Please enter the urn.
Jiang Manyan always believed that his identity as a "son of a concubine" was the source of all his suffering.
It was this that caused him to be abused by Liu, ignored by his father, and despised by his family.
All his efforts, all his forbearance, and all his revenge were based on the premise that "I am a descendant of the Song family, yet I have suffered injustice."
But now, that premise is false!
He is not Song Yu's son at all! His right to hate Song Yu has become so ridiculous—why would a man show love to the child his wife had with another man?
His hatred for Liu also lost its most powerful support.
Liu abused him because of Jiang Yan's existence, which ruined her marriage and stained the promise of "one life, one love, one partner".
From a certain perspective, this hatred even has a "reasonable" and extremely cruel starting point.
His meticulously planned revenge to sow discord between Song Guansui and Liu Shuwan now felt like a punch landing on cotton, carrying an absurd sense of powerlessness.
The image of his mother, who was weak, miserable, and in need of his protection, in his memory became more complex.
She was not a completely innocent victim; she had another relationship, and may even have genuinely loved that bodyguard.
.
She chose to return to Song Yu's side to give him a "place to stay".
This love is heavy, but it also makes Jiang Manyan realize that her mother is also an ordinary person with flesh and blood, with her own desires and choices, and not just a symbolic tragic figure.
After her cognition collapsed, all sorts of extreme emotions swept over her like a tsunami, dragging Jiang Manyan into a vortex of pain.
"Then what about all the suffering I've endured over the years?"
An overwhelming sense of absurdity enveloped him.
He suffered torment that he should not have had to endure because of an "original sin" that was not his own.
His entire life seemed like a cruel joke played by a series of unfortunate coincidences.
An unprecedented sense of loneliness overwhelmed him.
He seemed to have become a truly rootless person.
The Song family was not his root, and the nameless bodyguard was nothing but a void.
The world is so vast, yet he couldn't find where he came from. This sense of spiritual drifting was even more tormenting than physical torture.
He remembered the candied fruit that Song Guansui had secretly given him when he was a child, and how Song Guansui had once protected him.
That brief moment of warmth was real.
His revenge, however, was based on a false premise.
His feelings for Song Guansui were a mixture of hatred and an indelible dependence.
At this moment, that dependence and the resulting guilt became particularly acute.
He murmured softly, almost to himself: "So... I've been hating the wrong person all along? Or... I didn't even have the right to hate; it was stolen?"
One of them exists because of his mother's "betrayal," while the other suffers from his mother's distorted treatment because of this "betrayal."
They are all tightly bound by the grudges and hatreds of the previous generation, and are tormented to this day.
This bizarre "distortion" imbued Jiang Manyan's feelings for Song Guansui with an indescribable, tragic emotion.
After the extreme emotional storm, Jiang Manyan fell into a strange calm, a sense of bewilderment as she stood on the ruins of her emotions.
"who I am?"
This ultimate question is now before us.
Stripped of the identity of "Song Manyan," a name filled with painful memories, he had to redefine himself.
"I am Jiang Manyan!"
The name comes from the mother.
His value no longer needs to be proven by any family or father!
His value lies in who he is, in everything he created in Jincheng, and in the people he protected.
...
Jincheng—the "home" that brought Jiang Manyan immense energy when she was suffering greatly—at this moment, in turn, brought her redemption.
At this moment, although the truth was a blow to Jiang Manyan, it also finally freed him from the heavy curse of the "Song family"!
He had nothing more to do with that indifferent father, nor with that scheming family.
He was free, though he gained that freedom in such a painful way!
Song Guansui watched as Jiang Manyan fell into a long silence, his face as pale as paper, his eyes staring blankly into the void.
Then, an extremely complex smile, a mixture of sadness, mockery, absurdity, and even a hint of madness, slowly crept onto the corners of his mouth.
Seeing Jiang Manyan like this, Song Guansui could no longer maintain his languid expression and called out softly.
"Slow smoke"
Song Guansui really wanted to hug him and comfort him.
"Don't be afraid. Even if you are not Song Yu's son, you will always be my brother."
The person I care about most!
"Slow Smoke, don't be sad. I will always protect you and stay by your side."
As long as you don't leave me.
Jiang Manyan couldn't listen to any of that at the moment; all he wanted was to leave this place as quickly as possible and return to Jincheng, his true home.
Song Guansui's rare display of genuine emotion was met with silent rebuke; he was not angry.
Instead, seeing Jiang Manyan's sorrowful, self-deprecating, and painful appearance after hearing about her background, he worried that she might not be able to accept the truth and that her emotions might affect her health.
Recalling the time before he was poisoned, Jiang Manyan insisted on going fishing in the suburbs. She suggested it to him in order to help him get rid of his unpleasant mood.
"Manyan, how about your brother takes you fishing at a villa in the suburbs the day after tomorrow?"
He hoped that the natural scenery would soothe his mind with his cigarette.
Yan'er! I'll trust you one more time. Don't let me down this time. If you do this... I'll completely let go of the past in the mine, and we can live a good life together!
After hearing Song Guansui's words, Jiang Manyan was stunned for a long time.
After carefully considering the meaning of the sentence, he suppressed the complex emotions in his heart, and his dim eyes lit up with starlight.
