What happens when an old man refuses to give up on this soul? Find out...

"Claire, what is happening?"
"Is he okay?"
"Gush, I don't know what to do."
"Claire, please let me in"

My mind is full of thoughts. I don't know what to say nor do. I kept asking Claire what is happening even though I can see it clearly. I begged her to let me in but she didn't let me. I kept crying over and over again that night. It's like half of me is dying. The clock is ticking but still Claire is in that room for like 30 minutes. I don't want to sleep because maybe just maybe when I wake up he's gone. So my feet brought me to his messy room. All the books are scattered everywhere. The papers are sticking on the wall and the pens inks are all over his bed. I decided to fix that mess while waiting for some news about him from Claire. I arrange the books on his table, pick up all the papers on the wall and floor. I also requested some new bed sheets for him. As I'm on my way putting the last book on his desk I saw a book entitled "ANFS" with a note written on it "On going story of my life" Out of curiosity I opened it. It is a draft of the book I requested last time. I really wanted to know what's inside of it. He said he didn't want to share his life with others and I'm just wondering why we wrote this draft. Liam is a great writer of fictional stories but I never read  true to life stories from him. He believes that happiness only exists in fictional stories and happy endings only exist in love stories he made. Liam is a realistic person he never believes in imagination nor dreams. I remember one time I asked him "Liam, what is your dream?" and he replied "I don't have any dreams. Leah, I'm stuck in this damn hospital for years and now you're asking me what is my dream? Do you think that a patient like me who's going to die anytime soon will have a dream? Leah, please be realistic."  and by that time I never asked him about life anymore. 
As I opened the book I saw a little note on the first page saying:
"To the person reading this thank you for being such a wonderful human being. I hope in our next life you will have the healthiest lungs in the world. You deserve all the best in the world. Thank you for always reminding me about happiness. I promise that I will fight this battle until the day I find happiness in this world."
-Happily breathing borrowed air,
Liam

I don't know if I will continue reading this book because by the time I saw the note my tears started to fall. I never imagined that Liam would see me as a good human being. He always pushes me away like I'm just a piece of trash for him. He never told me that  he's thankful to have me. As I'm scanning the pages of the book I saw a lots of illustrations and words (of course) the draft contains  10 chapters and the titles of each chapter is somehow catchy but I wonder how these titles are made. Like the title of chapter one.

*Reading*

"Chapter One: The poems of 16"
When I was a kid I used to live with my grandparents. They are the ones who raised me.They taught me so many things in life. But as I grow every year my mind starts to wonder so many things in life. I remember that time when I was 6 or 7  years old I always wondered how stories and lyrics are made. I used to ask my grandfather how authors and composers make such a great story  and songs. I will never forget what  he said to me that time. When he was a kid like me he used to write poems. Life hits him hard and no one will ever understand how he feels and there comes a time that he also does not understand  how he truly  feels so, he turns it into a poem. He said that stories, poems and songs are made when a person doesn't understand the message of the heart. He always reminds me that when you can't understand everything in my mind it's better to turn it into poems or stories. If you can't explain how everything goes in your life it's better to just make it more sensible. Make a story out of it and let that story tell how you truly feel. As time went by my grandfather died  I never had a chance to say how he changed my perspective in life since I was a kid and also that time my grades started to fall. I cannot forget how depressed I am when I got low grades in music. I don't know what to do at that time. So, I decided to write a poem. I try to put in some words that will match how I truly feel. That is the first time I wrote a poem while crying. I don't know how I did that or how I constructed the poem. All I know is that poem comforts me when no one else wants to. As time went by I started to write a lot of poems and little by little I also started to write novels. After my grandfather died everything was out of place. I'm studying and currently in my third year. Everything seems to be fine 2 or 3 years ago but then everything breaks when the path I chose turns to be the path that will ruin everything. I enjoyed learning new stuff and I'm sure every student enjoyed their student life. But it will be more enjoyable when you have friends. I don't have one. I didn't even feel I belonged to anyone. All I have is myself and my untold poems. They seem to be my friends when I need someone to talk to. I do everything alone. It's sad to be alone but that's how life is, you never know who will stay with you at the end. Maybe you're lucky enough when someone stays even in your hardest times but if there's none you must learn to love yourself. " 

Liam's childhood days aren't the same as other people's childhood days. He learned so many things in life when he's still young. As I read the first chapter of his life I started to understand every single thing of his perspective. Little by little I understand his realistic side when it comes to life.  It's hard to survive life alone. It's hard to be the only one that knows how you feel. As the time continues to pass I still don't know how everything goes. Claire hasn't come back yet since she went to the ICU so I decided to read more chapters.

"Liam, what is your dream?"

"I don't have any dreams. Leah, I'm stuck in this damn hospital for years and now you're asking me what is my dream? Do you think that a patient like me who's going to die anytime soon will have a dream? Leah, please be realistic."

When two people meet in times that dream doesn’t exist in reality would they choose to be realistic even if their lives are coming to an end? Will they see their purpose in this world? Will they believe in the magic of dreams, love, and hope?

