Chapter 316

Chapter 316: 309: Extra: if route grand reunion 4 Chapter 316: 309: Extra: if route grand reunion 4 “Your grandfather mentioned that Wind Town was once known as the Land of Witchcraft and Gu hundreds of years ago. You wouldn’t happen to be,” Madam Su speculated boldly, “cast a spell upon? Like your younger uncle was.”

The latter part went unsaid by Madam Su. Xie Qingze was such a carefree person, but after he visited Wind Town, he never wanted to return. That Wen family’s girl really had something about her.

Xie Shang didn’t believe in mysticism; he had received higher education and reminded Madam Su, who had also been educated, “Madam Su, it’s the 21st century.”

*****

On the last day of May this year, Xie Shang received a “strange” phone call.

Xie Qingze reminded him on the phone, “Tomorrow is Children’s Day.”

“And so?”

“Children’s Day is Changling and Ah Na’s birthday.”

Xie Shang was studying abroad at the time, in a foreign library. He closed the book he was holding in order to not disturb others and stood up to step outside.

“You’re calling me just to tell me about your stepson and stepdaughter’s birthdays?”

Xie Qingze replied but not to the question asked, “When you were young, a fortune-teller read your fortune.” His question was baffling, “Xie Shang, do you believe in fate?”

The fortune-teller had said that Xie Shang was fated to encounter a calamity, and that a noble person would protect him from it.

Xie Shang didn’t believe in fate; otherwise, he wouldn’t have changed his name from Xie Shang to Xie Shang after becoming an adult.

“I don’t believe.”

Xie Qingze didn’t continue with this abruptly introduced topic but simply reiterated, “June 1st is Changling’s birthday; I hope you can remember that.”

Changling, Changling, his name kept coming up. Did Changling save his life?

“Stay in Wind Town, then. Live as Xie Ze for the rest of your life.”

Xie Ze was the alias Xie Qingze used in Wind Town to be someone ordinary enough for Wen Yuan to accept him.

That was the first time Xie Shang had such a strong negative impression of a stranger. The Wen family’s girl was really something, so capable of bewitching people.

*****

Fu Mingyue gave up sports in her sophomore year to start over and study law. The boy who had been accused of being a murderer didn’t get a chance to defend himself; he committed suicide in jail.

That same year, Wen Changling met a girl on the rooftop of the capital Lantu in Chevalier. She was attempting suicide at the time.

There was still defiance in her eyes. Perhaps she needed a reason to live, someone to pull her out of the mire. The wind was strong then, so Wen Changling couldn’t hear her until she turned around when he spoke to her.

“If you jump, I’ll become the prime suspect,” Wen Changling suggested. “How about not jumping today?”

She thought for a long time, “Fine.”

Sometimes living just requires one sentence; a hundred reasons to die will be outweighed by one, just one, reason to live.

About six months later, they met again in a public restroom, where Wen Changling saw her being pinned against the stall wall by three women, forcibly injecting her with contraband substances.

Wen Changling stepped out of the stall: “Do you need help?”

Without hesitation, she replied, “I need it.”

Wen Changling picked up a mop nearby and fought women for the first time. She won, thanks to the guidance she received from Miss Fu, the kick-boxing youth champion.

Latter they were drinking on the beach.

Pang Zijin asked Wen Changling, “Why did you save me on the rooftop that time?”

Pang Zijin used the word “save.”

“I thought you looked familiar.”

“Before that time in the library, I don’t think we had met.”

Wen Changling clinked glasses with her, “Maybe we met in a past life.”

At that time, Wen Changling was nineteen years old, at her prime: confident, beautiful, carefree and flamboyant. She loved to laugh, to drink, was cool, bold, and engaged in what she loved. She was smart and there was nothing she couldn’t do, fond of fresh and challenging endeavors.

The beach beer festival in Lantu was famous. She adapted to the local customs, painted vibrant festival patterns on her waist and dyed her hair pink, makeup in the local fashion, like a primeval forest girl bursting with vitality.

Pang Zijin was envious of her.

“I’m going to take a call.” It was from Xie Qingze.

Wen Changling hadn’t been gone for a minute when someone approached.

“Hey.”

It was a young man with jet-black hair and eyes, speaking the Imperial language and dressed in a very biker style, loaded with jingling pendants: “Are you an Imperial Citizen, too?”

Pang Zijin pointed to herself.

The young man nodded.

“Yes, I’m an Imperial Citizen.”

The crowd around the nearby bonfire was noisy, all teenagers, and Pang Zijin understood at a glance; they were definitely playing some vulgar game.

“It’s not easy to meet a fellow countryman abroad, help me out, will you?”

Pang Zijin readily agreed, “Sure.”

The young man hesitated, “That, that... what color is your underwear?”

As expected, very vulgar.

Pang Zijin turned the tables: “How about you answer a question of mine in return?”

“Okay.”

“What color of underwear do you like on girls?”

The young man instantly turned red with embarrassment and anger, exclaiming, “You, you, you shameless!” He stormed off in a huff.

Pang Zijin was puzzled; was that really shameless? Young Master Gu was still too young to play adult games.

Pang Zijin took out her compact mirror to check: no big changes from when she was younger. Ah, such thin luck, so easily forgotten.