At dusk, the last rays of the setting sun spilled across the streets of Nanjiang City, draping the bustling metropolis in a golden mantle. Qin Yuanfeng sat alone inside a rented apartment, a complex mix of emotions flashing in his eyes. The cup of tea in his hand had long since gone cold, but he remained completely unaware, simply sitting in quiet anticipation of Gui Yi's return.
The atmosphere in the apartment was heavy, and Qin Yuanfeng's thoughts drifted endlessly. He recalled his past hardships: being abandoned by his family, having his engagement annulled by his fiancée, and being poisoned and hunted by his own flesh and blood. Those dark days still felt as vivid as yesterday. Yet now, the person he cared about most—Su Wanwan—wondered what her life was like. Seven years had passed; would she still be waiting for him?
Qin Yuanfeng sat there, visions of the day he first met Su Wanwan replaying in his mind. Back then, she had been full of youth and vitality, her smile as brilliant as sunshine. Yet seven years on the Outer Realm Battlefield had kept them apart for all this time. Qin Yuanfeng's heart was heavy with guilt; he felt he owed Su Wanwan far too much.
Finally, the faint sound of footsteps echoed outside. Gui Yi pushed the door open, a solemn expression on his face. "Temple Master, I have gathered news of the Matriarch," Gui Yi said, his voice deep and steady. He knew all too well what this news meant to Qin Yuanfeng.
Qin Yuanfeng snapped his head up. "Tell me quickly, how is she doing?"
Gui Yi slowly began, "Your subordinate has learned that the Matriarch is a daughter of the Su Family in Nanjiang City, a second-tier family whose assets are worth at most tens of millions. The Matriarch lost her mother at a young age, and her father subsequently took a stepmother for her. Her stepmother was unkind to her, constantly making things difficult for the Matriarch. One could say her childhood was filled with grievance and pain. At home, she received none of the care she deserved, instead frequently facing cold words and mistreatment from her stepmother.
"Fortunately, however, the Matriarch's maternal grandparents doted on her deeply, offering her endless care and warmth. Whenever the Matriarch suffered wrongs at the Su Family, she would run off to her grandparents' home."
Pausing for a moment, Gui Yi continued, "Seven years ago, the Matriarch unexpectedly became pregnant. Six years ago, she gave birth to a daughter named Su Beibei. Furthermore, judging by the timeline, she must be the Temple Master's daughter. Yet, because the Matriarch gave birth out of wedlock, the Su Family and her stepmother used the excuse that she was shameless and had ruined the Su Family's reputation to drive her out. They publicly announced that they were cutting all ties with her, placed her under a ban in Nanjiang City, and forbade her from working at any company associated with the Su Family."
Hearing this, Qin Yuanfeng clenched his fists, a flash of fury in his eyes. He had never imagined that a moment of drunken passion upon their parting would leave her pregnant, and that Su Wanwan had even borne him a daughter. He could not fathom how much hardship Su Wanwan must have endured all these years just to raise their child. "Where is she now? How is she living?"
"With nowhere else to go, the Matriarch took the little miss and could only lodge at her maternal grandparents' home. But her grandparents are ordinary people, and advanced in years, unable to offer her much help. Her grandfather's health is poor, and he frequently needs medicine and medical treatment; while her grandmother is still relatively healthy, she can only manage simple household chores. To support the little miss and care for the elderly, the Matriarch had to drop out of university during her junior year and take up odd jobs everywhere to earn money."
Hearing this, a pang struck deep inside Qin Yuanfeng's heart. He could not imagine how much suffering she had endured over the years for the sake of their daughter and her elderly grandparents!
"The Matriarch's job search was extremely difficult. She went to many interviews, but as soon as they heard she was someone banned by the Su Family, they turned her down one after another. In the end, with no other choice, the Matriarch could only work as a waitress at a small restaurant close to home. The restaurant work was grueling; she had to work over ten hours every day, constantly serving plates and cleaning. Sometimes, when customers were in a bad mood, they would vent their tempers on her, and even attempt to harass her, but she could only endure it in silence, earning a meager income just to scrape by."
Qin Yuanfeng's heart ached as if pierced by needles, the pain almost unbearable. He could not imagine how that once gentle, kind-hearted girl whose smile was like the sunshine now had to bear so much suffering because of him. "And my daughter? How is she now?"
"The little miss is six years old this year, but due to the constraints of the Matriarch's income, she has never had the opportunity to go to school. She can only be looked after by the Matriarch's grandparents. The little miss is extremely sensible; knowing the family's difficult situation, she never cries or makes a fuss asking for things. When she sees other children going to school, she simply watches in silence, her eyes filled with longing."
"However, not long ago, Fu Beiting, the young master of the Fu Family—the top aristocratic family in Nanjiang City—accidentally laid eyes on the Matriarch and was captivated by her beauty and grace. Fu Beiting is a good-for-nothing playboy who spends his days drinking and idling about. That day, he saw the Matriarch handing out flyers at a shopping mall during her break, and was instantly smitten by her beauty and elegance. He began to frequently show up at the restaurant where she worked, pursuing her relentlessly. Since Fu Beiting's reputation in Nanjiang was already utterly notorious, the Matriarch detested him deeply and decisively rejected him every single time."
"When his repeated pestering failed to win her over, he dug into the Matriarch's background and identity." Gui Yi paused before continuing, "To get what he wanted, Fu Beiting went so far as to leverage the power of the Fu Family. Without Su Wanwan's knowledge, he went straight to her family to propose marriage. For the sake of the family's interests, the Su Family agreed to the proposal, immediately summoned the Matriarch back, and forcibly ordered her to marry Fu Beiting."
Qin Yuanfeng's face turned livid in an instant. Enraged, he stood up and slammed his fist onto the table. "How dare they! Su Wanwan is my woman! What gives them the right to treat her like this?"
Gui Yi quickly stepped forward to soothe him. "Temple Master, calm your anger. Matters have not yet reached the point of no return. The Matriarch threatened them with her life; however, to force her into submission, Fu Beiting actually had people kidnap the little miss. He is using her as leverage to compel the Matriarch to agree to the marriage. For the safety of the little miss, the Matriarch had no choice but to temporarily compromise, agreeing to Fu Beiting's demands on the condition that he spares the child."
"A fine Fu Family! A fine Su Family!" Qin Yuanfeng roared. "To dare push my woman to such extremes, and even dare kidnap my daughter—do they wish for the entire Fu Family to be wiped out?"
Gui Yi sighed. "Temple Master, the Matriarch was left with no other option. What else could a weak woman do? She could only pin her hopes on a miracle happening at the wedding."
Hearing this, Qin Yuanfeng fell silent for a moment. He understood Su Wanwan's helplessness and grievance all too well, but he knew even better that he could not just sit by and do nothing. "Gui Yi, have you found out where my daughter is being held?"
"Temple Master, your subordinate has learned that the little miss is being imprisoned in an abandoned factory in the western suburbs! The Fu Family has dispatched a dozen thugs to guard her. Do you need your subordinates to go rescue the little miss right now?" Gui Yi asked.
With an icy gaze, Qin Yuanfeng said coldly, "Gui Yi, come with me! I will go retrieve my daughter myself."
Hearing this, Gui Yi immediately acknowledged the order. Qin Yuanfeng strode out of the apartment, climbed into a modified military jeep waiting outside, and Gui Yi started the engine, speeding off toward the western suburbs.