Huo Shaoheng's eyes almost lit up after he heard Gu Nianzhi complete her analysis.
However, he quickly calmed down and discreetly shook his head, replying gruffly, "That makes sense. It can explain many puzzling questions."
"Oh, really? Which questions made you feel puzzled, exactly?" He Zhichu smirked and asked sarcastically, "Or do you still need Nianzhi to explain any further for you?"
Gu Nianzhi looked down, pursing her lips, and said quietly, "...Actually, I've never believed that human race improvement and optimization can actually be realized using such destructive and invasive means."
When she heard Huo Shaoheng talk about Operation Borrowed Seed, from the very beginning, these suspicions began to grow in her mind.
From the way she saw it, using this type of research method would no doubt lead to a dead end.
"I agree with your perspective." He Zhichu looked at Gu Nianzhi in surprise and said, "You actually grasped the key to this issue if you are able to think about it that way. This type of method would absolutely never result in true technological advancement."
Gu Nianzhi didn't have memories from before she was 12 years old, yet she still had this kind of intuition.
He Zhichu couldn't help but think optimistically. Didn't that mean that he should have somewhat of a position in Gu Nianzhi's heart?
Huo Shaoheng balled one hand into a fist to rest his chin on. He thought for a moment, then said, "...This explanation does make sense. After that Japanese numerical unit lost the war, they handed over nearly all their human experimental data to the winning countries. This was the only set of data that was never handed over.
"This was because the data didn't involve typical human experiments. If it were actually handed over, the winning countries would never be able to accept this kind of pure evil sin, even if they had their own ulterior motives.
"This also explains how Nianzhi's grandfather, Gu Haoze, would later on use all sorts of ways to remove the experimental data from the Gestapo headquarters."
Reinitz also thought it over and replied succinctly in German, saying, "The data was not about the optimization of the Huaxia race, but… Data targeting weaknesses in the Huaxia genetic makeup? If that's the case, now I also understand why our bureau's predecessors would write such contradictory things in their memoirs."
Perhaps they could also tell what the data was actually about, but this was the kind of thing that still challenged the people's ethical perspective at the time. So, the bureau chose to reveal selective things, or flat out stay quiet about others.
The Nazi race optimization eugenics program was also very evil, but its main purpose was to optimize their own race.
As for what the Japanese did, they actively chose to drag down another race when they discovered that it would be impossible to optimize their own race.
In other words, they would be number one if they killed the person running ahead of them…
That kind of perverse and shameless mentality would forever prevent them from being the ultimate winner.
"But if your grandfather Gu Haoze was only an accident and an uncontrollable factor that occurred within the experiment, why didn't they simply kill him off? Why did they send him to the Gestapo headquarters in Europe, instead?"
Huo Shaoheng thought that there had to be something else they didn't yet understand.
Gu Nianzhi nodded and said, "I am still thinking about this point. Huo Shao, do you remember why the Gu family had adopted gu Yanran and her mother, Gu Jing?"
Huo Shaoheng stiffened slightly as he replied, "You are saying that the Gu family's genetic disease was rooted in Gu Haoze? And that Gu Haoze's genetic illness was a consequence of the race optimization operation?"
Gu Nianzhi began to laugh. "Huo Shao, your brain works even faster than mine does. Right, this is exactly what I meant," she said.
So, there must be a reason why they had no choice but to do this.
However, this point was not related to the topic of discussion at the moment.
Gu Nianzhi said, "Afterwards, the data went missing. Because our country won the war, Japan could no longer capture our citizens on a large scale in concentration camps to conduct experiments as they did during the war years. So, they have returned to the first goal of Operation Borrowed Seed, which was to optimize their own race. Coupled with the development of science and technology, it was unnecessary for them to continue using that kind of stupid method to conduct race optimization experiments.
"…That's why they set up all these clinics treating infertility. They are now able to steal the reproductive cells directly from the patients seeking treatment, and conduct artificial insemination and reproduction to observe the results of optimization."
Huo Shaoheng walked back over to his laptop to open another folder.
Gu Nianzhi agreed completely, saying, "My father must have also discovered their intentions, so he chose to use this method to warn the people trying to look for the data."
"However, why didn't your father report these clinics directly to the authorities if he discovered that they were conducting similar experiments?" Reinitz asked curiously. "I thought he hated this kind of thing more than anything."
"Of course he hates it, but do you think my father alone can fight against the power of an entire country?" Gu Nianzhi glared at Reinitz as she said, "After all, I investigated these clinics myself. They are genuinely researching how to optimize Japanese genes, but are not involving any Huaxia genes. So, I think that my father was strictly monitoring these clinics to prevent them from doing anything that would harm the Huaxia Empire."
Reinitz shook his head. With a smile, he said, "Cereus, you've never even seen your father before. How are you so certain that he's actually a good person?"
Gu Nianzhi's expression was resolute as she said, "I know. I know it for a fact. My father is absolutely not a bad person. Not only is he a good person, but he is a rare and capable good person.
He Zhichu averted his eyes in silence, no longer able to stand looking at Gu Nianzhi's expression.
Huo Shaoheng was about to add a few comments to Gu Nianzhi's idea when he looked up and saw He Zhichu look away. He thought that something didn't feel right.
But He Zhichu always spoke vaguely and changed the topic. Now he was even using Gu Nianzhi's presence as a condition of telling the truth.
Huo Shaoheng decided to stop trying to get any information out of He Zhichu. He was also wary about taking the few things He Zhichu had already said as facts.
He needed to resume his previous work method. Just like Reinitz, he would doubt everything and rely on himself to prove everything.
…
"Earlier, I demonstrated my conclusion using the three perspectives of premise, history, and follow up. In other words, Operation Borrowed Seed did not succeed. The operation to exterminate the Huaxia race did not succeed, either."
Gu Nianzhi looked up with a smile and stared at the curved screen TV in front of her.
Huo Shaoheng had just opened a new folder, which was the handwritten English poem that Gu Nianzhi took a photo of in the Dass clinic's consultation room –"A Little Girl Needs Daddy."
When the framed and wall-mounted poem was enlarged on the curved screen TV, Gu Nianzhi suddenly thought the poem's shape looked a bit familiar.
The swirling handwriting of the English poem was filled with curves and lines that spun together to create each word. Each word actually looked like a flower.
The framed handwritten English poem consisted of short and long lines intersecting like flowering vines that seemed to form a complex picture.
If someone who didn't read English saw this poem, they would probably think it was a picture as opposed to a poem.
An abstract drawing made up of black and white intersecting lines.
Gu Nianzhi's mind suddenly felt enlightened when she thought that this was actually a picture.
She pointed to the TV screen and said, "...Look at this. Doesn't this handwritten English poem look like a picture when you observe the shape?"
"What picture?" He Zhichu glanced at it and said, "I can't tell."
Huo Shaoheng stood behind the desk and stretched forward. With both hands bracing against the desk, he looked up at the enlarged handwritten English poem displaying on the TV screen. He nodded thoughtfully. "It does look a bit familiar," he said.
"Isn't that right?" Gu Nianzhi grew excited as she said, "Tell me, doesn't this handwritten English poem look like a map of Africa?!"
Huo Shaoheng squinted his eyes and slowly straightened his body. His eyes stared at the picture unblinkingly.
Gradually, he stopped trying to decipher the handwritten English words and purely examined it as though it was a picture.
As expected, the picture appeared increasingly similar to the map of Africa in his memory!
Huo Shaoheng bent over and immediately opened a map of Africa on his computer. He put it beside the handwritten English poem.
Everyone could now see it with the comparison.
The handwritten English poem was laid out in a method that was nearly a mirror image of the general shape of Africa.
Gu Nianzhi couldn't help but grab the mouse from Huo Shaoheng and take things into her own hands.
She opened a photo editing software and first copied the map of Africa on it. Then she also copied the handwritten English poem to allow the photo editing software to find the overlap between the two.
With the help of the photo editing software, Gu Nianzhi quickly discovered a very obvious bright spot in the bottom corner of the two images.
It was where the English word 'there' was located.
The last two lines of the poem read, "So diving deep or soaring high, she'll always find him there."
Gu Nianzhi's heart plummeted.
She quickly marked down the point where the word 'there' overlapped with the map of Africa, then opened the marked-up image of Africa and inputted it into GPS software to look for the coordinates.
Huo Shaoheng, He Zhichu, and Reinitz all quietly watched Gu Nianzhi quickly use the computer and discover the message her father had left behind.
The map software took less than one second to bring up the coordinate data.
"33.9249° South, 18.4241° East."
Gu Nianzhi laughed. "It's 33 degrees 55 minutes south latitude, 18 degrees 25 minutes east longitude. The location this latitude and longitude points to is the second-largest city in the southernmost country in Africa – Cape Town.
"It's there. My father must have left something in that place."
When Huo Shaoheng saw the latitude and longitude and the name of Cape Town, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
How could it be such a coincidence?
In order to find the true whereabouts of the flight MH210 that Gu Xiangwen had been on, he sent Zhao Liangze to a station on a small island in the Cape of Good Hope to facilitate the search of the nearby waters.
The Cape of Good Hope was the landmark of Cape Town. It was only two kilometers away from the city, which is completely within walking distance.


Gu Nianzhi had no idea how to get the aloof and handsome Major General to fall in love with her. 

His eyes were dark and serious. "...Seduce me. If you can do it, I’m yours." 

Gu Nianzhi: "!!!"

Disclaimer: The following stories contains sexual assault, rape, nonconsensual acts, mentally abusive relationships, and violence towards women. Readers are advised to proceed with caution.

