The sun god, Amon-Ra gradually sank into the bottom of the river, and the clear sky was stained with a tragic deep red. The Goddess of the Nile River used her generous and magnificent waves to embrace every inch of land affectionately, bringing unlimited vitality to Egypt. The sea and the desert will guard this sacred land so that the golden sacred place will exist forever under the blessing of the gods.
"The gods of Egypt, please hear my prayers—
Lord Osiris, please bless me and let me have an afterlife once again.
Lord Horus, please give me courage and the strength to defend my territory.
Amon-Ra, please protect my soul as it flies to the distant afterlife.
Goddess Hapi, please take care of me again and bring me to her side.
Nile, my mother, I drink this water of life with her, agree to be with her forever…"
2006, London, UK.
On the precious open space in the suburbs of London, stands a long-standing castle. Strictly symmetrical architectural style, the time-eroded walls are covered with dark green ivy, and the bronze knight holding a long sword stands proudly in the center of the yard, watching the thick iron gates in front of the courtyard separate from the outside world.
The famous Marquis de Modiet lived here for generations.
The Marquis de Modiet of this generation is quite famous, not only because of his unusually close dealings with the royal family, also because he is Europe’s third largest business entity, the largest shareholder of the group, and more legendary since he became the Executive Director four years ago. The Marquis de Modiet has not attended any board or shareholder meeting. He didn't participate in any affairs and instead delegated the power of any decision-making to others.
However, since Marquis de Modiet came into office four years ago, the operation of the Ai Group has never been criticized. After all, the ways of Marquis de Modiet's led the company to become Britain's primary financial center.
The success of the Ai Company is led by the unexpectedly young CEO of twenty-six years old. Moreover, this young man is the illegitimate son of Marquis de Modiet.
Ai Xian is mixed; he has a pair of blue eyes from his father and dark black hair from his Chinese mother. When he took over as CEO of the company, his age and identity have attracted countless criticisms. However, in just four years, he fully demonstrated his business talent and effectively established his irreplaceable status in this empire.
Many people have guessed that among the many children of Marquis de Modiet, the most valuable is Ai Xian?
In fact, in the eyes of the Marquis de Modiet, Ai Xian is useful but his baby daughter, Ivy, is his most precious pearl. In the family of the Marquis, where the family struggles constantly, Marquis de Modiet and Ai Xian are only concerned about the smart, beautiful, and lovely girl, Ivy. According to rumors, the Marquis de Modiet has already made a will; in it, he left two-thirds of the property to Ivy. Ai Xian has also revealed that in the next group of development, Ivy will personally be trained by him. While there are countless people who admire Ivy, there are countless people who envy her.
However, Ivy did not care about the father and brother initiative to give her everything. Instead, she insisted on her own research on macroeconomic theory and quickly exposed herself in the dazzling light of the academic world.
On her seventeenth birthday, she wrote: "Thought About the Economic Structure and Slavery of Ancient Egypt." Not long after its publication in the magazine, she was awarded. Her achievement quickly attracted the attention of Cambridge University where they asked her if she would like an early admission.
She arranged her own path and went on her way.
“Ramses II…” Ivy says out loud while holding the book. Her big blue eyes that resemble the blue water looks at Ai Xian sitting across from her who is looking at her, smiling mischievously. Ivy closed the book and got up, stretching her arms.
“Do you know who is Ramses II?” she asked.
Ai Xian smiled and looked at her, blue eyes like water reveal a soft light, with a little bit of sunlight to fall on the face of his beautiful sister, Ivy.
She is like a doll made of white porcelain, so delicate that people can’t look away. Straight blonde hair, big clear blue eyes, thick curled eyelashes, small nose, and exquisite cherry lips. Her existence is like a miracle. She is the favorite child of her father and her mother, who died in Asia. She is also the most invaluable treasure he has.
He put the cigar in his hand aside and was careful to not let the smoke drift to her side.
“Ramses II, Pharaoh of Egypt,” he replied.
“And then?”
