Chapter 23: It All Went Wrong

In the northern part of Aozhou shines a brilliant pearl: Golden Feather Bay, also known as Golden Feather City.

As the grandest and most prosperous port in all of Aozhou, this city acts as a bridge connecting the region to the rest of the world. Every day, thousands of ships compete to set sail, weaving through the waves to compose a magnificent maritime masterpiece. What this place carries is not merely the immense flow of goods, but the dreams and livelihoods of countless people.

This already vibrant city has been pushed to a boiling point, its bustle and clamor far exceeding anything seen before. Even deep into the night, the city’s lights remain dazzling, the neon signs continue to flicker, and there is no trace of the silence or tranquility that should accompany the night hours.

This is the charm of Eden. Wherever she goes, she brings a massive influx of visitors, a grand carnival, and a significant positive stimulus to the local economy. Because of this, whenever Eden plans a concert, not only does she not have to pay for the venue, but local governments compete for the honor of hosting her, offering the facilities free of charge. Even the accommodation and dining for Eden’s team are arranged to the highest possible standard.

At this moment, in the hotel room where Eden is staying, Elysia gently closes her personal terminal. Her delicate, lovely face is filled with irrepressible joy; clearly, her heart is overflowing with a tide of happiness.

"You can rest easy now. It’s clear that because of the six months of separation, Ling Feng’s feelings for you have indeed changed. However, your coldness over these past six months certainly made him sad for quite a while!" Eden watches the satisfied Pink Fairy and speaks. The first half of her sentence is a comforting reassurance, while the second half cannot help but carry a hint of reproach.

Eden has watched Elysia’s alienation of Ling Feng over the past six months from start to finish, and she is fully aware of the calculations in Elysia’s heart. As both a close friend and a romantic rival, Eden chose to remain on the sidelines, neither interfering to help nor deliberately causing trouble. Yet, whenever she saw Ling Feng excitedly dial Elysia’s number, only to hang up shortly after with a look of desolation on his face, it was impossible for Eden not to feel a pang of heartache for the lonely, dejected boy.

"Oh, I didn’t want to, you know. It was so hard for me to endure these past six months too," Elysia pouts coquettishly, looking pitiful. "But with your past experience as a cautionary tale, how could I not be cautious?"

Hearing Elysia use her own history as an example, a wry smile appears on Eden’s face, and her initial sense of blame vanishes instantly. The story between Eden and Ling Feng can be summarized as follows: Eden once encountered a young version of Ling Feng and, driven by an inexplicable impulse, developed the desire to "raise" him. The result was that she took it too far, nearly causing Ling Feng to truly view her as his mother.

Years ago, when Eden first brought the boy home, the sensible young Ling Feng did not act like most orphans who, upon being adopted, show obvious distance or strangeness toward their new guardian and home. He quite naturally called her "Mother," as if he had accepted the adoption relationship between them as a matter of course. At the time, Eden found it quite amusing.

In her memory, the boy of the past was someone who had carried immense burdens yet marched forward with unwavering determination toward the distant horizon, eventually creating miracles that stunned the world—a near-omnipotent god in the eyes of many. That radiant youth had filled her with both love and admiration. Yet, as if fate had played a cruel joke on her, that once-great figure had become the small child before her eyes.

Eden could not describe her feelings at the time, but watching the object of her affection become this young version of himself, she was gripped by an uncontrollable urge to raise him. Consequently, because of that strange psychological compulsion, she did not correct him when he addressed her that way, which led to her nearly reaching a point of regret.

Initially, Eden felt secure, believing that the title could be corrected later without issue. She thought that perhaps one day, when the boy regained his memories, it would even become an amusing anecdote. She could see that the boy’s term of address did not stem from genuine maternal belief, but simply because he felt it was the proper way to address someone willing to adopt him. The boy, who always treated those around him with kindness, actually possessed immense pride. Making him truly respect and love someone as a parental figure was not an easy task.

However, it is unclear whether Eden overestimated the boy’s pride or underestimated her own charm. In short, as she became immersed in the joy of the "raising" game, she gradually noticed a shift in the boy’s emotions, appearing to lean toward truly regarding her as a "mother." She panicked.

She realized she had messed up.

Starting from one of the boy’s "Mother" calls, after realizing things had gone wrong, Eden immediately began implementing remedial measures. During that time, she racked her brains, using every trick in the book—through hints and suggestions—to convey one message: *Xiao Feng, the age gap between us is not nearly enough to warrant a generational difference. If you don't like it, you can call me 'Big Sister' instead; I really wouldn't mind.*

Regrettably, these hints were like stones cast into the sea, causing not a single ripple. The boy’s reverence and love for her only grew with each passing day.

Ultimately, Eden could no longer sit still. On the day of the boy’s fourteenth birthday, the same day he formally took over the affairs of the Prosperity Era Company and declared his early entry into the business world, she told him: "Xiao Feng, you have grown up now; you can no longer rely on me as you did before. From now on, call me 'Big Sister'."

At the time, she was still naive enough to believe that the boy’s feelings had not yet truly reached the level of filial respect for a parent, and that if she formally requested a change, it wouldn't be difficult. But in the end, the boy’s refusal dealt her a heavy blow.

That day, she felt the entire world turn gray. She realized she had truly, completely ruined it. She could already foresee that if things continued on this path, even if the boy one day regained his memories, it would be difficult to reverse the feelings he held for her.

Because of a momentary whim, she had nurtured the filial affection of her amnesiac lover into that of a child for his mother. Is there anyone in the world more pathetic than her? She wanted to drink herself into a stupor and abandon her intellect and elegance to curse her past self, but no matter what, everything seemed beyond redemption.