Chapter 11: The Authentic Work of Princess Yongning

“……”

Before the words had even faded, the private room fell into a deathly silence.

The 8cm heel slammed into his face, and blood instantly gushed from Xu Lu’s nose.

He saw stars, and a wave of dizziness washed over his head.

After a full thirty seconds of silence, the people around him scrambled to help Xu Lu up and called a waiter to help stop the bleeding.

“Xu, Brother Xu, should I call an ambulance to take you—”

“Call what call! Do you want to make me look even more pathetic?” This sentence brought Xu Lu back to his senses instantly. He clutched his nose, furious and flustered, “Ye Wanlan, what are you doing? Do you have a death wish?”

“As you wish, take off four items first.” Ye Wanlan smiled calmly. “What, can’t you come up with four hundred thousand? No wonder you’re not as good as Zhou Hechen.”

Stung in a sore spot, Xu Lu flew into a rage from embarrassment: “Who said I can’t come up with four hundred thousand? Let me tell you, don’t you dare compare Zhou Hechen to me!”

The Zhou and Xu families were in-laws; he called Zhou Hechen ‘brother’ to give him face.

If he didn’t give him face, he’d put Zhou Hechen in the ground!

Sneering, Xu Lu slammed a bank card onto the coffee table: “There are four million here, keep taking them off!”

Ye Wanlan raised an eyebrow and recited a bank card number unhurriedly: “Transfer the money first and write that it’s a voluntary gift; only then will I know if you’re for real.”

Provoked and hot-headed, Xu Lu’s hands shook as he picked up his phone to make the online transfer.

The notification sound for the deposit rang out, and Ye Wanlan glanced down at it.

“You got it, right?” Xu Lu was still clutching his nose, his voice harsh. “Hurry up and take them off!”

As long as he could humiliate Zhou Hechen, this small amount of money meant nothing to him.

Ye Wanlan finally stopped smiling and said coldly, “Stupid.”

She turned and left, not even bothering with the soiled high heels.

The private room fell silent once more, everyone stunned into speechlessness.

A few seconds later, Xu Lu finally reacted: “I’ve been played!”

He stood up abruptly to chase after her, but the excitement caused his nose to bleed again, and he struggled to breathe.

Someone spoke up tremblingly: “Brother Xu, we should really go to the hospital.”

“Bullshit, I have a private doctor, why would I go to a hospital?” Xu Lu hissed. “You, go to the Zhou family immediately and find Zhou Hechen. Tell him to pay for my mental distress and medical expenses, and have him look at what kind of thing he’s raised—not a shred of manners.”

They had all kept a few lovers here and there, but which one had ever been as brazen as Ye Wanlan?

Xu Lu’s expression was gloomy: “Get that four hundred thousand back for me, too.”

“But, Brother Xu, you wrote that it was a voluntary gift…”

“Shut up!” Xu Lu’s face darkened further, his voice squeezed through his teeth. “I’ve noted this debt.”

**

Outside the Yuting Club.

Ye Wanlan opened the car door and patted Zhou Yixiang’s shoulder: “You were frightened today. I got four hundred thousand for you; it’s already been transferred to your card. It’s enough for your tuition next semester. Don’t work here anymore.”

During the 428th time loop, she had met Zhou Yixiang while searching for information at Jiangcheng University.

Zhou Yixiang possessed astonishing talent for jewelry design, but she was unrecognized and long suppressed, and she had been forced to work at the club because she couldn’t afford her tuition.

Zhou Yixiang was startled: “You—”

Ye Wanlan’s smile was faint: “You have class this afternoon, right? Go back to school first. I’ll contact you if anything comes up. Qingli, take her home. Leave the car with you afterward; I’ll come pick it up tonight.”

Cheng Qingli nodded: “Oh, oh, then Sister Lan, you…”

“I’m going for a walk, don’t worry about me.” Ye Wanlan got out of the car, waved her hand lazily, and walked barefoot along the road.

Cheng Qingli was a bit dazed.

Could Sister Lan have been so stimulated that she’s gone even crazier?

Zhou Yixiang was also confused.

She was certain that today was the first time she had met Ye Wanlan, yet the other woman seemed to know everything about her.

Could they have met before without her knowing?