Previously, when Chi Yao had given the Abyss Ancient Sword to Zhang Ruochen, Zhang Ruochen only knew that it was made of special material and had powerful strength. But he never expected it to be forged out of Natural Divine Iron.
Chi Yao must have made two swords when she first acquired the Natural Divine Iron. One of them had been given to Zhang Ruochen, and the other had been left for herself.
Why would Chi Yao give him such a precious sword?
Was it because of love?
If it was love, then why did she kill Zhang Ruochen with her own hands?
It 's too difficult to understand her thought.
Suddenly, countless thoughts filled Zhang Ruochen's mind. He became even more confused.
Lu Fantian stared at the broken sword in Lu Xuan's hand. He asked her doubtfully, "Girl, you must have seen wrongly! This the Blood Drop Sword?"
"Of course not."
Lu Xuan rolled her eyes and said, "Legends say that the blade of the Blood Drop Sword used to be as white as polished jade. It contains divine vital essence and could devour blood of humans and savage beasts to raise its grade. Later, the sword turned into a blood-red one for it was stained with the blood of millions of people. Given its strength, once the sword is drawn, blood clouds will appear in the sky that would spread out for tens of thousands of miles."
Lu Fantian was more confused and asked, "You just said that only Empress Chi Yao had gotten a piece of Natural Divine Iron in the whole Kunlun's Field. But how can there be another sword which was made of Natural Divine Iron? Besides, it's a broken sword. Are you sure you are not mistaken?"
Lu Xuan's fingers gently touched her chin, and she said, "I have some doubts, too... However, the material of this broken sword is the same as the Natural Divine Iron that the Canon of Ritual Items described."
"According to the legend, when Empress Chi Yao cast the Blood Drop Sword, she called upon ten of the best weapon refiners in the Kunlun's Field. It took them 81 days to successfully forge the sword in the Sun and Moon Pool. And the ancestor of our Sword Sanctum was one of the ten weapon refiners. Since that's the case, I'll take the broken sword to see our great-grandfather. Maybe he'll know some secrets."
Lu Fantian nodded his head and said, "It seems like that would be the best choice for now."
And then, he turned his eyes to Zhang Ruochen again. He was more curious about Zhang Ruochen's identity,"Was he not a student of the School of the Martial Market or a disciple of the Taiji Doctrine, but an envoy that Empress Chi Yao sent?"
As Lu Xuan was prepared to return to Sword Sanctum with the Abyss Ancient Sword, she suddenly stopped and turned around, asking, "Hey! What's your name? And tell me the poem you said earlier. I'll help you ask."
"Zhang Ruochen."
Zhang Ruochen then read out the poem, "No one knows that I'm in the deep forest, only the moon accompanies and sends me light. Thank you, lady."
"Just call me Lu Xuan! Hehe!"
A silvery laughter rang and then Lu Xuan disappeared in the sacred mountains with a few moves.
Lu Fantian still stood in place, he curiously stared at Zhang Ruochen and asked, "Zhang Ruochen. Why have I never heard this name before? With your power, you shouldn't be unknown. Is this your real name?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "I don't need to use a fake identity. It will be easy to find out my true identity with the influence of the Sword Sanctum."
Lu Fantian nodded and continued to say, "Your strength is not weak, but your realm of cultivation is a little bit low. If we really fight each other, you may not be able to withstand ten strikes from me."
It was unnecessary and impossible to conceal his identity in front of a master like Lu Fantian. He had already roughly understood the stage of Zhang Ruochen's realm through the previous fight.
On the other hand, Zhang Ruochen had also guessed Lu Fantian's strength. He was indeed a powerful opponent.
Previously, Lu Xuan had said that he was able to rank in the top ten warriors of the young generation in the Eastern Region. It was probably not a lie.
...
Sword Sanctum, Jade Saint Divine Mountain
Jade Saint Divine Mountain was the lord of the 18 sacred mountains. The owner of these sacred mountains was Lu Huaiyu, who was called "Jade Saint".
The grey-haired and wrinkled Jade Saint looked like he was already in his eighties or nineties. He was so thin that his bones were protruding out his skin. However, his eyes, as bright as the stars, seemed like they contained infinite wisdom and emit light like some holy deity.
Holding the Abyss Ancient Sword, Jade Saint was so excited that his hands kept trembling. He muttered:
"No one knows I'm in the deep forest, only the moon accompanies and sends me light."
"No one knows I'm in the deep forest, only the moon accompanies and sends me light."
...
Jade Saint repeated the poem three times, then he calmed down. He placed the Abyss Ancient Sword on the stone table beside him. Then he expectantly gazed at Lu Xuan and asked, "What's his name? How old is he? What else did he say?"
Lu Xuan politely kneeled in the center of the Holy Temple and she slightly looked up. It was her first time to see her ancestor being so excited.
Ancestor was a Saint who had already lived for more than 400 years.
How could he be so excited over something like this?
Next to her, her grandfather, Lu Jingyuan and great-grandfather, Lu Chongyu were also reverently kneeling in the Holy Temple.
Lu Jingyuan immediately stared at Lu Xuan as he found that Lu Xuan had not answered the ancestor's questions. He lowered his voice and asked, "Xuan Er, the ancestor is asking you a question. What're you daydreaming for?"
After hearing his words, Lu Xuan shivered and immediately kowtowed to the ancestor. She quickly replied, "Ancestor, the man's name is Zhang Ruochen. He's probably about 20 years old."
When Jade Saint heard the name "Zhang Ruochen", he slightly frowned and pondered. After a moment, it seemed that he had thought something and his face changed. "How could it be this name?..."
Light of wisdom shone from his eyes, he asked again, "Where is he?"
"He is in Sword Stela," Lu Xuan answered.
Jade Saint said, "Immediately invite him to Jade Saint Divine Mountain. Treat him politely and don't give him the cold-shoulder."
He seemed to feel a little uneasy and added, "Lu Chongyu, you go to pick him up. You must remember that don't let outsiders see him and directly bring him to me."
After Lu Chongyu left, Lu Xuan and Lu Jingyuan also walked out of the Holy Temple.
Lu Xuan stuck her tongue out. She felt a little puzzled and said in a low voice, "Grandpa, who is that man? Ancestor gives him so much honor that he ordered great-grandfather to pick him up personally!"
Lu Jingyuan looked serious and said, "Xuan Er, the man's background is probably stronger than we thought. Ancestor just sent me a message to tell me to keep the secret."
Lu Xuan showed an unbelievable look with her mouth wide open. The figure of Zhang Ruochen appeared in her mind again. She felt a little uncomfortable and muttered, "He seemed to have nothing extraordinary except for his handsome face.
...
A moment later, led by Lu Chongyu, Zhang Ruochen came to the Holy Temple of Jade Saint Divine Mountain and saw the Jade Saint, Lu Huaiyu.
Lu Chongyu went out and there were only Zhang Ruochen and Jade Saint in the Holy Temple.
Jade Saint carefully looked Zhang Ruochen over. After a while, he asked, "Are you from Ming Hall?"
Ming Hall was a force that established by the old subordinates of Emperor Ming. Like the Moon Worship Demonic Sect, Ming Hall had always been active in Kunlun's Field and kept fighting against the rule of Empress Chi Yao.
However, the power of Ming Hall was mainly distributed in Nine Provinces of Middle Earth. Its power in the east, south, west, north was relatively weak.
Therefore, the influence of Ming Hall in Eastern Region was not so strong.
Although Zhang Ruochen did not come into contact with the people of the Ming Hall, he knew of its existence. So he was not surprised that the Jade Saint asked him this.
Zhang Ruochen answered: "I'm not from the Ming Hall."
Jade Saint said, "If you're not from Ming Hall, how do you know the poem?"
Zhang Ruochen looked up, the old man sitting above was not his sixth elder brother, Lu Yuanzhi. Therefore, he was still defensive and dared not to speak his own identity.
Zhang Ruochen thought for a while and said with obeisance, "I have some private reasons, so I'll only answer some questions in front of elder Lu Yuanzhi."
Jade Saint frowned slightly and said, "Lu Yuanzhi is my grandfather. You may not know but he passed away 300 years ago."
"What? He has... died..."
Although Zhang Ruochen had already expected this result, he was still sad when Jade Saint told him.
Eight hundred years had passed; time had brought a great change to the world, even a Saint would reach the end.
Jade Saint continued to say, "Now, I'm the master of Sword Sanctum. If you have any problem or message, you can directly tell me. Perhaps I could help you."
It was impossible for Zhang Ruochen to tell Jade Saint his identity because he only trusted his sixth elder brother, Lu Yuanzhi.
Can I believe trust other people?
What happened in the past had been too odd. Even Zhang Ruochen's lover had killed him personally, who else he could believe?
And Chi Yao had been reigning for 500 years, the force of the imperial court was uncontended under the heavens, sweeping away all disobedience and ruling the whole wide world. How could Zhang Ruochen easily expose his identity?
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath and bowed again, he said, "I just come to repair my sword. There is nothing else."
Disappointment appeared in Jade Saint's eyes, he looked at the broken sword, and then he laughed and said, "I would like to ask, where did you get this broken sword?"
Zhang Ruochen replied calmly ,"I found it in the Martial Market of Yunwu Commandery. I bought it for its special material. Then I asked many weapon refiners to repair it, but they all failed. And I just heard of that Sword Sanctum is a Holy Land of refining weapon, so I come here to visit Master Lu, wondering if he can help me. But I didn't think that Master Lu had died 300 years before."
Jade Saint said, "It means that you didn't know the sword was made of Natural Divine Iron before today?"
"Yes." Zhang Ruochen replied.
Jade Saint smiled and said, "Sword Sanctum also participated in the process of casting the sword. I know some secrets about Natural Divine Iron and the sword. Do you want to know?"
Zhang Ruochen knew that the Jade Saint was deliberately testing him.


Eight hundred years ago, a legendary man passed away. Zhang Ruochen, the son of Emperor Ming, was killed by his fiancée, Princess Chi Yao. Then, eight hundred years after his death, he came back, only to find that the one who had killed him had already unified Kunlun's Field and built the First Central Empire, and was now known as Empress Chi Yao... Empress Chi Yao—Her Majesty governed the mortal world and enjoyed prestige in all directions as well as an eternal life. Zhang Ruochen stood outside of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, looking at the statue of Empress Chi Yao, and the flames of hatred burned in his heart. “After I practice for 13 years, I shall send the empress to her doom!”

