Chapter 452: 452. Yan Shiba Returns

Translator: 549690339

As for Su Liang’s plan, Gu Ling didn’t say yes, and in the end, he didn’t say no either. He just said that he needed to think about it more, sleep on it, and discuss it the next day.

The next day, Gu Ling told Su Liang his decision: neither of them would go with Sheng Yue. He should go back to Starfall Island on his own to “report” and inform Mo Yan of Su Liang’s identity as his granddaughter, and arrange a meeting and negotiation with Mo Yan on the sea.

Su Liang frowned, “If we let Sheng Yue go like this, he will be out of our sight, and it’s possible that he’ll do something that will be detrimental to us.”

“Unless we kill him, there will always be such a risk. Besides, if he doesn’t come here, we can’t find him, and he will head back to Starfall Island anyway. It won’t be worse than before.” Gu Ling shook his head slightly, “You can’t rush to Starfall Island. Nuannuan is still young and can’t be apart from you, and so am I.”

Su Liang looked helpless, “You’re not that young anymore, Great God.”

Then Gu Ling said something very childish, “Anyway, I can’t let you go.”

“Alright, there’s no hurry in this matter. Let’s discuss the specific plans a little more.” Su Liang sighed lightly. Indeed, leaving her child would be a kind of torment for her. Although she was always busy with other things now and others helped to take care of Gu Xiaonuan, the child still slept beside their bed every night, and they could hear her voice all day long. Starfall Island was too far away from here. If she were to go, the child would stay at home, and it might take three to five months before they could see each other again. Moreover, Gu Ling would have to leave to help her, which would indeed be a problem for the child at home. If Gu Xiaonuan were the same age as Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu, it might be a little better, but she was still a baby who needed her parents around.

In the dungeon, the prisoner got two meals a day. Although Sheng Yue was in the dark, he knew from the number of times he was given food and water that Gu Ling and Su Liang had “failed to show up”, and they didn’t give him a reply that day. He didn’t do anything, just waited patiently.

After four more meals, Sheng Yue saw Gu Ling again. However, it was not Gu Ling who brought him out, but Gu Ling who came to the dungeon to talk to him.

“You go back to Starfall Island by yourself, and send a message to Mo Yan. Tell him that we’ll meet him on the first day of the third month, twenty miles east of Jiaye City on the sea, for a meeting and negotiations.” Gu Ling said.

Sheng Yue’s eyes narrowed slightly, “So you two want me to go back this time and tell Mo Yan that Su Liang is his granddaughter?”

Gu Ling nodded slightly.

However, Sheng Yue shook his head, “By then, He Wei’s deliberate concealment will be discovered, and he will definitely try to drag me down with him in order to protect himself. Your plan is unfeasible. And you know very well that I have no reason to harm you when you go to the island since you’re not a Transmigrator. Su Liang is Mo Yan’s granddaughter, so he will somewhat be lenient with her. It’s impossible for him to push her into danger unless there are no other choices. People who are brought into the forbidden area by Mo Yan must be conscious. If I deceive you, you’ll have the opportunity to speak up at that time, and naturally, you’ll have the ability to expose my betrayal to Starfall Island and the fact that my mother is a Transmigrator. I thought that with all the experiences you two have had over the years, you wouldn’t be so timid.”

“Yes, I am very timid, and I don’t want Su Liang to go.” Gu Ling’s expression was indifferent.

Sheng Yue was speechless.

“I believe that you have the ability to clear yourself of the previous concealment in front of Mo Yan. It shouldn’t be difficult for you to eliminate He Wei if you want to.” Gu Ling said.

Sheng Yue snorted coldly, “Should I be grateful that you both think highly of me? Can you predict whether my return to the island will bring fortune or misfortune?”

Gu Ling looked at Sheng Yue’s forehead and calmly said four words, “It depends on yourself.”

“But this will delay things for a long time.” Sheng Yue said, “Aren’t you afraid that by the time of the sea meeting next year, Mo Yan will have captured several more hostages, forcing you and Su Liang to submit willingly? That’s no different from you two volunteering to step into danger.”