"Brother, you're so kind!"
— — — —
Qin Lingfeng, who had been closely monitoring the Song residence, received the news immediately that Song Guansui was going to take Jiang Manyan out.
He saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime rescue opportunity and immediately made careful arrangements to carry out the operation in the suburbs.
Meanwhile, the spies from Jincheng who had been lurking in the Song residence also began to act.
The afternoon sun shines through the emerald green willow leaves, casting shimmering golden light on the lotus pond.
Jiang Manyan sat on a cushioned stool, holding a fishing rod in her hand. Her face was still a little pale, but she was much better than she had been in the secret room.
Song Guansui sat not far from him, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, all his attention was on the person beside him.
A gentle breeze blew by, bringing the fragrance of nature, which also caused Jiang Manyan to cough softly.
Song Guansui immediately opened his eyes, took off the thin cloak from his shoulders, and draped it over Jiang Manyan without saying a word, his tone carrying an unyielding force.
"It's windy by the water, be careful not to catch a cold."
His fingers "unintentionally" brushed against Jiang Manyan's nape, and only when he felt her warm skin did he feel slightly relieved.
Jiang Manyan blinked, then lowered her eyelashes and whispered.
"Thank you, brother."
Jiang Manyan appeared unusually docile and obedient at this moment. She was already quite beautiful, but now, under her disguise, she was even more breathtakingly beautiful.
Song Guansui's fingers twitched slightly, as if he wanted to raise his hand to stroke Jiang Manyan's delicate cheek.
Suddenly, the fishing rod in Jiang Manyan's hand sank sharply!
"ah!"
Jiang Manyan gasped and instinctively gripped the fishing rod tightly. The fish was quite strong, pulling his already weak arm until it trembled slightly.
"Slow down, don't rush."
Song Guansui did not directly take over, but stood sideways behind him, almost wrapping his arms around him, covering his hand holding the fishing rod with his large hand, and steadily helping him control the force and angle.
"Relax, tighten your wrist, yes... just like that, give it a walk."
His voice was deep and resonant beside Jiang Manyan's ear, carrying a burning heat.
Jiang Manyan did as she was told, focusing intently on her game with the fish, suppressing the strange feeling that Song Guansui was bringing to her heart at that moment.
Finally, a plump, silvery bass was pulled out of the water and jumped around in the sunlight.
The joy of success instantly dispelled her illness, and a rare, genuine smile appeared on Jiang Manyan's pale face.
Jiang Manyan turned her head almost instinctively, her honey-brown eyes sparkling with excitement as she looked at Song Guansui behind her, her tone carrying a long-lost lightness.
"Brother, look! It's huge!"
The smile at that moment was pure and bright.
Song Guansui was stunned. His heart felt as if it had been struck by something, and an extreme sense of satisfaction welled up inside him.
He raised his hand and, with remarkable ease, used his fingertips to stroke the corner of Jiang Manyan's eye, which had reddened from the effort. His gaze was deep and gentle, yet his tone still carried the inherent desire for control.
"Yes, my Yan'er is the best. I'll have the kitchen make you some nourishing soup tonight."
The two were already strikingly beautiful, and their intimate interaction was a feast for the eyes. At that moment, the warm sun shone down, and fallen leaves fluttered in the light and shadow like butterflies.
The air was filled with a heartwarming and comforting feeling, and the scene was as beautiful as a traditional Chinese ink painting that needed no further description.
However, this intimate and beautiful scene, like the sharpest needle, pierced Qin Lingfeng's eyes in the distant dense forest.
His knuckles turned white from gripping the sword hilt too tightly, and the image of his beloved embracing Song Guansui in the bathtub flashed through his mind.
Qin Lingfeng could no longer contain his jealousy and decided to screw everything and play it by ear!
Jealousy and anger controlled his mind, and he launched the first attack.
The men in black who suddenly appeared were caught off guard and did not immediately rush into the Song family's villa. Instead, they were caught off guard by arrows from an unknown direction.
There was an ambush!
Song Guansui had anticipated this, and a cold, knowing smile curved his lips.
"They've arrived as expected."
Song Guansui was not alarmed.
The reason was that during his treatment, his suspicions about the "servant" had not been completely eliminated, but at that time all his attention was focused on Jiang Manyan, and he did not want to cause any further trouble.
Once Jiang Manyan's condition stabilized, he calmly reviewed the situation and felt increasingly that something was wrong with the "servant" beside Mr. Xue, especially the servant's eyes, which made him feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.
Therefore, this outing, ostensibly for relaxation, was in fact a carefully orchestrated trap set by Song Guansui to lure the enemy into a trap.
Song Guansui didn't even get up immediately, but quickly pulled Jiang Manyan to a safe place behind him and said in a deep voice.
"Stay put and don't move."
Almost the instant he finished speaking, dozens of black-clad guards suddenly leaped out from the surrounding artificial hills, bushes, and even water.
Amidst the flashing blades and the clash of swords, the elite troops brought by Qin Lingfeng were instantly surrounded! He had laid an inescapable trap!
"Qin Lingfeng, you're like a persistent ghost."
Song Guansui slowly drew the soft sword from his waist, its blade gleaming with a cold, autumn-water-like light in the sunlight.
"This place will be your final resting place!"
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