Patrick sat inside his car parked outside Cyd's place.  He would take a walk around the area to stretch his legs then go back inside the vehicle to check his phone.  He drove back to her office a few times and found her car still in the parking lot.  He called her phone numerous times, but it just kept ringing.  He was feeling frustrated, miserable, and out of time.  Lawrence told him that they were flying out of Brunei by 7 am, and, for a second, he played on the idea to give them the slip and hide somewhere else.  Then he remembered Cyd and knew that it was out of the question.  Patrick re-checked his watch, and it was almost midnight.  Cyd, he thought, please talk to me.
As far as Patrick can remember, their family has always been different.  He spent his early childhood days shuttled between his parents' modest house in the suburbs and his grandfather's mansion in Holland Park.   There were rare occasions when an invitation for the family to join an auspicious event at the estate would be extended to them. Still, his father had consistently declined as it always excluded his mother.
Chen Mee Ting was a lovely young lady, singlehandedly raised by her mother as her father disappeared when she was only days old.  She best remembered her childhood filled with hand-me-down dresses, shoes, and even books as her mother struggled to put food on the table, let alone send her daughter to school, by working as a sales clerk. An aunt wanted to adopt her to ease her mother from child-rearing worries, but her mother would not hear of it. Mee Ting had not lacked love and affection, but every so often, she found herself dreaming of a dress that she had seen someone wearing in school or a new pair of shoes that she would feel was made especially just for her.
She was ecstatic when her mother told her after high school that she has set aside something for her college education.  However, her mother stressed that it would depend on the school as she can only send her daughter to a community school and not to an expensive private school for college.  She applied for a scholarship and worked part-time to cover some of the other expenses to help her mother.
On her way to school one day, she accidentally saw a piece of paper with some scribbling that she recognized as a poem.  The top part seemed to be missing as she held the bottom part of a page torn from a notebook.  She read the words written on the part that she had and was quite taken with the message that it was trying to convey.  She decided to write the top part that was missing to complete the poem.  Half belongs to her and the other to an unlucky poet now missing part of his or her work.   She submitted a copy of her poem to the student council for publication in their college newspaper.  Unbeknownst to her, the student council sent the top ten poems they received to a publishing company for compilation and possible inclusion in a book.  The book will feature original works of homegrown and aspiring poets to be published nationwide.
Two months later, a man showed up at Mee Ting’s humble abode and introduced himself as Tan Boon Hua.  Mee Ting has never heard of him.
"Miss Chen Mee Ting, I'm sorry to come unannounced, but I got your address from the student council in your school.  I had to see you as I believe I'm the father of your child," He confidently told her.
"What child?  I'm not married and certainly have not had a child yet.  I’m sure that I wouldn’t forget if I ever did have one!”  Mee Ting was indignant.
“Well, you definitely took a part of me and raised it well.  I am here to know the mother of my child.”
“Sir, I believe you’re in the wrong house, and if you don’t make yourself scarce in the next minute, I will scream at the top of my lungs and send my neighbors to chase you out!”
The man pulled a small notebook from his bag, opened it to a torn page, and showed it to Mee Ting.  
“Do you remember this?”
Mee Ting looked closely and read the first few lines. She realized that it was an incomplete poem with the bottom part missing.  She looked up at the man, confused.
"Did you happen to find the bottom part of the poem I wrote, filled in the missing top part, and submitted it to your school council?"
Mee Ting's hand went up to her mouth in horror.  She immediately went inside her room and looked for that piece of paper with only the bottom part of the poem that she found lying on the ground.  The half-torn page was neatly tucked inside her most favorite book.  When she went out, the man was still patiently waiting by the door. After being handed the paper, he tried to show her that it was the exact piece of paper torn from his notebook.  She opened her mouth to explain, but he cut her off and spoke.
“So, you see, Ms. Chen, I am the father of the child you took away from me that day.”  He smiled at her.
That was the start of their story.  Tan Boon Hua was taking World Literature at the University of Yale in America but decided to take a school break at the behest of his parents.  A week after, they started dating, and Boon Hua told Mee Ting about his family and what exactly they were into.  Mee Ting was stunned and tried to avoid Boon Hua, who remained unwavering.  When Boon Hua’s father increased the pressure on his son to leave Mee Ting, Boon Hua decided to cut all ties with his family and proposed marriage to her.
The first two years of their married life were stressful as Boon Hua found it challenging to find any work to support his new young bride.  His father made sure that no one came to give him help as he wanted his son to come crawling back to him.  It became a long wait with no end in sight.   After two years, they received news that the woman their son married has given birth to a healthy boy, who they named Wan Hsien, which meant 'The One with Ten Thousand Virtues.'
Overnight, things changed in the lives of the new parents.  Opportunities and aid came in different forms.  The father has extended an olive branch to his son.  The son hesitated, but his wife begged him to accept the generosity of his father. Boon Hua then noticed something wrong: The olive branch offered did not extend to his wife, Mee Ting.   Again, Mee Ting pleaded with her husband to make peace with his parents for the sake of their son.   It was beginning to take a toll on her as her husband's family thwarted all their efforts to live peacefully.  
Boon Hua accepted his family's offer of help.  In exchange, they requested to see more of their only grandson.  Gifts came in the form of a significant trust fund, educational grants, and stocks.  
Before Wan Hsien was born, Mee Ting suffered a miscarriage that they thought was because of Mee Ting's poor health.  However,  after giving birth to their firstborn, two miscarriages again followed.  Eventually, they stopped trying to conceive again as they felt that they could no longer bear the pain of losing another child.
Wan Hsien went to a boarding school in Australia for his early years of education.  At first, he resented the separation but growing up. He then decided that being away from his feuding family afforded him the peace he lacked whenever he was back home.  He later went to Oxford and took up Accountancy. When the lights in Cambridge beckoned, he pursued his masters in Harvard, putting more distance between himself and his dysfunctional family.  He took on the name Patrick during his university days in another attempt to disassociate himself from his family, only to find out later that the word meant 'King' or 'Nobleman.'
Later, Patrick went back to Singapore to take his place in the family business, but in another feeble attempt at defiance, he went to work for an auditing firm as an audit assistant.  He told his grandfather's lawyers that he wanted to be left alone and that, should they refuse to keep their distance, he will again consider taking residence in another country.  
Patrick was caught by surprise when his grandfather offered a truce, an offer to end their more than three decades of silent war; that is, if he would consider marriage to a suitable partner of his grandfather's choice. When Patrick first saw Emily, he chuckled.  In his mind, Emily Seah is power-hungry personified.  The truce also included that his grandfather would finally recognize his mother.  With much misgivings, he agreed.
That was two years ago.  Patrick threw his life into his work and was easily promoted to supervisor then manager. When the chance of a  secondment came up, Patrick was the only one who volunteered.  When he found out that it was to their office in Brunei, he remembered feeling disappointed as there was nothing in Brunei that he might find even remotely amusing.

This is the story of Cyd, a young Filipino woman in her mid-twenties, who will travel to an Islamic sultanate and work as an assistant to the senior partner of the country’s biggest law firm.   Finding love is not in her list of priorities as she wants to enjoy her youth, friends, and opportunities.  But fate seems to have a different plan for her as she begins to meet interesting people and situations.   

Cyd will find herself in the company of a man whose heart is set on another man, pursued relentlessly by a troubled young billionaire, and fall in love with a man who she can only have in her dreams.  Her ordinary life will be thrown in the roller coaster of emotions, lies, and a love that will start in her dreams and refuse to stop long after she opens her eyes.

Is Cyd headed for an ill-fated romance or is her story about an unconditional love at its finest?

Suggested age range 13+.

A Certain Perchance is created by Elsa Flora, an eGlobal Creative Publishing Author.

The texture of the wooden pendant was very fine and it felt warm and nice being held.
 
Su Wan loved it so much that she couldn't put it down. She looked at it repeatedly and her love for the wooden pendant only grew stronger.
 
Jiang Xuecheng saw Su Wan's eyes lingering on the wooden pendant and knew she had taken a fancy to it.
 
"Wan Wan, if you like the pendant, just buy it."
 
Jiang Xuecheng thought Su Wan would pay for it directly but she held up that pendant and showed Jiang Xuecheng the poem on it.
 
"My grandfather has been praising you. He says you're a scholar and understands the studies of Chinese ancient civilization. You should know the origin of this poem, shouldn't you?"
 
