Seeing the deed of sale torn to pieces, Wu Jinliang's mouth almost split to the back of his head, all smiles, and he also glanced at Old Dong, feeling at ease only after seeing that Old Dong was sensible enough.

In fact, he really didn't want to take Old Dong with him to forge evidence, or more precisely, he didn't want Old Dong to witness it. But there was no helping it, he was unfamiliar with the area and it was difficult to find a place selling related items in a short time, let alone have someone pay for it.

Watching the deed of sale crumble to dust, Bian Weikang heaved a great sigh of relief and bowed to Shi Chun, "Brother... rest assured, the money I borrowed from you, I will repay you as soon as possible. I will write an IOU right now." He was about to turn around to look for pen and ink inside the house.

Shi Chun grabbed his arm, "Alright, just having the intention is enough, no need for an IOU. Can't I trust Brother Bian's character? If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have lent the money in the first place. There's no hurry to repay, take your time, we'll talk about it when you have the money."

Old Dong's mouth curled up slightly, shaking his head secretly. The Master was still the Master; even when wanting to appear crafty, he didn't delay in playing the good guy first.

Anyway, Shi Chun firmly refused any IOU, waving his hand, refusing the offer to be escorted, and left happily with his entourage.

But Bian Weikang still insisted on escorting them out of Wuyou Inn, watching them for a long while before he went back.

As soon as he returned to the house, upon seeing the beauty awaiting him, Bian Weikang couldn't help himself and went forward for a warm embrace but was pushed away by Xiang Laner who held his arms at bay.

"Weikang, do you also think that because I come from a brothel, I'll allow myself to be taken lightly at will?"

Looking up, Xiang Laner's eyes were welling up with tears, turning an enchanting woman into a pitiable figure, eliciting sympathy from anyone who saw her.

At the drop of that accusation, Bian Weikang hastily gestured his innocence, indicating she had misunderstood.

Xiang Laner didn't say much, wiped her tears, silently found something, and then pulled Bian Weikang to sit down. She treated the wounds on his forehead and hands tenderly, immersing Bian Weikang in blissful warmth. Men were so easily consoled...

After descending the cliff, Da Shitou could not hold back any longer and asked Shi Chun, "Master, why don't you want an IOU? Bian Weikang has already lost his ability to repay. Without an IOU, when can the fifty thousand in gold be returned?"

At these words, Wu Jinliang chuckled silently, and Old Dong also laughed, not breaking it to him face-to-face, planning to reveal it to Da Shitou later.

Da Shitou wasn't foolish, seeing the mischievous smiles on their faces, he knew there must be a reason behind it...

The Bowan Building in Zhaotian City stood at the exit of the gorge by the lake, embedded on a cliffside, with soaring eaves and impressive scale, and a constant stream of visitors. The "Bowan" in Bowan Building refers to the wide selection of goods for sale, akin to a colossal general store. Apart from specialized shops or certain special industries, such as the Cloud Building, almost everything else could be found there. Few could compete with Bowan Building in terms of variety.

On the high floor at this moment, in a lakeside office with neat piles of account books and elegant furnishings, a serene woman stood up from her desk and walked to the balcony to gaze into the distance. Her brows and eyes sketched with an unrestrained elegance, her beautiful features enhanced by a gust billowing her light yellow dress, skin so pale it seemed transparent, she appeared as pure as spring snow amidst the scenic beauty of the high building and the lake, looking as if she had stepped right out of a painting.

Big-eyed, the mother of Miss Miao was none other than Lan Qiaoyan, who managed the Bowan Building of Life Prison, and she herself was Miao Yilan.

Che Si was nearby, giving a detailed report on the process of borrowing money for Shi Chun.

After listening, Miao Yilan murmured a phrase to herself, "If everyone in the world were heartless, what would be the point of living? Mutual affection is worth more than endless wealth..." Her gaze towards the distance was full of longing, seemingly yearning for someone with whom she could share mutual affection.

Che Si hurriedly explained, "Saying he admires Bian Weikang for his sentiment and righteousness is just a grand-sounding excuse. What he really is after is the prospect of earning double repayment."

Miao Yilan turned to look at him, her smile playful, "Couldn't he have really extended help because of those four words, 'sentiment and righteousness'?"

Had she just met Shi Chun, she definitely wouldn't have said such a thing; when Shi Chun intended to get close to her, she felt that he was trying to cling to her.

Whether to cling or not is another matter. No matter how entertaining or how hard Shi Chun tried to please her and make her happy, she just wasn't interested in him. She knew from the start that a relationship between them was impossible.

Disparity in status was just one issue, but at heart, she truly couldn't stomach the strange smell on the people from the Land of Exile, nor the filth that seemed impossible to wash clean. It wasn't about being condescending—she was fine with being friends on equal terms, but as for being her man, she truly couldn't accept it.

She considered her moral standards to be acceptable and disliked the idea of hierarchies between people, but after going to the Land of Exile, she realized a truth: the chasm between rich and poor couldn't simply be filled with morals.

Sometimes when she thought about this, her heart would ache.

