Chapter 49: After You Left, I Became the Boss!

“No, I can’t. I feel like crying again. I already cried once before writing this letter. I need to pull myself together.”

“Wang Chen, if possible, please take care of the fae in the village for me. They are the reason I’ve lingered here for so long.”

“Please keep pursuing your ideals! Truly, the passionate, bold Wang Chen I saw then was the most manly of all.”

“When I return, if I find you’ve been working hard and never slacked off, I’ll give you a reward.”

“What should the reward be? How about a kiss?”

At the end of the letter, a signature was penned:

“Narliu, yours.”

...

“Why is the handwriting so small and messy? My eyes are going blurry,” Wang Chen muttered, rubbing his eyes as he carefully folded and put away the letter.

The chieftain’s expression was serious. “So she told you her true name, did she?”

Wang Chen was taken aback. “Yes, but why do you look so grave?”

“The true name of a fae is a secret. It should never be revealed to outsiders—it could endanger their life,” the chieftain said.

He sighed deeply. “So be it. The all-knowing, all-powerful force of nature may turn mountains into oceans, but even it cannot keep two loving souls from coming together.”

Realizing the secret weight behind knowing a fae’s true name, Wang Chen recalled Narliu’s words, and, all at once, the wind and sand seemed far more biting today.

“I’ll remember never to tell anyone Narliu’s true name,” Wang Chen promised solemnly.

“It’s all right. If a fae does not wish to tell you, even if you stand right before them, you could never hear their true name, nor even make out the movement of their lips,” the chieftain explained.

“What sort of magic is that?” Wang Chen wondered silently, marveling at the mysterious fae.

“Oh, and keep this safe.”

With hands as gnarled as birch bark, the chieftain produced a jade-green token and handed it to him.

“Our fae will gradually move here. We’ll soon modify the teleportation array so outsiders can no longer enter. With this token, you’ll always be able to reach our sanctuary,” he said.

Wang Chen traced the intricate carvings of the token, overwhelmed by the honor.

The chieftain smiled kindly. “You’re a friend of the fae, aren’t you?”

At that moment, a notification chimed in Wang Chen’s ears:

[Congratulations on completing the second class advancement quest: Give the Fae a Home. Please proceed to the Temple of Advancement to submit your quest.]

[Congratulations on completing a hidden quest: Defeat the Priest of the Dark Tide, reverse the ecology of the fae sanctuary, help the fae return home, and gain the friendship of the fae.]

[Please check your rewards.]

Listening to the notifications, Wang Chen asked curiously, “Chieftain, was this once the fae’s home?”

“Yes. Many years ago, when I was a child, we were forced to leave this sanctuary for reasons I cannot yet share. We wandered for centuries,” the chieftain replied, his voice tinged with sorrow.

That confirmed it. Wang Chen had suspected as much when he saw the ancient carvings of fae folk in the old temple.

“A secret? What happened? Can I know?” Wang Chen pressed.

The chieftain’s gaze was deep and knowing. “Forgive me, brave one, but the time has not yet come.”

Wang Chen smiled. “Then, when the stars tell you it’s time, share it with me. I only hope my human lifespan allows me to see that day.”

“Chieftain, I must go. There’s somewhere I need to be,” Wang Chen said. “If the fae ever need anything, come to me—I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

He hesitated for a moment. “Do you have a phone number or something, so we can keep in touch?”

Honestly, standing before the chieftain in his ancient garb, Wang Chen felt rather silly asking.

The chieftain pointed to the token in his hand. “Don’t worry. When the time comes, it will let you know.”

“I see. Well, until we meet again.”

Wang Chen bid farewell to the fae and took their teleportation array back to Luzhou.

Without delay, he hurried to the “Gentle Exiles.”

He knew, since Narliu had written as she did, she would not be there. Yet that faint hope in his heart refused to fade.

Arriving at the shop, he saw burly men moving goods in and out.

Wang Chen was puzzled. Even if Narliu had left, surely the shop wouldn’t collapse in a day?

As he stood dazed by the door, the same female attendant who had welcomed him to the red-light district before came out.

Seeing Wang Chen, she hurried over. “Boss.”

“What did you call me?” Wang Chen wondered if he’d misheard.

“Boss,” the attendant repeated cheerfully. “Miss Narliu left me with many instructions before she left. One of them was to transfer a share of the business to you.”

“You now hold the largest share among the owners, so you’re our boss.”

Wang Chen gasped.

So this is the joy of marrying into wealth? Just like that, he was the boss?

But Wang Chen couldn’t muster much interest in such matters now. The shock soon passed. He was more concerned with something else. “Did Narliu tell you where she was going?”

The attendant shook her head. “She only said she’d be away for a while and left me in charge of daily management. Of course, you have the final say.”

“But weren’t you a hostess? Narliu left you in charge?” Wang Chen asked.

“That day, the boss asked me to pose as an attendant to observe you. In truth, I’m Miss Narliu’s assistant.”

“I see. Well, let’s introduce ourselves again. I’m Wang Chen. And you?” He extended his hand.

She took it. “My name is Qian Xiaomin.”

“Very well, Miss Qian. I’ll leave the business in your hands. But perhaps we shouldn’t keep running… this kind of establishment,” Wang Chen said.

Qian Xiaomin nodded. “Miss Narliu mentioned that too.” She nodded toward the movers. “See, we’re liquidating assets now. Soon, we’ll open a different sort of shop.”

So she listened to me after all. Something tugged gently in Wang Chen’s chest.

“What kind of shop do you plan to open?” he asked.

“I haven’t decided yet. I’ll discuss it with the sisters who wish to stay, and show you the proposal when it’s ready,” Qian Xiaomin said with a look of determination.

Seeing her so eager, Wang Chen decided to let her try. He would be busy for some time and couldn’t spare much attention for the shop.

After bidding farewell, he went alone to the café where he had found Narliu the previous day.

He sat in the seat she had occupied and ordered the same coffee as the day before.

He took a sip. Bitter flavor spread through his mouth.

“This coffee tastes even more bitter than yesterday’s.”