"Wen Yuan, Young Master Wen Yuan~"

The crisp sound seemed to come from a very, very far place.

Li Ruide opened his eyes groggily, and it seemed as if he saw Wang Sujun again, carrying a basket and picking peach blossoms under the tree to make wine for him.

The young girl, dressed in a light blue jacket and skirt, turned her head to look at him with a charming smile.

Song Wenyuan had never met his father since he was a child.

He knew that many people in the village secretly called him "little bastard".

He had also seen his mother secretly reading the yellowed letters and shedding tears.

His mother was gentle, kind, and compassionate; she was the best mother in the world.

That man deceived my mother. He used the money she gave him to start a rebellion. He said he would come back to find her.

But he married someone else and couldn't bear to let go of his mother, so he could only let her live in the shadows.

When he was little, he was ignorant and always made a fuss about wanting his father, but every time his mother would be heartbroken and lower her head to shed tears, so he never dared to make a fuss about wanting his father again.

I heard that my father married a flamboyant and beautiful woman. She was passionate and fiery, the complete opposite of my gentle mother.

He must have loved her very much, which is why they contacted each other less and less afterward.

My maternal grandfather was furious and forced my mother to write to my father, demanding a formal title, since my father was already a warlord at the time.

The letter that was sent out was intercepted by the father's wife, who secretly came looking for him.

She and her mother were locked inside the house; it's unclear what they were saying.

When they left, her mother cried, and she cried too.

Seeing his mother weeping, the uncle did something that plunged the entire Li family into despair.

He joined forces with bandits in the mountains and kidnapped the woman.

My grandfather hit my uncle, and my uncle, with his neck stiff, said, "As long as that woman dies, my sister can be with General Song."

"Father, do you really want to see Yalan live her whole life without any recognition or status, and die in depression?"

Grandpa's hand, which was raised, remained suspended in mid-air, not falling.

Everyone watched the commotion on the other side with trepidation, pretending that nothing had happened.

Sure enough, they started searching for them in a big way, and unfortunately, they quickly found their way here.

The boy with the fierce look on his face was about the same age as me. His name was Song Shiming. He was just as flamboyant and arrogant as his mother.

At that time, Song Wenyuan envied Song Shiming.

He thought that only someone raised in an environment where they were showered with love and affection could develop such an outgoing and confident personality.

Everyone says Song Wenyuan is refined and gentle, but no one understands the underlying inferiority complex and sensitivity beneath that refined demeanor...

Their worst fears came true.

Song Shiming led his men to attack Longtuo Mountain, and the people of Longtuo Mountain confessed about the Li family.

He went to Xiangnan Village, where, apart from his aunt who had returned to her parents' home, no one in the Li family survived the fire.

He was rescued by Wang Zhongli, who was passing by on a mission. At that time, Wang Zhongli was with his contact, an informant, in Xiangnan Village to avoid being hunted down. The informant was too badly injured and did not survive.

Thus, "Song Wenyuan" also died in that fire.

He and the Song family were bound by a blood feud, and the name "Song" attached to him disgusted him. He vowed to make the Song family pay for their crimes in blood.

He survived by taking the identity of the informant.

But he never expected that the maid who had been his personal maid for six or seven years would do anything for him.

She went to great lengths to find out the truth behind the massacre of the Li family. She wanted to avenge the young master who taught her her first lessons, taught her to speak, and made vows of eternal love with her.

She gradually approached Song Shiming.

Li Ruide quietly watched her approach Song Shiming step by step.

When Song Shiming went mad, she accompanied him as he rode through the bustling city.

When Song Shiming was sad and upset, she would drink with him and lie on the lawn with him to look at the starry sky.

When Song Shiming was injured, she took meticulous care of him, staying up all night to look after him.

When Song Shiming was in danger, she bravely shielded him from bullets with her own body.

She knew all his likes, dislikes, and emotions inside and out.

She tolerated him, indulged him, and even stood by his side, even if it meant going against the world.

When she looked at Song Shiming, her eyes were filled with him, just like when she looked at herself back then.

Finally, the sharp edges of that unruly boy, who was like a hedgehog, were smoothed out by her step by step, and he shed his armor.

He kept her hidden away like a precious treasure, not wanting the world to discover her. He protected her tightly behind his back.

Upon hearing that they were getting married, Song Wenyuan locked himself in his room and drank alone all night.

He couldn't control the excruciating pain that felt like knives were cutting his body. He kept telling himself that this was just Su Jun's mission, it was fake, and she would come back.

When the revolution succeeds, they can reunite and rekindle their vows made under the peach blossom tree.

But Li Ruide was wrong. With such an outstanding man as Song Shiming by his side, how many women wouldn't be tempted?

Moreover, he treated Wang Sujun as if she were his own life, protecting her with all his might.

Li Ruide was frightened and could only repeatedly have people instill revolutionary beliefs in her mind, placing her opposite Song Shiming.

Sure enough, Su Jun's inherent kindness made her forget everything else.

Song Shiming and that man are innocent, but the Song family is not.

That man's younger brother, as well as Song Shiming's two cousins, had already defected to become enemy agents a long, long time ago.

He merely added fuel to the fire, tightly binding the entire Song family together.

Can.....

Victory was so close, it was already over.

She could have simply walked towards him, or even stood still and waited for him to come over.

She was greeted with flowers and honors, the bright days she had longed for.

But she didn't want any of them; she only wanted Song Shiming.

Li Ruide did not experience the exhilarating feeling of revenge he had imagined. Instead, he often dreamed of Wang Sujun, smiling gently at him under the peach blossoms in Xiangnan Village.

That girl, the one he would remember for the rest of his life.

Two years ago, he saw Song Shiming again, and the belief that had been supporting him collapsed.

Actually, neither he nor Song Shiming was wrong.

If I could really give him another chance...

"Wen Yuan~, Young Master Wen Yuan~", the clear and melodious voice seemed to come from the horizon.

Li Ruide's thoughts snapped, and he plunged into a dark abyss.

(End of article)