“No,” Gu Ling shook his head slightly. “We believe that with your abilities and intelligence, you can persuade Mo Yan not to use such methods anymore.”

Finally, Sheng Yue’s expression cracked a bit, “You two don’t have any sincerity in cooperating at all! You’ve thrown all the trouble on me, and even if something happens to me, you won’t save me.”

“It’s good that you are self-aware.” Gu Ling didn’t deny it at all, “This time, you voluntarily came to us. For you, the purpose is nothing more than to switch from using Mo Yan to using us, or to act as a double agent, using everyone that can be used. You can refuse and stay here to die; I won’t hesitate to kill you. As you said, the survival rule of this world is the law of the jungle. Or you can leave and continue to help Mo Yan against us, as long as you think you still have a chance of winning by working with him. Just do as you please.”

After a moment of silence, Sheng Yue spoke again, “This is contrary to my original plan. I need to think carefully about whether it is feasible. Come back again tomorrow, and I will give you my answer.”

With that, Gu Ling left.

As soon as Gu Ling left, Nangong Lin rushed to the iron railing, his eyes brightening up in a terrifying way, “Young Master Sheng, I can help you! Tell Gu Ling to take me with you! I will surely be able to help you!”

On the other side, Nian Ruxue also spoke anxiously, “Young Master, take me with you! I can help you! I have lived on Xingluo Island, and I can do anything for you!”

Sheng Yue ignored Nangong Lin and only looked coldly at Nian Ruxue, “You know, it’s impossible.”

Back then, it was Sheng Yue who had secretly arranged for Nian Ruxue to leave Xingluo Island. This led to an elder on the island losing his long-abducted daughter-in-law and a child losing his mother. Therefore, if he took Nian Ruxue back, he’d be confessing his guilt, which would bring him no benefit at all.

Nian Ruxue was not discouraged, “By that time, I’ll say I ran away on my own! Young Master can catch me and bring me back, and you will be credited for it!”

Sheng Yue shook his head, “You’re overthinking it. You’re not that important.”

After pleading for a long time and seeing that Sheng Yue did not budge at all, Nian Ruxue and Nangong Lin cursed him together, saying that he was stupid for falling into his enemies’ hands and that he would not have a good end being controlled by Gu Ling and Su Liang.

Sheng Yue closed his eyes, seemingly not hearing them at all.

The next day, another incident occurred before Gu Ling went to see Sheng Yue – Yan Shiba returned.

The carriage stopped outside the gate of Su Mansion, and two tall young men jumped down, with one of them stepping forward to knock on the door.

Upon learning that they were sent by Sheng Yue to escort Yan Shiba, Qi Yan did not let them in immediately, but closed the door to report to Su Liang and Gu Ling.

Not long after, the door opened again, and the carriage slowly entered the mansion and stopped inside.

Su Liang walked over and saw that Sheng Yue’s subordinates had stepped aside, and there was no movement in the carriage. She had imagined that once Yan Shiba saw her again, he would pounce on her and call her Liang Sister in that strange voice like before, but two years had passed. Sheng Yue had told her that Yan Shiba did not lose his memory, but his last injury had affected his lungs, and his health was not good after staying in the cold north.

Su Liang lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw a man wrapped in a blanket lying inside, his eyes tightly closed and his face thin and pale.

Su Liang checked Yan Shiba’s old wounds inside the carriage and found them to be the same as what she remembered. She felt his pulse and found out that he was asleep due to taking some sedative drugs. His pulse was indeed not good, and it was easy to see that the long and bumpy journey had worsened his condition.

Su Liang carried Yan Shiba out of the carriage and took him to the courtyard where Weng Ran lived.

“Is it the real Miss Yan?” Qi Yan asked Su Liang in a low voice. Given their previous experiences, it wasn’t impossible for Sheng Yue to send another imposter.

