Chapter 728: Chapter 627: Missed Opportunities

Chapter 627

Bai Junfan had no idea how Daoist Ming Cang had negotiated with Gu Shao Feng. When he awoke from his coma, he heard the Daoist sigh and say, "The Gu family’s fortune is unlike any other. Their Cultivation lineage, severed for so long, has been restored by him. Now, no one in all of Huaxia can afford to provoke them. As a man of the cloth, it matters little to me, but I cannot drag the Jiang Family into this! Because you were traveling with Jiang Wang, I had to swallow my pride and call in a favor to save your life. But please forgive me, I cannot shelter you. Tell me where you wish to go, and the Jiang family will see you there!"

And so, Bai Junfan provided an address, and the Jiang family sent him to Uncle Qin. In his youth, Uncle Qin had joined the army and served as Bai Junfan’s father’s orderly. Having received the Bai Family’s kindness in the past, he took in and cared for Bai Junfan without a single complaint.

It was just that Uncle Qin’s family was utterly detestable. When Bai Junfan recalled how they had insulted him like a beggar, then picked him up and thrown him out the door, flames of fury erupted in his bleak heart. ’If it weren’t for Uncle Qin’s relative loyalty, I would make them pay once I’ve recovered!’

’The Yang family also received our kindness, and their circumstances back then were even more difficult. Yet Mr. and Mrs. Yang had treated me with the utmost respect and taken excellent care of me. Liu’er, especially, had treated me like her very own brother...’

Thinking of Liu’er now, he felt more than ever that she was perfect in every way, a precious treasure. His heart clenched in pain again. ’In this world, there’s truly no one else who would ever treat me the way Liu’er did! I must get better as soon as possible and get my Liu’er back!’

Suddenly, another face flashed through his mind—radiant and lovely, like a dew-kissed flower blooming at dawn. It was Tang Manman.

Bai Junfan was filled with a mix of emotions. He fiercely suppressed the flicker of regret that surfaced in his heart. Daoist Ming Cang had read his fortune from his face, saying that most of the women he had encountered possessed deep karmic blessings and were favored by the heavens. Yang Liu’er, he had said, would bring prosperity to her husband and sons, ensuring her household would be peaceful, wealthy, and its fortunes long-lasting. Tang Manman, on the other hand, could not only do all that but could also ward off misfortune and attract good luck, guaranteeing a lifetime of peace for her family. Her blessings would even extend to her distant relatives!

’On closer thought, it seems it’s already come true. Yang Liu’er’s clothing company is growing larger and larger. Given the country’s current economic development, her assets will only accumulate. Tang Manman is the Tang family’s only daughter and is absolutely doted on. For an ordinary man, marrying her would be like gaining a living Amulet—promotions and titles would be practically guaranteed. The crucial part is that she’s an Imperial Doctor Disciple. A single health pill from Mr. Tang could save someone on the brink of death!’

’And he had let such a rare woman slip through his fingers.’

’If he had to blame someone, it could only be himself for being too concerned with his pride.’

’If he had just followed his aunt’s advice and pursued her relentlessly, perhaps it would have worked out? There’s a saying that a man chasing a woman has a mountain to climb; you have to endure some hardship and be thick-skinned for a woman to believe you’re sincere. If he had just held on, Gu Shaojun might not have won her over, and the gap between the Gu family and the Bai Family wouldn’t be so vast today!’

’Bai Junfan didn’t feel he was inferior to Gu Shaojun in any way. They were both handsome and charming, but Gu Shaojun was too rigid and inflexible. He, on the other hand, was more sophisticated and fun, and he understood women. It was a shame Tang Manman was too young to appreciate such things back then. Later in life, when she finds herself in situations with no emotional outlet, she will definitely regret her choice!’

Bai Junfan closed his eyes and sighed. ’But so what? Where will I be when that time comes?’

Suddenly, he recalled something that had struck him as odd before, though he’d never had time to dwell on it. ’Yang Liu’er somehow managed to win Tang Manman’s approval, and they became friends. Liu’er told me she only got into that university because Tang Manman pulled some strings. Tang Manman even confronted me head-on for Yang Liu’er’s sake!’

