Chapter 4 The Secrets Buried by Time

“It was my impatience, my eagerness for quick success,” she murmured. Ye Shenghan stepped down from the platform, the scattered light shifting with his movements. His hands were casually tucked into the pockets of his trousers; he made no reply to her words, merely paused before her. Linglan was taken aback by his silence, and for a moment, a wave of emotion surged in her chest—not anything else, but a bittersweet ache.

Ye Shenghan half-shielded his dark eyes, yet he spoke to her, “Linglan, walk with me for a while.”

He turned and began along the deep, winding path leading north. Linglan slowed her steps to follow behind him. A row of streetlights cast shadows on the cement road, reflecting their figures—one ahead, one behind. It was the late autumn chill, the path winding, trees bleak and mysterious, pale brown houses, and a pool of orange light like twilight haze, embedding him within a painting called “Nightfall,” so striking it shocked the heart.

She remembered the first time she met him. She was eight then, he eleven. He was born into a distinguished family, the only son of Ye Chenghua, president of the Ye Group, raised as the center of attention. And she… Linglan held her breath; back then, she had followed behind him just like this, silent and cautious, afraid to disturb the quiet before her.

He would never know how her heart soared each time she saw him. She always pretended indifference, keeping her distance while watching him. At eighteen, she was admitted to the top university in Nanjiang as she had wished. She left, believing she could start a new life and sever her longing for him, those secrets buried deep in her heart left to be forgotten by time. A rush of heat welled in her eyes, and unconsciously, she stopped walking.

Young Master Ye—

No, she didn’t want to call him that anymore.

For an instant, she wished to call out to him, to tell him loudly, “Ye Shenghan, I like you, I really like you, truly!” That voice echoed hollowly in her heart again and again, but there was no response.

The man stopped, hesitated for a moment, seeming to realize he had left her behind. He turned, wind sweeping past, carrying a few ginger-yellow autumn leaves across his broad shoulders. She saw the fragments of light in his eyes, and heard his faint question, “Why aren’t you wearing the clothes I gave you?”

She was startled; the clothes had been stained with carbon ink, leaving stubborn marks that would never wash away, no matter how hard she tried. It was as if she had tried with all her might to protect something, yet fate would not allow it. Years later, Ye Linglan would understand: that was their destiny.

Linglan said nothing. He didn’t mention the interview, which made her feel guilty. After a brief silence, he spoke again, “Linglan—” His voice rose out of nowhere, “Thank you.”

She was utterly unprepared, her eyes wide in surprise. “What?” she asked in a hoarse voice, even her lips trembling.

“Thank you for always being by my side.”

—

Ye Linglan stood frozen. His words carried a double meaning, striking her like thunder. The heat in her eyes condensed into tears, carried away by the night wind, dissolving into a rain of sorrow. During her four years at university, she had cut off all contact with him to quell her longing, never deliberately seeking out news of him. After graduation and three years of work, or perhaps because fate decreed it, she met him again. The youth in her memory had shed his arrogance, replaced by loneliness and solitude.

She had asked around and learned that, during the years she lost touch with him, the Ye family suffered a storm of upheaval. The Ye Group changed hands; on the surface, it was a struggle between leading enterprises, but in truth, it was a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, all while the oriole lurked behind. Linglan sensed it was a malicious suppression, perhaps hiding unknown secrets. Half a year ago, she resigned from her job, choosing to help him reclaim everything he had lost. This path was hers to take.

Linglan didn’t know how to respond; understanding, she returned his gratitude with a faint smile.

“If this interview doesn’t work out, we’ll find another way. But no matter what, we must infiltrate Sky City.” Ye Shenghan mused.