Chapter 462: Men Are Like Ants, Lives Are Like Grass

Chapter 462: Chapter 377: Men Are Like Ants, Lives Are Like Grass

Chen Erya watched Fu Chunli get into the horse-drawn carriage. She tightened her grip on her satchel’s strap, mulling over the day’s lesson as she started walking in the other direction.

She traveled to and from school alone every day. Peony had offered to escort her more than once, but Erya had always refused.

Traveling alone gave her peace and quiet, and she used the time to review her lessons, which proved highly effective. Besides, public order in the Weishui Inner City was superb, so there was little danger of anything going amiss.

Chen Erya had only taken a few steps when a roar erupted from the crowd, far louder than the previous hubbub.

“Hm?” The young girl looked toward the sound and saw an imposing, jet-black carriage, escorted by a large retinue of constables from the Garrison Commandant’s Office, slowly pulling to a stop at the entrance of Weishui Academy.

Classes had just been dismissed, so the academy’s entrance was thronged with people. But the carriage exuded such an imposing aura that, even though its guards made no move to disperse the crowd, people scrambled to get out of the way.

“Why does this carriage look so different from others? I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like it!”

“What a massive carriage! And it’s being escorted by constables! Is there some big shot inside? What are they doing at the academy?”

“Quick, quick, get out of the way! Don’t cause any trouble!”

“Wait, that carriage looks like…”

“…”

The crowd was in an uproar, but an involuntary silence fell as the carriage drew near.

Chen Erya glanced up at it, then turned away, uninterested.

She had just taken a couple of steps when a very familiar voice called out to her.

“Erya!”

Huh!?

The young girl’s gaze sharpened. She whipped her head around toward the voice. Standing on the imposing carriage nearby was a young man with a broad smile on his face. His smile was like the warm spring sun—gentle and radiant.

The moment their eyes met, a smile as brilliant and bright as a blooming flower blossomed on the young girl’s face. In that instant, her usual refined and quiet demeanor vanished. Her eyes curved into smiling crescents as she ran joyfully towards the carriage, shouting, “Brother!”

…

Aboard their carriage, Fu Shenghua and his daughter were chatting and laughing together. The roar of the crowd outside drew his attention. He peered out the window, and his gaze froze the moment he saw the jet-black carriage.

Then, he witnessed the scene that had just unfolded.

Fu Shenghua’s face fell. “Chunli, what does your classmate’s family do for a living?”

Fu Chunli was in the middle of another topic with her father and hadn’t seen what was happening outside. Caught off guard by his question, she answered instinctively, “Father, you mean Erya? I only properly met her today. She’s quite famous at the academy, though. I’ve heard people say her family isn’t well-off. She always travels to and from school alone, so her family must…”

As Fu Chunli spoke, she glanced at her father and saw the look on his face. In all her life, she had never seen him look like that.

Her voice trembling, she asked in alarm, “Father, what’s wrong!?”

Following his gaze, she looked outside. She saw her new classmate, Chen Erya, being helped onto a carriage by an exceptionally handsome and distinguished man.

The carriage was jet-black and immense—clearly no ordinary vehicle. Surrounding it were constables and guards, all standing with deferential expressions. Each guard was powerfully built and formidable, obviously a master with well-cultivated Qi Blood.

“Erya is…” Fu Chunli murmured, her expression dazed. Her mind just went blank.

“The carriage your classmate just boarded… that’s a specially commissioned carriage from the Garrison Commandant’s Office. Within the Office, only the top Giants who have reached the rank of Commander-in-Chief are qualified to have one!” Fu Shenghua’s voice was filled with utter disbelief, each word spoken with heavy emphasis. The sight was so overwhelming that he couldn’t process it.

He had fought and scraped his way up for most of his life, building a vast fortune and reaching his current position. He even wielded a degree of influence within the Weishui Inner City.

And for that very reason, he understood exactly what that carriage signified.

Years ago, before he had entered these circles and his worldview was still narrow, seeing this carriage would have been like a frog at the bottom of a well gazing up at the moon—a sight of incomprehensible grandeur.

But now, after decades of rising and falling in the world, having finally entered these circles, to see this carriage was like a mayfly looking up at the vast, blue heavens.

In all of Weishui County, with its dozens of subordinate cities including Weishui County City itself, how many people could possibly reach the rank of Commander-in-Chief?!

A figure like that holds the fate of millions in their hands! Every word, every action, drips with absolute power!

…

Many students had been wondering why the academy’s famous little prodigy, Chen Erya, was suddenly beaming with joy. The next moment, they saw her board that patently extraordinary carriage.

“What’s happening? That carriage was here for her!?”

“The carriage, the constables, the guards…!? That man just now was her brother!”

“Shh, keep your voice down! Open your eyes and take a good look. Those aren’t your everyday street patrol constables! Look at them—even their uniforms are completely different!”

“…”

When Zhang Xinda saw a man emerge from the carriage and pull Chen Erya up with him, he was utterly dumbfounded.

“Sh-She got on?”

“But… wasn’t she from an ordinary family? How did she…”

Inside the academy, a Steward rushed out, having heard the commotion. The moment he stepped outside and laid eyes on the carriage, his knees gave out, and he nearly collapsed. A quick-thinking doorman at his side managed to catch him.

“Steward Fu, are you alright!”

“C-Co… Commander-in-Chief!” Steward Fu stared wide-eyed at the carriage, his face a mask of terror, barely able to form the words.