into an orphan. You are her lover and at the same time, her family’s murderer. After knowing this, Master Qing Huan betrayed the Beichao sect and returned to the evil sect. She is from the evil sect, Beichao is righteous. The two sects would never get along. Grandpa said that in the last battle of righteous and evil, the evil naturally failed to overwhelm the righteousness’s blade. Master Qing Huan also died under your sword in the fight. Due to the regret and pain, you wanted to make it up to her. Later, you sacrificed a lot and finally learned a forbidden technique to gain longevity so that you and the soul of Master Qing Huan will have a lifelong entanglement. Grandpa said that when Master Qing Huan has reincarnated for the 99th time, she would remember you. When she remembers you, you would begin to grow old with her and finish this life together.”

　　Nanyang didn’t speak, but her fingers were tightly holding onto the water glass.

　　”But it took more than three thousand years for the 99th generation…” Sun Xuxue whispered to herself, “The average of each life would only be 30 years.”

　　”Because not every life is a human being. ” Nanyang recalled the past years, her eyes drooping slightly, “Sometimes a rabbit can only live for a few years. Sometimes a flower can only live for one season.”

　　Sun Xuxue was surprised: “How do you recognize her?”

　　Nanyang was silent for a moment, and replied: “That forbidden technique. I don’t know how to explain it to you but I can sense her.”

　　”Then… the first 98 reincarnations, have you found her in every life?”

　　”Yeah. I found them all.”

　　Nan Yang turned her head and looked at the empty living room, her voice getting softer and softer, “Although she hasn’t remembered me, but for more than three thousand years… I have been by her side in every life. Never absent.”

　　Sun Xuxue doesn’t know how long three thousand years feel. She only knows that the three years of high school felt like an eternity. After graduating, even the students in their junior high school graduation photos can’t even recognize themselves. What kind of obsession is it to make one person remember another for three thousand years?

　　”Grandpa and the others must also love you very much, so that’s why they want to facilitate your marriage with Miss Zhu.”

　　Nan Yang sighed lightly and there was a small trace of loss in her usually emotionless eyes: “But…I..I saw her today, but she still doesn’t recognize me.”

　　Sun Xuxue seemed to be able to feel the Ancestor’s despair and her heart also pricked: “Esteemed Ancestor, don’t be sad. There must be a step that hasn’t been completed yet. My grandfather and I will go study the forbidden technique scroll even further, it won’t take too long so don’t worry.”

　　”…Actually, you don’t have to take my business seriously. If you have something you want to do more. You can do it first.”

　　”How can that be? You are the most important thing. I… I have nothing to do.”

　　Nan Yang was silent for a long time before slowly speaking,

　　”Xuxue, don’t you know. I won’t be looking for the next generation’s descendants again.”

　　Sun Xuxue’s eyes widened: “Why?”

“You have done a lot for me, I know that and I am very grateful.” Nanyang slowly clenched her fingers, “But I really can’t bear to see one living person after another, again and again. Miss a chance at having a better life because of me.”

　　Sun Xuxue stared at Nan Yang blankly.

　　She seemed to understand why so many people from generation to generation have willingly followed Nanyang. A person’s kindness is certainly valuable, but she could have chosen not to be kind. Yet after all these thousands of years, she can still retain sympathy for everyone in her heart.

　　Why did such a kind person let her beloved die by her sword back then?

Author’s Theater
Nothing for today

TL note
WHY ARE THE CHAPTERS SO LONG AAAAAAAAAAA
…well, they’re satisfying to read so I guess all’s well in the end ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Guess what! I kidnapped stole threatened bribed a casual editor to proofread my jumbled text boxes. Say hi to a new edition to the one woman army. It’s a pot of curry. (゜▽゜;)

TL’s basement
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