’To anyone else, it might have seemed like a normal friendship, but Bai Junfan knew Yang Liu’er. She came from a poor village, had little education, was a bit clumsy and unrefined, and had a bit of a temper. My own sisters in the Bai Family couldn’t stand her, and even after all of Shun Ma’s lessons, she still despaired of ever polishing her rough edges... So why would someone of Tang Manman’s "princess" status deign to befriend Yang Liu’er?’

’If you were to say it’s because Tang Manman had also spent time in the countryside and felt some kind of kinship with rural folk, I wouldn’t believe it,’ Bai Junfan thought. ’I spent time in the countryside too, but the gap between someone like Yang Liu’er and my colleagues... it’s just worlds apart!’

’Then why? Could it be... Tang Manman saw what Daoist Ming Cang mentioned? That Liu’er could attract wealth and fortune, so she wanted to...’ Bai Junfan’s eyes flew open. ’Tang Manman befriended Yang Liu’er for a reason!’

It was as if a blockage in his mind had been cleared. He suddenly recalled something else. ’Right when Yang Liu’er and I were starting to have problems, Gu Shaojun interfered once and drove away with her! And I didn’t even press the issue back then, didn’t stop to think about what was really going on. That surreal dream Liu’er mentioned... she never told me the whole thing. What happened in the rest of it? Did she tell *them*? That dream must hold a huge secret! It’s entirely possible the Gu family and Tang Manman benefited from it!’

Filled with both regret and resentment, Bai Junfan ignored the pain wracking his body. He decided to ask Uncle Qin for some stationery. He was going to write to Yang Liu’er and send it via registered mail—the kind that required the recipient’s personal signature.

’Isn’t Tang Manman friends with Liu’er? As an Imperial Doctor Disciple, she must have secret recipes and good medicine. I’ll just have Liu’er ask her for some and mail it to me... I should have thought of this ages ago! How could my brain be so slow? This isn’t like me at all!’

Bai Junfan quickly mailed the registered letter, but there was something he hadn’t anticipated. Now that Yang Liu’er was married, she was wholeheartedly devoted to living a peaceful life. So as not to be unfair to her husband and children, she had confessed to Lu Jian Country that she wanted to send Bai Junfan some money. Lu Jian Country doted on his wife, and taking her feelings into consideration, he readily agreed. He even personally accompanied Yang Liu’er to the post office to wire the money.

Thus, Lu Jian Country had a crystal-clear picture of Bai Junfan’s whereabouts and activities. Some men get jealous, and then they get over it. Lu Jian Country was different. He disliked the feeling of jealousy, and being forced into it had lingering consequences. Therefore, he did everything in his power to prevent it. As for what he did and how he did it—no one asked, so naturally, he never said.

The registered letter Bai Junfan sent to Beijing ultimately ended up in Lu Jian Country’s hands. He had, after all, received an "imperial edict" from his wife: she was pregnant and needed to rest. To prevent the Bai Family from causing trouble and disturbing the peace of their small family, her husband was to handle any and all harassment from them at his full discretion. Never mind a registered letter—even if Bai Junfan had the power to fly there himself, Lu Jian Country wouldn’t give him a chance to so much as show his face in front of his wife.

「In early July, Tang Haocheng returned to the country as scheduled.」

Xiao Man and Tang Qingshan went to the airport to pick him up. Crowds of people came and went, but the person they were waiting for was nowhere to be seen. Tang Haocheng had forbidden her from using her Divine Sense, declaring that he had grown taller and his looks had changed a bit. He wanted to test his older sister—if she couldn’t recognize him, then she wasn’t his real sister!

Xiao Man wasn’t worried about failing his test. She simply refused to believe it. ’As if my sharp eyes can’t pick out a little rascal like him!’

Just as she was scanning the crowd with wide eyes, she heard Dad Tang chuckle softly to her left. A sense of alarm rose in Xiao Man, but it was too late. A tall, slender figure pounced from her right, laughing as he swept her into his arms, lifting her and spinning her around twice.

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