In the end, she still didn’t say it.
It’s not that Serena Feng didn’t want to speak, but William Wang’s fear and Nolan Drake’s unease made it impossible for her to get the words out. Besides, at this point, whether she says it or not doesn’t even matter.
They all understood: once some things are spoken, there’s no going back. Besides, saying it now is already meaningless. If nothing was amiss, how could Serena have known they were testing her?
By standing here and questioning them, Serena was already tacitly admitting their suspicions—she was no longer the original Serena Feng; that girl was dead.
Silence... A deathly silence. Even the hidden bodyguards couldn’t stand it; one by one, they quietly wiped away sweat. In this freezing cold, with icy wind biting, they still broke out in a sweat—proof of just how much pressure this scene brought.
Under the gray sky, in the monotone colors, the three of them stood outside the simple farmhouse courtyard, like a static painting—beautiful, but so heavy that no one could bear it.
Finally, the tableau broke... but not in the way anyone hoped. There was no quick reconciliation. Serena Feng numbly wiped away her tears, pushed William aside, and walked toward her room without looking back. The whole time, she didn’t glance at Nolan even once.
So, the argument over whether to speak ended in Serena’s hurt, Nolan’s coldness, and William’s guilt. William’s eyes followed Serena’s retreating back, full of remorse, but Serena never looked back—her determined stride wordlessly told Nolan that if she ever truly decided to leave, she would go without mercy and never look back...
Nolan just watched, watched Serena walk farther and farther away. For a moment, he felt she would walk right out of his life.
He reached out his hand, but it was too far... The distance between them was so great that even if he stretched out, he couldn’t touch a single strand of Serena’s hair.
Nolan wanted to chase after her, but Serena didn’t give him the chance. With a loud bang, she slammed the door, shutting both men outside.
The moment the door closed, Serena leaned against it and slowly slid down, hugging her knees and burying her head, crying silently.
Bang... With the sound of the door, Nolan’s heart twisted in pain. His outstretched hand drew back to clutch his chest, his handsome face pale as paper, and tears shimmered in his eyes.
So it’s true—even without wounds or blood, the heart can hurt this much.
But there wasn’t much time for Nolan or William to process their feelings. An hour later, Holden Cui arrived as promised, bringing Cui clan guards to the farmhouse.
Nolan and William quickly composed themselves. At least to Holden Cui, they showed no sign of anything amiss. After brief courtesies, Holden got straight to the point: he was here to take Elaine Lane away.
No one here was a fool. Holden Cui didn’t hide Elaine’s identity, but he wouldn’t say more. How much Nolan and William could discover depended on their own skill.
“Who spent two hundred thousand taels of gold to hire killers for Serena Feng?” Nolan didn’t waste words and asked directly.
He wasn’t in the mood for games with Holden Cui today.
“The Skyvault Palace Master’s Wife.” Clearly Holden was well-prepared; the Cui clan had already guessed that Nolan and William would use Elaine Lane as leverage, and knew exactly where their bottom line lay.
These two men cared most about Serena Feng. Now that something threatened her safety, there was no way they’d take it lightly.
So it was her, after all.
William’s expression showed understanding, and Holden Cui wasn’t surprised—if they hadn’t guessed, that would be odd. Both sides knew this was just the start of negotiations, not the real deal.
Holden picked up the tea from the table and sipped, waiting for Nolan to ask the next question.
The rough country tea was bitter, but Holden didn’t even frown. He let the taste linger, as if savoring a fine brew.
Nolan was anxious, but he refused to show it. Only when Holden set down his cup did Nolan ask, “Her identity?”
“Do you want to know the Skyvault Palace Master’s Wife’s identity, or Serena Feng’s mother’s identity?” Holden’s gentle eyes glinted with mockery.
Both sides were anxious, but neither wanted to show it. Nolan leaned back slightly, deliberately softening his aura and feigning leisure.
“Is there a difference?”
“Of course there is. The Skyvault Palace Master’s Wife is currently using Serena Feng’s mother’s identity. So, which one do you want to know?” In other words, Elaine Lane wasn’t valuable enough in the Cui clan’s eyes to trade for two identities—Nolan would have to choose.
“Whichever Young Master Cui is willing to tell, he can tell. Take your time—this king isn’t in a hurry.” Nolan didn’t use tea-sipping to show his calm; he simply closed his eyes and rested.
Nolan kicked the ball back to Holden Cui, letting him decide—never giving up even half a point.
William remained a silent listener the whole time. Outwardly flawless, but inside he knew he wasn’t in the mood to spar with Holden.
He wondered: after this, could Serena Feng ever trust them again, truly and without reservation?
Maybe not. So how could he ever make up for this mistake?
One man smiled but seemed lost in thought; the other closed his eyes and ignored him. Holden realized normal tactics wouldn’t work with these two—he’d die of frustration.
Being treated with such indifference was intolerable. Holden decided to just get it over with and leave early, skipping any bargaining and revealing the Cui clan’s bottom line.
“The Skyvault Palace Master’s Wife is named Irene Lu (Lu Yiran), twin sister to Serena Feng’s mother. They come from the Lu clan, which dominated the seas forty years ago as pirate chiefs. At their peak, even warships passing by had to pay tribute to the Lu family.
But... there was a traitor among the pirates, who colluded with Lyndaria. Together with Lyndaria’s army, they raided the entire pirate den. It’s said that on that day, the whole sea ran red.
All the Lu clan’s wealth was seized by Lyndaria and put into its treasury. This windfall was what gave Lyndaria its sudden surge in national strength. The silver in Madame Skyvault’s hands is likely the last stash the Lu family managed to save.
Back then, the other kingdoms knew something of it, but officially it was just a pirate crackdown. No one cared about the rest. Lyndaria cleaned up thoroughly, and since it happened at sea, the other three kingdoms never treated it as a big deal.”
So they were pirate descendants—no wonder he couldn’t find anything. This is where the Cui clan’s shadowy reach shows: their hands stretch deep into the dark, and no one knows.
Nolan opened his eyes and turned to Holden Cui: “Who was the traitor?”
He thought, knowing Serena Feng’s temperament, she would hunt that traitor down one day. Maybe this could help heal the rift between them...