You Owe Me, My Love

Chapter 404 Battle Of Wits

She had seen countless reunions and separations.

She had seen some of the most loving couples putting a bitter end to their marriage after a decade or two.

Love sustains a marriage, so they said. But what Wu Nian had learned was that a child could be the most reliable bridge between a husband and wife.

A child weighed so much more than a piece of legal paper.

Regardless of how much Shen Yiyan claimed to love Yan, it's undeniable that Bao was their flesh and blood.

Whatever the type of relationship was between two people, whether they're family, friends, or a couple, feelings were feeble.

Although the man in front of Wu Nian appeared to be a tyrant, his willingness to risk everything to keep Liu Yan by his side was a compelling portrayal of his commitment towards the woman. Plus, the fact that Yan didn’t need to hide her stubborn attitude from him showed just how much affection the usually cold-blooded demon harbored for her.

Perhaps... Yan will never encounter such sheer love again in the future.

Wu Nian simmered down with a sigh. “I can help you, but there're a few conditions I need you to comply with.”

In that instant, Shen Yiyan let go of her shoulders. “Name them.”

"First, you're not allowed to see Yan until you're officially divorced.”

“Sure,” he agreed without the slightest hesitation.

"Second, if Yan finds new love before you're done with your business, you shall not intervene in her life anymore.”

At that, an icy glow flashed across his eyes, albeit it vanished in a blink. “Alright.”

“Third, if you're still the general when you marry her, you must believe in her at all times and protect her at all costs. With her character, Yan isn't the best at protecting herself from scheming folks.” “That's for sure. I'll never let her get hurt, even if it means destroying everything. Besides me, no one is allowed to bully her.”

“No, you're not allowed to either.”

Shen Yiyan was speechless for a second before he continued, “Fine, I won't bully her. She'll be the one bullying me instead, will that do?”

“I need you to swear this on your life,” Wu Nian added, staring firmly in his eyes. “That if you can't fulfill any of the above, your parents shall die a painful death, and you shall be reduced to ruins.” Shen Yiyan raised an eyebrow in amusement. “That's harsh.”

“So are you going to do it?"

Raising an arm, he swore, “If I don't love Liu Yan enough, I shall be reduced to ruins. If I fail to comply with any of the conditions, my parents shall suffer a painful death. Are you happy with that now?"

Wu Nian nodded. “I'll get Aaron to inform you of her location once she's settled down.”

A hopeful spark glimmered in the man’s eyes as his lips curved up into a faint smile. “I'll leave that to you then. My men shall escort you home. By the way, you do know what the things you're supposed to speak about and what you shouldn't are, right?”

Folding her arms, Wu Nian replied coldly, “What do you think?"

Shen Yiyan smirked, though seemingly deep in thought. “How did Liu Yan even come across such a terrifying friend like you?”

“That's her fortune,” she responded and walked towards the door. “I'll update you when the time comes. Don't you forget what you promised!”

Shen Yiyan closed his eyes for a moment. He then walked ahead of Wu Nian and opened the door. “Send Ms. Wu home,” he ordered.

"Yes, Sir!” the guards saluted immediately and led Wu Nian towards the exit.

As Shen Yiyan watched the woman's back diminish into the distance, he beckoned to the adjutant standing next to him. “Go locate Liu Yan's destination and deploy twenty-four-hour surveillance around the location. I'll never let her escape from my clutches.”

Meanwhile, back at the Jasmine Spa Parlour, Wu Nian glanced at her watch to see that it was already 3 a.m. It should be 8 p.m. in Lightspring now...

She pulled out her phone and dialed Aaron's number.

“You're still awake?” a warm, familiar voice echoed from the other end of the call.

"Aaron, I need you to tell you something. I met with Shen Yiyan just now. He has agreed to let you whisk Yan away on purpose.”

Aaron was confused. “On purpose? What do you mean?”

"You'll take her away as planned, but let her stay in Ustrana first. Don't let anyone kidnap her in the meantime. Wait for another ten days before you bring her to Dartan, and keep me informed of her movements from time to time.”

“That plan sounds even more exciting than the one before. Why the sudden change, though?” he asked gently.

