The door was pushed open from the outside.
This time, Zhou Huiping saw it clearly.
Incense and candles were burning at the doorway. In the hazy smoke stood a familiar face.
“A g-ghost… a ghost!”
“Ruan Jianian, didn’t you die?!”
Ruan Jianian let two lines of tears fall as she reached out toward Zhou Huiping, her voice ethereal.
“It was you who killed me. I’ve come for revenge!”
“Ah—!” Xia Jianye kicked backward in panic, retreating until his back hit the wall.
Zhou Huiping also shrank back. The two of them wished nothing more than to shove the other in front as a shield.
“It wasn’t me! I only meant to anger you a little. It was Xia Jianye who deceived you into marriage—go find him!”
“You bitch! It was you who gave me the idea in the first place, telling me to cheat Ruan Jianian out of her money. You were also the one who said to drug her—you’re the one who should die!”
“I only mentioned it in passing, but the one who actually drugged Ruan Jianian was you!”
Locked in the room and already on the verge of collapse, the two were terrified when the supposedly dead Ruan Jianian appeared before them, instantly turning on each other with accusations.
Hidden in the shadows, Uncle Wen clenched his fists, his eyes reddening.
“Miss, I never imagined you were murdered like this. Don’t worry—I will avenge you.”
His teeth ground together with hatred. He wished he could kill Xia Jianye on the spot, but Xia Wanqing had warned him not to act rashly—they would use the law to take revenge.
A figure suddenly flashed past. Uncle Wen was startled. Worried about disrupting Miss Wanqing’s plan, he immediately chased after it—only to discover it was the old master.
Both anxious and afraid, Uncle Wen panicked. The old master was still ill and couldn’t handle such stimulation.
His leg injury slowed him down, but he hurriedly said, “Director Li, we must stop this right away.”
Before his words even finished, another figure darted past him. He couldn’t see clearly, only that it looked like a young man.
Xia Wanqing’s eyes were bloodshot, her fingertips digging deep into her palm.
Calm down. I must stay calm!
The next second, a slender figure appeared before her.
Ruan Jiahe stood at the top of the stairs with a cane, coughing violently. His eyes were wet with tears, yet he stared unblinkingly at the person before him.
“Little sister Jianian… is that you?”
Her uncle was still ill. Afraid of frightening him, Xia Wanqing quickly revealed herself.
“Uncle, it’s me.”
A flash of disappointment crossed Ruan Jiahe’s eyes. With a pfft, he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.
The “ghost” that Xia Jianye and his wife feared was the beloved family member Ruan Jiahe had longed for day and night.
“Uncle!” Xia Wanqing immediately began acupuncture on him.
“Xia Wanqing, I’ll kill you!” Xia Jianye finally reacted, realizing they had been tricked.
With everything exposed, he could only take a desperate gamble—kill Xia Wanqing.
So what if he lost the house? Anything was better than going to prison.
He grabbed the candlestick on the floor, yanked out the white candle and tossed it aside, then stabbed the sharp holder toward Xia Wanqing’s head.
Before his hand could come down, his wrist was seized and twisted. Xia Jianye cried out in pain as the candlestick fell to the floor.
The next moment, the world spun. With a loud bang, he slammed to the ground along with the candlestick, his head pressed firmly against the floor.
If you bring a child into the world, you must take responsibility. How could you abuse her?
When Wanwan went missing back then, maybe he did it on purpose.
If he hadn’t found Wanwan that time, she would have been taken by traffickers.
Thinking of this, Gu Huaichuan’s fists fell like raindrops.
Xia Wanqing glanced up once, then continued with the acupuncture.
“Gu Huaichuan, as long as you let me go, all the money in the house is yours. I can give you a whole chest of gold!”
“Don’t think everyone is as filthy as you!” Gu Huaichuan said coldly.
He secretly looked at Xia Wanqing, guilt surging in his eyes.
So this was the kind of life Wanwan had lived. Why hadn’t he discovered it earlier?
He had let her suffer so much.
She must be hurting deeply inside.
