My Alleged Husband

Chapter 174: Chapter 158 A Lifetime Promise!_1

They chatted at the bottom of the valley in the woods for a while before they prepared to leave. As Zhang Yichen turned to go, he smiled at Ran Zhihan and asked quietly, ”Little sister, you haven’t told your brother what your name is yet. If you don’t tell me your name, how will I ever be able to find you in the future?”

Ran Zhihan thought it made sense and said to Zhang Yichen, ”Brother, my surname is Ran, and my name is Ran Zhihan. Can you tell me your name?”

”Of course, my surname is Zhang. My name is Zhang Yichen, the grandson of Zhang Mo from City A.”

”Brother, I’ll be waiting here for your return.”

”Alright, be sure to wait for my return.”

Thus, the two of them secretly made a lifetime promise. Ran Zhihan had never met a boy as handsome as Zhang Yichen, nor one as bold and attentive. She was truly happy in her heart. How happy she would be if she could really marry the brother in front of her in the future! But what she didn’t realize was that Zhang Yichen harbored the same thought: ’This little sister is really too beautiful, so kind-hearted—I must marry her someday. Of course, if she really keeps waiting for me, how wonderful that would be.’

Both of them had fallen for each other at first sight, yet, they could never have imagined that their wish would eventually come true, but the outcome would be so heartbreaking. Zhang Yichen could never have imagined that when he married Ran Zhihan ten years later, his parents would intervene. When Xia Jing and Zhang Zhentian returned for Zhang Yichen’s wedding, both Zhang Yichen and Old Master Zhang were stunned. The last thing they expected was this couple traveling back home not to bless their son but to break up their son and his bride—a situation hard for anyone to accept. Of course, that’s a story for another time.

Zhang Yichen left the valley alone, climbing towards the summit. He had already spent a day here, with two more to go. During these two days, he still had to find a way down the mountain. If the time was up and he still hadn’t found his way out, he would be deemed unfit for the training and eliminated. He wanted to be a titan of society, an emperor of commerce and business. He refused to be someone weak and incompetent, looked down upon by others. After his departure, he frantically scoured the mountain in search of a way out. After he left, Ran Zhihan realized that the painkillers she had were gone. She suddenly remembered that she seemed to have given them to Zhang Yichen, although he hadn’t taken the adhesive bandages from her. She smiled, thinking Zhang Yichen was indeed a fine man, and joyfully ran home to tell her parents.

On the road, when Zhang Yichen was so exhausted that he wanted to stop and rest, he would pull out the bottle of painkillers that Ran Zhihan had given him from his pocket. Looking at the painkillers, he would think, ”No, I can’t stop, I must persist. Not for any other reason, but to be better than others. Only then can I marry my beloved Ran Zhihan. Zhihan, you must wait for me, trust me. The day I become a business emperor will be the day I bring you home.”

Some might think it ludicrous for an eight-year-old girl and a ten-year-old boy to fall for each other after just one encounter. But how could they understand the feeling, that immediate familiarity that seems incredibly close to one’s heart? This feeling came from deep within, and even Zhang Yichen found it rather bewildering when it first welled up inside him. His heart would thump wildly at the sight of Ran Zhihan, whom he found genuinely beautiful. He knew he was a young master from a wealthy family, who would likely become, no, not likely, but definitely become a business tycoon. In his heart, Zhang Yichen believed that only when he became a business emperor could he deserve a girl as kind-hearted, lovely, and understanding as Ran Zhihan. Little did Ran Zhihan know the hardships and efforts Zhang Yichen would endure after returning home in order to marry her.

Alone in the valley, Zhang Yichen searched for two whole days and nights until he finally found the way out of the mountains. As he stepped off the mountain path, Old Master Zhang was already waiting for him at the exit. Zhang Yichen had run out of all his food during those two days and nights, his sole motivation being Ran Zhihan. The moment Old Master Zhang saw Zhang Yichen emerging from the trail, his heart filled with true satisfaction for his grandson. If only his own son could be so capable. What more could he ask for?

Seeing Zhang Yichen in this state made Old Master Zhang reflect. If his own child, Zhang Zhentian, had been as promising, they might not have ended up in this situation. But he didn’t hate Zhang Zhentian, nor did he hate Xia Jing. If it hadn’t been for Xia Jing taking Zhang Zhentian away, how would they have such a fine grandson? He already saw the semblance of a future business emperor in Zhang Yichen’s shadow. He was determined to mold Zhang Yichen into an emperor, not a vassal.

”Grandfather, you’ve come. Do you find my performance today satisfactory? In fact, I wish so much to know if my mom and dad would be happy jumping for joy if they saw me today. But when I think of this, my heart truly hurts. Why can’t my parents be by my side? Leaving me to struggle alone... Do you know? When I think about this, it really hurts. I so wish for my parents to give me a warm embrace when I arrive, but when I see standing at this crossroads only my grandfather and not my parents, my heart really feels disappointed. My parents abandoned me for freedom, and it’s been ten years. Have they been carefree all these years? Have they been at ease? Have they been happy? Why don’t they want to come back for me even just once? This is their homeland, after all. Could it really be that foreign countries are more beautiful than one’s own homeland? Could the people out there be warmer and more worth cherishing than one’s own relatives? Why, this is home!”

Hearing Zhang Yichen speak to him, Old Master Zhang didn’t know how to respond. He knew these words were a psychological wound for a child, but what could he say? Indeed, it was Xia Jing and Zhang Zhentian who had abandoned him.

”Yichen, whether or not your mom and dad are here to give you a warm embrace, I hope you remember one thing I say: no matter when, do not care about others’ opinions of you, do not concern yourself with their assessments. You need only know that the path you’ve taken is the right one. As long as you stick to that path, you will always be on the road to success. Do not give up your own life because of what others think or want. Your mom and dad have abandoned both of us, and I don’t want their actions to lead to your disappointment, preventing you from fulfilling your dream. Know that only when you become a business emperor will you be able to marry a woman as beautiful as a fairy, one who would do anything for you!”

Hearing these words from Old Master Zhang, Zhang Yichen was jolted. He thought of the girl he had met in the valley and decided that no matter what, he wouldn’t be a weak man. He would work hard for the girl he loved. Never giving up, never forsaking the path, is the only way to success!