Jiang Xuecheng raised his brows, not expecting Su Wan to make things difficult for him using this poem. Was she taking revenge on him for ridiculing her for being too heavy and causing the broken bicycle chain?
 
When Su Wan saw Jiang Xuecheng keeping silent, she thought he didn't know the answer. So, feeling pleased with herself, she raised her brows and smiled.
 
"This poem is very famous and you don't know it. It shows you're a fake scholar. Let me tell you, the author of this poem is…"
 
Before Su Wan could provide an answer, Jiang Xuecheng beat her to it. 
 
 "The author is Fan Chengda, a poet of Southern Song Dynasty. The source is from 'Car Far Away.'"
 
 "Wan Wan, not only do I know its source but I've also memorized the whole poem. Do you believe me?"
 
When the clear and melodious voice entered her ears, Su Wan's eyes widened.
 
She glanced speechlessly at Jiang Xuecheng. Actually, Su Wan knew the source and the author of this poem because she had a special liking for ancient poetry.
 
However, she had never seen a single book of ancient poetry on his book shelves!
 
Jiang Xuecheng smiled elegantly and its radian was exceptionally charming. "Your husband has the ability to remember whatever he has read. Wan Wan, you don't have to display your slight skill in front of me."
 
This narcissist!
 
Su Wan pouted in frustration. "Alright, you're the smartest in the world. I admit defeat."
 
Even if Jiang Xuecheng could memorize 'Car Far Away' in its entirety, Su Wan believed he would not know every poem. She would pick a few ancient poetries which weren't as famous a few days later to test him.
 
"Women always say what they don't mean."
 
Totally unconcerned, Jiang Xuecheng looked up. His dark and deep eyes curved up a little and his elegant demeanor was compelling. 
 
No matter from which angle one looked at this man, he was perfect and flawless.
 
Suddenly, Su Wan's heart skipped a beat. To cover her obsession, she lowered her head to tidy her hair, pretending to groom herself.
 
"Alright, all I know is that I like this pendant. Let's pay!"
 
Jiang Xuecheng looked at her steadily. His eyes were sparkling and he showed a clear smile. He could see Su Wan was bashful through her red ears but did not expose her. 
 
Those who were familiar with Su Wan could read her like an open book.
 
"Let's go."
 
Jiang Xucheng put his hands into his pocket and walked toward the cashier quickly.
 
Su Wan caught up to his pace. She took the wooden pendant carved with the ancient poem carefully and joyfully.
 
This shop was very small. Before both of them walked to the cashier, the lady shop owner saw Su Wan staring at the pendant.
 
It looked like she could make a business deal today!
 
The lady shop owner smiled immediately and started to promote non-stop.
 
"Ah, so, both of you like pendants. Would you like to buy a few more? We have many other pendants like zodiac pendants, little fish pendants…"
 
Su Wan didn't like the lady shop owner's persistent manner of selling. She pursed her lips and her smile was faint.
 
"No thank you, just this please. How much is it?"
 
The middle-aged shop owner examined their dressing once again. She couldn't see the brand of their clothing but instinctively felt that they both dressed well. 
 
The lady shop owner tried showing her two fingers, "Since you're the first two customers to visit our shop today, I'll give you a special price. This pendant is two hundred dollars."
 
The moment she finished talking, she grasped her fingers and a sense of uneasiness appeared in her eyes.
 
She wouldn't tell them that the wholesale price of the pendant was less than fifteen dollars. Looking at this little couple, she thought they should be ignorant of the market price…
 
Jiang Xuecheng and Su Wan did not speak and the lady shop owner misunderstood that they felt it was too expensive. So, she started to ramble again.
 
"Please don't think it's expensive. This pendant is made of black walnut tree and it's handmade. If you buy this, it's absolutely worth your money!"
 
She paused and then continued, "Look at the words 'To be united forever' carved on the pendant. Both of you would definitely grow old together!"
 
Jiang Xuecheng heard the shop owner chatter away and felt she was irritating. He couldn't help frowning.
 
"We'll take it."
 
Upon hearing him, the lady shop owner was surprised. After regaining her senses, her face lit up with happiness. "Sure!"
 
Just as she excitedly went to look for a gift bag, Su Wan stopped her.
 
 "Aunty, I'm sorry, I think I don't want this!"
 
As Su Wan spoke, she looked at Jiang Xuecheng. A sly smile appeared on her face as she said, "Xuecheng, I think this pendant is too expensive. Let's go to the next shop to take a look."
 
Jiang Xuecheng raised his brows as he looked at Su Wan. He was uncertain as to what Su Wan was thinking. 
 
Didn't she like that pendant just now?
 
It was only two hundred dollars. To Jiang Xuecheng, even if the amount had a few more zeros behind the two hundred, he didn't mind.
 
The lady shop owner heard Su Wan grumble that the pendant was too expensive and panicked. How could she let them go so easily when she finally had customers?
 
She tugged Su Wan's sleeves. Besides having urgency, she had a sullen look.
 
 "How could you do this? Just now, Mr. Handsome said he'll have it. How could you go back on your words now?"
 
 "We have not paid."
 
Su Wan frowned as she reminded her. She had always disliked strangers touching her and immediately wished to push her hand away.
 
Unexpectedly, the middle-aged woman was fierce. She seized Su Wan's sleeves and didn't want to let go.
 
"Nowadays, people don't practice buying and selling by force, do they?"
 
The low and deep male voice sounded in the shop. The person who spoke was like a born king. Just a light sentence uttered by him with his powerful tone made one wish to submit to him.
 
The lady shop owner's body trembled and she unconsciously loosened her grip on Su Wan's hand.
 
This handsome man looked so gentle when he stood beside Su Wan. How could he turn into a terrifying man in the blink of an eye?
 
The shop owner murmured in her heart for a while and her fierce look was replaced with a warm smile of a business woman. 
 
"Why don't I give you a fifty percent discount? This is a small business. I really can't lower the price anymore…"


After being betrayed by her fiancé and her cousin sister, she accidentally rescued an elegant but indifferent young master.  Never did she expect to marry him and surprised many!
“Sir, Young Madam took a fancy to an expensive jade.” 
He looked up and replied with a casual air, “No matter the price, buy it for her!”
“Sir, Young Madam is fighting with others!” 
His face darkened and he immediately ordered, “Get her a few more men.  Make sure she doesn’t lose.  How dare they bully my wife?”
“Sir, Young Madam has been reported having an affair with a man!” Upon hearing this, he could bear no more and dashed out without a second thought.


"What kind of bet!?" – Britney was glaring at Evan.

She couldn't comprehend how a countryside bumpkin with no cultivation, a person who spent a whole day reading books for children up to six years, was having so much confidence in himself. The fact that he was able to dodge the guard's attacks ten times straight was somewhat suspicious and one might even think of it as a heavenly luck has taken place, since most of the time he didn't even look at Matt's movements.

"To see who is the unlearned one here!?" – Evan looked deadly serious, and even a hint of offence was showing on his face.

Evan was planning to make some fun of the girl, since he found her interesting. Not only she didn't behave as your average bookworm girl would, while being shy and all, she even had the heaven defying "two little sisters". The fact that she tried to apologise in the first place showed how innocent she was, and Evan didn't doubt for a second that the girl was a twenty-ish years old virgin, since alpha has already told him the information.

[A cliché situation where a cheater deals with an arrogant character is exactly what I need to set up] – meeting such an interesting person, Evan thought it would worth to befriend her.

"Ridiculous!!! Even a blind person would see that you are speaking nonsense and what can I get from such a beggar when I win the bet!?" – Britney felt even more stupefied, the person in front of her obviously was a person of lowly birth, but the confidence he radiated even when faced with people like herself and her grandfather, wasn't shining even one less bit.

"Do you like poems!?" – Evan asked with cunningness in his voice.

"What would a countryside bumpkin know, I am a poet myself!" – poems were Britney's one of the favourite subjects. She was called a genius poet of the young generation and it was something that Britney was taking pride in.

Evan didn't mention poems as a random subject since he saw her reading a half-meter thick book of poems in the morning. With Evan's knowledge from previous world and alpha on his side, he could just randomly recite any number of the most famous poems that had conquered the hearts of billions of people through out the ages.

"What a coincidence, I am a very qualified poet as well, we can compare our poems!?" – Evan grinned from one ear to another.

