Reflections on Publication—Betrayal

Dear readers, the time has come for this book to be officially launched. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have read this far, and to every friend who has encouraged me or offered questions along the way. I won't write a long-winded plea asking you to spend money—whether to support the book is entirely up to you. Instead, I offer you a short autobiography of Ye Wan’er, hoping you’ll take a moment to read it. If you choose to continue, then this is the best gift I can give you. And if you decide not to pay any further, then let this little story be a token of thanks for your support thus far. Truly, thank you all!

Betrayal

A young girl named Ye Wan’er lived in a family everyone envied. She was the cherished daughter of a wealthy house, with millions in assets and a younger brother. Her family life seemed perfect.

But was it really so?

From the moment her brother was born, he surpassed her in every way—academically, in business, and even in social dealings. Though she was stunningly beautiful, Ye Wan’er was always cold and distant, leading others to believe she disliked them and making it hard for her to make friends.

Her childhood was lonely.

As the two siblings grew, their parents gradually shifted all their attention to her brother. He was intelligent, sensible, a high achiever—everyone adored him, and he was destined to inherit everything one day.

Meanwhile, Ye Wan’er, the elder sister, was slowly forgotten.

She was sent to a university far from home. The most frequent messages she received from her parents each month were bank transfers. They never asked how she was doing; they believed that as long as she had money, their daughter would be happy.

They never knew how lonely Ye Wan’er truly was.

Perhaps out of pity, fate sent her an unexpected encounter with Chen Yu.

This eccentric old man treated her kindly, taught her martial arts, and even took her out to enjoy the world. Meeting Chen Yu changed the course of her life.

When Ye Wan’er first began practicing martial arts, she was thrilled—it was her chance to change her parents’ opinion of her.

She could finally prove she was not worthless!

So Ye Wan’er followed Chen Yu, training with the fervor of the obsessed. Her master often praised her talent and, in order to help her progress faster, willingly taught her advanced techniques.

Though the training was grueling and she developed a strange illness that sometimes caused sharp pains in her chest, Ye Wan’er never once regretted her choice.

Because of martial arts, she made her first friend—Han Yue.

Because of martial arts, she also met the most infuriating boy—Jiang Xiaotian.

He was truly exasperating! There seemed to be an inescapable bond between them, and he always managed to appear at her side. Sometimes, Ye Wan’er even suspected he was deliberately trying to get close to her.

But when she suddenly fell ill, it was Jiang Xiaotian’s presence that warmed her world.

Even Chen Yu, for all his kindness, brought her more painful memories than comfort—for both the “treatment” and the martial training were excruciating, and she endured them with gritted teeth.

Yet when Jiang Xiaotian held her hand, the gentle warmth he gave her was like the sun—something Ye Wan’er would never forget for the rest of her life.

She was like snow in a winter’s night, never melting, while Jiang Xiaotian was the sunlight of early spring, shining deep into her heart.

Later, she discovered that Jiang Xiaotian was actually her senior disciple.

Though she claimed to dislike him, Ye Wan’er couldn’t help but feel a spark of happiness inside.

This time, her master brought her to Linhai specifically for the martial arts tournament.

Ye Wan’er was thrilled. After so much hard work, she finally had a chance to prove herself. If she could place in this competition, her parents would never dare underestimate her again.

She was still a child—just a strong-willed one.

But just as she was full of excitement, her master told her she couldn’t participate.

Ye Wan’er was stunned and heartbroken.

But she understood—perhaps she hadn’t worked hard enough, or wasn’t strong enough, and her master didn’t want her to lose face.

So when her master asked her for help, Ye Wan’er agreed without hesitation.

He was her mentor—she would do anything for him.

But as everything unfolded, Ye Wan’er finally understood what Chen Yu intended.

When the agony flooded her body and she was overwhelmed by weakness and helplessness, Ye Wan’er wept. For the first time, the stubborn girl begged for mercy.

“Master… please… don’t…”

But Chen Yu only smiled, unmoved, right up to the very end.

Ye Wan’er collapsed, her heart emptied of all feeling.

She had been betrayed by the one she trusted most.

Strangely, in that moment, it was not her parents who flashed through her mind, but that boy.

And so, she surrendered to sleep. Even knowing that once she closed her eyes, she might never awaken, Ye Wan’er still chose to let go.

She was tired. She had tried so hard, but fate seemed intent on tormenting her, so she gave up the struggle.

Her consciousness felt as though it was sinking to the deepest depths of a lake. Ye Wan’er could sense she was close to death.

But just then, it seemed someone reached out and pulled her back.

“Ye Wan’er!” came that familiar voice, followed by a warm current that wrapped her frozen self, drawing her up from the abyss.

Ye Wan’er was startled, and in the next moment, tears welled in her eyes.

She knew exactly who had come.