The True Heiress Is The Real Bigshot

Chapter 304: 293 Shanghai City Chaos [3 updates]

“`

Life expectancy, that thing, is different from predestined critical points.

Whether it was Shang Yaozhi or Di Wu Yue, their lifespans were actually very long to begin with.

It’s just that there were breakpoints on their lifelines,

so if they couldn’t get over those hurdles, they would die prematurely.

These are the critical points.

By paying a certain price, it’s possible to avoid critical points and even extend the lifeline.

Life expectancy, however, has always been unchangeable.

It is determined at birth and doesn’t change.

Xize Laurent and the vice principal managed to live up till now because their bodies went through alchemical transformations, stimulating cell division and differentiation to the limits of human capabilities.

But the conditions for body transformation through alchemy are very harsh.

Aside from some alchemical materials that are rare globally, the age of those whose bodies are transformed must be under eighteen.

After eighteen, once the body matures and is fully formed, there’s no helping it.

Otherwise, everyone could live three hundred years, and the world would be in chaos.

Ying Zijin held Old Master Fu’s wrist, remaining silent without speaking a word.

She didn’t lie to Master Zhong; his life expectancy was 108 years.

The latter half of his life was also smooth and steady, without any significant critical points.

But Old Master Fu’s life expectancy was 85 years.

And this year, Old Master Fu was exactly 85.

Not a minute more, not a minute less.

When one’s life expectancy is up, one will pass away.

Seeing that the girl didn’t speak right away, Master Zhong, surprised and a bit displeased, said, “According to what you’ve said, Zijin, could it be because your Grandpa Fu is more formidable than me, you can’t figure it out?”

Ying Zijin collected her thoughts, falling silent again for a moment before replying, “Hmm, it seems so.”

“Sigh,” Master Zhong was dispirited for the first time, “I don’t believe it, he can’t even win against me in chess.”

“That’s enough, you take a child’s play too seriously,” Old Master Fu didn’t care and merely waved his hand, still smiling, “It’s fine, it’s just for laughs.”

Ying Zijin looked at Old Master Fu’s face and suddenly remembered over half a year ago, when she first began examining Old Master Fu’s body.

She truly felt an unprecedented surprise.

Earth is a world of technology, indeed there are some supernatural aspects, such as alchemy, such as Feng Shui and Yin Yang.

But after all, it’s not the Spirit Cultivation World where she had stayed, where things like souls exiting bodies exist in myths.

Old Master Fu’s body had been invaded by toxins for so long that the poison had reached his bone marrow.

Even if the person who poisoned him didn’t intend for him to die right away, Old Master Fu wouldn’t have lived past three years anyway.

Back then, Fu Yunshen wasn’t grown up, let alone going to find a doctor in O Continent to create medicine to suppress the poison in his body.

What was it that sustained Old Master Fu for twenty years?

This was more incredible than alchemy.

Ying Zijin finally understood now.

It was a person’s belief.

Old Master Fu knew if he had passed away at that time, there would have been no one to take care of a few years old Fu Yunshen.

That belief had supported him to live up to this moment, and now it had faded away.

As Old Master Fu smiled, he gradually stopped and tapped the table, “Old Man Zhong, I have something private to say to Zijin.”

“What is it?” Master Zhong was suspicious, “You wouldn’t be planning to do something bad behind my back, would you?”

Ying Zijin looked up, “Grandpa.”

“Alright, alright,” Master Zhong went upstairs with his hands behind his back.

He just said that in passing.

The atmosphere in the living room gradually became heavy.

“Zijin, Grandpa Fu knows, it was actually you who saved me,” Old Master Fu was the first to break the silence, his voice kind, “Although I had fainted back then, I regained consciousness for a while.

“Without you, Grandpa Fu would have been long gone.”

Ying Zijin didn’t speak.

People do indeed sense their end at the last moment.

Old Master Fu had known these past few days.

“Don’t be sad, to be born, grow old, suffer illness, and die is the human condition; besides, to me, it’s a relief, I’m truly tired,” Old Master Fu patted her shoulder, his demeanor serious, “There’s one thing, please help me.”

Ying Zijin took a slow breath to calm her emotions, “Please tell me.”

“I’m leaving Xiao Qi in your hands. He has never been one to take good care of his body, nor does he think for himself,” Old Master Fu sighed, “From now on, keep an eye on him, just make sure he remembers to eat on time.”

Having said that, he slowly stood up: “I’m going home first, don’t tell him about what you’ve figured out.”

**

Old Master Fu went back to the Fu Family home alone, not allowing anyone to accompany him.

