CHAPTER 2281: A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST
After leaving Pearl River Residences, Charlie hurriedly made his way to the local market.
He was running out of time; if he didn’t hurry up and buy the groceries, his wife would miss lunch when she came home from work.
Although Aurous Hill was an ancient city, it had increasingly embraced modernity. The old buildings were either demolished, renovated, or replaced by high-rise buildings, transforming the cityscape into one of sleek, modern skyscrapers.
Many traditional crafts and markets had gradually been replaced by upscale stores and supermarkets.
Years ago, there were many barbers on the roadside, offering excellent haircuts and shaves for just two or three yuan. But now, those days were long gone.
In their place were various high-end beauty and hairdressing salons. The so-called "Tony" stylists, often inexperienced and still growing their hair, charged a starting rate of at least a hundred yuan just for a simple haircut. Some unscrupulous businesses even tricked customers into buying expensive membership cards, leading to thousands of yuan in charges for mere haircuts.
In the past, horse-drawn carts and donkey carts were a common sight on the streets. Farmers from the countryside would bring freshly picked vegetables and fruits to the city, offering them at both fresh and affordable prices.
However, these days, draft animals were no longer allowed into the city, and traditional markets had dwindled, making supermarkets the primary source for groceries.
Supermarket vegetables were of poor quality and outrageously priced, with a single cabbage costing several dozen yuan.
This transformation had slowly robbed the ancient city of its traditional, lively charm.
Charlie didn’t like shopping for groceries at supermarkets. It always felt lacking in character.
Instead, he often visited a well-preserved old residential area in the old city, where a bustling market still thrived.
His preference for this old neighborhood wasn’t just about its authenticity; there was another reason, which he had never shared with anyone.
When Charlie and his parents first arrived in Aurous Hill, his parents had been particularly fond of the old city's unique features. It was filled with old buildings from the Ming, Qing, and Republic periods, quite different from the northern architectural style, and his parents loved it.
Their passion for traditional culture led them to rent an old house in the old city. After some renovation by his father, the family lived there comfortably.
After his parents’ tragic accident, Charlie ended up in an orphanage, but he would still sneak out with friends Gian and Natasha to visit the old city.
At the time, Gian and Natasha thought Charlie was just looking for fun, not knowing he was seeking solace and memories of his parents.
Eventually, the house was rented out to various tenants before being sold to real estate investors for redevelopment.
Later, the house and surrounding old buildings were designated as a historic preservation area, and demolition or major renovations were strictly prohibited. The house was left vacant for a long time.
Charlie had heard that the investor was a developer from Wen City, who had bought the old house for its potential value, though it couldn’t be realized immediately. This was not a significant sum for him, so the house remained neglected.
Subsequently, the developer got involved in a legal case for illegal fundraising and was embroiled in a lawsuit. The house was seized by the court and was supposed to be auctioned off a couple of years ago. However, due to the ongoing and complex nature of the case, the auction had yet to proceed.
The market where Charlie went to buy groceries was not far from this old house, so he decided to visit it on the way.
As Charlie rode his bike, he noticed a Rolls-Royce parked in front of the weathered old house.
An elderly man stepped out from the passenger seat of the Rolls-Royce. He was the old steward of the Klein family from Eastcliff, now in Aurous Hill.
CHAPTER 2282: ECHOES OF THE PAST
The old steward deftly opened the rear door of the car, addressing the woman inside with respect. “Miss Klein, we’ve arrived.”
The woman in the car was none other than Marissa Klein.
After disembarking from the plane, she had first settled in the family home with her two children. Once their rooms and luggage were in order, she hurriedly asked the steward to bring her to the residence where Drake had lived before his passing.
As for Cameron and Camilla, the siblings had their own plans. Cameron went to a welfare institute to discuss donations, while Camilla continued to search for Charlie’s traces among thousands of portraits on her laptop.
Marissa was somewhat relieved by the situation. After all, visiting the home of Drake, whom she had loved deeply, with her children felt somewhat inappropriate.
At this moment, Marissa’s mood was exceptionally tense. Though she knew Drake had been dead for years, she couldn’t shake the intense anxiety she felt. It was akin to the years when she was deeply in love with him—every meeting or anticipation of seeing him would make her heart race and breath quicken.
With her heart pounding, Marissa stepped out of the car and surveyed the small, southern-style courtyard through the low stone wall. The courtyard’s walls were short, with many cut-out patterns made of blue bricks, allowing a clear view inside.
The yard was overgrown with withered grass and fallen branches. The osmanthus tree in the yard, neglected for too long, had turned into a dry stump. The walls of the main building were covered with patches of dead ivy.