“He was the famous monarch of the 19th Dynasty, brave and talented.”
“What else?”
Ai Xian laughed and patted Ivy’s head gently across the table. "Ivy, I know that you published a very good paper in the journal, but I don’t understand Egyptian history. It is better for you to tell me.”
“I know that the gege will not be as patient as Dad.” She grumbled in dissatisfaction and reopened the journals held in her hands. Reading out loud, “This is not an exploration of Egyptian history. I have no interest in history. What I really want to study is the slave society. The economic system, I specifically chose a theme called ‘regional’.”
Ai Xian sighed with a smile, Marquis de Modiet's love for Ivy is notorious. Perhaps this is not a good thing for my little sister. Although he thought so, his big hand still unconsciously stroked Ivy’s hair. In fact, he is also very fond of Ivy! Everything Ivy asked Ai Xian did not let her down.
Ivy is not a submissive girl. She insists on her own route, and sometimes she is stubborn.
She disdains the background of her family’s illustrious background and is unwilling to accept the plans her father and brother has for her. To Ivy, inheriting a huge family business is far less stimulating than relying on one’s own ability to achieve success. No matter what kind of challenge it is, as long as it makes her fight for it, she wants it.
“I really hope that they can arrange for me to take the exam ahead of time,” Ivy said softly. She no longer wants to stay in high school anymore. Her every cell hopes to breathe the air of academic taste immediately. She is eager for more knowledge, but really, she is eager for more challenges and unprecedented new experiences.
Ai Xian said in disapproval. “If you want to go, you can go at any time.”
“I don’t want to use your influence.” Funding? Reputation? No. If she relies on these to enter her dream school, she would rather give up.
Ai Xian smiled. He reached out and touched the gift in his pocket that he intended to give to Ivy. He changed the subject. “So, Ivy, you were talking about Ramses II, tell me about him again."
Ivy glanced at Ai's Xian and despised his sudden change of the subject, but she answered him anyway. "Although I don't know much, it's enough to tell you: he was brutal, fierce and the commander of the last prosperous period of the Ancient Egyptian Dynasty; he was good at fighting, a good ruler, and his achievements were similar to that of Emperor Kangxi of China; he had hundreds of wives and even more children. Back then, he was considered a rare man in Egypt; he likes to have everything big—big palace, big temple, big statue, big sacrifice…”
Although not the greatest pharaoh, he is the person who achieved much greatness. What his original intention is, that he has to leave so many things to future generations? Ivy couldn’t help but wonder.
“You know a lot.” Ai Xian looked at his sister with admiration. “So I will test you. Do you know who is his favorite wife is?”
“I don’t know… how can I? He has over a hundred wives and you expect me to know the name of his favorite wife?”
Ai Xian's expression is gentle. He looks at her as if he is watching the most precious treasure in the world. “Nefertari, a beautiful name, isn't it?”
“Nefer…tari? Geez. Such a long name! Remembering it is simply wasting my memory capacity!” Ivy smiled, stood up, went around the table, and walked to the side of Ai Xian, “Nefertari, I remember! Is there any reward?”
Ai Xian touched her head again. He always touched her head like this.
He took out a beautifully crafted piece of jewelry from his pocket. It was a snake bracelet, and time left a distressed mark on it, but it did not affect its noble form. The bracelet is a beautiful and elegant golden snake, and the snake’s eyes are a beautiful pair of red ruby. Once Ivy made eye contact with the snake’s eyes, it was hard for her to look away.
While she was in a daze, Ai Xian took her hand and put the bracelet on it. “I went to Egypt a few days ago and passed a magical antique shop. I saw this bracelet is very beautiful, so I bought it. I give this to you… as a compensation for missing your 17th birthday.”
Ivy looked at the beautiful bracelet on her wrist and could not help but sigh. With such beautiful jewelry, she can't blame her brother for missing her birthday. She looked up to meet Ai Xian's eyes. Black hair that resembled ink is let down on his forehead, blue eyes are gentle, making a handsome face. Ai Xian is so handsome and thus there are no girls who will be angry with him and blame him if he left them. If he gives you a gift, that is equivalent to winning a lottery.
