Zhou Chengde trembled like a sieve. For him, death was not an option yet!
Zhou Chengde couldn't help but plead with Zhou Tianqiong, "Old sir, I am from the Dongfang family. Are you going to stand by and watch this junior, Zhou Jinbai, kill me? The reason I acted that way just now was for the reputation of our Dongfang family. Think about it, if our Dongfang family were to bend the law for personal gain, how many hearts would that chill? I admit what I did was inappropriate, but I was just anxious."
Zhou Chengde deliberately put on a sincere expression. Just as Zhou Tianqiong was about to speak, seeing that Zhou Chengde had admitted his fault, he was stunned by Zhou Jinbai.
"If you also wish to rest for a few days in Xishan, I can send you over to keep Grandpa Zhou company."
Zhou Jinbai's words sent a chill down Zhou Tianqiong's spine.
This was more than just a threat; it was outright disregard for them, the elders!
Even everyone present was shocked by Zhou Jinbai's words.
His audacity was immense, to threaten even the most respected elders of the family!
"Drag him out," Zhou Jinbai commanded his subordinate when he saw Zhou Tianqiong fall silent.
The subordinate immediately moved towards Zhou Chengde and seized him.
Zhou Chengde's face was filled with terror, and he even tried to struggle.
But without the protection of his status as an elder of the Dongfang family, Zhou Chengde was just an old man. How could he possibly be a match for well-trained bodyguards, especially two of them?
"Bingwen, save me, Bingwen..."
In his extreme panic, Zhou Chengde frantically called out to Zhou Bingwen, who was standing beside Zhou Jinbai.
Zhou Bingwen knew that there was no room for maneuver at this point.
"Uncle Chengde, you have worked too hard for the Dongfang family over the years. It's time for you to go to Xishan and rest well. I'll come to chat with you when I have time."
"You... you're not saving me? Zhou Bingwen, we..."
Before Zhou Chengde could finish speaking, he saw Zhou Bingwen take out a very exquisite Ruyi lock from his pocket and play with it.
All the words that Zhou Chengde had intended to say died in his throat.
He felt as if his throat was completely blocked, and he couldn't utter a single word.
This Ruyi lock was something Zhou Chengde had personally bought for his grandson.
The few gemstones inlaid on it were treasures Zhou Chengde had cherished for decades.
Now, it was in Zhou Bingwen's hands!
The reason the man was doing this was to threaten him, to remind him that his grandson was in his grasp.
Zhou Chengde's face turned ashen. In the battlefield, it was either you die or I die.
Zhou Chengde looked at Zhou Bingwen with venom in his eyes. He directly lowered his head in despair, allowing the two bodyguards to escort him out.
Jia Huaixu and Meng Chuzheng exchanged glances. They knew that Zhou Chengde was definitely in league with Zhou Bingwen. And judging by Zhou Chengde's demeanor just now, it seemed he was about to reveal everything.
But why did he hesitate?
"It's alright, we've waited so many years, we can't afford to be impatient now," Jia Huaixu whispered to Meng Chuzheng. However, they had suffered heavy losses today.
But the only thing to be thankful for was that tonight's events had eliminated one of Zhou Bingwen's capable generals.
With the loss of Zhou Chengde as a pawn, Zhou Bingwen's influence within the Dongfang family would be greatly diminished!
"Jinbai, you said there were two matters. What was the other one?" the old lady asked.
"The second matter is that I was injured not long ago, and Xue Manting, the eldest daughter of the Xue family, saved me. As a reward, I will cooperate with the Xue family to develop the mining area that the Dongfang family is responsible for."
Zhou Jinbai's expression was calm. Xue Manting had not saved him. He was doing this because Xue Manting had passed his rigorous tests, and he had carefully chosen her as an ally for himself and Lin Xingwan.
With so many people present tonight, this matter would spread.
Just as the Xue family could survive on rumors, they could also rise again because of them!
After saying this, Zhou Jinbai left the stunned crowd and walked into his room.
"It seems you don't have to sell your backside to please Qiao Ruosheng. I just don't know if Xue Manting will still like you."
Bai Xiao patted Su Mo Yao's shoulder. Seeing the man's petrified expression, he found the man beside him utterly different from the ruthless and cunning Su Mo Yao of legend.
Su Mo Yao: ???
Sell his backside?
