Chapter 159: Emperor Gouchen

Song Qingtian knew that Ling Hanyu had been listening. Without hesitation, she slipped past him and left the study.

That night, Ling Hanyu did not go back to rest; he stayed in the study reading, occasionally getting up to gaze at the scenery outside the window. Facing the darkness, he regained his characteristic cold aloofness and calm composure.

Song Qingtian didn’t go to the Company on weekends, but she knew Ling Hanyu was always busy—even on weekends, he still had to go to work. However, she had something important to do: she needed to visit Nuonuo’s classmate, the one who sat next to her at the desk.

She knocked a few times on the study door, but there was no response. Surprised that Ling Hanyu wasn’t there, Song Qingtian realized he must have taken Ling Nuonuo out for breakfast earlier. In the car, Ling Nuonuo was still a bit worried: “Mommy, are we really going?”

“Of course! We’ve already made an appointment. If we don’t go, it would be breaking our promise,” Song Qingtian explained carefully as she drove.

“Oh!” Ling Nuonuo still lacked confidence, keeping her head down and fiddling with her little hands in the car. Song Qingtian knew her daughter had been bullied before and tended to feel timid whenever she faced difficulties. But this was also an opportunity for her to overcome that timidity, and Song Qingtian couldn’t afford to miss it.

When they arrived at their destination, Song Qingtian got out of the car, picked up Ling Nuonuo, and led her over to meet the other children. When Song Qingtian called, a woman answered the phone, but it was a man who came to greet them in person.

The man was dressed elegantly and refined, accompanied by a little boy about four years old. The child was very handsome and looked a bit shy when he saw Song Qingtian, yet he still bowed respectfully to her.

His manners made Song Qingtian realize that he was from another country.

“Hello, Madam.”

The little boy placed one hand over his chest and bowed low.

Song Qingtian squatted down to look at the boy and asked seriously, “Where are you from?”

“My maternal grandfather is from here, and my grandmother is also from here. But because of my family’s business, I was born in Shiziguo, and I was educated there from a young age.”

Song Qingtian was slightly surprised. “Shiziguo—is that Sri Lanka?”

“Yes, Madam.”

The little boy was also a bit taken aback—he hadn’t expected Song Qingtian to know that Shiziguo was actually Sri Lanka.

Song Qingtian stood up and turned to the man opposite her, asking, “And who is this?”

“He’s my bodyguard, Tianshu!”

Tianshu was about twenty years old and immediately bowed to Song Qingtian: “Hello, Madam!”

Song Qingtian felt it would be best if Ling Hanyu were present as well.

“Hello.”

Song Qingtian then looked at the child on the ground and asked, “Do you have seven bodyguards?”

“Yes.”

The little boy was even more astonished.

“So your name has something to do with the North Star?”

The little boy was completely amazed. He looked at Song Qingtian and said, “Madam, you know about us?”

“I don’t know—only that you mentioned Shiziguo, which struck me as a bit odd. Shiziguo is an ancient name for Sri Lanka, and you say you’re a native of that place, but you were educated there because of your family’s business. As far as I know, though, that region used to be home to the indigenous people, who were quite rich in resources. According to ancient texts, in China’s past, there was once a noble clan that visited there, supposedly in search of the elixir of immortality and secret arts. Over generations, they devoted themselves to Daoist mysticism.”

The little boy became increasingly interested and looked at Song Qingtian with eager eyes.

Song Qingtian didn’t hold back and explained everything in detail.

“It’s said that their descendants, ever since birth, have been searching for the elixir of immortality and practicing secret arts. Their family has grown very powerful, and over time, the heir to the family throne has always been determined at birth, named after the North Star. Around them, there are always seven star-shaped bodyguards: Tianshu, Tianquan, Tianji, Tianxuan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, and Yaoguang!”

“So you recognized my identity just by asking a few questions?” the little boy continued to ask earnestly.

Song Qingtian thought for a moment: “I know a little bit.”

She had come across these details while organizing things, but at the time she hadn’t paid much attention to them or remembered why these people appeared. If she claimed to fully understand them, that would be impossible. Her education simply wasn’t advanced enough to delve into such matters.

However, she did recall a similar mission from a novel, so she remembered a bit of it, but nothing else.

“My name really is based on the North Star. My family doesn’t have a surname; we consider Emperor Gouchen our ancestor. My name…is Beichen!”

“Beichen represents Gouchen, which is the North Star. So the guardian of your generation is you, and you’re held in the highest regard—venerated as a deity.”

“Yes.”

Ling Nuonuo had been very worried at first, but now she was curious and tilted her little face to look at Beichen.

She didn’t understand why names could be so complicated. Yet Song Qingtian felt this child wasn’t doing well at all. So she took out her phone and called Ling Hanyu, hoping he could come too.

As soon as the call connected, they heard Ling Hanyu’s ringtone. When Song Qingtian looked over, she saw that Ling Hanyu had already turned off his phone and was walking toward them. His expression was icy cold!

End of Chapter 159: Emperor Gouchen