"Mrs. Jiang!" Su Qingxue said.

She doesn’t know why Mrs. Jiang seems stunned. Could it be that she’s not satisfied with me?

At that moment, Mrs. Jiang spoke. "Hello. And this is?"

"My name is Ye Fan," he said. "Miss Su’s fiancé and part-time bodyguard."

I wonder why she’s asking about me. Did she notice something different? Does she know who I am? That’s impossible. Barely anyone in this world knows about me.

"Come," Mrs. Jiang said enthusiastically. "Let’s talk in the dining room!"

"Alright."

They went to the dining room, where Su Qingxue and Ye Fan sat across from Mrs. Jiang, who sat alone at the head of the table. Her commanding presence was undeniable. Despite Mrs. Jiang’s serene demeanor, her aura was so powerful that Su Qingxue couldn’t hope to contend with it.

Su Qingxue then asked, "Mrs. Jiang, regarding the collaboration, our company is prepared to show our utmost sincerity. Please, give us the opportunity to work with you."

Mrs. Jiang smiled. "That’s no problem. The collaboration is confirmed; I’ve decided on your company. It’s rare for us to get together like this. Let’s eat first."

"Okay!" Su Qingxue was secretly delighted, not having expected the matter to be settled so quickly.

Then, to the surprise of both Su Qingxue and Ye Fan, Mrs. Jiang placed some food on Ye Fan’s plate.

"Oh, I’m sorry," Mrs. Jiang said quickly. "I just got a little too excited."

"It’s no problem," Ye Fan replied.

Su Qingxue, however, sensed that something was off about Mrs. Jiang, though she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Still, she was immensely relieved that Mrs. Jiang was so amicable.

At that moment, Mrs. Jiang asked Ye Fan, "Mr. Ye, may I ask where your hometown is?"

Ye Fan replied, "To be honest, I don’t know where my hometown is."

Mrs. Jiang, thinking he wasn’t being truthful, asked, "And your parents? Are they well?"

"I don’t have parents. As far back as I can remember, I’ve never seen them, so I have no real impression of them."

"I see. My apologies," Mrs. Jiang said at once.

"It’s alright," Ye Fan said. "I just remembered I have something to do, so if you’ll excuse me..."

"Stop!" Su Qingxue snapped. "Whatever it is, it can wait until after we’ve finished eating!"

How miserable! Can’t you spare me a little dignity?

In truth, it wasn’t that Su Qingxue was trying to embarrass him. She was simply worried that his rude departure would leave a bad impression on Mrs. Jiang.

But Mrs. Jiang said, "It’s fine. If you have something to attend to, please, go right ahead. It just so happens that Qingxue and I have plenty to talk about."

Ye Fan left, stepping outside with a heavy heart.

He knew only that he had been adopted by a disabled beggar. When he was six, that beggar was beaten to death by a group of thugs. He grew to hate every thug in the world. Before he learned restraint, he would kill every single one he came across. After turning six, he was forced to scavenge for food in rubbish heaps, living a life worse than a dog’s. It was only after joining the Dragon Group as a War God that his legendary path began.

Before he was six, he and the old beggar had relied on each other to survive. The old beggar had led him through countless cities as a vagrant, and he had grown up in that environment. He didn’t know who his parents were or why they had abandoned him. Mrs. Jiang’s question had just torn open those old wounds.

Ye Fan felt a sharp pain in his heart. It was a time he could never let go of, a past he never wanted to remember.

Life wasn’t always so full of pain, or so Ye Fan had thought. He believed he had moved past that Chapter of his life, that he had sealed those memories away, but now they had been dredged up once more. Every year, he paid his respects to the old beggar’s memory and helped the homeless who wandered the city streets.

His mood soured, Ye Fan decided he needed a drink.

* * *

In the room, only Su Qingxue and Mrs. Jiang remained.

She apologized to Mrs. Jiang. "I’m so sorry, Mrs. Jiang. Please forgive the scene."

"It’s nothing, I understand completely," Mrs. Jiang said, her voice now filled with eagerness. "By the way, how did you two meet?"

Su Qingxue had no choice but to explain, "He returned from abroad to be my bodyguard. After we got engaged, he decided not to return overseas."

"Does he, by any chance, have a jade-green pendant with the character for ’Ye’ carved on it?" Mrs. Jiang asked.

Su Qingxue thought hard. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen one. Why do you ask, Mrs. Jiang?"

"He looks so much like someone very important to me," Mrs. Jiang said hastily. "He’s identical in every way. Even a mole... it’s in the exact same place!"

"You mean...?" Su Qingxue was stunned.

"That’s right. My son. I have two sons. My eldest was lost during a terrible disaster that befell our Ye Family many years ago." As she said this, tears welled in her eyes, and Su Qingxue quickly moved to comfort her.

"But I have always believed he is still alive somewhere in this world. The tragedy is, I’ve never been able to find him. So many times, I’ve dreamt of him, feeling him getting closer and closer, but I’ve never had any leads. Still, I’ve always believed that one day, we will be reunited!"

"But... he was overseas," Su Qingxue pointed out.

"Wait!" Su Qingxue’s eyes widened. "I think... I remember him saying something like that!"

"What did he say?" Mrs. Jiang asked urgently.

Su Qingxue replied, "He once mentioned that he was originally from Divine Land, but he was forced to go abroad after being betrayed and falsely accused."

The more Mrs. Jiang considered it, the more excited she became. It seemed increasingly likely that this man was her son. She turned to Su Qingxue and said, "Miss Su, I must ask a favor of you."

"Mrs. Jiang, please don’t say that. If there’s any way I can help, I will," Su Qingxue replied earnestly.

"Since he was a child, he’s had a birthmark on his chest," Mrs. Jiang said, her voice trembling with emotion. "If that also matches, then there can be no doubt. He is my son!"

Su Qingxue understood what Mrs. Jiang was asking of her: to check for the birthmark when she was next with Ye Fan.

"Alright," Su Qingxue promised. "I’ll help you verify it."

In reality, it doesn’t matter whether it’s verified or not. I operate on instinct, and my instinct tells me Ye Fan is my child. And that feeling is only getting stronger.

She turned back to Su Qingxue. "Miss Su, there is much more I’d like to discuss with you. Why don’t you and he both stay at my home tonight?"

"Of course," Su Qingxue agreed. For some reason, she suddenly felt her confidence waver. The possibility that Mrs. Jiang could be her future mother-in-law left her feeling completely flustered.