Chapter 2 - Ye Wanlan Returns

Ye Wanlan finally snapped back to reality, showing no emotion as she cut off the call. She and Zhou Hechen were truly not familiar with each other; she had only been a stand-in, constantly at Zhou Hechen’s side while the Transcendent Woman occupied her body. At that time, although she did not have control over her body, she could still be aware of the outside world through the actions of the Transcendent Woman. Jiangcheng is located on the Shenzhou coastal area and is a developed metropolis with numerous wealthy families. The Zhou Family is the first family of Jiangcheng, and as the second young master of the Zhou Family, Zhou Hechen had both looks and background that were exceptional, renowned throughout the Jiang Circle. He and the Transcendent Woman had signed a two-year stand-in contract, but since he was saving himself for his true love, there had been no physical contact between them. Zhou Hechen was extremely adept at manipulating young girls, his hot-and-cold tactics made the Transcendent Woman fall even more hopelessly for him. This was one of the few points that pleased Ye Wanlan; at least her body hadn’t been tainted by this filthy thing. She carelessly placed her phone on the nightstand, then turned her head to meet the man’s gaze. A pair of beautiful eyes, yet at this moment his consciousness was absent, his eyes rich in color and brooding, like a night without moonlight. Her first kiss… Ye Wanlan’s eyes narrowed, and her fingers on his neck tightened, with just a bit more strength she could have… But right then, the man’s strength drained, his head dropped, resting in the crook of her shoulder. Ye Wanlan raised her hand and knocked the man out cold, without any psychological burden, and tossed him on the carpet. Today he had brought her some fun, so she spared his life. After midnight everything would return to normal, she would enter the next cycle, he wouldn’t remember her, and she needn’t worry too much. ** At the same time, Yuting Clubhouse. seaʀᴄh thё NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhou Hechen’s face was ashen on the couch, his mood oppressive. The other young masters didn’t dare to breathe too loudly. This morning, news came that Ye Wanlan had landed Mr. Qin in the hospital, everyone thought it was an April Fool’s joke until they saw Mr. Qin in the hospital room with both hands wrapped in bandages, on a breathing machine, and realized Ye Wanlan had truly taken action. In their circle, Mr. Qin and Zhou Hechen had the best relationship, having grown up as close as brothers. Mr. Qin was unconscious, Zhou Hechen was furious and immediately sent people to find Ye Wanlan, but even after searching all over Jiangcheng, they couldn’t locate her. After finally getting through to her phone, she had simply hung up on him. “Brother Hechen, don’t be angry. It’s not worth harming your health over some worthless vase,” one young master said cautiously, “You and Sister Yunyi are a match made in heaven. Ye Wanlan doesn’t compare to her.” “Angry? What am I angry about?” Zhou Hechen sneered, his expression indifferent, “I’m just wondering when she got so bold. Has she really gained some ability, or has she clung onto some other high branch?” He understood Ye Wanlan, a parasitic plant that thrived off men. Apart from her face which could please him, she had no other skills. He and Sheng Yunyi were childhood sweethearts, but Sheng Yunyi pursued higher art skills and went abroad to the Starman Federal Empire, staying for four years. Although the flight between the Starman Federal Empire and Shenzhou only took 16 hours, distant waters couldn’t quench immediate thirst; he needed a stand-in to pass the time. He didn’t love Ye Wanlan; he just wanted her to stay by his side, obedient and orderly. Fortunately, Ye Wanlan was indeed sensible and knew how to comfort his lonely heart. Keeping her was no different than having an extra pet. Once Sheng Yunyi returned and the stand-in agreement expired, he naturally wouldn’t need this relationship anymore. Ye Wanlan shouldn’t have expected more from him, threatening him with suicide, and even hurting Sheng Yunyi. But as he thought of that indistinct panting, and the fact that this was the first time Ye Wanlan had hung up his phone, Zhou Hechen felt a suffocating frustration, his breathing constricted. It was as if something was beginning to slip beyond his control. He stood up abruptly, his expression icy. The young masters were startled, “Brother Hechen, what’s the matter?” Zhou Hechen took a deep breath and said calmly, “President Quan has arrived in Jiangcheng. I need to attend a reception. No all-nighters for the next few days. You guys have fun, put it on my tab.” He dusted off the cigarette ash from his shirt and walked to the door, then paused, “Keep looking for Ye Wanlan.” He needed her to understand that even when playing hard to get, there were limits. Played right it was a matter of taste, but overdone was excessive. ** The wind stirred the curtains as the midsummer sun broke through the clouds like threads of gold, turning into molten gold that flowed through the clear sky. The clouds and mists dispersed, and the tips of the willow branches shimmered with specks of broken gold. Ye Wanlan had not slept so soundly in a long time, which immediately alerted her that something was amiss. Her eyes snapped open as she grabbed her phone. The screen lit up— May 19th, 7:00 AM! Ye Wanlan’s expression shook, for the first time doubting the way she opened her eyes. Throughout these nine hundred and ninety-nine years, every time she opened her eyes, it was the midnight of May 18th, listening countless times to Zhou Hechen’s secretary solemnly instructing her on how to study Sheng Yunyi, to win Zhou Hechen’s favor. But now, it was daylight. Ye Wanlan restarted her phone, and the screen still blazed with the bright May 19th. She had reached the next day! The endless time loop of nine hundred and ninety-nine years had finally been broken! She had at last freed herself from the shackles of time. No one knew how she had spent these nine hundred and ninety-nine years; she seemed to have lost contact with the entire world. The people she knew would not remember her the next day, and the antiques she restored would still look exactly the same. She had started to question the meaning of her life, becoming a madwoman. Now, her time had finally started to flow. And she could finally re-enter this world! No—! Ye Wanlan’s expression turned solemn as she didn’t know why she had been trapped by time. Now that the infinite loop was broken, the reason remained unknown! What force had trapped her in time for 999 years? Would she be trapped again? All these questions seemed like the hand of God, effortlessly toying with the lives of ordinary people. Even Ye Wanlan’s heart skipped a beat for a moment as she took a few slow breaths, her gaze icy. After a while, she remembered there was a second person in the room. Ye Wanlan glanced at the man who was still unconscious and propped him up onto the bed, then stuffed a hundred-dollar bill into his shirt, which she had torn. She had assumed that after midnight, time would reset, and they would have no connection; this time, she miscalculated. She did not want to have any involvement with this man. Ye Wanlan erased all her traces, put on her coat, and left the hotel quietly. At seven-thirty in the morning, it was the peak of rush hour. The streets were congested with traffic, and the pedestrians were in a hurry. Sea breezes blew in from the port, warm and slightly salty. After spending an hour confirming she was completely free from the time loop, Ye Wanlan washed off the bloodstains from her body, changed into a clean set of clothes, and returned to the Lin family. She coincidentally ran into Lin Huaijin who was about to leave for work. She paused, her voice low: “Uncle, it’s me, I’ve returned.” Lin Huaijin didn’t look at her, his voice cold: “No one asked you to come back.” *————* I managed to start a new book at the end of 2023, bringing a new update with two chapters to start, and in the coming year, I will accompany you all with Sister Lan and Brother Yan~ The new book is a pseudo-ensemble novel, where Sister Lan is the most charming and strongest! The update time is 8:30 AM every day; any changes will be notified~ Thank you all for your support~