"Shameless, how can such an unrefined muscle head be a poet!? There are millions of losers with a lack of talent, who think they can create poems, but actually are nothing more than jokes in my sight, for I am Britney Rotherford, from the Rotherford family" – Britney didn't even consider what Evan said seriously, since she was absolutely sure that no such muscular ugly looking guy without manners and scholarly aura around him would be a poet worthy of being called such. 

"Actions are always better than words. Hmhm…" – Evan cleared his throat, He finally knew the background of the girl. The Rotherford family were the epitome of literature, in every generation the family produced more and more renowed writers and poets that would create amazing pieces of literature. Evan undrestood that he could not do it halfhearted, so asked for alpha's help. Evan changed his cheeky expression to a sensual one and with a sweat voice started to recite the poem.

"I can't say "How" and "Why"  
I love you now, and, until I die.
….
"
Evan's voice was too sweat, his expression showed how deeply in love ge was, the words were so resonating with the very soul that Britney's very monster core was shaken.

"What a beautiful poem, It's on the same level as  grandfather's poems!?" – Britney was so overtaken, that she forgot that the reciting person was still the guy that she only a moment ago called an unlearned countryside bumpkin.

"…
  For I must love, because I live  The live itself is what it gives." 

*******************************************

Evan finished his recitation of the poem, his hands were at his chest as if trying to embrace his heart, his head was down, from time to time looking at Britney with a corner of an eye to see her reaction.

[Alpha, how was my performance!?] – Evan said in his mind.

{Calculating the similarity of the action to the simulated performance. Analyses completed. 76/100 points}

[What an actor I am, it was a perfect show, let me see how you are going to play to get hard now, Alpha…muwahahahah]

{Calculating influence over Britney Rotherford's . Analyses completed. 4/10 points}
 
"So, Miss Britney I suppose...by the way, my name is Evan... what do you think about my poem!?" – Evan said, seeing her expression that showed how thoroughly she was immersed into the thoughts about the poem.

"Aahh, what…you…how can it be you…I don't believe it…you definitively cheated…I....I won't accept it!" – Britney just came back to her senses. She was completely dumbfounded, and the obvious reaction of denial followed immediately after. The performance Evan just did was amazing, but the actor's looks didn't match the style or the words, which downgraded the performance. Everyone would get an image of a performer in their head when they enjoyed the show, and very ofter when the image didn't match the reality a large portion of the pleasure would disappear. Britney understood how good the poem was, and hence couldn't match it up with Evan. 

"Come on miss, it's a pleasure to meet you too, don't worry beauty, I believe you have the means to find out if I really cheated with the poem or not, and we still haven't started the bet, hence no terms were stated yet!" – Evan replied smiling.

"I…I…can't…" – while she was searching for words to reply, Evan interjected.

"My actions proved themselves. Since the reason for the disagreement between us was to see if I am unlearned or not, the best solution to check is literature. We can challenge each other on the topic of poems, I can give you 3 days to prepare." – Evan said still smiling, if one looked carefully into his eyes, they would notice a slight mischievousness.

"I…I agree, but when you lose, you will tell me who is the author of the poem is and give me all of the other poems of the grandmaster you have!" – Britney still didn't doubt that Evan didn't have anything to do with such a touching poem but couldn't be not curious about an author who could write such a touching poem about love.

"The poem's value are beyond of your immagination, but still I do agree. Do not judge people by what their looks. Do not underestimate anyone, these are the universal sayings that anyone under skies know about but only a handful use!" – Evan was shaking his head when he said it. It looked like he was disappointed with Britney actions, while he himself behaved like a person who gained wisdom of the world.

"Stop the bullshit. It is something you should say for yourself, do not underestimate the eyes of a professional poet!" – Britney got frustrated because Evan was trying to look like a sage. She could tell with a single glance that he was at most a beginner in poetry.

When one reached a certain level of mastery in poetry, the way they speak or even move would change and they would radiate a certain grace that learned people could immediately recognise.

"Do not participate in a war in which you can't win, therefore I will stop arguing. If I win, miss Britney, you will just wear the clothes that I will prepare for you, and great me with a waist bow, as if I were your Master!" – Evan said with smile on his face.

The conditions were quite absurd for Britney. However, since she never doubted even for a second that she would definitively win, she accepted the conditions. Britney knew by name all of the grandmaster poets that lived on the devil continent for the last thousand years and she never heard any poem similar to the one Evan just recited. She was sure, that Evan found some ancient poet's creation and therefore couldn't wait to read his great works.

"If that is all you want, Deal. No going back now, mister Evan! I will be getting an ancient poetry book, what a luck! Do not say I am bulling you to take the grandmaster's book from you. You were the one who suggested it first." – For the first time Britney started to smile, it was almost like she didn't hear the words Evan said about the clothes.

"Don't worry miss Britney, this young hero never tells lies. Then I will trouble you to prepare for the contest in 3 days, and keep the conditions a secret. Since we don't want your scary grandpa to come after my life again!" – Evan was smiling, his set up worked perfectly, and everything was according to his plan.   
 

Evan's soul transmigrated to another world, but it didn't seem to be an accident as you would usually expect in transmigration. His soul has overtaken a body that belonged to a third prince of the strongest country on the continent, called the Monster Empire. However, the prince for some reason was at the end of his life, he was poisoned using the most terrifying poison there is known on the entire continent. The prince once was the strongest person from the strongest country, but now lost all the power and only status is left.

"Hien Lixue!" Someone called out. "Hien Lixue" The person called out again.

Sighing, I stood up from the chair I was sitting in and left the book open to where u stop reading. "Yes father?" I said walked towards the corridor where my father was.

He looked at me and smiled. My father was the only person who took time to admire his daughter.

Since my mother, his first wife, died while giving birth to me, I was the only thing that reminded him of her.

"We are having guests tonight and you know what that means" he says as we walk along side each other and towards our section of the compound. 

My father, Chen Jian was a very well respected official of the imperial city. He was even close to the previous emperor and was like a personal friend to him. He was the 3rd master of the Chen compound after my grandfather and uncle.

My father never liked showing me off. He thought as my beauty was too 'rare' and a gem like me needed to 'choose' for myself, he kept me hidden. 

I did go outside and had freedom, as long as there was a veil covering my face and that my bodyguards were always around me.

"Yes dad, I'll go change and wear my veil" I sighed as I bowed to my father. I walked towards my area of the sector. 

The Chen compound had four sectors, the Yueji sector where my grandparents and 4 dozen servants stayed, the Mudan sector where my uncle, aunt and cousins stayed with 2 dozen servants, the Pugongying sector where my step mother and step-siblings stayed with a 2 dozen servants and the Lianhua sector where my father and I lived with 3 dozen servents and 6 guards.

I walked towards the bath room, where I met with 2 servants. It seems as they already got the message from my father. 

The maids closed the door and I undressed behind the silk curtains, easing myself into the warm bath. It was scented with cherry blossom pedals. I enhaled the smell and relaxed my mind. 

I finished bathing and dried myself. I put on a purple hanfu, which showed my pale shoulders and brought out my violet coloured eyes. My eyes weren't from any of my parents, but from a very powerful monk who gave me eyesight when I was blind.

My grandmother went to the temple one day, and asked the heavens to give me eyesight when my third week passed and I still could not see. 

Luckily, a man approached her and asked her to lead him directly to me. She was startled at first, but saw how he was dressed and guided him to me. 

Hence, I was giving eyesight through this man. 

But with these eyes come difficult. It's hard for me, because I can see things that will happen or may have happened, but never the full story.

I am always woken up from my sleep because of these dreams that came with these eyes. 

They say we can never cheat death, but I have many times before. I never told my father about this because it will make security ten times worse than it is now.

I covered my face with the veil proved by the servants. My hair was left loose, while pins pushed it back so it wasn't a mess. I sat by the window and looked at the sun setting.

It left the sky purple, just like the colour of my hanfu, but much more darker. As I gazed at it, I heard my father call for me. I stood up and walked towards him.

"It's time. You look lovely" he said as we walked towards the dinning hall. "Hien Lixue thanks father for the compliment" I said, bowing slightly. 

We arrived there and I bowed down before my grandparents. "Hien Lixue greets grandmother Chen and grandfather Chen" I said while kneeling. "Come child, let your grandmother see your precious face" she said.

My grandparents where very involved with my rising. My grandmother was like a mother to me, teaching me the ways of a lady and also making sure that I was proper. She taught my how to dance, sing, play instruments and paint. 

