Chapter Forty-Nine: The River God and the Heart's Desire

The five of them followed the blue fireball all the way and successfully found a river; however, its surface was not frozen at all, which was a far cry from the legendary ice river that never melts.

“So this is the Ice River? Where’s the ice?” Cheng Yu, who had been in a state of confusion since passing through Jade Gate, was the first to speak.

Chi Xiaoxiao squatted down, scooped up a handful of river water, and sprinkled it on Cheng Yu’s shoes. She clapped her hands and said, “It’s spring now. It’s perfectly normal for the ice to have melted. That so-called ‘never-melting’ might just be a rumor passed down by word of mouth.”

Since this was already the secret realm, there should only be one river—the Ice River—so although they were surprised, everyone quickly accepted the fact that the Ice River had no ice.

“What are you doing? You got my shoes all wet.”

The boy seemed completely unaware or perhaps just didn’t care at all. He lifted his jersey to wipe the sweat pouring down his face and headed toward the dormitory building.

He had also deliberately trained in a martial art called Turtle Shell Technique, which gave him an abnormal resistance to blows.

Linlang glanced at the nanny—a woman in her early forties, plump and round, the very picture of an ordinary motherly figure, always gentle with others.

Madam Li smiled. “I hope your words come true.” In these times, most people valued sons; for a prominent family like the Fang’s, things were somewhat better. Still, Fang Yue had married late, and with no sons yet, the family naturally awaited the birth of a legitimate heir.

Meng Fei had spent over a year in the arena, fighting in more than a hundred matches without a single defeat. His opponents were either dead or crippled; his strikes were merciless.

That day, Ye Chu was idly at home with nothing to do, so she casually picked up a newspaper. Unexpectedly, a news article caught her attention.

No sooner had she finished speaking than a sudden brightness lit up Gu Mingjie’s eyes, and the desolate air around him vanished instantly.

He knew she was unwell, knew she was emotionally uneasy—so why wouldn’t he come to her, comfort her, and prove his love through actions?

Sensing something odd in Yin Qi’s demeanor, Rong Yue, who had served him for many years, immediately caught on and adjusted his manner to be perfectly in tune with his master.

Normally, with He Wei’s temperament, none of these people would have been spared, but the sudden appearance of Dinghai’s warship interrupted everything for the moment.

She wasn’t one for sentimental sighs, but after seventeen years of turbulent change, she felt like a reed, carried wherever the wind pleased.

“Is this really how you live? Never getting involved, always just a spectator, watching everything unfold before your eyes.” Li Yuan continued to ask, suddenly feeling a pang of envy for Heng Ruo’s life. Perhaps not getting caught up in the world’s whirlpool was the greatest relief.

Zhou Shen helped Xu Li lie down and was about to put the clothes back in the box when he discovered a red paper packet at the very bottom.

“Hello?” He answered the phone while opening all the windows and sliding open the balcony door. The cool early morning breeze swept in, bringing a chill to his body. He listened to the steady, gentle voice on the other end as he slowly walked out onto the balcony.

The next day, I was granted the title of Talented Lady for having won His Majesty’s favor and was assigned to reside in the Palace of Auspicious Fortune. My “father,” Chi Zhanqing, was appointed a third-rank Censor.

She was still leaning in his arms. At that moment, they were both aware of it, but neither wanted to move or speak.

She had no idea how long she had been watching. Just as she was about to check on Xia Zhi’an, before she could stand, Xia Zhi’an suddenly sat up with a start.

Every time she encountered her, there were always men hovering nearby. Her overabundance of admirers stirred nothing but anger and disgust.

Each portrait was vivid and lifelike: eyes like purple ripples, and a peach blossom-shaped birthmark, red as if about to drip.

So much time had passed that even their breaths felt unfamiliar. Suddenly, the desire within him was ignited; he picked me up and carried me into the bedroom, laying me gently on the bed. He reached out and undid my clothes, his gaze burning along every inch of my skin.

The living room was lively and harmonious; no one deliberately excluded her, laughter and cheerful conversation filled the air. Even Wang Peilan wore a broad smile. Yet Fu Renran couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all a façade, a performance put on for the powerful man seated beside her.