Cheng Qingli started the car: “Miss Zhou, which company are you a jewelry design director for? How about coming to our company? Our Sister Lan is super amazing!”

“Ah?” Zhou Yixiang said blankly, “I… I’m a junior in the Fine Arts department at Jiangcheng University, still looking for a summer internship…”

Cheng Qingli: “?”

Oh, she understood now. Ye Wanlan really had gone crazy.

**

The sun was bright, and a white car was driving on the road to the suburbs.

Yan Tingfeng opened the car window, and the early summer breeze blew in, carrying a faint scent of gardenias.

He watched the greenery by the roadside quietly, his eyes suddenly narrowing: “Stop the car.”

“What’s wrong?” Rong Yu stopped the car, confused, and followed his gaze.

At the intersection, a girl was wearing a light green new-Chinese style long dress, the hem brushing past her slender calves, swaying with the wind.

Her ankle lines were smooth, and her skin under the sunlight was like congealed white jade.

Rong Yu was surprised: “Why is she walking on the road barefoot? Doesn’t it hurt?”

Yan Tingfeng spoke: “Get out of the car.”

Rong Yu: “Huh?”

“Buy a pair of shoes and send them over.”

“Why don’t you send them yourself?” Rong Yu muttered, but he still got out and ran into the first shoe store in the mall.

Closing the car door, Yan Tingfeng finally looked up: “Speak.”

Having received the order, Binghe, who was sitting in the back seat, began to report: “Young Master, the information on this Miss Ye is very strange. The current her and the her of the past four years are completely different—they are practically two different people. We can’t find any traces of her being replaced, but we will continue to investigate.”

Yan Tingfeng chuckled: “I’m very interested in her. Someone who wears their ambition on their face is truly beautiful.”

Binghe shivered slowly.

The last person their Young Master was interested in was currently lying under the icebergs of the North Land.

The last thing their Young Master called beautiful had already been shattered.

Binghe looked at Ye Wanlan with some sympathy. Rong Yu was handing over a shoebox, not knowing what he was saying.

Ye Wanlan turned her head at that exact moment.

Yan Tingfeng smiled at her, his eyes seemingly rippling with starlight.

It reminded one of a clear breeze across the wilderness, gently brushing against one’s cheek.

But Ye Wanlan smelled a much stronger scent of blood—gloomy and dark.

It was like a honey-coated blade; once you got close, it would cut your fingers.

Ye Wanlan withdrew her gaze and smiled slightly: “Dr. Rong, how much? I’ll transfer it to you.”

“No need, no need.” Rong Yu waved his hands, saying sincerely, “Student Ye, you must be happy every day. As long as you’re in a good mood, nothing else matters.”

He was full of confidence in being a good doctor who could pull a lost girl back from the wrong path.

**

The sunset was like molten gold, and the evening lights were just coming on.

“Sister Lan, I dropped Miss Zhou back at school.” In their private apartment, Cheng Qingli scratched her head. “But she hasn’t graduated yet. What kind of company are we actually opening?”

“You’ll know when you come to the company with me tomorrow.” Ye Wanlan was practicing calligraphy.

“No problem, Sister Lan. What are you writing?” Cheng Qingli leaned over curiously. Twelve large characters came into view.

They were bold and vigorous, etched deep into the paper, possessing an inherent aura.

*To turn the tide when the situation is collapsing, and to support the building when it is about to fall.* [Note 1]

“Sister Lan, if I didn’t know you wrote this, I would have thought it was the authentic handwriting of Princess Yongning.” Cheng Qingli exclaimed, “It’s written so well! With this skill, we can definitely quit the modeling industry and go straight into the art world!”

Ye Wanlan stopped her brush: “I did forget one thing; you reminded me.”

“What thing?” Cheng Qingli had already pulled up the authentic handwriting of Princess Yongning from her gallery. “Look, look, it’s almost exactly the same.”

Ye Wanlan sighed.

The time loop had been too long; after returning to the normal world, she had forgotten to change her handwriting from her previous life.

(Yan-ge is truly a black lotus.) (Qingli, who touched the truth without knowing it (?))

Note: 1. “To turn the tide when the situation is collapsing, and to support the building when it is about to fall” is from *Wen Tianxiang’s Millennium Memorial*.