Chapter 78: Empress, Farmer, and Mercenary
Chapter 78: Empress, Farmer, and Mercenary
Faced with the dirty, exhausting manual labor and Ma Chuan barking like a mad dog, calling for backup proved useless. The relatives from the Ge and Yu families hadn’t lasted half the day before filing into Yu Meilin’s office one by one to submit their resignations and leave.
That very afternoon, Yu Meilin and Mu Long rushed to the airport for a direct flight to Yun Di.
After all, this was a business crucial to their survival; Mu Long insisted on seeing the Jingua Copper Mine personally to feel reassured. Yu Meilin also urgently needed to close a deal to secure funds for the impending debt crisis. After the previous incidents, Yu Jiahao was unlikely to grant her even one extra day before making his move. So, the moment Mu Long mentioned the requirement, Yu Meilin booked the tickets on Ctrip.
Kun Li drove Yu Meilin and Mu Long to the airport, and Li Zian went along too.
Inside the domestic departures hall, Yu Meilin called Li Zian aside for a word.
“Zian, I’m taking Uncle Mu to Yun Di for a look. It will probably take two days. Be careful around home during this time. If anyone from the Yu family invites you out for a meal or anything, don’t go. Wait until I get back,” Yu Meilin advised.
Li Zian shrugged dismissively, “Afraid they’ll hit me?”
Yu Meilin was silent for a moment before speaking, “Grandma is at our house. She holds twenty percent of Dajiang Group’s shares. All three sons, including my father, want them. Whoever gets them gains full control of Dajiang Group. Second Uncle’s family is the most active right now. Third Uncle’s family is standing still, but who knows what scheme they’re plotting. You slapped Yu Jiahao today. I’m worried my father might see this as his chance to make a move.”
So that was her concern.
Li Zian couldn’t hold back a laugh. It felt like he was finally understanding Yu Meilin for the first time.
Four years ago, she had started planning by investing in the Jingua Copper Mine in Yun Di through a third-party company.
Also four years ago, she had sent the Old Matriarch, Lin Shengnan, back to their hometown for recuperation, leaving her in the care of him, the live-in son-in-law. Now it seemed, wasn’t this also part of her long-game strategy?
In her world, nothing was more important than success.
The three Yu brothers had driven her out of Dajiang Group, but she still held the Old Matriarch card, waiting to play it for her return. The soon-to-rise New Star Company would become another card, offering her both offensive and defensive options.
“Zian, what are you laughing about?” Yu Meilin found Li Zian’s reaction odd.
Li Zian smiled, “Nothing. You should go inside now, or you’ll miss your flight.”
“Alright, I’m going. You be careful too over these two days.” After repeating her caution, Yu Meilin turned and entered the security checkpoint.
Li Zian watched her retreating back, a complex mix of feelings stirring inside him.
Purple qi emerges from the east, shining upon the Empress. The water ape stretches its arms, gathering riches.
This was the hexagram interpretation he had obtained through Star Observation in Yun Di. Empress, Empress – the symbolism had already revealed the kind of woman she was, yet he had ignored it. He’d naively viewed her as the sweet, dependent type, foolishly dreaming of winning her affection and conquering her heart. Now it was clear: even if Yu Meilin had agreed to be intimate with him that night, she likely would have been the one aggressively taking the lead.
He pictured Yu Meilin in a palace intrigue drama: she would definitely be the woman left standing at the end, dominating the entire court, basking in exclusive imperial favor – perhaps even rising to become a woman like Wu Zetian, outliving the emperor to seize the throne herself.
Yet, this incredibly formidable woman was Li Xiaomei’s mother. She chose an unconventional path, rejecting a normal life, forcing him to abandon the peaceful existence he craved. And even divorce seemed impossible.
“Let’s go. She’s only going for a day or two. Can’t bear to part already?” Kun Li, also there to see them off, remarked.
Li Zian finally averted his gaze, his voice cool. “Even if she didn’t come back for two years, it wouldn’t bother me.”
Kun Li: “…”
Understanding Yu Meilin’s true nature calmed Li Zian’s heart.
Born with the fate of an Empress – reserved in affection, driven by grand ambitions – it was laughable that he ever imagined sharing a quiet, ordinary life with her. For a man to conquer such a woman, wouldn’t he have to build a great territory himself?
