"Boss Dai, where's all that confidence of yours now? Honestly, nine out of ten chances say your fiancée is already gone!"
Oscar chuckled after listening to Dai Mubai's explanation. The reason for his sudden gloom was simple—his fiancée came from the Xingluo Empire.
Oscar was caught a little off guard. He never expected the usually arrogant, carefree Dai Mubai to have actually chased a woman across hundreds of miles. That was more shocking than anything else. With how he knew Dai, this stretch of time should have been enough for him to find another target in Soto City, spend his nights with at least three or four women, and chase after his so-called "Mythical Man's achievement"—ten thousand encounters with women.
But perhaps fate was always cruel like this. Oscar thought about it, realizing that he and Dai Mubai, both men who had never once met, had unknowingly suffered similar tragedies because of a woman.
Maybe this is just life.
Dai Mubai gave a heavy sigh in his heart. Good grief, am I being treated like some kind of beggar now?
"Smelly beggar, don't mistake me for your kind," Dai Mubai snapped, anger flashing in his tone. "I only came here for a bit of rest and to reflect on life. Nothing more."
The tattered man before him, Zhang Yi, glanced at Dai Mubai with a scornful look. "Childish! When I was already battling stars, debating the scholars of Southern Chu, and speaking before the court of Tiandou, you were still sucking milk at your mother's side!"
Dai Mubai glared. "Nonsense. Southern Chu's far-off lands are nothing but poor and desolate. No 'great debaters' ever came from there. Only a failed, nameless politician named Zhang Yi dared make himself known on the stage."
"You know about me?"
Zhang Yi suddenly sat straighter, a burst of energy surging through his frail body. His tired eyes lit up like lamps. "Who are you then? To know of my deeds—it is surely fate that brings us here!"
"Are you really Zhang Yi?" Dai Mubai narrowed his eyes.
"If a man cannot change his name nor his family, then yes—I am Zhang Yi! And you are?"
"Dai Mubai," he said simply, his voice flat.
Zhang Yi and his companion exchanged a glance, genuinely shocked. Mu Lu, who had been keeping careful tabs on Zhu Zhuqing's movements, suddenly realized that the white-clad, handsome youth before them was indeed Dai Mubai. Who would have thought they'd meet here of all places?
Zhang Yi squinted. "Why have you fallen to such a state, then?"
"You dare ask me that?" Dai Mubai narrowed his eyes further, pointing directly at Zhang Yi. But when Zhang Yi heard the name roll off Dai Mubai's tongue, his heart went half cold again.
It was his idea, after all, to send away the playboy's fiancée. To put it plainly, he was the one who gifted Dai Mubai a green hat. Fortunately for his own safety, Dai Mubai remained unaware of the truth.
Still—what a strange twist of fate! Here he was, about to complain of his misfortune to the very man he had wronged.
Sigh. Well, he doesn't know anyway. Better seize the chance and fill my stomach first, Zhang Yi schemed inwardly.
"Alas… it's a long story," Zhang Yi sighed heavily, then launched into a pitiful speech.
With his eloquence on full display, he painted himself a tragic picture in front of Dai Mubai: abandoned, unable to find food, suffering all kinds of hardships. He never once mentioned, of course, that he was the man behind Zhu Zhuqing's decision to leave. When Dai Mubai admitted he had come to the Hall of Divine Flame seeking his fiancée, Zhang Yi merely nodded along sympathetically, hiding the smirk in his heart.
Zhang Yi knew his plans well enough. As far as he understood, Zhu Zhuqing should by now have already found herself drawn to Su Bei. Whether Su Bei would return those feelings or not, Zhang Yi wasn't so sure. That wasn't the point, though.
His instincts as a former advisor told him that the Hall of Divine Flame would soon rise to stand even above the two great empires. Once that happened, Zhu Zhuqing, belonging to that hall, would surely soar beyond the reach of someone like Dai Mubai.
Su Bei rose to his feet at that moment, aura tall and unshakable, his figure cast perfectly against the shimmering surface of the lake. In his hands was the fish he had just caught. Yet instead of cooking it, he tossed it gently back into the water. The fish darted for a second, then returned to spitting bubbles at the surface—strangely not afraid of the man, almost as if they were already used to his habits.
This human is insane! If the little fish had any thoughts, they would surely be cursing Su Bei's ancestors eighteen generations deep. Every time he catches us, he doesn't eat us or even kill us. He just throws us back. How can we possibly resist ritual torture like this?
But Su Bei himself only smiled faintly. If this were my past life and I caught you, none of you would escape. One roasted, one steamed, maybe even one to eat raw.
To anyone else, this would've been a wasted effort. Yet Zhu Zhuqing, quietly observing from nearby, only found her curiosity piqued. This man… he's really strange.
Just then, Su Bei felt something shift. Breaking free from his concentration, he immediately sensed a presence nearby. His sharp gaze darted toward the dense trees. Between the leaves, he caught sight of a skirt hem, and a slender figure in black peered secretly at him.
Her movements were careful, but her eyes betrayed her, fixed intently on him with an expression that felt oddly familiar.
Then Su Bei noticed it—the subtle catlike hair hoops. Recognition dawned instantly. His heart skipped.
So… meeting her was inevitable after all.
Across from him, Zhu Zhuqing's breathing hitched, her pupils widened to their absolute limit. Su Bei could see it clearly—she was completely captivated at the sight of him.
And just like that, fate had woven its next thread.
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