Shi Chun's deliberate approach at the time had also piqued the vigilance of his mother, Lan Qiaoyan. She immediately investigated Shi Chun's background in secret, and the result surprised her mother, whose first words were, "That boy is an exceptionally rare breed," and then she sighed and said, "He's someone with deep emotions and loyalty."

Naturally, she had to ask what was going on, and then her mother told her about Shi Chun's upbringing in East Nine Plain where he survived on charity meals. After gaining control of East Nine Plain, he swore to everyone that he remembered the kindness of being fed through the gaps in their teeth and would do his utmost to help everyone leave, promising that he would be the last one to go. As long as there was one person present who had not left, he would never leave.

Over the following years, he kept his word and helped send several dozen people away one after another.

The number might not seem large, but in terms of time and geographical range, even she knew that this proportion was extraordinarily high.

What her mother really wanted to tell her was that this place was not the same as the outside; this was the Land of Exile, where the indigenous people tormented by hardships harbored desires to leave and change their fate that outsiders could hardly imagine. The blood shed for this desire was inestimable, as was the count of bodies that fell because of it.

Forsaking dozens of chances to leave over several years meant something unimaginable to outsiders.

The latest news stated that East Nine Plain had sent away more than a hundred people at once, and Shi Chun had indeed been the last one to leave East Nine Plain.

Ever since that check on Shi Chun's background, her mother became less guarded about Shi Chun's interactions with her, turning a blind eye.

So when Che Si mentioned that Shi Chun was helping Bian Weikang out of deep emotion and loyalty, Che Si didn't believe it, but she somewhat did because her mother had said that Shi Chun had "deep emotions and loyalty" in his bones. Thus, it was possible that Shi Chun helped Bian Weikang for that very reason.

Consequently, the saying "If all the world were unfeeling, what would be the meaning of our existence? Mutual affection outweighs countless wealth" also deeply resonated with her.

Che Si, unaware of these complexities, insisted, "Impossible, it's just an excuse, he's just in it to repay double. The current problem is, Bian Weikang has no ability to repay at all. If Shi Chun can't pay back the forty thousand gold, what then?"

Miao Yilan chuckled. "If he can't pay it back, he still needs to find a way to repay. We'll find something for him to do at Bowan Building and deduct it from his monthly salary until it's paid off. Letting it slide as bad debt is out of the question."

The reason she had agreed so readily to Shi Chun's request to borrow such a large sum of forty thousand gold and had Che Si deliver the money immediately was also because of something her mother had once said: If you truly help a person like that with deep emotion and loyalty, they will never forget.

Of course, when she heard about the loan, she assumed Shi Chun was facing some urgent difficulty because, in all this time she knew him, Shi Chun had never asked her for anything, much less borrowed money.

"..." Che Si was somewhat flabbergasted. Not being able to pay back the money yet helping the person find a good job? Was Bowan Building a place that just anyone could waltz into? Was this about getting the debt repaid, or was it about repaying a personal debt?

When he had come and gone from the Land of Exile, he had also heard about Shi Chun pursuing Miss Miao. Could it be...? He couldn't help but covertly observe her expressions.

Right at that moment, Dong's voice came from outside, "Miss Miao."

Miao Yilan turned and responded, "Come in."

Dong stepped in quickly, and once near her, he gave a cautious report, "Shi Chun is downstairs. He says he has come to visit you. Should I send for him?"

Without permission, the upper floors of Bowan Building were not where just anyone could go.

Miao Yilan replied with a light smile, "It's true that every three months we're supposed to meet. Didn't think we'd keep it up even after leaving Life Prison. Since he's already here, please invite him in."

"Alright," Dong bent slightly at the waist and turned to leave.

Miao Yilan then walked over to her desk where she handled official business, stretched out her hand to flick a feather in the corner, and immediately saw a flurrying swirl like falling snowflakes.

This was a feather from a bird species that was said to be nearly extinct. A gentle blow would send the down fluttering as if snow was swirling, which was quite lovely to behold. Shi Chun had acquired it in the Land of Exile and given it to her, saying that only she deserved such beautiful things.

Later, she also felt it was indeed beautiful, so she placed it as a decoration on the corner of the desk. Sometimes, when she grew tired from work and took a break, she would blow on it to admire the spectacle, which was quite soothing, so she took it with her when she left Life Prison for company.

Downstairs in the main hall, various sales areas were organized by category. Shi Chun followed through on his spoken word and had Da Shitou lead him to the book stall.

The variety of books was extensive, and after Shi Chun looked around for a while without knowing which to choose, he asked the shopkeeper, "Which book is selling the best?"

Seeing his ragged appearance, the clerk did not look upon him favorably, but on seeing Da Shitou dressed in the same Bowan Building attire, withheld any offhand remarks. He casually took a book from the shelf and tossed it in front of Shi Chun saying, "This one. It's currently the best seller."

Shi Chun took a close look and saw the cover titled "Mountain and Sea Lantern." Without even glancing at the contents, he decisively said, "Alright, this one. Give me two copies."

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