Too bad the Qing Dynasty was long gone.
On the journey back, only Kun Li and Li Zian were in the Bentley car.
Li Zian usually sat in the back seat, but this time, he took the passenger seat.
He wanted to talk to Kun Li.
“You actually dared to hit Yu Jiaxing. Who would have thought? Aren’t you afraid your father-in-law, Yu Taishan, will hold you accountable?” Kun Li asked first.
Li Zian replied, “Even if I hadn’t hit Yu Jiaxing, Meilin’s father wouldn’t have treated me kindly. That kid has no manners. Slapping some sense into him did him a favor.”
“I was watching from the third floor when you slapped Yu Jiaxing. Do you know what I thought of you then?”
Li Zian chuckled lightly, “What did you think?”
“You are a real man. You wouldn’t let Meilin do it. I know you were protecting her. By taking action yourself, any anger Yu Taishan and Gao Shengmei have could only be directed at you. For that, you’re far better than those two-faced men.”
Li Zian simply listened.
“I’m going to say something you might not like hearing.”
“Go ahead.”
“The first time I saw you, I thought you were a freeloader who didn’t deserve Meilin at all.”
Li Zian gave a faint smile. Wasn’t that how everyone in Crescent Moon Village saw him? Did he care?
“I once suggested to Meilin she should just take her grandmother and leave you behind in that little mountain village. But she insisted on bringing you. Now it seems she was right. You’ve helped her immensely. I can’t imagine her situation now if it wasn’t for you.” Kun Li glanced at Li Zian. “Telling you this… you’re not mad, are you?”
Li Zian shrugged, “Do I look angry? Don’t just talk about me. Tell me about you.”
“About me?”
“After spending this time together, I feel you aren’t just an assistant; you seem more like a professional bodyguard. What did you do before?” Li Zian inquired.
He had once divined Kun Li’s fate. Using the Anatomy Physiognomy Technique, he deduced her age, that she had a boyfriend who had passed away, that her physiognomy indicated misfortune for her husband, and that her life might be short.
Divination could reveal specific information about a person or event, but it wasn’t all-knowing.
There were no infallible fortune-tellers. Some self-proclaimed “Divine Calculators” in the martial world would be confidently reading fortunes one moment, advising people on destiny and remaking fate, and the next moment, they’d be run over by a cart while packing up. Others predicting marriages and auspicious matches would return home to find their wives cheating on them.
Kun Li turned her eyes towards Li Zian briefly but remained silent.
Li Zian waited without pressure.
After a few seconds of silence, Kun Li finally spoke. “Your divination is very accurate. You even found the copper mine’s mineral vein. You divined for me once before. You said I had a short life. Is it true?”
Li Zian answered honestly, “That’s what the divination symbol indicated.”
“Then divine for me again. How long do I have to live?”
Li Zian shook his head. “Lifespans are ordained by Heaven. Using secret arts, I can perceive some things, but it’s limited. I don’t know how long you’ll live, and I probably can’t divine that anyway. But… if you want to try, I can divine another hexagram for you.”
A self-deprecating smile touched Kun Li’s lips. “You’re right. If a person knew exactly when they would die, how boring that would be. Forget it. Don’t divine again.”
Li Zian offered gentle words. “Don’t dwell on it. My divination might have been mistaken.”
“As for me…” Kun Li paused before continuing. “I am an orphan. I don’t know who my parents are. I grew up in an orphanage. I don’t even know my birthday. The headmistress’s surname was Kun. She gave me the name Kun Li. When I was ten, a foreign woman came to the orphanage looking to adopt children. She chose me, and I went with her. I thought my life had changed, that I’d finally have sunshine. But that was just wishful thinking. That woman worked for a mercenary organization, their scout for orphans. She took me to a desolate island where many orphans from all over the world were gathered. We trained there – shooting, killing. Many children died. The survivors were molded into ruthless killing machines, devoid of feeling.”
Li Zian was genuinely shocked. He’d never imagined Kun Li had such a past.
