Bai Zihan stepped onto the boarding platform, his expression unchanged as always—calm and distant.
The murmurs around him didn't slow his pace. Admiration, awe, reverence… he could feel them, but he didn't care.
Years of being scrutinized and criticized behind his back then suddenly being praised had made him realize that what others thought of you wasn't that important.
It could change as quickly as a gust of wind.
So, for Bai Zihan, other people's opinions or anything else didn't really matter to him.
If admired and loved, good. If hated and loathed, so what?
As he stepped onto the deck of the flagship, he paused. Not because he had forgotten something to bring but because his path was blocked.
Four old people were staring right at him.
Bright-eyed. Eager. Smiling.
Like grandparents seeing a beloved grandson for the first time in years.
Bai Zihan stopped.
