Chapter 107: Tears (Fifth Update)

"Alright then!" Yang Fan muttered, speechless. She must be rich, throwing away a phone without a second thought. Girls could be so willful!

"Well, let's go inside and take a look," Yang Fan said. The manor's main gate was sealed with tape, which Yang Fan peeled straight off. Using the largest key on the ring, he unlocked the gate.

This was no abandoned estate. The Redemption organization had built this place specifically for its high-ranking members to indulge themselves, just like the luxury hotel inside their main base carved into the mountain.

A few motorhomes sat in the courtyard, also bearing official seals. Over in the large garage on the other side, several luxury cars were parked.

Yang Fan ignored them and walked up to the manor's glass doors. Unlocking the lock at the bottom, he pushed them open and stepped inside.

The girl followed closely behind, her expression remarkably calm.

Yang Fan led her on a brief tour. The true opulence of the place lay not above ground, but beneath it.

The underground level was divided into ten sectors, all lavishly furnished—similar to the accommodations Yang Fan had stayed in during the underground auction, but even more extravagant.

Though months of neglect had left a thin layer of dust, it did nothing to dim the estate's former grandeur.

There were even racks of vintage red wine and cartons of cigarettes...

Quite satisfied, Yang Fan said, "If you ever find yourself out of a job, you can work here!"

"No, thank you."

Yang Fan nodded. "Well, if you ever bring your boyfriend or husband here in the future, I'll give you a discount. Actually, no—I'll let you stay for free!"

The girl offered a faint smile but said nothing.

"What? You don't believe me?"

"Of course I do. I assume you'll be the one running this manor from now on?"

"Yes. In fact, the entire Mount Mowang belongs to me," Yang Fan said.

"Then you really are wealthy."

Yang Fan grimaced. Wealth didn't mean much; he worked himself to the bone mostly because he had too many mouths to feed.

With Yang Fan leading the way and the girl following, they spent hours exploring the grounds and even discovered a pond with live fish.

Fish certainly were resilient creatures; to think they had survived three or four months on their own. Still, it was a welcome surprise—they could make a few meals out of them.

"I'm a little yellow duck..." his ringtone chimed.

Seeing that it was Wang Yun calling, Yang Fan picked up.

"I hope you all had a great time today, leaving me behind all by myself."

"Honey, we won't be able to make it back tonight!" Wang Yun said.

"Where are you then?" Yang Fan asked, exasperated. *They're actually staying out all night?*

"We're at Manor No. 5. Zhao Jing called to say it's started snowing, and her car can't make it up the mountain. The roads are too slick!"

"What? Snowing?" Yang Fan groaned. The sky had been overcast all day, but there hadn't been any forecast of snow! "Where is Zhao Jing now?"

"She went back to the resort."

Talking on the phone, Yang Fan rushed outside. Sure enough, snow was falling. But the snow itself wasn't the worst part; the real problem was that their own car was trapped as well.

The road down the mountain was winding and treacherous, and with a layer of snow...

"Damn it..."

"Honey, where are you?" Wang Yun asked.

"I'm at the manor on Mount Mowang! It's snowing here, too!"

"Then how are you going to get back?"

"I can't. I'm stuck here!" Yang Fan sighed in frustration.

"That's what you get for running off on your own!" Wang Yun scolded.

"How was I supposed to know it would snow?"

Over the line, the worried voices of Xia Yufei and Wu Qian could be heard in the background.

"Honey, is there any food up there?" Xia Yufei asked, taking the phone.

"Yes, there is."

"Then whatever you do, don't try to drive down the mountain!"

"Alright, I won't," Yang Fan replied, utterly defeated. Meanwhile, the girl's face remained as tranquil as still water.

"We're stuck," he said to the girl.

"I can see that," she replied.

Yang Fan immediately called Zhao Jing. Relieved to hear she was almost back to the resort, he gave her a few quick words of caution before hanging up.

Next, he called Lin Ruo. She and Lin Xi were still in Tianning. Yang Fan told them not to make the trip tonight and to wait until the weather cleared tomorrow—though he had his doubts about whether it would clear by then.

The snow was falling heavily now. He realized that packing up the leftovers from their lunch had been a stroke of absolute genius.

"Don't worry, I won't let you starve."

"I'm not worried. There's food in the manor. I saw it," the girl replied.

Yang Fan sighed heavily and retrieved the takeout containers from the car. The girl stared out at the falling snow, lost in thought.

Half an hour later, the snowfall only intensified.

Yang Fan remained anxious about Zhao Jing until she called back to confirm she had arrived safely, allowing him to finally relax.

Soon after, Ye Bing called. Upon hearing he was trapped on the mountaintop, she panicked and repeatedly warned him not to attempt the drive down.

The sudden blizzard had caught everyone completely off guard.

Yang Fan's phone continued to ring off the hook. Sitting in one of the suites with the girl, he grew increasingly dismayed as he watched the white expanse outside grow thicker.

"We might as well make the best of it. No matter how much you fret, the snow isn't going to stop," the girl said with a smile. She had fetched two bottles of red wine from the cellar, while Yang Fan had grabbed a pack of cigarettes.

"There won't even be any lights tonight. What a mess."

"It's fine. We can sleep downstairs tonight. It definitely won't be cold there." The girl took a sip of her wine and poured a glass for Yang Fan.

"Well, that's true. It won't be cold."

"We have food and drink, so what is there to worry about? Come, let's toast to our chance encounter!"

Yang Fan raised his glass with a rueful smile.

It was only two in the afternoon, and the sudden blizzard had effectively grounded him.

The girl slowly sipped her wine, a quiet smile playing on her lips.

Yang Fan spent the afternoon preparing two of the luxury suites. They didn't require much work; he simply wiped away the dust. He stripped the old covers off the duvets, finding the bedding underneath perfectly clean.

For dinner, the girl grilled the fish they had caught, which they paired with some preserved meat snacks. It was a makeshift meal, but it would have to do.

Fortunately, they found some candles, turning the simple meal into something resembling a romantic candlelit dinner.

"You said you would help me," the girl said, taking a sip of wine. She wasn't drunk, though a faint blush had crept onto her cheeks.

"Yes, I did. Tell me, what do you need?"

The girl stood up.

To Yang Fan's surprise, tears began to stream down her face.

"What's wrong?"

The girl shook her head and threw her arms around him.

The sudden embrace caught him off guard, but Yang Fan sensed that she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

"Tell me, what's wrong?"

"Take my virginity, and then let us never see each other again."

"Listen to me, there's nothing in this world you can't get through. I..."

Before Yang Fan could finish, her lips pressed against his. He tried to gently push her away, but she was completely consumed by emotion, her arms locking around him with frantic strength.

"If you really want to help me, then take me!"

Yang Fan froze.

She began frantically stripping away their clothes. It wasn't that Yang Fan didn't want to resist, but he found himself utterly unable to move, as if paralyzed. He couldn't even access the items in his inventory. All he could feel in that moment was the warmth of her tears falling against his skin as her lips pressed against his body.