Outside the terrace, Li Tianlan checked the missed calls on his phone. He was slightly surprised.

It was Yu Qingyan’s number. Without enough time to think more, he called back and said “h.e.l.lo”.

Yu Donglai’s hoa.r.s.e voice rang on the other side of the line. “Kid, where are you?”

Li Tianlan was frozen and decided to be honest. “I’m at the Garden Party.”

“Have you met w.a.n.g Xiaoyao?”

Yu Donglai sounded calm, but still, Li Tianlan detected the other’s nervousness. Even if the other did not know his potentials and bright futures, he had to pay attention to Li Tianlan because of Li Honghe.

Li Tianlan had been concealing his ident.i.ty, however, he might reveal himself accidentally sometimes. If he was exposed in front of w.a.n.g Xiaoyao of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, it would be a disaster.

Years ago, Yu Donglai had seen the big picture by the Southeast Group’s inaction and the power of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai. Under such occasions, once Li Tianlan was exposed in front of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, what chances of surviving would he have?

“Yes, I have.”

Li Tianlan continued in reply, “Senior Yu, do you have the key of Weibai’s place? I’ll go fetch it today. When will you be available?”

“I’m available now. Come, I’ll give it to you.”

Yu Donglai paused and continued, “I suppose you won’t feel free there since you are kind of special. You might as well come to my place and have a drink with me.”

w.a.n.g Xiaoyao looked reckless and acted wildly. However, he was definitely no fool.

After they lost Huating, affiliates of Southeast Group in Huating were all worried. Many of them moved their headquarters out of Huating. The situation then was in chaos.

However, after w.a.n.g Xiaoyao had been sent to Huating, he controlled the entire place in less than one year. After a few years of operation, he not only slowed Prince Group’s pace, but also secured Southeast Group’s position in Huating. Not all rich kids could do that.

The more times Li Tianlan showed his face in front of w.a.n.g Xiaoyao, the more likely Li Tianlan was going to get exposed. Li Tianlan might as well go back soon.

“Now?”

Li Tianlan faltered.

“What’s up?”

Yu Donglai asked, one eyebrow c.o.c.ked.

“I came with w.a.n.g Yuetong.”

Li Tianlan whispered.

“It’s fine. Bring her with you. Oh, Qingyan is at my place too. They should be happy meeting with each other. It’s fine.”

Yu Donglai sounded casual. A few years ago, he was a top chef behind the red brick wall; earlier than that, he was a comrade of Li Honghe. Even though he had not entered the Invincible Realm, he still earned himself a reputation in the Dark World. He used to be a great doctor.

When he followed Li Honghe at that time, he was within the inner circle. Though when Li family had lost its position and was neglected by the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, the old generals who stayed in Zhongzhou State were still being taken care of.

Yu Donglai’s place had even been visited by Patriarch of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, w.a.n.g Tianzong. Moreover, since w.a.n.g Xiaoyao settled in Huating five years ago, he would also pay visits to Yu Donglai on special occasions. Even, w.a.n.g Yuetong and the son of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, the so-called future prince of Zhongzhou State visited here as well.

Yu Donglai could not let go of the past and still gave w.a.n.g Xiaoyao the cold shoulder. However, he really liked w.a.n.g Yuetong. The girl was both smart and wise. It was lucky that she was born a girl. If she had been a boy, the w.a.n.g family of Beihai would be more powerful in the next few decades.

“Sure, I’ll swing by right now.”

Li Tianlan did not hesitate but agreed, because being around w.a.n.g Xiaoyao and Xuan Xuanzi really made him uncomfortable. Xuan Xuanzi was a Taoist sage, and w.a.n.g Xiaoyao was inside the inner circle of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai. Every time before he spoke, he would spend time thinking about the words he was going to say. That was not comfortable at all.

“Sure, I’ll make the lunch. We can talk while we eat.”

Yu Donglai paused and then started to tease him. “Well, are you feeling pathetic before a strong compet.i.tion like w.a.n.g Xiaoyao? Should I comfort you a little?”

“What compet.i.tion?”

Li Tianlan was shocked.

“What? Didn’t Little Bai tell you? w.a.n.g Xiaoyao has been in Huating for five years, and he spent four years pursuing Little Bai. He’s so persistent that he swallowed his pride for her. Even I can’t bear to watch. I guess she’s so heartless that she never played nicely in front of him.”

Yu Donglai sounded shocked. “Haven’t she told you that?”

Back at the Garden Party, by the clear pool, Li Tianlan’s eyes suddenly turned bloodshot.

Maybe he could not confirm his relationship with Qin Weibai, even after the video chatting last night. However, now, he felt so furious hearing this. He felt as if his most treasured thing was being coveted by someone. He instantly experienced raging anguish. From head to toe, he bore aggressive killing intent.

