Chapter 1: Sorry, I'm Late

 Chapter 1: Sorry, I'm Late

Beijing.

Drizzling rain fell from the sky.

Wanbao Mountain, cemetery.

Several men dressed in black, exuding a strong presence, walked up from the foot of the mountain. The man leading them wore a dark suit and held a black umbrella as he walked leisurely on the stone-paved road.

The man in the suit had a handsome face and a restrained demeanor, exuding an air of elegance and nobility.

The fine drizzle fell on the umbrella, making a soft tapping sound.

The group stopped in front of a small and large tombstone.

The elegant and noble man who was being escorted lifted his black umbrella slightly, revealing his handsome and indifferent facial features.

He was the rumored decisive and capricious eldest grandson of the Hou family in Beijing, Hou Yunjiao.

"Master"

The bodyguards behind him respectfully presented a bouquet of lilies and sunflowers that had not been touched by the rain.

The slender, white-as-jade hand slowly reached out and took the bouquet from the bodyguard.

He took two steps forward, half-squatting, and placed the sunflowers in front of the small tombstone with the name of Hou  Yao engraved on it.

Yao, forever out of reach, was the child he had never met.

Hou Yunjiao stood there, his deep and mysterious eyes showing a hint of sadness.

After a while, he stood up and walked to the side, in front of the tombstone engraved with Qin Ruan's name.

The bouquet of lilies, which emitted a faint floral fragrance symbolizing purity, beauty, and elegance, was slowly placed in front of the tombstone.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Hou Yunjiao's low, hoarse voice sounded.

He reached out and touched Qin Ruan's name on the tombstone, "The people who conspired against you back then have been identified. They will live in pain and regret forever. Death is a relief for them. I'll keep them alive until they go down to kowtow and apologize to you. Is that okay?"

At the end of his words, his voice became gentle, as if he were talking to a child.

They met by chance, and they had a fleeting romance.

At that time, Qin Ruan was just a little girl.

Recalling distant memories, Hou Yunjiao's eyes were filled with a coldness like frost and snow, with a complex and heavy look deep in his eyes.

He stood in place, lost in thought, with no expression on his handsome and cool face. His beautiful eyebrows lightly furrowed, and his thin lips formed a cold and hard line.

Everyone around him could tell that Lord Hou  was in a bad mood.

The sky was overcast and the rain was getting heavier.

A bodyguard walked up holding a black windbreaker and draped it over the man standing in front of the tombstone, reminding him in a low voice, "Third young master, it's raining heavily."

Hou Yunjiao responded with an "Hmm," tugging on his windbreaker, and gazed deeply at the names Qin Ruan and Hou Yao on the tombstone.

His voice was barely audible as he said, "I will come to visit you and your mother often."

This was his first time visiting the mother and son, but it would not be his last.

After making his promise, Hou  Yunjiao turned and left.

His lonely and desolate figure left a ripple in people's hearts.

"Cough cough..."

Hou Yunjiao suppressed a low cough and disappeared into the rain.

The group of people slowly disappeared into the cemetery.

Who would have thought that the third-generation heir of the Hou family, the current head of the family, would lower himself to come to Wanbao Mountain to pay respects to a woman with a notorious reputation and a foul stench.

His whereabouts had always been the focus of many forces, and those who had a mind for it could infer something from the recent downfall of the Qin family, which had been caused by the Hou family.

Every year thereafter, on the Tomb Sweeping and Ghost Festival, Hou Yunjiao would come to bring Qin Ruan and Hou Yao a bouquet of flowers.

Until Hou Yunjiao was no longer in this world, he could no longer come to Wanbao Mountain.

The faint and elusive figure beside the tombstone could no longer wait for him and had to disappear with the wind, gone forever in this world.

........

Beijing.

It's already midsummer in June.

The sky is gray and hazy, with a glimmer of light on the eastern horizon, waiting for the dawn to arrive.

Suddenly, thunder rumbles in the sky, and the wind howls, releasing a terrifying pressure.

In the East City, at the Imperial Palace Hotel, a rough thunderbolt strikes the hotel, and in an instant, the sky and earth change color.

The thunder disappears, and the wind stops abruptly.

As the sun rises, it illuminates the entire city.

Everything that just happened seems unreal, like a mirage.

People who were woken up by the city are checking the situation and find that it is already calm outside.

Inside a room at the Imperial Palace Hotel, a girl lying on a comfortable and soft bed slowly opens her beautiful eyes.

The familiar yet strange surroundings are clearly reflected in Qin Ruan's eyes.

For a moment, her mind goes blank, and her eyes are dull and lifeless, like an elderly person in decline, without any vitality.

Her body feels a mysterious pain, uncomfortable like being pulled apart everywhere.

It's not a sharp pain, but a nagging discomfort that's hard to bear.

On the red and precious carpet in the room, messy clothes are scattered all over the floor, and distant memories return to her mind.

Qin Ruan's emotions undergo a drastic change, her pupils tremble slightly, and the dead and lifeless look in her eyes gradually dissipates.

-- Reading Guide: The new book has some mystical settings and may be a little scary.

All contents of the book are fictitious, please do not take them seriously, and let us believe in science.

With such a deep and significant character like Third Master Hou , are you sure you don't feel moved by the first chapter?

Male lead's name: Hou Yunjiao, pronounced with a falling tone.

If you like this book and the baby of [Tender Couple], don't forget to add it to your bookshelf and collection.