CHAPTER 112: Shan Pan's Memories [2]

"That's great." Wan Baiyun nodded. "Being able to do what you love is wonderful."

"What about you, sister? What do you want to do?" Shan Pan blinked her eyes.

"Me?" Wan Baiyun lowered her gaze, concealing the pain in her eyes. "I might become a soldier."

Shan Pan nodded, "Being a soldier is great too. Grandma Wan looked so good in her military uniform. I'm sure you'll look great too, sister."

Although it was meant as a compliment, Wan Baiyun couldn't muster a smile. She forced a stiff smile and remained silent, gazing at the sky.

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, Wan Baiyun turned sixteen. During this year, she had to face gender differentiation, and Wan Shiying was quite eager for it. As a result, she reduced some of the classes arranged for her.

This gave Wan Baiyun more time to spend with Shan Pan, who was now eleven years old.

Wan Baiyun had grown to a height of 1.7 meters, with the grace and beauty of a young adult.

One day, Shan Pan went to Wan's house as usual and suddenly heard a sound of something breaking in the living room.

The sound startled Shan Pan, and she quietly approached the door, secretly peeking at the two people in the living room, afraid to disturb them.

"I don't want to go to the military! I never wanted to be a soldier. I want to study design and become a fashion designer!" Wan Baiyun's voice suddenly filled the room.

Wan Baiyun's height had already reached Wan Shiying's ears,  and with a slight tilt of her head, she could see Wan Shiying's eyes.

Wan Shiying furrowed her brow, her gaze toward Wan Baiyun filled with coldness, and her tone became icy and stern. "Our Wan family has always been composed of resolute soldiers. Don't even think about it. You can only join the military, and other options are out of the question."

"Why? I've had enough of you." Wan Baiyun's eyes were filled with disgust and hatred. "I don't want anything to do with military training. I've been living a miserable life all these years. Can't I just do what I love? Is that so difficult? Can't I live the life I want?"

"Had enough of me? After your two mothers passed away, I raised you all by myself, working hard. And all I get in return is 'I've had enough of you'?" Wan Shiying frowned, her eyes filled with hurt.

"Don't forget, what did your Omega mother say to you before she died? She told you to listen to me, didn't she? Is this how you listen to me?"

"Wanting to live your own life? Why? Do you think I would harm you? Everything I've done is for your own good. The Wan family has been a core part of the military since my grandmother's generation."

"Your mother, when she was alive, also aspired to serve the Empire for her entire life. Her wish was to become a leading figure in the Imperial Army. Unfortunately, fate envied her talents, and she passed away due to an accident. As her daughter, shouldn't you fulfill her wish?"

"That was my mother's wish, not mine. I am a person, an independent and living individual. Please stop trying to impose your thoughts on me. I've had enough. I won't apply to the Military Academy. I want to apply to the design program at the Imperial Academy." Wan Baiyun's brows furrowed with determination. "Don't try to control my life!"

"Heh, so now you think you have the wings to defy me?" Wan Shiying's face turned cold. "Don't forget, you rely on me for your food, your belongings. What right do you have to go against me? Apply to the Imperial Academy? Hah, forget about it. As long as I'm alive, you won't have a chance to apply to the Imperial Academy."

Wan Baiyun clenched her jaw tightly, her eyes staring fiercely at Wan Shiying, refusing to back down.

Wan Shiying looked at her coldly, her tone indifferent. "If you don't believe me, go ahead and try. When you grow up, you'll realize that everything I did was for your own good. There's no profession more prideful and honorable than being a soldier."

Wan Baiyun shook her head, angrily muttered an incomprehensible remark, and then turned and left the living room.

As she passed by the front door, she noticed Shan Pan, who had been peeping, her anger still evident in her eyes. Their gaze met, and Shan Pan felt a sense of unfamiliar and terrifying aura emanating from the Wan Baiyun before her.

Wan Baiyun ignored her and cast a disdainful glance before turning and leaving the place.

Shan Pan looked into the living room and saw that Wan Shiying's initially angry expression instantly faded upon noticing her presence. She wore a loving expression and waved at Shan Pan.

Shan Pan nodded and walked over, timidly asking, "Grandma, what were you and Sister Yunyun arguing about just now?"

Wan Shiying ruffled her head and smiled, saying, "It was just a small matter. Your sister Yunyun was being a bit disobedient, so I had to educate her a little. Nothing more."

Shan Pan looked skeptical, "Is that so?"

"Yes." Wan Shiying's smile was gentle, a complete contrast to her demeanor when talking to Wan Baiyun earlier. This gradually eased Shan Pan's vigilance, and she believed her words.

In the following days, every time Shan Pan went to see Wan Baiyun, she would hear them arguing with Wan Shiying. The arguments between the two became more intense.

Shan Pan often witnessed Wan Shiying picking up a cane and beating Wan Baiyun, and each time she saw it, she felt frightened and terrified.