He lay on the bed, and until midnight, his mind was still clear.

The night outside the window was thick; a light breeze was stirring.

Old Master Fu slowly got up from the bed, walked over to the bookshelf, took down a picture frame, and sat down beside the desk.

As he wiped the frame, his expression was tender.

“`

Old Master Fu was dashing and spirited in his youth, with an effortless grace.

Of the Fu family, it was Fu Yunshen who resembled him most, inheriting his distinctive facial features.

After Old Master Fu had dusted off all the dirt from the frame, he spoke in a low voice, “Yuehua, we’re about to meet again. I wonder if you’d recognize me now that I’m so old. After going down there, would you know who I am?”

He paused for a moment, chuckled, and continued, “It’s okay if you don’t recognize me. You know I have a scar on my arm from when you mistook me for an enemy and shot me. You cried in a panic when you found out.”

As he spoke, he sank into distant memories.

He met Yan Yuehua in the military, and on the first day they met, he ended up in the hospital.

Back then, neither of them could have imagined that they would end up together.

But Yan Yuehua also died twenty years ago.

He should have gone with her then, but he couldn’t.

Because he had to take care of Fu Yunshen.

Old Master Fu looked at the vivacious woman in the photo frame and murmured, “Don’t worry, Xiao Qi is fine. I raised him well. The regret is, we both can’t see him get married and have children.”

This was Old Master Fu’s greatest regret.

But he had lived twenty extra years; it was time to be content.

After talking to his late wife, Old Master Fu took out a stack of letter paper and started to write a letter.

This was for Fu Yunshen.

Old Master Fu wrote the opening several times and felt dissatisfied each time, ripping up the paper to start again.

It was not until the fourteenth piece of paper that he finally felt his handwriting was somewhat presentable.

Then he continued to write.

His education wasn’t high; he had joined the military after high school.

However, he had written quite a few love letters to Yan Yuehua, so writing a letter was not difficult for him.

He spent an hour on this letter.

“Death is not the end, it’s the beginning of another grand adventure,” Old Master Fu wrote at the end, “You must remember, Grandpa is always watching over you from the heavens.”

After finishing the lengthy letter, he folded the letter paper neatly, placed it into an envelope, and locked it in a drawer.

Then, Old Master Fu, holding the photo frame, returned to bed.

He laid the frame in front of him and closed his eyes.

**

The next day.

At seven in the morning.

Fu Mingcheng went to call Old Master Fu.

This was at the behest of Old Man Zhong.

Even without Old Man Zhong’s instructions, Fu Mingcheng would have gone to call.

Old Master Fu loved his sleep; without someone to wake him, he might just pass away in his dreams.

Fu Mingcheng first knocked on the door and, getting no response, pushed it open and entered.

He walked to the window, drew back the bed curtains, and sunlight flooded in, illuminating the room.

“Dad,” Fu Mingcheng turned, “Dad, it’s time to get up.”

On the bed, Old Master Fu lay still and silent.

“Dad?” Fu Mingcheng stepped closer, thinking Old Master Fu’s hearing had worsened with age, so he called out a few more times, “Dad? Dad?”

After several more calls met with silence, Old Master Fu still did not stir.

Fu Mingcheng’s expression changed as a sudden realization of something amiss struck him.

He tremblingly reached out to check Old Master Fu’s breath.

It was gone.

Fu Mingcheng jerked his head up and noticed that Old Master Fu was still holding a photo frame in his arms.

He knew what it was.

It was the first photo of Yan Yuehua and Old Master Fu together.

Old Master Fu’s face bore no signs of pain; there was even a faint smile around his eyes and brows, as though he had a pleasant dream.

The old man had left this world peacefully in his sleep, without illness or pain.

This was a natural and peaceful death.

Yet Old Master Fu had been able to walk on his own and seemed healthy just a few days ago.

This suddenness left Fu Mingcheng almost unable to react.

It took a full ten minutes for his brain to start operating slowly.

“Mingcheng,” Madam Fu came over, “Dinner is ready, Old Master Fu—”

Her words halted abruptly as she saw the figure on the bed, her hand covering her mouth, “Oh my God…”

“The will!” Fu Mingcheng thought of the most critical matter and exclaimed sharply, “Quick, find the will!”

Madam Fu was jolted awake and immediately started searching the bedroom.

With Old Master Fu’s passing, the Fu family was set for upheaval, and all of Shanghai City would be thrown into chaos.

The urgent priority was to get the will.

And also, to expel Fu Yunshen from the Fu family.