“Shen Yiyan has agreed to set her free until he’s gotten rid of his troubles at hand, but I can't trust him completely. I'll give him a fake address first and see what he'll do. If he really holds onto his promises earlier, only then will I reveal Yan's true location to him.”

Aaron chuckled. “It seems like you're driving the demon out of wits this time. How clever!”

Wu Nian smiled. “I'll take that as a compliment.”

“It's up to your interpretation. By the way...” Aaron hesitated shortly before continuing, “I might need a little help from you as well.”

"What is it?" she probed confidently. If it's something she could help with, she would absolutely do it.

Wu Nian never liked owing anyone a favor. A pang of guilt shot through her heart as images of various people who had sacrificed themselves for her reemerged in her head. Among many of them, there was Liu Yan, and there was Mu Xiaosheng...

"Grandma's visiting next month,” Aaron explained. “And since I did mention to her that you're my friend, I'll probably need you to spare some time to meet up.”

"Don’t worry, that's something I should do after all! Just fill me in when you've confirmed the time of her arrival.”

"Great, thanks!” Aaron's voice rang cheerfully. “You should go sleep soon. Staying awake at such ungodly hours isn't good for your skin, you know.”

Wu Nian couldn't help but let out a chuckle. For some reason, this man could always make her feel comfortable somehow. “Alright then, I'll see you next month. Goodnight!”

“See you soon. Goodnight.”

At that, Wu Nian hung up the phone and proceeded to take a quick bath. As she laid in bed, she was plagued with thoughts about Gu Mingchen the whole night. Tossing and turning restlessly, her heart ached every second whenever he appeared in her mind.

She flipped on her back towards the other side of the bed and forced her eyes shut. It's okay. It'll be over soon. You'll forget about all these feelings before you know it... As she slowly drifted into sleep, she could feel something warm and wet trickle down her cheeks.

Life is but a brief candle, huh? I'll get used to it...

When Wu Nian opened her eyes again in a daze, it was already 12 in the afternoon. Dragging her heavy self out of bed, she freshened herself for the day and proceeded to call her friend.

Liu Yan's flustered voice rang from the phone. “So how was it? I've been waiting for your call!” Following a sluggish yawn, Wu Nian slowly steadied herself before she replied, “Aaron has access to God's Eye. He said he'll be able to rescue you once you land in Ustrana.”

“God's Eye? What on earth is that? That sounds like a load of crap from him!”

She probably snapped a nerve while fretting over this, didn't she? “I'm talking about that surveillance system that allows him to access the cameras throughout the city,” Wu Nian explained deliberately. “So the moment you arrive, Aaron can track you down quickly via the facial recognition features.”

“Right, now I remember! Gosh, I've been losing my appetite and sleep these days. I can feel more and more of my brain cells dying as the day goes by..." As Liu Yan blabbered, she exclaimed all of a sudden, “Oh dear, Shen Yiyan is here again! I have to go. Talk to you later!” With that, she hung up abruptly.

Wu Nian sighed helplessly.

Though Shen Yiyan might truly love her, it's only reasonable that Yan found it difficult to accept it within such a short time. Apart from the difference in their status, their relationship hadn't started well either.

As soon as Wu Nian sat down on her bed, another buzz resounded from her phone. Hesitating slightly at the unknown number flashed on the screen, she answered cautiously, “Hello? Who's on the line?”

"Good afternoon, Ms. Wu! This is the Galactic Voyage Yachts,” a jovial voice spoke. “We would like to inform you that today will be the last day of our promotional campaign for the best-selling model which you were interested in earlier. Also, we're giving out an additional discount of fifty thousand and a complimentary jet ski. Would you like to place an order today before the campaign ends?”

“I see. I'll get one unit then. Please make sure that it's brand new without any defects.”

“Rest assured, Ms. Wu!” the bright voice chirped. “Our brand has been consistently reliable for over thirty years. When will it be convenient for you to come to the showroom and make your deposit?” “I'll come this afternoon.”

In the meantime, Zhang Xingyu hung up on a call he had received a minute ago and looked towards Gu Mingchen. “Ms. Wu really did purchase a yacht in her own name. Are you still planning to buy one?"

Gu Mingchen stared into the distance quietly for a while. “I need you to go to Jinyang City and help me do something there,” he instructed the assistant.