My grandfather taught me the art of combat, sword fighting, archery and horse riding. Even when my father would protest, I always went hunting with them and Wei ge-ge.

Chen Wei was my eldest cousin on my uncle's side. He was like an older brother to me and never left me alone. He was a soldier in the army but was here at home helping with the family business.

I didn't notice my step family was also there. Chen Ho Fu and Chen Liu Mei and their mother , Fa Ting.

They never liked me from the start, since all my father's attention was constantly on me. They have tried to get his attention multiple of times, but never succeeded. 

My uncle and aunt, Chen Dingxiang and Liu Yuehai. They were the best, like second parents, they treated me like a second child. They would always take me with them (with my father's permission and my bodyguards following) and I would have fun with my ge-ge. 

A servant entered the dining hall. " The Han family has arrived" she said, before bowing and opening the door. 

In walked two people. I felt my father shift and heard his voice greeting our guests. " General Han, what a great honour to have you here today" he said, being his cheerful self.

"Its always a great honour being in the presence of one of the most well respected offcial" the man replied. His voice made out that he could be around his mid 30s or so. "I see you have brought your family. Please all, come in and take a seat" my father replied.

"Elders of Chen family, its a plesure to see you all doing well" a womans voice said. "Dear, you have grown so much. How have you been?" my grandmother asked the female voice. 

"I have been doing well" she replies. I felt my fathers presence return to my side and the dinner began. 

As everyone engaged in there own conversations, a certain conversation caught my ear.

"Old friend, may I asked" General Han asked. "Who is this elegant lady by your side?" he asked, guessing as he referred to me. " This is my daughter. My oldest child" he replied. "Well, its an honour to meet her, but why does she have a veil over her face?" he asked.

"My child, as you know is Wa Zhi Ruo, my previous wife's only child. With this and that she has an extremely sensitive eyesight, she mostly can not see people. So to prevent any more damage towards her eyes, she wears a veil over he face at all times" he lied smoothly.

The only reason I actually wear a veil is because of my 'rare' beauty and because of my eyes. He did not want people to see such 'goddess' like beauty. 

To be honest, I see myself as an average beauty, but everyone claims I have beauty that can be compared to a goddess, just like my mothers beauty but more intense due to my eyes. 

"Oh dear, will she be alright?" Lady Han asked. 

"I will be well" I replied softly, while sipping on tea. 

"Her voice is lovely" General Han said to my father. "She's my treasure and the last gift from Zhi Ruo" he replied softly, a hint of sorrow in his voice. I heard my step mother scoff lowly, not wanting anyone to hear her.

The dinner ended and we all walked to the living room.

I sat by my fathers side and kept quiet. "Well, is there any entertainment that could be...." I tuned down the general and looked outside. The sky was partly indigo, a very beautiful shade to say.

"Hien Lixue, would you like to do something?" my father asked, pulling me out the trance.

I cleared my voice and thought of a poem I once wrote: 

               Beauty that is portrayed in many ways
               Material, jewellery and beauty of a person
               But why can't people realise there is beauty everywhere?
               In the forests, in water, in the sky and in the night
               We search the whole world for beautiful things,
               But why can we realise its in front of us rights now
               The sky.... Indigo 
               A shade that symbolizes both peace and jealous
               A beautiful sight indeed

I ended my poem and heard clapping. "Your daughter truly has a gift" General Han commented, his voice filled with astonishment and admiration. "She is indeed a gem" Lady Han said as well.

"She is of course my daughter after all" my dad said with a little pride in his voice causing my grandparents and my aunt, uncle, cousin and the Hans to laugh at his slight humour. 

And to say the least I was glad my step family had not commented negatively towards my poem.

Memorized by her looks, you could tell she was not like the others... Her delicate body danced under the light of the moon, her fierce eyes burned with passion and detemination. Men looked at her, while women envied her... but the eyes of one man glared into her eyes like looking into her soul. Who was she? No one knew her.
______________________________________________________________

Like his name, Zhou Weisheng was greatness indeed. Having inherited the title as Emperor from his father and being one of the fearless warriors, the Zhou dynasty had been a success. All but one thing left: a heir. Countless women threw themselves at the feet of the Emperor, wanting to be the Empress. He never even took a second glance or looked back.

Chen Hien Lixue, one would call her a free spirit. Her mother had died at childbirth, leaving her with her father and step mother. Her father adored her more that his other children, making the step-mother abusive towards her. Her only friends were her grandparents and her cousin. With her ability to see things before they happen and her beauty like a goddess, made her father keep her in secret.
 
This is a journey where one finds her place on the earth and another paves a pathway to her.

