The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a rising storm in the mountains. Long after Junzi had left, Chang Ying slowly came to realize a certain truth: before any major event occurs, life actually gives you many warnings. Most people, however, choose to turn a blind eye. He was the same—or perhaps he had a faint inkling but chose to evade it internally, believing such things could never happen.
The first sign life gave him was during their senior year of high school, when he saw Tan Junzi’s father, Guan Qiuyue, in Tan Shuixian’s hospital room.
At the time, he had accompanied Qin Ke to another city. Out of the ten people at that dinner banquet, three had died. Zhang Da’s father was one; Qin Hai was another. The task Qin Ke had assigned him was to keep watch over Tan Shuixian in her ward. With pufferfish poisoning, whether one lived or died was usually decided within two or three days. Qin Ke had said that if Tan Shuixian died, that would be the end of it; if she woke up, Chang Ying was to call him so he could go and set terms. Any terms were fine, as long as she never returned to Tong City.
But Tan Shuixian remained in a coma. The doctors said they had never seen anything like it; logically, her intake hadn't been high, yet she wouldn't wake. As for whether she would ever wake up, or when, no one could say.
Later, when Tan Shuixian was moved to a general ward, Guan Qiuyue stayed by her bedside constantly. When Chang Ying saw Guan Qiuyue, he found the man’s expression hard to describe—it held a sort of quiet madness. One look at that gaze explained many things that had previously puzzled him.
For instance, why Guan Qiuyue was so indifferent toward Tan Junzi. It was because his love for Tan Shuixian was extreme—the kind of love that whispered, *As long as you return to my side, I can forgive everything.* It was a love devoid of principle.
Chang Ying couldn't quite understand such an emotion, yet it seemed perfectly logical when applied to Tan Shuixian and Guan Qiuyue.
Regarding the entire pufferfish poisoning incident, he had another doubt. On the train back to the city, he asked Qin Ke, "Qin Ke, I have a question. I know you might not tell the truth even if I ask, but I want to ask anyway: did this have anything to do with you?"
Qin Ke acted as if he had long expected the question, showing no surprise at all. "What do you think?"
Qin Ke had gone to the gangway between the train carriages to smoke, and Chang Ying had followed, specifically waiting until Zhang Da wasn't around to ask. And because Chang Ying had followed him, Qin Ke knew he had suspicions.
"When we went to Xian City before, even the resort cleaners were gossiping about Qin Hai’s private affairs," Chang Ying mused. "Logically, for a group that large, the chairman’s private life—especially a scandal like that—should have been airtight. So, I guess you were the one who leaked the news about Qin Hai. You know Tan Shuixian well; she and Guan Qiuyue are actually the same kind of person—both deeply devoted and utterly heartless. You only had to light a spark. You might not have known exactly what Tan Shuixian would do, but you knew she wouldn't let it go." Chang Ying paused. "My first question is this: you’re just a student. No matter how smart you are, how did you know things had gone wrong between Qin Hai and Tan Shuixian?"
Qin Ke was still dangling a cheap cigarette from his lips. A passing traveler coughed twice and looked at him with dissatisfaction. Qin Ke simply turned toward the window.
"It wasn't actually hard to judge. After Qin Hai abandoned me and my mother, perhaps out of a sliver of guilt, he kept sending me money. Initially, he had his assistant wire it. In recent years, he started sending it personally, and the amount kept increasing."
"Do you know what that means? It means he was leaving himself a way out. He started remembering he had a son, which proved that the problems between him and Tan Shuixian were growing larger by the year," Qin Ke asserted. In truth, he hadn't guessed wrong.
"I really am just a student, and I was far away in Tong City, but I eventually used the money he gave me. I used it to hire a private investigator to gather evidence of his philandering, intending to mail the photos to Tan Shuixian. But you’re actually wrong about one thing—in the end, I never actually sent the photos, and I wasn't the one who spread the news."
"You hired someone to take photos, but you didn't send them?" Chang Ying looked at him.
