As for the reason for He Yanmo’s late return, it beca clear to everyone as soon as they returned to the South Sea Mansion.
In the living room, everyone took their seats amidst laughter and chatter.
Shang Qi and Gu Yingjun intentionally sat beside He Yanmo, one offering silent companionship, the other becoming a chatterbox.
Gu Yingjun nudged He Yanmo’s shoulder, "Sister Mo, do you know the night you left three years ago, I was almost beaten to death by my dad?"
He Yanmo took out a jelly drink from the coffee table, checked the production date, twisted it open, and handed one to Shang Qi, "You got into trouble?"
"Nonsense, we all got into trouble together, Qiqi and Ah Yao were also punished by Aunt Qiao." Gu Yingjun snorted, "Suspected... driving without a license."
He Yanmo sipped the jelly drink and glanced at Shang Qi, nodding seriously, "Seems like it was the right choice for to leave."
"You wouldn’t have been punished even if you stayed. Everyone knows Uncle He dotes on you the most."
He Yanmo’s eyes flashed, but she didn’t say a word.
She thought that when she got ho later, she might be in for a beating.
After all, when she left the South Sea, her father was still in the dark.
At this mont, White Tiger Yin Bai, who had not been seen in public for a long ti, slowly descended the stairs.
He Yanmo and Shang Yin stood up at the sa ti, and the others also turned their eyes, looking a bit unnatural.
Yin Bai had aged, no longer able to run or jump.
In the past three years, Renhe Laboratory had cloned three white tiger cubs from its genes, but all died within a month.
It wasn’t a matter of technology, but Yin Bai was a pure white Bengal tiger with mutated genes, with fewer than a hundred existing in the world.
Moreover, a pure wild white tiger is globally rare.
Life and death are beyond control, so things seem destined to be regrets.
The white tiger slowly approached He Yanmo, gazed at her with slightly cloudy eyes for a few seconds, then rubbed its head against her leg.
He Yanmo put down the jelly, squatted down, and hugged its head, "Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai, I’m back."
The white tiger gently licked the back of her hand with its tongue, then turned its massive body towards a small box in the corner of the coffee table, and walked over to pat it with its paw.
Gu Yingjun tilted his head to take a look, "Sister Mo, is there beef in the box?"
He Yanmo shook her head, leaned over to pick up the small box, and stuffed it into Shang Yin’s arms, "Brother Yin, open it and see."
The white tiger humd softly and lumbered back to Shang Yin, persistently nudging the box with its head.
Shang Yin crossed his legs, caressing the brown box with one hand. Despite the years, he rembered clearly that Yin Bai was given to him by Uncle Bai in a box just like this.
The box had air holes on one side, and the small creature inside woke up with a sudden "awoo" sound.
Shang Qi and the others instantly focused, while Tang Ruguo leaned over to take a closer look, "What’s making that noise? Sounds like a kitty."
At this mont, Shang Yin’s breathing was sowhat irregular, stroking the box and looking at He Yanmo, silent for a long ti.
He Yanmo had planned to return on August 7th, but the reason for her delay was that she spent forty days at the Indo-Bengal border, in the treacherous, uninhabited coniferous forests of the Himalayas, to find a wild young white tiger.
This was told to her by Master Xing Zinan, as he had also encountered a solitary young white tiger in those forests years ago.
This little one, unsurprisingly, belonged to the sa lineage as Yin Bai.
Shang Yin opened the box, and the young white tiger leaped out gracefully, scampered around, and finally ca to a halt after bumping into the sofa.
Yin Bai slowly walked over, gently swatted its face a couple of tis with his large paw, and the little one scrambled up, running around by Yin Bai’s feet.
Soon after, the young white tiger clung to He Yanmo’s pant leg, howling incessantly.
He Yanmo picked it up, kissed its small head, then held it up in front of Shang Yin, "Xiao Xiao Bai, he’s your real master."
The young white tiger settled securely into Shang Yin’s arms, sniffing around, tired from hopping, and lay down on the man’s lap to lick its paws.
It still didn’t know what being a master ant, but this human carried the scent of its kind.
He Yanmo had returned, Yin Bai had co downstairs, and another rare Bengal white tiger had burst into Shang Yin’s world.
Upon seeing such a small white tiger for the first ti, Tang Ruguo, ever the clever one, scooted next to He Yanmo and shyly smiled, "Sister Mo, is there another one? Give one too."
Gu Yingjun spoke bluntly, leaning on the coffee table, "Count in too."
Shang Yao chuckled softly, turning his head to look at Shang Qi, "Shall we have one too?"
Shang Qi readily nodded, "Agreed."
anwhile, Qin Mushi, mature beyond his years, sipped his tea, "Sister Mo, there are no white tigers at Li City Zoo."
The implication being, if you send one, there will be.
Finally, Zong Xilan, who wasn’t even eighteen yet, settled for a compromise, "Sis, I don’t mind the color, as long as it’s a tiger."
He Yanmo took a sip of her jelly drink and responded, "Do I look like a wholesaler of big tigers?"
Zong Xilan compromised again, "Sis, even a cat that looks like a tiger would do."
Before He Yanmo could speak, Shang Yin, holding the young white tiger with one hand, took her hand with the other and led her upstairs, "Yin Bai, co."
"Brother Yin, you can’t be serious." Gu Yingjun was the first to wail, "Go up if you want, but leave the young white tiger for us to play with!"
...
Half a month later, He Yanmo returned to Nan University of Science and Technology to continue her studies.
Shang Yin also continued to travel between Parma and the South Sea.
Everything seed settled, yet He Chen, as a father, felt sowhat uneasy.
Three years ago, on the first day He Yanmo left, when He Chen was furious, Yin Mo whispered in his ear, "Try to understand, she did this for Yi Bao. We’ve spoiled her for too long. If we don’t let her go out and toughen up, she’ll feel increasingly inferior in front of Yi Bao."
He Chen thought to himself, the cabbage he has carefully nurtured was just taken away by his godson like that; when did it even start?
He had dedicated his life to raising He Yanmo to be a sweet lily, living a carefree and happy life.
As a father, he had seen too much ugliness in the world and didn’t want his daughter to follow in his footsteps.
As a result, the sweet lily insisted on transforming herself into a steel queen flower. Doesn’t she realize that following Ah Yin ans she will turn herself into another Li Qiao?
Everyone saw Li Qiao’s spirited confidence as an adult, bold and unrestrained, but few knew the price she paid back on the border back then.
Shang Yin was a child born standing on the pinnacle of the mountain, while He Yanmo was the little heiress he had pampered in the Golden House.
He hoped He Yanmo’s life would be filled with poetic and picturesque monts, but now it seed like poetic beauty was out of reach, while the hardships were inevitable.
He Chen was troubled, but it was all in vain.
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