The entire courtyard seemed in a state of disrepair, but Marissa could imagine that with proper maintenance, it would be lush and verdant in the rainy spring and summer seasons, with greenery and grass adding to its charm.
Despite its modest size, the courtyard was evidently well-crafted. With blue brick walls, blue-tiled roofs, and blue stone paths, the structure showcased intricate details. In the humid southern summer, after rain, blue bricks and stones would be covered in moss.
Moss, with its natural and ancient feel, can be off-putting to some due to its slimy and unpleasant texture. However, for admirers of Eastern culture, it represents a poetic and Zen-like element. Whether growing in the courtyard, on walls, around ponds, or in bonsai, moss adds a touch of elegance and tranquility.
Thus, moss has always been favored by scholars and poets.
At this moment, the dilapidated courtyard in Marissa’s eyes had been restored to the scene and spirit of Drake’s time. In her mind, she even saw the young and handsome Drake playing with his children in this very courtyard.
Lost in her reverie, Marissa felt as though Drake was truly there, and that the faceless little boy was his son, circling around him endlessly.
Then, a weathered door creaked open, and a graceful and beautiful woman, with a tall and slender figure and an apron tied around her waist, emerged. She smiled, inviting the father and children inside for a meal. The harmonious scene of the three family members was enviable.
As Marissa continued to imagine, she realized the woman in her vision was not Drake’s original wife, but herself.
CHAPTER 2283: THE SEAL OF MEMORIES
In her mind, Marissa involuntarily imagined herself as Drake's wife, and tears instantly filled her eyes.
She tried to hold back the tears but couldn’t stop them from spilling over, tracing her nearly wrinkle-free, ageless face.
The old steward watched silently, sighing inwardly.
“Ah... In the entire capital, who doesn’t know that Miss Klein has loved Drake for years...”
“But who could have known that even after nearly twenty years since Drake’s death, Miss Klein’s feelings remain so deep...”
As the saying goes, "the most affectionate love is often left with endless regrets," and this regret seems never-ending.
In classical Chinese, this "regret" often translates to a lingering sense of sorrow.
It’s said that those deeply in love are often left with regrets that never truly fade.
Marissa was such a person.
Those who haven’t experienced intense love can’t understand the obsession one can have for another.
Once that obsession takes root, it doesn’t matter if it's been ten or twenty years, or if you’re separated by vast distances or even death.
Marissa was no exception.
She had long wanted to forget Drake, to live her life steadily.
But that obsession wouldn’t allow it.
It was like a wild weed growing in her heart. With this weed, no other plants could take root.
Sometimes, she felt that this weed had withered, even turned to ashes.
But unexpectedly, a spring breeze would stir her heart, and the weed would regrow.
That obsession was like a thorn embedded in her heart.
Sometimes, when the pain seemed to disappear, she thought the thorn was gone.
Yet, it would always painfully stab her heart again when she least expected it.
Thus, Marissa came to understand.
This obsession had long been ingrained in her very bones.
“Drake, since you’ve always been here, why should I force myself to forget you?”
“Since I have always loved you, let you continue to grow in the part of my heart that is solely yours…”
“In the past, whenever I thought of you, I felt guilt and remorse towards Su Shoudao. Now, I feel relieved. From now on, I can openly remember you, openly cherish you, without feeling guilty towards anyone…”
With this thought, Marissa felt much lighter.
She wiped away her tears and asked the old steward, “Uncle Wang, who owns this house now?”
The old steward pointed to the seal on the iron gate and said, “Miss, this house has been seized by the court.”
“Seized?” Marissa frowned and asked urgently, “What happened? Can you find out?”
The steward nodded and said, “Having worked in Aurous Hill for so many years, I have some connections. I’ll make a call to inquire.”
Marissa nodded quickly and urged, “Please hurry. I want to understand the situation as soon as possible. Also, ask if I can break the seal and take a look inside.”
The steward quickly took out his phone and made a call.
After some inquiries, he reported back to Marissa, “Miss, the owner of this house has had all his properties seized due to involvement in an illegal fundraising case. His case has been tried in a different city for over two years and is about to be sentenced. After the verdict, the house will naturally go through judicial auction.”
CHAPTER 2284: THE UNWELCOME DISCOVERY
Upon hearing the steward’s words, Marissa was instantly excited and exclaimed, “Keep an eye on this for me! I want to bid for this house!”
The old steward nodded and said, “The house is small and, being non-transferable, is considered a low-quality asset. It should be relatively easy to acquire it at auction.”
“Good,” Marissa replied firmly. “No matter the cost, I must get this house!”
She then quickly asked, “Uncle Wang, have you made arrangements with the judicial authorities? Can I get inside to take a look?”