As the five of them stayed in the Café Library for five hours and with them catching up, all of them felt glad to have finally met after weeks of being busy with what they're doing. 
Compared to the four of them, only Frey had a very relaxing break but to her, she found it boring and considered to hone her skill in baking instead. 
It was already three in the afternoon and they all decided to go home already. Arlo and Dharvey looked especially tired since they have been working the night shift and only got the time to sleep now. As for Frey, she decided to go do some grocery shopping for her baking ingredients. 
Arvid, on the other hand, got a text from Ivar stating that he would pick the two up at the park since he went out to buy medicine with old man Gladios. 
Arvid and Angeal were already walking towards the park to wait until they saw a familiar person sitting on the park bench, alone, as he wrote on what seemed to be a small notepad. 
The man was wearing a gray round neck sweater and black jeans. He wore brown timberlands and his blonde hair was half tied, making him look like a young adult despite being in his probably mid-40s. 
"Isn't that Professor Leon?" Arvid asked, making Angeal nod enthusiastically. 
"Yeah, it is! Let's go and greet him!"
Since Professor Leon started being their teacher, especially during her major creative writing classes, Angeal considered him as her idol since she found his teaching style amazing. At the same time, every time their instructor would tell them his tales about writing and teaching, Angeal found his stories inspiring, wanting to follow in his footsteps. 
"Professor Leon!"
With Angeal calling his attention as they walked to him, the handsome man looked at the two and smiled as he waved his hand to greet them. 
"Arvid, Angeal! Nice seeing you out of the university," he said, scooting over the bench to give space to the two for them to sit. "What brings you here?" he asked, making Arvid answer him. 
"Oh, we're about to go home, actually. We met up with Arlo and Dharvey, too. Too bad, if we only knew you were near, we would've invited you to lunch," he answered, making their professor chuckle. 
"Oh, it is alright. You guys enjoy your break before the new semester starts next year," he replied, making Angeal smile as she spoke. 
"How about you, Professor? Why are you out? Are you writing inspiration as you hang out alone in the park?"
"Why, yes," Professor Leon answered then a small smile appeared on his face. "You see, today marks the anniversary of me and my wife."
"Oh, really?" Angeal cocked her head to the side, interested in knowing about his wife if he were to share. "If you don't mind me asking, professor, but how long have you two been married now?"
"21 years now," he answered, the two amazed with how long they have been together now. 
"Happy 21st anniversary, Professor Leon," Arvid congratulated them, making Professor Leon nod in acknowledgment. 
"Thank you, Arvid. But there is one thing I have to tell you two that I haven't told the others," he said, fully getting the attention of Angeal and Arvid. 
"What is it?"
The professor's lips turned into a tight line. He looked at the falling leaves as he looked up, looking slightly melancholic as he watched the leaves fall on them, but the three didn't mind it. 
"I made a poem for my wife, you see. Care to listen?"
The two nodded at their professor, making him share the short poem he had made during his stay in the park. 
***
When the lights are gone...
Paranoia haunts me.
When the lights are gone...
Fear engulfs me.
When the lights are gone...
Uneasiness irritates me.
When the lights are gone...
My emotions overwhelm me.
When the lights are gone...
Hope leaves me.
But deep down I know that when the lights are gone...
The thought of you saves me.
***
"Wow!" Angeal reacted, obviously at a loss for words. "The repetitive style of your poem is great, Professor Leon!"
"I agree," Arvid chimed in, a grin appearing on his face. "If your wife read this, she would definitely be happy," he added, the Professor still having the sad smile on his face, making the two curious. 
It's their anniversary, correct? Why does he look so sad?
"I came here because this is the place where I first met my wife. I say I'm married... but to be honest, I had cold feet." The expression of the professor's eyes had a sad glint on it. "I left her the moment I knew she was pregnant."
"Oh..."
The two didn't know what to say. The atmosphere suddenly turned heavier as they now felt the sad state their professor was in. 
"My regret grew as I aged. I claim that I am married... but I never was. I just couldn't find myself falling for another woman. The woman I love is still in my heart. It's painful that I can't say her name. I don't want to... as I felt bad for the pain I have caused her, especially with our child whom I never met."
"Professor Leon..."
A sad expression appeared on their faces as they continued listening to their professor's woes. 
"If only I could turn back time, I could've done the right thing. I was too scared. I wasn't ready yet—she wasn't ready yet... but I left her to deal with it alone. It made me think that if I really did love her, I would have stayed with her."
"Well, she is in the city, right?" Arvid spoke, getting their attention. "You could look for her. I mean... the city is big, but the world is small, right? You might see her again!"
A depressing chuckle came from the professor. 
"It's too late. I heard from our common friend that she died giving birth to our child. Since then, I couldn't search for our child—who he or she is with now." Another sad laugh escaped from his mouth, "See? I don't even know the gender of our child. But I know he or she is at your age now."
"But Professor Leon... why didn't you move away from this city? Isn't it difficult for you to stay when this place reminded you of the woman you loved that is now gone?"
Angeal furrowed her brows as she asked him the question, curious as to why he stayed here. With the love of his life gone and with his regret haunting him, how could he live here comfortably?
"You see, Angeal... that's precisely the reason why I couldn't leave. This is the only place that reminded me of the woman I loved and if I did leave, I see it as running away from my regrets."
He sighed as he closed his notepad then kept it in his pocket. He then looked at his left hand which still had the ring on his finger. He laughed a bit as he remembered a memory about the ring he was wearing.
"This isn't a wedding ring, too. It's just a cheap metal ring that I bought from the store and gave a matching one to her. I gave it to her, here on the very same bench where we sat."
The two still stayed quiet as he continued opening up, the two feeling bad for their professor. 
"The poem sounded sad... but with her in my thoughts, it kept me going. It would be stupid to hear but I'm hoping to meet our child, too. I know he or she is still here... but how do I look?"
Hearing his desire to look for his lost family member, Angeal furrowed her brows as she related to him. Comforting him, an encouraging smile appeared on her face as she held their professor's hand.
"I can understand, Professor. Since I live with my grandfather, I have never met my father, too. I want to see him."
"Angeal, Arvid!"
Hearing a familiar voice calling out to them, the three instinctively looked at the direction where the voice came from. Their eyes landed on an old man who was wearing a casual suit walking up to them as the two laughed a bit with what he's wearing. 
"Jeez, Pops is so formal even though it is an ordinary day," Angeal commented as the three stood to greet the old man. 
"Let's go now, you two. Ivar is waiting in the car and it is still running—"
"Excuse me but... are you Gladios?"
The old man turned to look at the professor, finding himself rude for not greeting the man beside the two. 
"Oh, pardon me. Yes. How did you—"
The moment his eyes landed on the man's face, the old man's eyes widened and his mouth was agape. He raised his right hand as his index finger pointed at the professor accusingly, a course of energy flowing throughout his body as if it were electricity.
That blonde hair... that blue eyes. That very face that he remembered well despite his old age haunted him. He put his hand down as his hands started to tremble. His eyebrows furrowed as he grumbled, surprising Angeal and Arvid at the side. 
"Pops? What's wrong—" 
"You!"
The old man aggressively grabbed the professor by his sweater. With his strength even in his old age, he had managed to lift him from the ground for an inch as he furiously shook him, the professor not moving—as if he allowed him to be treated that way. 
"Pops! What's wrong!?"
Hearing the commotion that was happening and with the bystanders looking at the scene, it had caught the attention of Ivar who was waiting patiently inside the car. 
"Shit! What's happening?"
He instantly went out and locked the car as he strode fast to the four to look at the situation and to settle it. 
"Gladios... I'm sorry. I—"
"You have no right to talk to me!!" A vein appeared on his head, as if it is about to pop. "Because of you, my daughter had struggled until her last breath! Because of you, Angeal—"
Feeling a sudden pang of pain in his chest, the old man instantly let go of Professor Leon as he held his chest with both hands, wincing as he now found the difficulty to breathe. He staggered to the ground on his knees, making Angeal, Arvid, and Ivar rush to him. 
"Pops! Pops!" Tears instantly escaped from her eyes as she held her dear grandfather with immense worry. "Ivar, Arvid... help Pops, please!"
Quickly, the two had carried the old man towards the car. As Angeal stole the key from Ivar's pocket, she opened the backseat for them to put her grandfather in and once he was settled, Angeal sat beside him as Arvid sat in the passenger's seat, Ivar driving off as they went straight to the nearest hospital. 


"Devin, do you love me?"

Hearing her question that had snapped him out of his thoughts, the Soul Eater opened his eyes slowly to meet her blue eyes once more. He smiled foolishly as his right hand reached out to her face, his thumb caressing her bottom lip.

"Is that a question you dare ask your husband?"

Angeal pouted like a child. 

"Tell me you love me... or I’ll cry."

Devin chuckled, making Angeal pout more as she narrowed her eyes at him. When Devin ceased his jovial laughter, he didn’t answer her question. Instead, he bent down as he pulled her closer to him, his lips smoothly landing on hers to give her a loving kiss. 

’I love you, Angeal. Before I even knew it, my heart yearned for you.’

~

Punished by the Almighty Seraphim, Devin was branded a fallen angel and was given a curse to become a Soul Eater—a being who is hungry for souls and feeds on them for sustenance.

Devin was bound on earth, looking for clues on how to cure his irrevocable curse until a desperate old man saw the Soul Eater and begged him to save his newborn granddaughter’s life.

However... it comes with the price of selling both of their souls. 

With the old man giving both of their lives to the Soul Eater, what path lies ahead for Angeal as she grows in a house full of magical immortals?

~

The Almighty Seraphim sighed, shaking herself from her thoughts. She then spoke, planting more curiosity in the mind of the Dominion who was watching over the Soul Eater. 

"Continue watching over them. She is his cure, but it will lead her to oblivion.”

~

With the Soul Eater cursed and with them eventually knowing that the sweet innocent girl he saved is the cure, will their relationship be a boon or a bane?

Will they perhaps have sweet love, forbidden love... or maybe even both?

With the given thoughts at hand, will fate bless their lives... or curse them even more?

Let us know the answers to these questions as we unravel the story of Angeal being the Soul Eater’s Possession.

~

[WARNING: Some chapters may contain mature R-18 content.]

[FYI: This book is also a SLOW BURN romance. If you don’t appreciate slow burns, feel free to take a chance on this book if you want to. *wink*]

Volume 1: Nunc Domum
When the Soul Eater, Devin, and his personal servant, Ivar, found no clues about the curse, they finally went home after 18 years. However, when the two arrived in the mansion, Devin's curse suddenly went amok when he met the human girl, Angeal. What could be the girl's involvement in his curse?

Volume 2: Est Ignotum
As the immortals and the mortals spent their days with each other, they are more confused than ever with not only with the feelings they have for a certain person, but also with their background, with their loyalty, and with what lies ahead. To them, there are a lot of things that are unknown...

Volume 3: Actio Culmen Cadentia
The peak of their lives had finally arrived as secrets and revelations, stirring their judgments and what they believe in. As they all go on with their lives, what will they decide for others, and of course, for themselves?

Volume 4: Et Requiem
With all the events that had transpired, each one of them had started to question one's judgment and decisions. Now that these actions had been falling, what will Devin, Angeal, and everyone do to face what's ahead of them?

Volume 5: Insidiamini Torquet
Everyone's lives are now practically caught in series of unexpected twists and turns. As they are to face the challenges that are thrown at them, what would everyone do as everyone is in it for a shocking revelation about their fate? Will they fight for friendship, freedom, or for love?

~

Update Schedule:
Every first day of the month, story ends on December 2021.

Cover commissioned to: Chainslock

Entry for Webnovel Spirity Awards Spring 2020

Want to further show your support? Send me a ko-fi~! ^^
Link: https://ko-fi.com/mysticamy

grandfather poem novel

Immortal Grandfather

A Midnight Summers Eve

A night Full of Stellar

Hello, Mr. Major General

God Emperor

A Certain Perchance

The Indifferent Young Master’s Flash Marriage

Monster Empire: The Conquest

Hien Lixue

The Soul Eater's Possession

People search grandfather poem also like: