"What?"
Shen Yue knew over a year ago that I wouldn't live to see the Spring Festival of 2024?
Su Nanxin was stunned—
She didn't know.
She truly didn't know why she wouldn't live to see the Spring Festival of 2024 just because of insomnia.
Patriarch Shen: "There's an idiom that says, 'Heaven envies the beautiful'!"
Heaven envies the beautiful—
It means that when a woman is so beautiful that she is beyond description, even heaven will be jealous of her and take her away from this world.
This peculiar phenomenon is also called 'beauty is ill-fated'.
Su Nanxin's tightly pursed lips suddenly curved.
Patriarch Shen: "Su Nan Guan Yin is renowned for her beauty, holding the undisputed title of the most beautiful woman among the Eastern elite families for the past century. Even the God of War, Li Wujiang, whose martial prowess and beauty are equally matched, cannot compare to you. That is because she is a Ghost Infant! While you, Su Nanxin, are human."
Su Nanxin remained silent.
She had known this for a long time.
Patriarch Shen continued, "Over a year ago, when your insomnia began, Shen Yue visited Old Du Baiyun. Old Du divined from your features that your life was nearing its end! Think carefully, doesn't Shen Yue, who rarely spent time with you before, frequently seek excuses to accompany you this past year?"
Bang!
Su Nanxin felt her heart pound violently.
Indeed.
Shen Yue, blessed with many beauties, had been accompanying her frequently since her insomnia started over a year ago.
But she hadn't thought much of it.
Now she realized that Shen Yue had known for a long time that her life was ending, and thus wanted to spend more time with her.
Patriarch Shen: "You were destined to die. Shen Yue also wanted to spend more time with you before you passed. However, six months ago, after Zhuang Wujian suddenly emerged and coveted Misty Township, your fate changed!"
Unaccountably, Su Nanxin's delicate body trembled as if electrified.
A chill ran through her—
She instinctively drew her fair legs up onto the chair, her buttocks firmly planted, and only then felt a little better.
Patriarch Shen: "To ensure the maritime fortunes remain unharmed, there are the Four Phoenixes Circling the Beam and the Sun Rising in the East. The Sun Rising in the East can allow my entire Shen family to benefit greatly from the maritime fortunes! The Four Phoenixes Circling the Beam, however, will only allow you to absorb vital energy from the Third Phoenix and the Purple Golden Beam, for a maximum of sixty years!"
A Jiazi, that's sixty years.
Even though it was a maximum of sixty years, even if it wasn't sixty, it would definitely be over forty.
Su Nanxin understood this principle, of course.
As Patriarch Shen spoke again—
His tone couldn't help but become venomous, "My good cousin Shen Yue! To ensure you, this vixen, grow old together! Not only did he choose to gracefully retreat, letting others help him care for you few! He also disregarded the immense benefits the entire Shen family could gain from the maritime fortunes, thus abandoning the Sun Rising in the East and opting for the Four Phoenixes Circling the Beam."
Understood.
Su Nanxin understood everything.
Her face turned deathly pale, her body trembling more violently.
Her teeth couldn't help but chatter.
"Heh heh."
Patriarch Shen sneered, "The ironic thing is, my good cousin sacrificed so much for you, even causing the entire Lingnan Shen family to suffer a significant loss in strength due to his departure. Yet, all he received in return was your hatred."
Su Nanxin closed her eyes.
She clenched her back teeth.
Her left hand's long fingernails dug fiercely into her leg.
She pricked herself until blood oozed out, the sharp pain a small solace.
The more it hurt, the slightly better she felt.
Patriarch Shen: "Before Shen Yue left, he must have told you that it is your mission to find lifelong happiness through the Caterpillar Bites. For this mission, you can do anything. He wouldn't even care if his man's dignity was shattered."
Su Nanxin, her face contorted in pain, nodded.
Patriarch Shen continued, "Moreover, as the Four Phoenixes Circling the Beam matures, your feelings for my good cousin will gradually fade. In Old Du's words, your destinies will diverge. Little do they know, this is the effect of the Four Phoenixes Circling the Beam formation."
Su Nanxin released her left hand, raised it before her eyes, and looking at the bloodstains on her manicure, asked softly, "What exactly do you want me to do by telling me all this?"
"I have a way to bring the little brat back to your side. Without him, even with the Four Phoenixes Circling the Beam formation complete, you will still be unable to escape the fate of 'heaven envies the beautiful'!"
Patriarch Shen declared with conviction, "Because it's impossible for him to abandon his identity as the heir of the Dragon Ruins for a venomous woman. Although he boastfully claimed to have taken you at the Great Wall that day, in his heart, he—heh heh—even with eighty more courage, he wouldn't dare to touch you. He would only stop you from committing suicide and then avoid you."
But the little brat you're talking about is currently in my house!!
Thinking of Li Qianfan, Su Nanxin's sorrow and pain noticeably lessened.
She smiled silently and asked, "What method do you have to make him come to me within three days?"