Was this how these people saw him?
However, hearing Zhou Jinbai's words, Su Mo Yao felt a surge of happiness.
In fact, this happiness surpassed even the day he became the head of the Su family!
Zhou Jinbai returned to his room to find Lin Xingwan already asleep.
He asked everyone in the room to leave, leaving only himself.
Zhou Jinbai sat by Lin Xingwan's bed, gazing at her face, which was furrowed even in her sleep.
Seeing her pathetic appearance, Zhou Jinbai was about to reach out and pinch Lin Xingwan's cheek when he heard a faint knock on the door.
Fearing he would wake Lin Xingwan, Zhou Jinbai quickly went outside.
Su Mo Yao was standing outside the door. Before Zhou Jinbai could speak, Su Mo Yao said, "I have something I want to tell you."
Zhou Jinbai gently closed the room door and stood with Su Mo Yao in a small pavilion within the ancestral hall.
The ancestral hall was no longer as lively as before. Apart from a few servants on duty, there was no one else.
"What do you want to tell me?"
Zhou Jinbai asked.
"After you returned to the Dongfang family, we went to the place where the Duan family descendants lived to pick up Lin Xingwan. She told us that Duan Muxing saved her. However, you know the character of the Duan family very well. I think Duan Muxing must have taken a liking to something Lin Xingwan possesses. You'd best be wary of this person."
As far as Su Mo Yao was concerned, he believed that with Zhou Jinbai's capabilities, investigating these matters would not be too difficult.
But he simply wanted to talk to Zhou Jinbai.
"Alright, thank you," Zhou Jinbai replied politely.
"Your great kindness to the Xue family tonight, if there's anything I can help you with in the future, I will certainly do it." Su Mo Yao added, "It's getting late, I'll be leaving now."
Zhou Jinbai watched Su Mo Yao's retreating figure disappear, his expression thoughtful.
——
The next day.
Lin Xingwan woke up in pain.
The painkillers had completely lost their effect. Even the slightest breath caused excruciating pain.
Moreover, Lin Xingwan had been having nightmares while she slept.
In her dreams, a woman whose face she couldn't recall was laughing maniacally. She dreamt of her mother dying before her eyes again, and she was powerless.
"Having nightmares?" Zhou Jinbai's voice pulled Lin Xingwan back from her fear.
Lin Xingwan looked at the man before her. The golden sunlight shone on him, making him look like a god sent from heaven to redeem her.
"How was the matter handled last night?" Lin Xingwan asked as soon as she saw Zhou Jinbai.
Last night, she had wanted to hold on until the last moment, but the IV drip and the medication she had taken made her very drowsy, and she couldn't control herself.
Zhou Jinbai briefly recounted the events of the previous night. Only then did Lin Xingwan heave a sigh of relief.
Although she was surprised that the three Jia brothers were not biological, and that at the critical moment, it was members of the Dongfang family who wanted to kill Zhou Jinbai, but it was Jia Yanzhen who saved him.
"He usually looks like a frivolous and aimless playboy, but I didn't expect him to be so dependable when something major happens," Lin Xingwan couldn't help but sigh.
Zhou Jinbai smiled, "Yes, I finally understand why Jia Yanzhen insisted on coming to our house to eat with us so often."
Before, Zhou Jinbai didn't understand. He felt that Jia Yanzhen, while seemingly simple, actually held many secrets.
No matter how unfathomable Jia Yanzhen seemed, Zhou Jinbai had never taken him seriously.
However, he feared that Jia Yanzhen might have ill intentions towards the young madam, so he had even arranged for bodyguards to prevent Jia Yanzhen from approaching her when he wasn't around.
Thinking back now, he was just someone abandoned at birth who, upon realizing he was a pawn, yearned for the affection he saw in others.
Lin Xingwan didn't ask further, as she had guessed.
It was like her own past, yearning for familial affection.
A servant brought breakfast. As soon as Lin Xingwan finished eating, the ancestral hall gradually became lively.
Many members of the Dongfang family had come to see her.
At first, they came one by one, bringing all sorts of tonics and rare medicinal herbs.
Later, they came in groups of three to five, chatting with Lin Xingwan.
These women were all beautiful and elegant. The most striking aspect was the jewelry they wore, which wasn't ostentatious but rather complemented their气质 (qìzhì - demeanor/temperament) and attire.