Su Liang nodded, “It should be.” By this point, Sheng Yue had no reason to pull such a stunt.

As for Sheng Yue’s two subordinates, they were, of course, taken to the dungeon to accompany their master.

It was not until evening that Yan Shiba finally woke up.

Hearing the coughing sound, Weng Ran hurriedly informed Su Liang.

Su Liang pushed open the door and saw Yan Shiba struggling to sit up, constantly covering her chest and coughing.

Hearing footsteps, Yan Shiba turned her head and saw Su Liang. She was stunned for a moment, and then her eyes reddened, “Ungrateful girl! Why didn’t you look for me sooner!”

Upon hearing this, Su Liang knew that this was the real Yan Shiba.

She sat down by the bed, held Yan Shiba’s hand, and took her pulse again, “I looked for you, but I didn’t know where you were. I thought you were gone.”

Yan Shiba attempted to hit Su Liang but started coughing violently before she could touch her, “You better heal me quickly… I’m coughing so much that I want to die.” Yan Shiba’s voice was weak.

Coughing was indeed a torturous ailment. After taking Yan Shiba’s pulse, Weng Ran brought in the prepared medicine.

“You’ll feel better after drinking the medicine.” Su Liang added a cough suppressant to the medicine.

As Yan Shiba reached for the bowl, her hand began shaking involuntarily. She suddenly felt disheartened, “My body is ruined, just feed me.”

Su Liang propped a pillow behind Yan Shiba’s waist to help her sit up straight, then took the medicine bowl. She asked Weng Ran to go eat first and began to spoon-feed Yan Shiba the medicine.

As they were drinking, Yan Shiba said, “Honestly, I wouldn’t have made it if I hadn’t been counting on you to save me.”

In the past, even with severe injuries, Yan Shiba had never been afraid of death and always had a strong spirit. Yet after meeting Su Liang and experiencing so much, she had changed. The last time they saw each other before today, Su Liang had given her an “ultimatum”: either renounce her evil ways or stop associating with her.

At that time, Yan Shiba didn’t refuse outright; she wanted to think about it before giving Su Liang a response.

Two years had passed since then.

Yan Shiba was caught within Liang Country’s borders. Sheng Yue had found Yan Shiba’s whereabouts by taking in the crippled Yan Shiqi. Yan Shijiu, who had loved Yan Shiba but was always taken for granted, eventually betrayed her as well.

Sheng Yue’s main objective was to acquire Yanyun Building, and he unexpectedly learned of Yan Shiba’s deep connections with Su Liang and Gu Ling.

By the time Sheng Yue captured Yan Shiba, Yanyun Building had lost most of its assassins due to years of infighting.

Sheng Yue had already explained all this to Gu Ling and Su Liang after coming to Su Mansion. As for the remaining assassins at Yanyun Building, they had all chosen to be loyal to him and were now hiding in Nanshan City, waiting for orders. Sheng Yue said he had no intention of threatening Su Liang; it was simply more convenient since they had to pass through the city on their way back to Xingluo Island.

As for Yan Shiba, Sheng Yue didn’t kill her nor did he purposely torture her. However, she had been seriously injured while resisting arrest, and Sheng Yue couldn’t find a Divine Doctor like Su Liang to treat her properly. Although she received treatment, her condition didn’t improve much.

Before being captured, Yan Shiba had decided that when she saw Su Liang again, she would tell her that she was tired of being an assassin and wanted to try living a normal life. Unfortunately, plans couldn’t keep up with changing circumstances, and she was imprisoned in a sunless place, coughing day and night, suffering a fate worse than death.

Although Yan Shiba blamed Su Liang for not saving her sooner, she was well aware that if it weren’t for their friendship, Sheng Yue would have killed her long ago, let alone send her back to Su Liang’s side. This must have been the result of some negotiations between Su Liang and Sheng Yue.

Once the bowl of medicine was finished, Su Liang put it down and was embraced by Yan Shiba.

Patting her back gently, Su Liang whispered, “It’s alright now, it’s all over, I will heal you.”