"You don't need to worry about that."
Patriarch Shen said calmly, "I'll just ask you, do you want him to come to you?"
Su Nanxin replied without hesitation, "Yes."
Patriarch Shen said slowly, "Then you must do as I say."
Su Nanxin asked, "What do I do?"
Patriarch Shen: "Old Du Baiyun said the Four Phoenixes Circling the Beam formation is complete. Apart from you being unable to leave that little brat, the Caterpillar Bites can pursue their own happiness."
Su Nanxin raised an eyebrow, "It seems you want to arrange marriages for the Caterpillar Bites?"
"Yes!"
Patriarch Shen stated frankly, "But rest assured, I will help my three nieces find the best men for them. I can even arrange for Du Junlin to stay by the little brat's side. After all, her fate has been intertwined with the little brat's for over twenty years."
Su Nanxin's face was filled with amusement, "Tell me more."
Patriarch Shen said, "Su Zui's posthumous child is already four or five months old, right? Her ex-husband Lin Yifeng is also no good. Let's just go to the hospital for an abortion and end this karmic entanglement. Lin family's third son is more than enough for a fallen woman. Shen Yun, who broke off her engagement with the Gao family in the northwest, can be happily married to Miao Laitai's second grandson. Miao family's second young master is even a few years younger than Shen Yun. He is currently developing abroad, with a bright future."
Su Nanxin tilted her head slightly, "And then?"
Patriarch Shen replied, "After the marriages of Caterpillar Bites, Chun Chun, and the Lin and Miao families, your Su family of Sijiu will suffer the slaughter by the little brat, transforming the original thirteen elite families into twelve elite families. Coupled with the Yao family of Sijiu, who previously scrambled to join the thirteen elite families, a new alliance of thirteen elite families can be re-established."
Su Nanxin asked again, "And then?"
Patriarch Shen answered truthfully, "I believe with your beauty and skills, you will surely be able to keep the little brat firmly in your grasp!"
Su Nanxin understood, "You want to control Li Qianfan through me."
Patriarch Shen answered a question with a question, "Su Nanxin, you should know. After the little brat publicly announced that he had taken you, the aristocratic families like the Gao family in the northwest who originally supported him have deep reservations, no longer supporting him. This has shaken his ability to successfully inherit the Dragon Ruins, and he may very well end up living in seclusion."
What he said was the truth.
Su Nanxin had to nod, "Yes."
Heh heh.
Patriarch Shen chuckled confidently, "Without the support of the Gao family and other families in the northwest, it's actually nothing."
Su Nanxin understood again, "After Li Qianfan loses the support of the Gao family and other families in the northwest, as long as he obediently follows my will, he will gain the strong support of the new thirteen elite families! Thus, ensuring he can successfully take over the Dragon Ruins."
"Correct."
Patriarch Shen replied, "To be blunt, as long as my thirteen elite families don't rebel, even if they make grave mistakes, at most, a few core disciples from the Du and Feng families will be killed, leading to their complete decline. Because the Eastern Land needs us. Only we can create the greatest checks and balances for the Li, Gao, and other families, preventing them from becoming too dominant and thus maintaining a delicate balance for continued strife within the rules of the game."
What he said was entirely correct!
Even though Li Qianfan, with the secret support of Director Zhao, massacred over twenty absolute core members from the Xu, Du, and Feng families, causing them to fall into complete decline.
Yet, the Eastern Land indeed needed the thirteen elite families to check and balance those opposing families.
Light must coexist with darkness!
If there is day, there must be night!!
Otherwise, there would be no balance, and society would not be healthy.
After the decline of the Du and Feng families, formerly among the thirteen elite families, even Director Zhao had to tacitly approve the reorganization of the thirteen elite families.
This was an ironclad fact.
Not something anyone, including Su Nanxin and Li Qianfan, could prevent!
Su Nanxin said, "You want my Su family to re-establish the new thirteen elite families with the Yao family through marriages between Mao Mao, Chun Chun, and the Lin and Miao families. Then, you want to control Li Qianfan through me, drawing him into the camp of the thirteen elite families. Even if I can't fully control him, my involvement will provide the greatest buffer, preventing another family from the thirteen elite families from being brutally slaughtered by him. In return, the thirteen elite families will replace the Gao family and other aristocratic families in supporting him to successfully inherit the Dragon Ruins."
Patriarch Shen replied, "Precisely."
Su Nanxin asked, "Shen Huiteng, are you sure that without your help, Li Qianfan, who can save my life, will not return to my side?"
"One hundred percent certain."
Patriarch Shen said with disdain, "Because I am sure that the little brat actually has no inappropriate thoughts about you. Even though you are stunningly beautiful, considered the most beautiful woman among the Eastern elite families for a century, your age and exceptionally unique identity are undeniable. Even if the little brat's head was kicked by a donkey, he wouldn't dare to truly touch you. After successfully preventing you from having to commit suicide due to scandals, he will only try to stay as far away from you as possible."