Chapter 2: The Return of Ye Wanlan

Ye Wanlan only then snapped back to reality, ending the call with an expressionless face.

She and Zhou Hechen were truly unfamiliar; it was only because the transmigrator occupying her body had stayed by Zhou Hechen's side as a substitute.

At that time, although she had no control over her body, she could still perceive external events through the transmigrator's actions.

Jiang City was located in the coastal region of Shenzhou, an economically developed metropolis teeming with wealthy families.

The Zhou family was the number one clan in Jiang City. As the Second Young Master of the Zhou family, Zhou Hechen possessed top-tier looks and background, his fame resounding throughout the entire Jiang Circle.

He had signed a two-year substitute contract with the transmigrator, but because he had to remain chaste for his "white moonlight," there had been no physical contact between them.

Zhou Hechen was extremely skilled at "training" young girls; his hot-and-cold tactics made the transmigrator even more devoted to him.

This was one of the few things that satisfied Ye Wanlan—at least her body hadn't been tainted by that filth.

She tossed her phone casually onto the bedside table and turned her head, meeting the man's gaze.

A very good-looking pair of eyes, but right now he was unconscious, his gaze dense and gloomy, like a night sky that had lost its moonlight.

Her first kiss... Ye Wanlan's eyes narrowed slightly, the fingers resting on his throat tightening. She only needed to exert three-tenths more force to...

But at that moment, the man's strength gave out. His head drooped, leaning into the hollow of her shoulder.

Ye Wanlan raised her hand and directly knocked the man unconscious, throwing him onto the carpet without any psychological burden.

He had brought her amusement today, so she would spare his life.

Once midnight passed, everything would reset. She would enter the next loop, and he wouldn't remember her. She had no need for excessive worry.

**

At the same moment, Yuting Club.

On the sofa, Zhou Hechen's face was dark, the air pressure around him low.

The other young masters didn't dare breathe too loudly.

This morning, they had learned that Ye Wanlan had beaten Qin Xian into the hospital. They thought it was an April Fool's joke, until they saw Qin Xian in the hospital room with both hands bandaged and on a ventilator—only then did they realize Ye Wanlan had actually made a move.

In their circle, Qin Xian and Zhou Hechen had the best relationship; they were childhood friends who grew up wearing the same pair of pants.

Old Master Qin was kept in the dark. Zhou Hechen flew into a rage and immediately sent people to find Ye Wanlan, but they searched all of Jiang City and couldn't find her.

When they finally got through on the phone, she actually hung up on him.

"Hechen-ge, don't be angry. It's not worth ruining your health over a lowly vase." A young master spoke carefully, "You and Yuyi-jie are a match made in heaven. What is Ye Wanlan anyway?"

"What anger?" Zhou Hechen scoffed lightly, his expression indifferent. "I'm just wondering when she grew such guts. Did she really gain some ability, or did she climb a higher branch?"

He knew Ye Wanlan—a dodder flower dependent on men for survival. Aside from a face that could please him, she had no other merits.

He and Sheng Yuyi were childhood sweethearts, but Sheng Yuyi had gone overseas to the St. Mann Federation Empire to pursue higher painting skills, staying for four whole years.

Although the flight between the St. Mann Federation Empire and Shenzhou took only sixteen hours, distant water couldn't quench immediate thirst. He needed a substitute to kill time.

He had no love for Ye Wanlan; he just wanted her to stay obediently by his side.

Fortunately, Ye Wanlan was indeed sensible, knowing how to soothe his lonely heart. Keeping her was no different from keeping a pet.

Once Sheng Yuyi returned and the substitute contract expired, he would naturally no longer need this relationship.

Ye Wanlan shouldn't have sought more from him, threatened him with suicide, and hurt Sheng Yuyi.

But thinking of that muffled, indistinct panting, and the fact that this was the first time Ye Wanlan had hung up on him, Zhou Hechen only felt a stifling qi fill his chest, making it hard to breathe.

It was as if something was beginning to slip beyond his control.

He stood up abruptly, his expression icy.

The young masters were startled: "Hechen-ge, what's wrong?"

Zhou Hechen took a deep breath and said coolly: "President Quan has come to Jiang City. I have to attend the reception. I won't be staying up all night these few days. You guys play on, put it on my tab."

He brushed the cigarette ash off his shirt, walked to the door, then paused: "Continue looking for Ye Wanlan."

She needed to know that playing hard to get had limits. Played well, it was flirtation; overdone, it was unacceptable.

**

The wind stirred the curtains. The midsummer light broke through the clouds like golden threads, melting into liquid gold flowing across the jade sky. The clouds dispersed, and the willow branches shimmered with specks of gold.

Ye Wanlan hadn't slept this peacefully in a long time, which instantly alerted her that something was wrong.

She snapped her eyes open and grabbed her phone.

The screen lit up. The time—

May 19, 7:00 AM!

Ye Wanlan's expression shook. For the first time, she doubted the way she had opened her eyes.

During these nine hundred ninety-nine years, every time she opened her eyes, it was midnight on May 18. Countless times she had listened to Zhou Hechen's secretary instructing her on how to study Sheng Yuyi, how to please Zhou Hechen.

But now it was daytime.

Ye Wanlan restarted her phone. The time on the screen was still glaringly May 19.

She had reached the next day!

The infinite loop of nine hundred ninety-nine years had actually been broken!

She had finally escaped the shackles of time. She was free.

No one knew how she had spent these nine hundred ninety-nine years. It was as if she had been severed from the entire world.

The people she knew wouldn't remember her the next day. The antiques she restored would be back to their original state the next day.

She had once begun to doubt the meaning of her life, turning into a madman.

Now, her time had finally begun to flow.

She could finally re-enter this world!

No—!

Ye Wanlan's expression hardened. She didn't know why she had been trapped by time. Now that the infinite loop was lifted, the cause was still unknown!

What force had trapped her in time for 999 years?

Would she be trapped again in the future?

All of this was simply like the hand of a god, toying with ordinary people's lives at will.

Even Ye Wanlan's heart skipped a beat. She took a few slow breaths, her gaze turning ice-cold.

After a long while, she remembered there was still a second person in the room.

Ye Wanlan glanced at the still-unconscious man, helped him onto the bed, and stuffed a hundred-yuan bill into the shirt she had torn.

She had thought that after midnight, time would reset, and there would be no connection between them. This time, she had miscalculated.

She didn't want any entanglement with this man.

Ye Wanlan erased all traces of herself, put on her coat, and left the hotel silently.

At 7:30 AM, it was the peak of the morning rush.

The roads were choked with traffic, pedestrians hurrying.

The sea breeze blew from the harbor, warm and slightly salty.

After spending an hour confirming she had completely escaped the time loop, Ye Wanlan washed off the smell of blood, changed into clean clothes, and returned to the Lin family.

She happened to run into Lin Huaijin, who was about to leave for work.

Her hand paused. She said softly: "Uncle, it's me. I'm back."

Lin Huaijin didn't look at her. His voice was cold and indifferent: "No one asked you to come back."

*————*

New book launched at the end of 2023. Two chapters up first. For the next year, Qingqing will accompany you all with Lan-jie and Yan-ge~

The new book is a pseudo-ensemble cast. Lan-jie is the most charming and strongest!

(End of Chapter)