From now on, he would treat her well, cherish her.
Even if it cost him his life, he would give it willingly!
“Old Master!” Uncle Wen rushed over. Seeing Ruan Jiahe on the ground, he panicked like an ant on a hot pan. “This is bad.”
Xia Wanqing placed the final needle.
“Don’t worry. Uncle is fine.”
Hearing that the old master was all right, Uncle Wen finally relaxed.
“Director Li, thank you for the trouble.”
Behind Uncle Wen were the people from the bureau he had summoned. After hearing what Xia Jianye and his wife had said, there was now enough evidence to convict them.
“You are suspected of murder. Come with us!” Director Li’s men escorted Xia Jianye away.
“I’ve been wronged! I’m innocent!” Xia Jianye shouted.
Zhou Huiping was caught while trying to climb out the window and was also escorted to the bureau.
“Dad! Mom!” Xia Jiayao chased after them, only to be stopped.
“Uncle Wen, help me carry my uncle to the bed.”
“I’ll do it.” Gu Huaichuan strode forward, bent down, and lifted Ruan Jiahe with ease.
He wore a short-sleeved shirt. As he exerted force, the muscles in his arms tensed, veins standing out—radiating raw masculine energy.
Xia Wanqing led the way. They brought Ruan Jiahe to the guest room. Just as they laid him down, he woke up.
Ruan Jiahe slowly opened his eyes, bloodshot. The moment he saw Xia Wanqing, his brows knit together, his voice filled with pain.
“Wanqing, I’m sorry!”
“I didn’t know Xia Jianye was that kind of person—he killed my sister and made you suffer so much.”
He pounded his head again and again in self-reproach.
Uncle Wen hurried to comfort him, but tears instantly welled up as he spoke.
“Old Master, you’re still ill. Please take care of your health.” His eyes were red, his face twisted as he turned away.
Xia Wanqing held Ruan Jiahe’s hand.
“Uncle, what happened is Xia Jianye’s fault. Victims shouldn’t be punished.”
“If Mom knew you were hurting yourselves because of her, she would be heartbroken.”
Ruan Jiahe looked up, tears blurring his vision.
“If only I had discovered it earlier… would she have—”
Xia Wanqing shook her head.
“Grandfather must have tried to persuade her back then, right?”
Ruan Jiahe pressed his lips together. His father had indeed tried, but his sister had been determined to marry.
Xia Wanqing said softly, “This was a tribulation she couldn’t escape. You don’t need to blame yourself.”
“People’s hearts are hidden. We’re not gods—some things simply can’t be seen through.”
In her memories, her parents had been deeply in love.
Looking back now, Xia Jianye must have been pretending.
But to her mother, from beginning to end, she had been happy.
Xia Wanqing had Uncle Wen invite people from the bureau to witness everything. With so many witnesses, Xia Jianye would surely face justice.
Yet for some reason, unease still lingered in her heart.
She took a deep breath, suppressing it, and continued to comfort Ruan Jiahe.
Today’s events had been meant to be kept from her uncle, but he had still learned everything—including the truth from years ago. The blow was enormous.
With everyone’s reassurance, his emotions finally stabilized.
Still, beneath the calm in his eyes, Xia Wanqing saw a faint trace of despair.
She had seen that look many times in the apocalypse.
Her heart jolted. Given a second life, she would make sure her uncle lived well.
Then she heard him say, “I have something to say to Wanqing.”
Uncle Wen immediately understood and said to Gu Huaichuan, “Son-in-law Gu, let’s step outside.”
Gu Huaichuan glanced at Xia Wanqing worriedly, then followed them out.
Standing in the corridor, he clenched his fists. The shadow cast by his lashes hid his restless anxiety.
When Uncle Wen had called him “son-in-law” earlier, Uncle Ruan’s lips had tightened slightly—he didn’t seem very satisfied with him.
Was it because he hadn’t paid a visit beforehand, and the uncle was displeased?
Gu Huaichuan paced back and forth in the corridor, more nervous than he had ever been for an exam.