Chapter 10: The Dramatic Heart Exchange (Complete)
The young man in the jade crown and brocade robe, with a cold expression, fixed his sharp, slender eyes on Baihe's face. His extremely thin lips moved slightly: "I will only give you one chance to succeed. If you fail this time, not only will there be no reward, but there will also be no opportunity for failure again next time."
In the past, places where lily information appeared suddenly resembled a surface of water disturbed by an object, and after the ripples subsided, a figure emerged nearby. It was a young man, approximately twenty-five years old, tall in stature, dressed in a brocade robe and wearing a jade crown, with an exceptionally handsome and cold demeanor. His sudden appearance startled Lily, and it took her a while to regain her composure
As she watched the legendary figure on television, Huang Baoshan was currently engaged in cleaning duties at a department store building. Her son, now in middle age, was experiencing great suffering. The ordinary life and the burden of providing for his family weighed heavily on his shoulders. Like every other ordinary man in middle age, he was struggling to make ends meet.
He did not inherit his father's handsome appearance, nor did he receive the privileged background of a prodigy. Huang Baoshan had long wished to maintain her love, but ultimately, dreams succumbed to reality. After reaching middle age, when her son needed to pursue his studies, she, a woman without a diploma, a good background, or good looks, could no longer hold on and ended up marrying a man who had lost his wife early but was raising a son on his own.
"You are truly very clever; I almost can't bear to see you fail," he said in a flat, cold tone without any fluctuation, causing Lily to let out a bitter laugh.
"Then, the next time you fail a mission will be your last in this life." Receiving the expected answer, Lily was taken aback while also feeling a hint of bitterness. She wondered how many people would be willing to be chosen by the man before her for this so-called mission, as he likely had no shortage of candidates. She also pondered whether it was his earlier remark about her being perceptive that had prompted him to share so much with her.
The sound was quite satisfactory to her understanding, and after the starlight in the space distorted, it combined the myriad stars into a halo resembling a lamp, illuminating the entire space somewhat
Until just before closing his eyes, he seemed to recall many years ago, when he was full of vigor, a gentle and obedient fiancée. Although that fiancée was in poor health, she was docile and compliant, and the wealth of the Bai family was many times greater than that of his current wife's family. He should have been the Bai family's son-in-law, living a life of luxury with famous cars and grand houses, embraced by beauty, instead of being burdened by years of accumulated heartache that had become his death knell.
Yes, please speak. For such a result, Lily had long anticipated it in her heart, and thus felt no surprise whatsoever
Life cannot be considered entirely fulfilling; one can only say it is similar to that of most women in the world. However, the dissatisfaction and regret in Huang Baoshan's heart ultimately became a thorn in her soul. Every time she reflects on her once beautiful youth, she is left with the bitter realization of such an ending.
Due to her early pregnancy and childbirth, her academic performance was poor, and she lacked both a diploma and books. Consequently, she faced difficulties everywhere. The kind of love she dreamed of not only remained unfulfilled, but her later life was also marked by poverty and degradation. Even her parents truly abandoned her. In this life, she was indeed ruined
In fact, the lily has no so-called choice. Undertaking a difficult task merely provides another opportunity for failure. If successful, it equates to gaining additional means of survival. After failure, there is essentially no loss compared to the current situation.
"This task was originally completed quite well, but since you requested a pill in the middle, I can offer you two choices." A voice that had not been heard for several decades began to ring in Lily's ears again. Having lived for so long, Lily composed herself before responding.
As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought through danger. Bai He was unaware of the consequences she would face if her task failed. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke up and asked, "May I inquire what kind of punishment I would face if I fail my task?"
At the same time, Mo Chengtang, who had already emigrated abroad for decades, was now quite old and had fallen ill to the point of being bedridden. Decades ago, for the sake of the Mo family, he remarried the daughter of a local wealthy merchant and had since lived in the shadow of his wife. His wife was a strong and domineering person, and due to the Mo family's reliance on her maternal family, he had always been looked down upon by her, becoming well-known locally as a henpecked husband, living a life of such humiliation.
The princess in the television show is still being broadcast. Huang Baoshan recalls the smiling girl she once saw, and then thinks of her own stolen love from years ago. She reflects on the colorful life of the princess and considers her own situation, at the same age as the princess, yet having to work in a shopping mall cleaning and watching others' expressions just to provide a better life for her son and give him a little more support.
When did he lose the girl whose image should have long faded from his memory, and also lose the vast family estate of Baijia? Amidst various regrets, Mo Chengtang recalled the events of those years and closed his eyes
I want to undertake the task of early entry. This time, she did not hesitate any longer. The handsome man with a cold expression cast a deep glance at her. Although his expression remained unchanged, his tone softened considerably.
You have done well. I can offer you two choices. One is to double the reward for this time, but I will allow you to enter the task that was not originally assigned to you ahead of schedule. " He pressed his extremely thin lips together, and the sharpness of his chin made his appearance even more handsome, while also accentuating the coldness of his face. "The other option is to keep the originally prepared task unchanged, but the reward will be canceled.
In fact, I have died twice already; logically, this feeling should not be unfamiliar. However, because she has lived for such a long time within the narrative, this time, her death allowed her to once again experience the taste of death.
Yihe's heart tightened as she understood the meaning behind his words, her voice slightly hoarse: "What if I decline this reward and proceed directly to the next task that was originally mine?" Although she no longer had a physical form at this moment, years of experience as a person still made her feel as if a layer of sweat had formed in the palm of her hand.
In the pitch-black starry sky, Lily had already returned to this space the moment she closed her eyes, the taste of death still lingering in her throat, making it somewhat difficult for her to breathe.