These women were extremely enthusiastic and polite to Lin Xingwan. Of course, Lin Xingwan knew that their behavior was solely due to Zhou Jinbai's status.
Finally, Zhou Jinbai dismissed them, allowing Lin Xingwan to rest properly.
The results of the X-rays taken by the doctor also came out. Lin Xingwan's injuries were severe, affecting her spine. She would need careful recuperation afterward, or there would be lasting consequences.
This made Zhou Jinbai even more cautious and attentive in caring for Lin Xingwan.
For the next half a month, Lin Xingwan spent her time in bed.
Although her injuries were healing, Lin Xingwan felt like a wilting flower, on the verge of death.
She had nightmares every night, and in the last few days, she even needed sleeping pills to fall asleep.
Zhou Jinbai was also anxious seeing Lin Xingwan's haggard appearance.
He even asked Liu Mengqin and Xue Manting to accompany Lin Xingwan and chat with her, but it had no effect.
Furthermore, Liu Mengqin's wedding had been postponed.
Until Lin Xingwan could finally get out of bed.
Zhou Jinbai carefully helped her up and led her away from the Dongfang family's ancestral hall.
This was also the first time Lin Xingwan had the chance to appreciate the beauty of the Dongfang family during the daytime.
A sightseeing car was parked at the entrance of the ancestral hall.
Zhou Jinbai and Lin Xingwan sat in it, and the household servants began to drive them around the island.
Admittedly, the Dongfang family had chosen a perfect location. The island had a farm, an orchard, and various recreational facilities, as if the most advanced elements of a city had been transplanted here, but serving only a few people.
"Do you see that pomegranate tree?" Zhou Jinbai pointed to a bare tree not far away. Honestly, from the outside, Lin Xingwan couldn't tell it was a pomegranate tree; it just looked like an ordinary tree that had lost all its leaves.
"When I was little, Grandma especially loved to eat pomegranates, but the pomegranates she liked only bore fruit for one season. So, I had people research a pomegranate tree that bore fruit year-round. I originally thought it would provide Grandma with an endless supply of pomegranates, but it only bore fruit once. However, Grandma still planted this pomegranate tree here, even though it no longer bears fruit."
Zhou Jinbai had intended to share his childhood memories with Lin Xingwan, but Lin Xingwan asked, "Why not cut down the pomegranate tree that doesn't bear fruit? There's no need to keep it; you could use the space to plant something else."
"Silly girl, why must you wait for it to bear fruit? It doesn't matter if it bears fruit or not. The most important thing is that every time Grandma sees this pomegranate tree, she remembers that she has a silly grandson. As long as the memories are happy enough, that's all that matters."
As long as the memories are happy enough?
Lin Xingwan repeated Zhou Jinbai's words in her mind. So, as long as she provided him with enough happy memories, she could do what she wanted?
As Lin Xingwan was contemplating, a beautiful ancient-style pavilion suddenly appeared in her line of sight.
This pavilion was built over the sea. If one ignored the luxurious European-style castle surrounding it, it gave a feeling of suddenly traveling through time.
"That pavilion is so beautiful," Lin Xingwan praised.
"That pavilion is called the Sea Heart Pavilion. My father designed and built it for Meng Chuzheng. Meng Chuzheng used to love ancient styles, so my father built this pavilion for her. Meng Chuzheng would release sky lanterns, dance, and even hold tea parties in this pavilion."
Those days were indeed too happy. Later, so many things happened, and Zhou Jinbai could only live on memories.
Sensing the man's grip on her hand tighten, Lin Xingwan comforted him, "Everything is getting better. Let the past be the past."
"Yes, I have found the meaning of life now, which is to dote on my wife, spoil my wife, and I am very happy to have my wife by my side."
Zhou Jinbai kissed Lin Xingwan's cheek. Lin Xingwan was momentarily speechless.
She could only sigh inwardly: Zhou Jinbai, oh Zhou Jinbai, if so many things hadn't happened between us, if I hadn't remembered the past, I would definitely have loved you and grown old with you. But now, I cannot.
As Lin Xingwan remained silent, Jiang Wenyuan's phone call came through.
Jiang Wenyuan rarely contacted her proactively. Now, for some reason, when she saw Jiang Wenyuan's caller ID, Lin Xingwan had an instinctive premonition of something bad.