“I heard you and Xiaogu had a child? Where’s my girl?” Yan Shiba seemed to think that crying didn’t suit her demeanor, so she forcefully pushed back the tears that threatened to fall and asked about Gu Xiaonuan.

“That’s my girl, not your girl,” Su Liang replied.

“I don’t care, your daughter is my daughter! Quick, let me have a look at her, and see if she looks like you!” Yan Shiba urged.

Su Liang picked up the medicine bowl and went out, “Wait.”

Hearing the closing door, tears rolled down Yan Shiba’s eyes, she immediately wiped them away, cursing herself, “Caring is really annoying…” After all, she was no longer the crazy Yan Shiba who used to play in the world. It’s not accurate to say that her mentality changed at a certain point in time, but thinking back to the moments from when she met Su Liang until now, many pastimes she once considered as entertainment have influenced her. Right from the beginning, she was attracted to Su Liang, yearning for her life. It’s just that she didn’t realize it for a long time.

Su Liang returned to the Yuanming Pavilion, and Gu Ling asked her to finish eating before seeing Yan Shiba.

Su Liang sighed slightly, “Forget it, she’s fragile both physically and mentally now, she can’t stand any torment.” At the very least, the last thing Yan Shiba did before getting arrested was for Gu Ling, and the last time she got injured was also for them. Su Liang couldn’t just ignore her for these reasons alone.

Gu Ling held Gu Xiaonuan, while Su Liang carried the food to Yan Shiba. When they reached the door, Gu Ling didn’t go in.

Su Liang brought the food in first, and Yan Shiba frowned, “Where’s my precious daughter?”

Gu Ling’s face darkened a little. Why were people lining up to take their child away?

Su Liang went out again and brought Gu Xiaonuan in.

Originally famished, Yan Shiba, who had just picked up a steamed bun, threw it back into the plate when she saw Gu Xiaonuan, raising her hands high, “My daughter is so beautiful! Let me hold her!”

Gu Xiaonuan didn’t know Yan Shiba, so she looked at Su Liang and asked with her eyes how to address this strange aunt.

Su Liang sat down on the bedside with Gu Xiaonuan, put her next to Yan Shiba, and said, “This is Auntie Yan.”

“Auntie Yan!” Gu Xiaonuan called out sweetly and even leaned in to give Yan Shiba a kiss.

Yan Shiba felt a sharp poke in the softest part of her heart, her eyes reddened again. She held Gu Xiaonuan’s little hand, about to say something, but her emotions got the better of her, and she started coughing, quickly turning her body to the side.

However, after taking the medicine, she only coughed twice before stopping. Yan Shiba turned her head and saw Gu Xiaonuan gently patting her shoulder, seemingly comforting her. Her nose felt a little sour, and she hugged Gu Xiaonuan, sighing, “My baby is so good.”

Su Liang wasn’t used to Yan Shiba’s current melancholic and sentimental state, but she could understand. Children always had a way of provoking tears, especially her little Gu Xiaonuan who, despite her young age, was the best at winning people’s hearts.

The food was getting cold, Su Liang picked up Gu Xiaonuan and urged Yan Shiba to eat quickly. She didn’t eat much, and her eyes started to look a little drowsy. The medicine she had drunk earlier contained a sedative, and her body needed proper rest.

“See you tomorrow, baby.” Yan Shiba’s eyes only had Gu Xiaonuan in them after meeting her, and before lying down, she tried to raise her heavy hand to wave at Gu Xiaonuan and even tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“Good night, Auntie Yan!” Gu Xiaonuan said cheerfully.

“Don’t call me auntie… She’s my daughter…” Yan Shiba muttered, then fell asleep with blurred consciousness.

Late at night, Gu Ling came to the dungeon again to ask about Sheng Yue’s decision.

Sheng Yue’s two subordinates sat quietly beside him. He sighed, “You didn’t give me any room for choice. So be it, I’ll listen to you guys. I can only do my best.”