“Of course,” the steward responded promptly. “They’re coming over in the next couple of days to do an asset inventory and evaluation. We can break the seal and enter now.”
Marissa impatiently urged, “Then let’s find a way to open the lock!”
The steward turned to the driver and bodyguard beside him, saying, “Brother Liu, see if you can open the door.”
The bodyguard stepped forward, tearing off the seal and examining the lock. He grinned, “The lock is almost rusted through. I could kick it open with one foot.”
Marissa quickly objected, “Don’t kick it! I’m afraid you might damage the door. See if you can pry the lock open instead.”
The bodyguard inspected the lock closely and said, “Miss, the lock cylinder is rusted solid. Even with a key, it won’t open. We’ll have to break the lock.”
Marissa nodded. “Open the lock, but try not to damage the door. I want to keep it if I buy it.”
“Understood.” The bodyguard agreed and took out a black dagger. He positioned the sharp tip in the lock slot and pried it open with force.
The door creaked open, and the lock broke due to severe rusting, but fortunately, the door remained intact.
Marissa could hardly contain her excitement as she stepped inside.
In the overgrown courtyard, an old iron swing hung from rusted chains. Despite its dilapidated state, the courtyard, which others might see as a mess, radiated warmth in Marissa’s eyes.
At that moment, an electric scooter arrived at the scene.
As Charlie approached the gate, he was surprised to see a Rolls-Royce parked outside.
He frequently visited the old residence, which had always been sealed and neglected. It was unusual for there to be visitors today.
Curious, he peered through the gate.
Inside the courtyard were three figures with their backs to him: a woman, an elderly man, and a middle-aged man.
Charlie’s confusion grew. He thought, “Has the old house been sold? It shouldn’t be. I heard it was still in the process of being seized and hadn’t entered the judicial auction phase. How could it have been sold quietly?”
“But what are these people doing here? Why are they ignoring the court’s seal and breaking in?”
Annoyed, Charlie decided to confront them. If they were not connected to the property, he would ask them to leave.
As he was considering this, Marissa suddenly turned around and glanced toward the gate.
Their eyes met, and in that instant, Marissa felt as if a storm had struck her soul. She stood frozen, stunned, and speechless...
CHAPTER 2285: THE UNEXPECTED RECOGNITION
Charlie, who resembled his father Drake by at least eighty percent in appearance, looked on with confusion. Despite the generational gap between them, with different hairstyles and clothing styles, Charlie's resemblance to his father was so striking that, if he adopted his father’s old style, the similarity would be almost uncanny.
When Marissa saw Charlie, she felt as though she had been struck by lightning, her world turning upside down. The shock left her utterly disoriented.
She wondered if her intense longing for Drake had conjured up an illusion. How else could such a man, so similar to Drake, appear before her?
Drake had passed away in his early thirties, and the period when Marissa had the most contact with him was before his marriage. After his marriage, their interactions had diminished significantly. Therefore, her most vivid memories of Drake were from when he was in his early twenties—years that closely matched Charlie’s current age.
This close resemblance created a surreal feeling, as though the twenty-something Drake had reappeared before her.
In an instant, Marissa's tears flowed once more. The tears blurred her vision of Charlie, prompting her to wipe them away quickly. When she looked again, Charlie was still there.
At this moment, Marissa’s heart was filled with astonishment. She began to believe that this man, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Drake, might truly be real.
Charlie, on the other hand, was equally bewildered. He couldn’t understand why the woman in the courtyard was looking at him with such a strange expression, nor why she was crying as she gazed at him.
He sensed that something was off. This woman seemed to have a connection to his father, given her reaction.
Charlie analyzed the situation with calm and practicality, piecing together the clues:
- The Woman's Presence: Her appearance at the place where his parents once lived suggested a likely connection to his family, with the strongest link being to his father.
- Her Reaction: Her shocked and emotional response, with tears streaming down her face, indicated that she might have mistaken him for his father.
With these thoughts racing through his mind, Charlie was left to ponder who this woman could be.
As Charlie's confusion deepened, Marissa, in a desperate attempt to confirm whether this was a dream or reality, instinctively whispered, “Drake?”
The utterance of the name made the old steward quickly turn around, his curiosity piqued by the sudden recognition.
, and Claire had to deal with so much BS 'cause of him. He even had the nerve to ask for money during Grandma Wilson's big party, making Claire hella embarrassed 
. They kicked Charlie Wade out, but then plot twist! 
Some butler dude shows up. Turns out, Charlie Wade's actually from the uber-rich Wade clan. The butler's like, "Come home, fam." But since his parents were, like, done dirty by the Wade fam, he's like "Nah." But he did take his grandpa’s black card loaded with 10 billion. 
#MicDrop
