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In West Kensington, London, Emma's father William and stepmother Daisy have returned, so Bethany has been picked up by them. Bethany will go home to continue her studies and will regularly undergo some scientific rehabilitation and adjustments at a recovery facility in the UK. The little girl felt a bit reluctant to leave, hugging Dudu tightly and trying to entice Dudu to come with her through food and beer.
Fortunately, Totoro Dudu remained steadfast and was not swayed by Bethany's sweet temptations. In the end, the little girl could only leave with tears in her eyes as she got into the car with her parents.
Bai Yujing glanced at the latest post on his Weibo. At the top was a photo of himself standing under the sunset at the Holy Land, featuring a clear lake, the towering Stonehenge, dense vines, and ancient stairs, resembling a world of fantasy.
"Really beautiful! Old Bai can find such places wherever he goes!"
"Weren't you supposed to take me along to show off?"
"I found out yesterday that I'm currently in the UK. The Times has reported on this Mountain Valley, calling it the Sun Goddess Mountain Valley. The discovery of this site provides a perfect answer to the unsolved mystery of Stonehenge and is a significant finding for British archaeology, completing..."
"What I want to know more about is where my baby is?"
The comments below were filled with praise, no longer containing any doubts. After several incidents, Bai Yujing gradually became less excited; it was more about sharing his feelings now. He paid less attention to what people said about him, whether good or bad.
At that moment, Bai Yujing received a call from Xu Keke. He immediately answered, "Didn't I already send you the second volume? Is there another problem?"
Xu Keke laughed on the other end of the line, sounding very cheerful: "No! Xiaobai, you wrote it very well. The royalties from the first two editions of the first volume have already been credited to your account. Check it out; the results are excellent! Combined with overseas sales, we've reached six million copies. We expect even better results for the second volume!"
Bai Yujing nodded. "Okay, I understand! You didn't just call to tell me this, did you?"
Xu Keke quickly replied: "I wanted to ask if you could hold a signing event when the second volume is released!"
"A signing event?" Bai Yujing paused for a moment before saying, "I'm currently in the UK; how could I possibly have time to participate in that!"
"I mean when you come back!" Xu Keke continued to persuade him.
Bai Yujing had no intention of participating: "By the time I come back, it'll be New Year; there will be even less time!"
"Alright then, I'll talk to the editor. If you can hold a signing event, it would definitely be very effective for..."
"I really don't have time; let's leave it at that!"
Just as Bai Yujing hung up the phone, snow began to fall outside the window. Light snowflakes drifted down from the sky, gradually covering the rooftops across the street. Since it had just started snowing, it couldn't accumulate yet, but the snowy scene was indeed very beautiful.
Bai Yujing immediately went downstairs and found Emma also leaning against the window, looking at the snow scene outside while wearing a knitted hat. "Isn't the first snow usually supposed to start falling at night? Why is it starting now?"
"This year's snow came a bit earlier than usual; the weather has gotten colder. I think we can use the fireplace!"
When Emma said this, she was still holding her phone. Bai Yujing asked, "Did someone call?"
Emma nodded. "It was Burton MacLeod. Do you remember him?"
How could Bai Yujing forget? However, he didn't expect him to call at this time. "What does he want?"
"He wants to meet with us!"
Bai Yujing asked, "Is it about that matter we discussed before? The water from the Fountain of Youth?"
Emma nodded but continued, "I think we shouldn't agree to meet him because we aren't sure how much water there actually is. What if there's only enough for one person? We have Bethany, so..."
Bai Yujing nodded. "I understand. I'll go meet him alone this afternoon. We can get more information from him. As for the Fountain of Youth, as long as we hold the power in our hands, there won't be any problems. Plus, it's not wise to confront him right now; after all, Burton MacLeod is not an easy person to deal with. As the head of a major conglomerate, we can't afford to push him into opposition at this time."
---------------
This time, Burton MacLeod was met at the top floor of a hotel. Compared to their last meeting, the old man seemed to have aged significantly, losing the imposing presence he once had.
He sat in a clinical chair, looking down at all of London while heavy snow fell outside. His silhouette against the backdrop conveyed a deep sense of solitude and desolation.
"You've come; please sit!" Burton MacLeod turned around, lacking the arrogance he had previously displayed and instead showing a hint of calmness.
Leading Bai Yujing in was Bivis Lawyer, whom they had met before. It seemed that private lawyers in Europe were quite attentive, handling everything with such thoroughness. After whispering a few words to Burton MacLeod, Bivis exited, leaving only Bai Yujing and Burton MacLeod in the room.
As Bai Yujing was contemplating how to broach the subject, Burton MacLeod spoke first: "Do you know how old I am this year?"
Bai Yujing was unsure what Burton MacLeod meant by that question and could only respond based on appearances: "I would guess Mr. McLeod is in his seventies!"
"I'm thirty-eight this year!" Burton MacLeod's statement shocked Bai Yujing. Given his appearance, seventy seemed like an understatement; thirty-eight? What a joke!
Burton MacLeod smiled, "You find it unbelievable, right? For hundreds of years, the McLeod Family has only allowed one person to survive each generation. No one lives past forty. Once they reach twenty, they age rapidly, and then, like me, they die a natural death as they approach forty."
"Natural death?" Bai Yujing still found it hard to imagine.
Burton MacLeod nodded, "That's right. A natural death at forty. Normally, I should be in my prime, the most vigorous and spirited time of life. But instead, I can only wait for death in this frail body, shrouded in despair and loneliness."
"Why is that?" Bai Yujing didn't understand.
"It's a curse!" When Burton MacLeod spoke these words, his body straightened immediately, feeling a mix of anger and gritted teeth. He then quickly started coughing, and the door outside swung open as several people who looked like doctors tried to enter.
"Get out! Don't come in!" Burton MacLeod shouted angrily, driving them away.
Bai Yujing immediately stood up and handed a handkerchief to Burton MacLeod. Seeing him gradually calm down, he continued, "I understand your doubts. Don't worry; the Fountain of Youth is definitely sufficient for use, whether it's for two people, three people, or even thirty. As for me, just one portion is enough to lift the burden of my family's fate!"
Bai Yujing's eyes narrowed, "How do you know this so clearly?"
Burton MacLeod chuckled lightly, "There are no secrets in this world; it just depends on whether your secret is worth paying attention to!"
Bai Yujing nodded, "If what you say is true, I can agree to your request. However, I need information from you about the Fountain of Youth and Sky Island!"
"Of course, and what I promised you before still stands!"
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