“This is the gift Ramses II gave her—Nefertari’s gift… It is said to have been stolen from the tomb.” Ai Xian explained.
Isn’t this an artifact? Ivy quickly concentrated her thoughts back to look at the special bracelet. It was difficult to remove her eyes from it. The golden snake bracelet is wrapped around her thin white wrist as if it were life-like.
She suddenly felt that the bracelet on her wrist belonged to her, it gave her such a familiar feeling. The eyes of the snake are made of ruby is like a soul, looking straight through her, which made her heart inexplicably uneasy.
“Ivy…” Ai Xian looked at her with a complicated look. Ivy was still immersed in the wonderful bracelet and paid no regards to him. The gentle smile of Ai Xian gradually disappeared and there was hesitation in his eyes. He looked at Ivy and thought for a long while. With built up courage, he said, “I’m getting married.”
Ivy’s expression suddenly froze.
“I will be married to Mina in three months.” Mina is his fiancee who has been with Ai Xian for two years. Ai Xian removed his gaze and didn’t look at Ivy’s expression. He finished his words in one breath, and as if he was frozen, he did not continue to speak.
As if time stopped, Ivy could not move, only listening to Ai Xian and processing his words.
“I am twenty-six years old. As the family’s business grows bigger, father has also given me a lot of pressure.” Ai Xian paused as if looking for more reasons to explain. “Mina is a beautiful and charming girl.”
I don’t understand…
“Being able to marry her will also have a positive impact on the business. Ivy?” Ai Xian couldn’t stand the silence and called her name. Looking at Ivy, he realized that her usual naughty smile had disappeared, replaced by a large drop of tears from the corner of her eye. He had predicted that she might cry, but he didn’t think she would cry so much.
She couldn’t believe what her brother was saying!
Ivy is on the verge of collapsing, tears almost bursting from the corner of her eye. Her tears silently falling on her pale face and dripping on the bracelet. There seems to be something broken in her heart, and she can no longer restrain her emotions. At this moment, the snake bracelet on the left wrist of Ivy seems to resonate with her emotions, and suddenly a dazzling light shines, eventually brightening the whole room.
The strange light surrounded Ivy tightly. Through it all, she could not help but shed tears. The line of sight was blurred by tears. She was completely immersed in a pain that was difficult to suppress.
Did she hear right?
Is he really going to get married?
No matter how much she does not want this to happen, no matter how much she does not want to hear such news, she knows her brother will eventually leave her and be with another person forever.
Her heart feels like it is being cut by a knife. Is this what heartache is?
“Ivy! Ivy! Open your eyes and look at me!” Ai Xian anxiously called Ivy’s name, incredulously watching her body loom in the mysterious light. She seemed to be wrapped in a layer of lights and gradually became transparent. He rushed up and tried to hold Ivy, but all he grabbed was air.
“Ivy! Take the bracelet off…” Ai Xian shouted loudly, but the sound seemed to be swallowed up by the light and couldn’t reach Ivy who was standing in the middle of the light. She sobbed, and her body was quickly surrounded by a gradual increase in light. The snake’s eyes on the bracelet stared coldly at Ai Xian as if warning him, but soon, all of this disappeared.
After a minute, the room returned to its usual state. The only difference is that only Ai Xian stood alone as if Ivy and the bracelet had never existed.
Ivy: Ai Wei in Chinese (Should I keep the original name or the English version? Comment below!)
gege: older brother in Chinese
Hey there bees! Welcome to my website, buzyhoneybee. This is my first time translating Chinese novel using my mediocre Mandarin skills from high school with the help of my best friend—Google Translate. I plan to release chapters once or twice a week but it depends on how free I am. Please feel free to comment if there are any mistakes. I don’t know if I still want to translate this specific novel, Pharaoh’s Concubine, but if there is much love for it, I will continue! I want to translate romance novels so I will take suggestions (can’t promise anything though!)