“I trained there for five years before becoming a full mercenary. I started carrying out all kinds of missions. How I got through those years, I don’t know. I killed people, and I was ready to die myself. Until… I met him. His name was Zhan Shuai. He wasn’t actually handsome at all – dark, rough, covered in countless scars. He was infamous in the mercenary world for being ruthless. But to me, he was gentle. Protective. No one dared bully me. We were together for three years. We went on missions together. We… shared a bed. We were inseparable. Then… that mission went south. He died…”
Her voice cracked; her eyes welled up.
Li Zian wanted to comfort her, but words failed him.
Kun Li forced a bitter laugh. “Meilin doesn’t even know this story. I don’t know why I told you… but saying it now… it feels a little better.”
“It must have been painful keeping it inside,” Li Zian offered, thinking of Hank.
Kun Li looked at him again. “Do you still want to hear?”
“Yes.”
Kun Li continued, flatly: “My heart died with him. I volunteered for the most dangerous missions. I joined a mercenary unit sent to the Middle East to assassinate a target. It was a death trap. We walked into an ambush. I took a bullet. I thought I was dead. But… I woke up. I crawled out of the pile of corpses; my teammates were all dead. When the sunlight hit my face that day… I made a decision. I had to return to Huaguo. Before I died, I wanted to find my parents. I wanted to ask them… why… why they abandoned me…”
Tears finally escaped, tracing paths down her cheeks.
“I returned to Huaguo. Director Kun helped me get identification papers and even found me a job, but… I screwed it up. Later, I went to Shanghai hoping for a new life. I tried several jobs, failed them all. The rent was insane. Life cost so much. The money I’d saved from being a mercenary ran out quickly. It was during that hardest time… I met Meilin. It was raining. A few thugs were bothering her. I chased them off. She asked if I wanted to work for her. I’ve been with her ever since. She taught me things I never knew how to do. She’s also been helping me look for my parents all this time. To me… she is the closest person I have in this world.”
Li Zian pulled out a tissue and passed it to her.
Kun Li took it, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. Then she added, softly, “I told you all this for another reason.”
“Go on.”
Kun Li stared at Li Zian. “Do not disappoint her. Do not betray her. If you hurt her… I will kill you.”
Li Zian: “…”
The car exited the airport expressway and entered the city. Traffic slowed down, punctuated by frequent red lights.
“By the way,” Li Zian finally asked, the question burning inside him, “do you know someone named Hank Baynes?”
Kun Li stiffened almost imperceptibly. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious. Do you know him?”
“I don’t,” she answered, her gaze shifting away from his.
A faint, knowing smile played on Li Zian’s lips.
She obviously knew him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked why he was asking. And her immediate denial… that was practically announcing she was lying.
“Don’t imagine things. Meilin has never betrayed you,” Kun Li added quickly.
Li Zian didn’t bother replying.
The Bentley pulled up beside the entrance of Gaochen Yipin.
Before getting out, Li Zian spoke. “The parents you’re searching for… I can help you find them.”
Kun Li froze momentarily, then a spark ignited in her eyes. “Yes! How could I forget! You helped Meilin find the mineral vein! You can help me find my parents! This is amazing! Please, help me!”
Li Zian said evenly, “I’ll help. But over the next few days, you need to actively search for them yourself. Actively search… even if you find nothing.”
“Even if I find nothing? What do you mean?”
“Don’t worry about that. Just search. Think about it constantly. Turn it over and over in your mind. When this search and this question consume your every thought… come find me. I’ll divine a hexagram for you.”
Kun Li nodded emphatically.
“But,” Li Zian added coolly, “I have one condition. Tell me everything you know about Hank.”
Kun Li whipped her head around, her eyes flashing with sudden anger. “So this was your game! You were trying to use me!”
Li Zian remained impassive. “This isn’t using you. This is a business transaction.”
“If I tell you about Hank…”
Li Zian finished the sentence she wouldn’t utter: “It would be like betraying Meilin? Right?”
Kun Li said nothing. Silence was assent.
“I’m not forcing you. It’s a deal you can take… or leave it, as if I never suggested it.” Li Zian opened the car door, stepped out onto the pavement, and started walking towards the Gaochen Yipin residential gate.
Kun Li leaned out of the driver’s window, calling after him, “Why must you ask about him? Can’t you ask about something else?”
Li Zian didn’t even turn his head.
Trying to make a life together with Yu Meilin… if he didn’t learn how to do business, how could he ever succeed?