After each beating, Wan Baiyun would leave without looking back. This sight worried Shan Pan, but she didn't know what to do to make Wan Baiyun happier.

One day, Shan Pan saw Wan Shiying and Wan Baiyun finish their argument, and Wan Baiyun left without looking back.

This time, instead of staying in place, Shan Pan turned around and followed in Wan Baiyun's footsteps.

Wan Baiyun continued walking forward and soon noticed the small figure following behind her.

When she reached the small garden, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Shan Pan, who was still contemplating how to comfort Wan Baiyun, didn't notice that she had stopped and ended up bumping into her back.

"Ouch, my head." Shan Pan exclaimed, covering her head in pain.

Wan Baiyun turned around and looked at her, assessing her forehead. After seeing that it was only slightly reddened, she spoke, "Why are you following me?"

"I wanted to comfort you." Shan Pan blurted out without thinking.

Wan Baiyun furrowed her brow, "I don't need comforting. Go back."

"But, but I can tell you're not happy." Shan Pan looked at Wan Baiyun, her eyes filled with worry and conflict.

Wan Baiyun lowered her gaze, and in her mind, she recalled what Wan Shiying had said to her earlier. She looked down at Shan Pan in front of her and said, "I wish I could have become an Omega."

Shan Pan frowned, "The test results clearly showed that you're an Alpha, and being an Alpha is great. You have many career options."

Wan Baiyun shook her head, turned her head to gaze at the sky, and her eyes were filled with desolation. "In the Wan family, being an Alpha is the very chain that restrains me from soaring forward."

"But... sister!" Shan Pan widened her eyes and shouted loudly as she saw a masked man in black suddenly appear behind Wan Baiyun.

Before Wan Baiyun could react, she felt something hit the back of her head, followed by a surge of warmth flowing down. Then everything went black, and she knew nothing more.

When Shan Pan woke up again, she found herself in an abandoned warehouse.

The roof of the warehouse was damaged, allowing some light to barely illuminate the shapes inside.

Shan Pan struggled to move her hands and legs and realized she was bound by ropes. This frightened her even more, and she couldn't help but shout, "Is anyone there?"

"Mmm," a familiar groaning sound came from behind her. Shan Pan turned her head abruptly and saw Wan Baiyun covered in blood, lying motionless behind her, with her hands and feet also tied.

"Sister, sister." seeing Wan Baiyun covered in blood, unmoving, Shan Pan burst into tears and crawled over next to Wan Baiyun. She urgently called her name in her ear.

After Wan Baiyun was attacked and fell, Shan Pan thought the man in black would also harm her, but to her surprise, he didn't lay a hand on her. Instead, he took out a handkerchief and covered her mouth and nose. She struggled for a moment before losing consciousness.

Hearing the urgent cries in her ear, Wan Baiyun gradually regained consciousness from her daze. The throbbing pain at the back of her head reminded her of the attack she had just experienced.

Wan Baiyun opened her eyes, took a moment to compose herself, and sat up straight, leaning against the wall behind her. "He didn't harm you, did he?"

After being knocked unconscious, Wan Baiyun regained consciousness in a daze and realized that they had been kidnapped by a man.

Shan Pan shook her head. "No, he didn't touch me."

"That's good." Wan Baiyun frowned. "So why did he capture us?"

"I don't know." Shan Pan shook her head. "He didn't say anything."

Wan Baiyun furrowed her brow and looked at Shan Pan, who hadn't been harmed. She had a faint feeling that this kidnapping was not as simple as it seemed.

Taking advantage of the strange man's absence, Wan Baiyun drew on her years of military training and forced herself to sit up, observing the structure of the warehouse.

The warehouse had been abandoned, and it was difficult to see what had been stored there before. After surveying the surroundings, Wan Baiyun finally noticed something sparkling in the sunlight.

Her experience told her that there might be something there.

With that in mind, Wan Baiyun turned to Shan Pan and said, "Listen for any sounds outside and alert me if anyone is coming."

"Okay." Shan Pan turned her ear toward the entrance of the warehouse, attentively keeping watch as Wan Baiyun's lookout.

Wan Baiyun moved her body and slowly crawled towards that spot.

What would normally take a few steps to reach turned into a ten-minute struggle for Wan Baiyun to move herself there.

Just as she was about to crawl back, Shan Pan suddenly heard footsteps and quickly alerted, "Sister, sister, someone is coming."

Wan Baiyun furrowed her brow, realizing that it was impossible to crawl back before the person entered. She clenched the glass shards in her hand and lay down on the floor.

The dilapidated warehouse door creaked open, and Shan Pan looked at the entrance in terror, seeing the man who had kidnapped them. She trembled with fear.

The man was pleased with Shan Pan's reaction, and his eyes filled with hatred as he glared at her. He then turned his head and noticed Wan Baiyun was no longer in her original position.

His expression turned cold, and his eyes filled with ferocity and anger. He quickly walked over and aimed a forceful kick at Wan Baiyun's stomach.

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