"I know someone as smart as you must think I'm lying, that I must have been the one behind it. You think there's no way I'd spend money on photos and then not use them. But truly, in the end, I didn't send them. As for how Tan Shuixian eventually found out what Qin Hai was doing... well, that can only be attributed to Qin Hai being too stupid, or perhaps he simply stopped caring about her and became blatant."
"The dinner was arranged by Tan Shuixian. She was the one who insisted on ordering the pufferfish. As for why Zhang Da’s father was also there, that can only be called fate," Qin Ke said nonchalantly.
This was something Qin Ke hadn't anticipated. The carefully planned revenge, the long-held wish, the people he hated to the bone, the youth who had seen too much of the world's bitterness—all of it culminated in a single dinner where three lives, all powerful figures in the business world, were ended by a single pufferfish.
Grudges are like passing clouds; human life is cheap. Joys and sorrows are all interlinked, and life is inherently a tragicomedy.
"To be honest, I regret it a little now." Qin Ke crushed out his cigarette and looked at Chang Ying. "I regret saying at the guesthouse that I hoped you would protect Junzi well. Looking back, I’m the one who truly protected her. Anything you can do, I can do too."
The two boys were of similar height. In that cramped carriage gangway, they discussed the grievances of their parents' generation. The scenery outside the window blurred past as they locked eyes, neither willing to back down.
"I got those photos of Qin Hai a long time ago, but I kept them hidden. When I told you those things at the guesthouse, I had already decided to go through with it once I returned to Tong City—to light that final fire. That’s why I told you the whole story; I hoped you would protect Junzi while I was doing it."
"But then I changed my mind. The moment I thought about how doing this might cause Tan Shuixian to leave Qin Hai and come back for Guan Qiuyue, or for Tan Junzi, I stopped."
"To be honest, I don't quite understand myself either. I clearly hate Qin Hai and Tan Shuixian. When my mother passed away, I swore I would make those two pay the price. But why did I give it up in the end for a little girl? Maybe I just didn't want to see her sad. I’ve tasted the feeling of being abandoned by those closest to me, so I didn't want her to taste it too."
"You know, Chang Ying, if I had met Junzi first, she might not have liked you. You only have the advantage of appearing in her life first. A girl like her naturally becomes more dependent on whoever she’s known the longest. You’re nothing special."
Qin Ke’s expression was arrogant, his gaze slightly provocative as he looked at Chang Ying.
"Think whatever you like. I am grateful to you from the bottom of my heart for what you did for Junzi. So, if you want to win a verbal argument, I won't dispute it." Chang Ying simply smiled. "I can only say... I'm sorry, but it's too late for these words now."
Qin Ke stared at Chang Ying for a long time. "Do you have any idea how punchable that smile of yours is?"
"I know. That’s why I’m smiling like this," Chang Ying nodded solemnly, then added, "Now that you've inherited a fortune, smoke some better cigarettes. Those are too harsh."
The second sign life gave him was after Tan Junzi was discharged from the hospital and before university started, when Tan Zhengqi came to find him for a drink.
Tan Zhengqi had set up a small table on the balcony with two rattan chairs and two small cups before them.
"Come, let’s have a drink, us two. Sit." Tan Zhengqi pointed to the small stool opposite him. "Can you handle white liquor? I remember your grandfather had a great tolerance—he could put away a jin and a half and his hand wouldn't even shake when he picked up a calligraphy brush. I wonder if you inherited that."
Chang Ying pulled out the stool and sat. "I'm alright. I can't match my grandfather, but a jin is no problem. If you want to drink, I'll join you, but alcohol is bad for the health. I'm young so it doesn't matter, but you should drink less."
Thinking of the time he had faked being drunk, Chang Ying smiled silently. Back then, he’d only had two or three taels? He had been nowhere near drunk.
"You're right, it's bad for the health." Tan Zhengqi nodded, then suddenly sighed. "But in this life, drinking and smoking are my only two joys. I know they're bad for me, but I can never quit."