Yu Donglai seemed to realize that he said something wrong. Then, he hurriedly added, “Kid, don’t be stupid. It’s just unrequited love, no big deal! Indeed, Little Bai doesn’t show her face often in Huating, but she has to. She has so many admirers, why should you care about this one, right? If you really cared about that, you’d be spending your entire life killing people.”

Li Tianlan closed his eyes. After a minute, he finally opened his eyes. His eyes turned normal and he regained his poise. He said calmly, “I’ll go to your place right now.”

He put down the phone and was about to turn around to leave. w.a.n.g Yuetong’s voice rang behind him. “Senior brother Tianlan, where are you going?”

“It’s an emergency. I have to leave first.”

Li Tianlan turned around to face w.a.n.g Yuetong and whispered.

w.a.n.g Yuetong was slightly shocked. However, she soon added, “Sure, I’ll let Second Uncle know and we’ll set off. I’ll give you a ride. I brought you here to meet Xuan Xuanzi. Now that you two have met, we can leave now. It’s a shame that we didn’t have breakfast here. They’re quite good.”

Li Tianlan was feeling emotional. He simply nodded and returned to the terrace with w.a.n.g Yuetong.

“Second Uncle, senior brother Tianlan has an emergency. We’ll leave first. We’ll visit at next holiday.”

Back into the terrace, w.a.n.g Yuetong directly told w.a.n.g Xiaoyao that even before the breakfast was ready.

w.a.n.g Xiaoyao was a little surprised. Then, he looked at Li Tianlan.

Li Tianlan avoided w.a.n.g Xiaoyao’s eyes. He slightly bowed to Xuan Xuanzi and expressed his grat.i.tude again. “Thank you for your teaching.”

Xuan Xuanzi smilingly nodded and turned his clear and sophisticated eyes to the pool outside the terrace.

“I see. Yuetong brought you here today to see him. You don’t want to see me at all! Alas, I’m so useless.”

w.a.n.g Xiaoyao laughed and walked to Li Tianlan. He looked at Li Tianlan up and down in a strange way. Then, he smilingly continued, “Well, in that case, you two leave first.”

He rummaged in his pocket and took out a card. He handed it to Li Tianlan. “It’s a membership card of here. Take it as a friendly gift. Drop by here when you’re free, I’ll introduce you to some of my friends.”

w.a.n.g Yuetong tugged at Li Tianlan’s sleeves to indicate that he should take it. Though it was not the most valuable Supreme Membership card, this gold card could make him have access to a lot of places. It was indeed a really friendly gift.

Li Tianlan looked at the card in w.a.n.g Xiaoyao’s hand. It was white and glimmering. He could not tell whether it was made of platinum or silver. Nothing was written on the card, only a blurry picture. The painting was simple but impressive. If one looked closer, they could see clouds and water splash in the picture. The magnificent picture immediately reminded Li Tianlan of the sky and sea.

The sky and sea?

Li Tianlan was a little taken back because this picture precisely implied his name Tianlan, the sky and the waves.

Was it coincidental?

Or was it because of something else?

Li Tianlan was searching for an answer on his mind right now. However, he remained calm on the surface. He reached out, but not to take the card. Instead, he gently pushed away w.a.n.g Xiaoyao’s hand. Then, he smiled. “Thank you for your offer. However, I’m currently studying at the Sky Academy. I won’t have much time. I don’t think I can use this card often. I don’t want to waste your gift. Please take it back.”

He knew what convenience the card would bring him and also knew that his action might be immature. However, this man in front of him had pursued Qin Weibai, how could he call him Second Uncle again? How could Li Tianlan take his gift and his friends as his junior? That was impossible.

Something, though unwise, must be done.

He hid that kind of stubbornness and pride deeply. People did not see them on the surface, but that did not mean Li Tianlan did not have them.

Xuan Xuanzi looked at Li Tianlan, surprised.

w.a.n.g Yuetong was stunned. She looked at him as well, doubted, hurt, and a little angry.

w.a.n.g Xiaoyao squinted to closely look at Li Tianlan.

Li Tianlan was still wearing a smile, the smile that looked genuine but was actually meaningless. He stared directly into w.a.n.g Xiaoyao’s eyes, fearlessly.

“Alright, alright.”

After nearly 30 seconds, w.a.n.g Xiaoyao smiled and drew back the card. “Swing by if you have time.”

Li Tianlan casually nodded and replied. “Goodbye, Mr. w.a.n.g.”

Before w.a.n.g Xiaoyao could speak, Li Tianlan turned around to the parking lot.

w.a.n.g Yuetong was frozen on the spot for a while. Then, she stamped and caught up with Li Tianlan.

w.a.n.g Xiaoyao looked at the card in his hand and then threw it into the pool. He smiled. “He’s kind of interesting. Does he have good character or does he dislike me? Priest, what do you think?”

“You two are decreed by fate. I’m afraid you’ll see each other often in the future.”