"I want to stay with Junzi a bit longer. That silly granddaughter of mine... she’s so sensible, yet she always makes people worry. But I’m seventy-nine this year. No matter how well I take care of myself, how many years do I have left? Every time I think about quitting, I think, *Just let this old man be selfish for once.*"
"I feel like I've spent my whole life doing one thing. The first half raising my own daughter alone, and the second half raising my daughter's daughter alone."
"Chang Ying, I asked you here today to tell you something—a secret. A secret I've kept buried in my heart for over a decade." Tan Zhengqi rubbed the armrest of his chair.
"Grandpa," Chang Ying spoke up. "I actually already know. It’s a long story."
Tan Zhengqi looked at Chang Ying. He had always liked this grandson of the Chang family. The boy didn't say much, but he possessed a steadiness rarely seen in youths, a capacity to carry weight.
The two looked at each other for a long time. One knew what the other was going to say, and the other knew he already knew. Thus, the matter wasn't mentioned again.
Tan Zhengqi downed a cup, and Chang Ying quickly followed suit. Then, Tan Zhengqi refilled both their cups.
"Junzi’s grandmother passed away early. Shuixian was only seven when she left. I spoiled her a bit growing up, thinking it was so pitiful for a girl to lose her mother and be left with a rough father like me. So, I tried to satisfy whatever she wanted. Perhaps that’s why she developed that personality. That’s why when I raised Junzi later, I was exceptionally strict, fearing she would turn out like her mother."
"After Shuixian... left with Qin Hai, I told Xiao Guan: *You're a man; your wife ran off with someone else and left you to raise Junzi. I know it's hard for you, and you have your pride. Moreover, to be honest, I don't believe you would be good to Junzi.*"
"So, I took responsibility for raising her, educating her, bringing her up. But I had only one requirement: we had to tell Junzi her mother was dead, not that she had eloped, not that she didn't want her."
"The reason I decided to lie to Junzi was because I’ve been there. I know how sad a child unwanted by their parents can be."
"I was adopted out to my eldest uncle by my parents. In the old days, rural families had many children. I was the eldest of eight. My uncle’s family lived in the neighboring village and hadn't had a son for years. Back then, in the countryside, you were looked down upon if you didn't have a son. So, my parents gave me to him."
"I was already old enough to understand when they sent me away. A ten-year-old child... how I cried. I cried the whole way, and I was beaten the whole way for it. Eventually, I was crying so hard I couldn't walk, so my father hoisted me onto his shoulders and dumped me at my uncle’s door. Years later, even after my uncle had a son of his own, I never went back to my biological parents' house. Growing up in someone else's home when you aren't their own... you never dare to eat your fill."
"You probably haven't experienced that feeling. It’s different from your parents being dead. They aren't dead; they just don't want you. They sent you away. A child like that can never hold their head high for their entire life; they lack a certain inner confidence."
"When I held Junzi in her swaddling clothes back then, seeing how small and fair she was, how she smiled at me and reached out with her tiny fists... anyone’s heart would have turned to water. I wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her."
"I’m just an old man. I raised Shuixian alone, and I didn't care if I had to raise another girl alone. I was sixty then. Barring any accidents, I figured I could at least last until Junzi reached adulthood. Now, it seems I’ve more than fulfilled my mission. Not only have I raised her well, but I’ve raised her to be so kind. I’m quite gratified."
"Chang Ying, tell Grandpa... do you like our Junzi?" Tan Zhengqi looked at him, but before Chang Ying could answer, he continued, "Actually, I know you two are together. At my age, if I couldn't tell when two children liked each other, I would have lived in vain."
"Grandpa—" Chang Ying started to stand up, but Tan Zhengqi waved him down.
"Sit. I’m not interrogating you."
"I know you’re a good kid. To be honest, I’m quite happy you and Junzi are together. Her father and mother are both alive, but I can't count on either of them. So, besides telling you that secret, this old man wants to make a selfish request: if the day comes when I’m gone, even if you stop loving Junzi, please remain her kin, her family. I don’t ask you to love her forever—I understand the feelings of the young. You’re both still small, and you might not truly walk together for a lifetime. But if you two ever part, if the love fades..."
"Grandpa, I will always be by Junzi’s side. Unless she doesn't want me, I will never leave her." Chang Ying didn't let Tan Zhengqi finish.