Xuan Xuanzi smiled mysteriously.

“He bears Wind and Thunder Veins and has good character.”

w.a.n.g Xiaoyao thought and said, “Why haven’t I heard of him before?”

“One is most likely to fall in their prime time.”

Xuan Xuanzi muttered the sentence as if he had been unintentional.

w.a.n.g Xiaoyao looked at the old Taoist suspiciously. Then, he seemed to have remembered something because his eyes suddenly turned cold.

…

“What do you mean by that?”

Outside the Garden Party, they got in the beige Beetle. On the way, the silent w.a.n.g Yuetong finally burst out and furiously asked Li Tianlan that.

“Nothing.”

Li Tianlan shook his head, his tone blank.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

w.a.n.g Yuetong closely chased after him. She looked stubborn. Her beautiful eyes were full of stubbornness.

Li Tianlan did not want to surrender and talk to her. Instead, he just shook his head coldly.

In his heart, he was very grateful for her. She helped him to hide his ident.i.ty after the maneuver operation. She also sent him medicines. Moreover, she brought him here today. Nevertheless, now that he knew that w.a.n.g Xiaoyao of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai had a special affection to her. He really did not want to have anything to do with this frenemy, one of the top powerful families in Zhongzhou State.

To him, he was bound to have a war with the w.a.n.g family of Beihai in the future. If that was the case, the closer he got to w.a.n.g Yuetong, the more hurt she would be in the future. He might as well cut off their relationship right now.

Should they really turned enemies in the future, they could take a firmer stand against each other.

w.a.n.g Yuetong stared at Li Tianlan for a while, however, Li Tianlan did not want to talk at all. w.a.n.g Yuetong gritted her teeth, started the car, and hit the gas pedal hard.

The beige Beetle burst into sound waves that did not belong to it, and then instantly leaped forward.

Li Tianlan was emotionless.

w.a.n.g Yuetong pouted her lips in silence as well.

The Beetle drove off the hidden trail that led to the Garden Party. On the way, the silent w.a.n.g Yuetong could not resist to ask again, “Why didn’t you take the card?”

“…”

“He’s my uncle, is it that hard for you to call him Second Uncle too? What Mr. w.a.n.g? What a lousy name!”

“…”

“Li Tianlan! Have I done something wrong?!”

“…”

Li Tianlan remained silent as if he had not heard her at all.

w.a.n.g Yuetong glared at Li Tianlan and murmured. “Regard other’s goodwill as a malice.”

She fell silent again.

In the small s.p.a.ce, the two stayed silent in the driving car, as if they had been a young couple in a cold war.

Then, a Pa.s.sat that parked at the roadside came into their view. The Pa.s.sat was shining its hazard warning lamps as if it had broken down and could not be started.

A man and a woman in their 30s that looked like a couple stood by the road, helplessly.

Though it was a public place of the Mount Lanshan national park, it was not far away from the Garden Party yet. Moreover, there was no famous scenic spots. Therefore, few cars could be seen here. The couple could only wait for a.s.sistance by the roadside. Seeing their car, the wife’s face lit up and waved at the Beetle.

w.a.n.g Yuetong subconsciously hit the brake.

“Speed!”

Li Tianlan suddenly urged, harshly and seriously.

“What do you mean?”

w.a.n.g Yuetong was still angry. She impatiently asked that when she heard the “dead man” beside her finally speak.

“I’ve seen the car and those two people.”

Li Tianlan squinted. “They followed us a long way on our way here.”

His memory and perception had always been excellent. Not long after they drove out of the Sky Academy, before a traffic signal, Li Tianlan had seen the Pa.s.sat and even made eye contact with the couple.

After that, the Pa.s.sat followed them for more than 10 miles. At first, Li Tianlan thought they happened to take the same road and did not care too much. However, seeing the Pa.s.sat again now, he became alert.

w.a.n.g Yuetong’s face changed.

It was more than 10 miles away from the Garden Party. Instead, it was only four or five miles to the busy area. w.a.n.g Yuetong did not hesitate to make up her mind. She hit the gas hard and directly drove forward.

The Beetle roared louder. The compact car that was clearly redesigned nearly bounced forward at the moment. In less than two or three seconds, the car reached a speed of 100 miles per hour.

“Watch out!”

The Pa.s.sat behind them was fading from their view.

Li Tianlan’s voice rang again.

w.a.n.g Yuetong who was looking at the rear-view mirror quickly looked up.

In front of them, a thick ice wall that nearly blocked their way appeared out of nowhere.

w.a.n.g Yuetong screamed.

Li Tianlan dragged w.a.n.g Yuetong beside him.

At the next moment, the Beetle crashed against the ice wall at a speed of nearly 150 miles an hour.

The car crashed into the wall hard and loudly.

The beige Beetle, along with Li Tianlan and w.a.n.g Yuetong, all went flying through the air.