Hearing this, Tan Zhengqi only smiled, perhaps thinking the boy was still too young—making declarations about the future was something only the young did. But hearing Chang Ying say it brought him a great deal of comfort.
"She’s just a young girl. To think of her living all alone in this world in the future... it makes me want to weep. I don't dare think about it. But I will always go before her. I can't stay with her forever. I already have one foot in the grave. No matter how much I hate to leave her, how much my heart aches, there’s nothing I can do." When Tan Zhengqi reached for his cup again, Chang Ying pressed his hand down, took the cup, and drained it himself.
"If you don't believe me, you must believe in Junzi. She isn't an ordinary girl. Many people love her now, and more will love her in the future. She isn't alone in this world."
The third sign life gave him was the way Tan Junzi looked at him after Qianniu went missing.
He had seen that look before.
Back in elementary school, when he was raising Tan Changchang, he had to move the little parrot from its large cage to a smaller one while he built a new nest. To a small bird, such complex things are incomprehensible. In its eyes, what happened was sudden and inexplicable; its living space had abruptly become cramped and meager, and it didn't understand why.
It was a look of profound trust mixed with desolate helplessness. Now, that look appeared in Tan Junzi’s eyes.
He knew what she was thinking, but no matter how good his temper was, he could not allow this to happen. Thus, before they set off for Jiang City, Chang Ying looked into her eyes and said, "Junzi, I know you need time, and I know you blame yourself. But that isn't contradictory to your pursuit of happiness. We both know this isn't your fault."
"If you need to slow down on your own, I can stay out of your way. You can immerse yourself in your own world and use your own way to convince yourself and move on. I’m not forcing you to be any certain way, and I know you aren't in the mood for romance right now. But no matter what, we cannot break up. That is my bottom line."
As if he had read her mind, Junzi looked away and murmured, "I wasn't thinking of breaking up." But she knew she was lying. She had indeed thought about it.
The words "break up" were terrifying. Yet there was a crushing, contradictory force within her—it felt as though only by making herself suffer could she alleviate her guilt toward Qianniu. Since Qianniu’s disappearance, she felt she would never be whole again. Any happiness felt hollow. She would wonder: *Where is Qianniu? Is she in some remote mountain gully, locked away? With her personality, she must be getting beaten, drugged, and forced to...* Everyone knew the fate of kidnapped women. Trapped for a lifetime, beaten for a lifetime, bearing children until they finally broke.
Chang Ying’s heart ached. He had wanted to be her companion, her strength; he had never imagined that one day, he would become her burden.
Tan Junzi’s "giving up on herself" mood was too obvious. For the first time, he cupped her face with a bit of force, forcing her to look at him. "I am here. Whichever way you go, I go with you. If you don't want me to speak, I’ll follow silently. But can you please take responsibility for me?"
Confusion flickered in Junzi’s eyes. "But being with you right now is being irresponsible. Am I supposed to drag you into my unhappiness just because I'm miserable? These four years of university are supposed to be beautiful; I don't want to drag you down into this depression with me."
"I don't care. We don't have to hug, we don't have to kiss—I can even promise not to touch you, I won't even ask to hold your hand. But I can't love anyone else. I’m begging you, before you do anything, think of me..." As Chang Ying spoke these words, he felt he had reached the peak of humility, yet he still wasn't entirely sure he could move her. Even though she said they wouldn't break up, he remained terrified. She was stubborn and prone to getting stuck in her own head. He truly feared that one day, she would simply vanish.
For the first time in his life, Chang Ying felt powerless. Before, he had felt that Junzi was like a little fish; the hook was in his hand, and by watching the float, he knew exactly where she was going. He was the active one, the patient one. Junzi was the silly one, the one being calculated for. But now, he felt that Junzi was like the wind—the kind of wind a tree cannot hold. He was the tree, rooted in place, a tree bordering on despair.
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A Gentleman is Open-minded, While a Petty Person Sighs | Chapter 35 | Signs of the Coming Storm | Novela.app | Novela.app
