Both the person and the ghost snapped back to reality at Gong Hengye’s voice.
Wen Yue quickly floated behind Gong Hengye.
Her heart fluttered with panic.
Afraid that Gong Chen might actually see her.
Though she thought it unlikely.
If Gong Chen had really seen her, he wouldn’t have spoken in such an inquiring tone.
Gong Hengye glanced sideways at the little tail shrinking behind him and suddenly felt like he was just a tool she used.
When she needed him, she’d follow behind him like a little tail.
When she didn’t, she’d flutter over to her fiancé and bat her eyes.
Hmph!
Meanwhile, Gong Chen came back to his senses, his fingers curling in the air before clenching into a fist.
There was nothing in front of him.
He must have been delusional just now, actually thinking he could sense Wen Yue’s presence.
But in reality, all he had touched was cold air.
He turned to look at Gong Hengye.
The resentment he’d felt upon entering had faded, replaced now by utter dejection. His voice was hoarse as he pleaded, “Uncle, I beg you, give Yueyue back to me.”
He still refused to believe it.
How could he?
Not long ago, she had been alive and well in front of him, smiling as she discussed their wedding arrangements. She had even planned their honeymoon destination.
She said that the North Pole was currently in its polar night period, and she wanted to go see the Aurora.
And now, Gong Hengye was telling him she was dead? That she had taken her own life?
Gong Chen truly couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
His eyes were so red they seemed to drip blood, and he looked genuinely tormented.
Gong Hengye, however, merely curled his lips without a trace of sympathy. “Was he really not switched at birth? Should we do a DNA test? Could our Gong family really produce someone this foolish?”
Wen Yue secretly pouted.
Gong Hengye seemed to look down on Gong Chen.
Didn’t that mean he despised her even more?
After all, she was self-aware enough to know she might be even more foolish than Gong Chen.
Of course, Gong Hengye’s words weren’t directed at Gong Chen but at Gong Yuanren, who had secretly followed to eavesdrop on the drama.
Gong Yuanren, caught hiding at the stairwell corner, cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and walked up with a stern expression.
He showed no embarrassment at being caught eavesdropping; instead, he glared at Gong Hengye with full authority. “What nonsense are you spouting? How could your eldest brother’s own son be mistaken? He’s the spitting image of your brother!”
After a pause, Gong Yuanren added irritably, “Though, to be honest, I’ve also wondered if your brother was switched at birth.”
Gong Hengye: “No need for that. Big Brother takes after you.”
Gong Yuanren: “?”
While they were talking, Gong Chen could no longer contain himself.
He strode over to Gong Hengye in two or three steps. “Uncle, if you refuse to give Yueyue back to me, I won’t leave this place!”
His self-important threat actually amused Gong Hengye, who nodded. “Then stay here. I’ll leave. It’s just an apartment—consider it a gift from your uncle…”
Gong Hengye thought for a moment before lightly uttering three words: “A widowhood gift.”
Gong Chen’s face instantly paled, and Wen Yue, behind Gong Hengye, pursed her lips.
This man’s mouth was so vicious!
Gong Yuanren also slapped Gong Hengye on the back, feigning anger. “What kind of thing is that to say? Is that any way for an uncle to act?”
Even if it was the truth, he didn’t have to spell it out so plainly—it was too hurtful.
But that slap from Gong Yuanren wore out Gong Hengye’s patience—or perhaps he had already run out of it long ago.”If it weren’t for you and my elder brother, do you think I could have tolerated his foolishness here for so long? Wen Yue’s apartment is in Building Three. Instead of causing a scene here, why not go there and see if you can find the truth?”
His expression turned cold, his gaze frosty. “Or perhaps you don’t dare?”
Seeing the flicker in Gong Chen’s eyes, Gong Hengye’s words pierced like needles. “You don’t dare admit that your own stupidity drove your fiancée to her death, yet you still seek some kind of self-justifying comfort from me? If Wen Yue were here with me, you wouldn’t have to feel guilty. You could even shift the blame onto her or me. You could tell yourself that she shamelessly betrayed you, that I forcibly took her from you and hurt you—instead of admitting that your own foolishness hurt her.”
Gong Chen’s lips trembled. “No, that’s not…”
Gong Hengye’s patience had run out completely. “Honestly, I really don’t care whether it is or not. So, can you get out of my place now?”
He couldn’t bear to look at Gong Chen any longer, afraid he might catch his stupidity. So he turned and left.
If others insisted on staying where they weren’t welcome, he would leave instead.
As he had said, it was just an apartment. Since it had already been tainted, he no longer wanted it.
But after taking two steps, he suddenly turned back.
Both Gong Chen and Gong Yuanren thought he had something more to say. Only Wen Yue knew he was looking at her, his eyes cold and sharp.
Wen Yue understood immediately. He was asking her with his gaze: Are you coming with me, or are you staying here with him?
Her small frame trembled slightly, and she quickly floated to his side, her eyes pleading: Of course I’m going with you, Uncle.
Gong Hengye’s face remained cold as he turned and walked away.
To Gong Chen and Gong Yuanren, it seemed as though Gong Hengye had turned and glared at them coldly before leaving without another glance.
Gong Yuanren cursed under his breath, “That damned brat, daring to glare at his own father.”
Gong Chen opened his mouth, but his throat was so dry he couldn’t make a sound.
Seeing this, Gong Yuanren shook his head. “I’ve already asked your uncle. He wouldn’t lie to me. That girl really did take her own life.”
Gong Chen looked at him in despair. “Grandfather…”
Gong Yuanren said sternly, “Your uncle is right. If you want to know the truth, go and see for yourself next door.”
After a pause, he added, “And you know your uncle’s temper. Don’t provoke him again. If you keep bothering him, he’ll send you off to farm on the other side of the Pacific, and even I won’t be able to protect you.”
With that, Gong Yuanren rubbed his shoulder and sighed. “These old bones of mine are tired from running around with you all night. I’m going back. Think things over carefully.”
He truly didn’t want to get involved in the younger generation’s affairs anymore. Shaking his head, he left on his own.
His bodyguard was waiting outside. “Has Old Nine left?” he asked.
The bodyguard nodded. “He’s gone.”
Gong Yuanren frowned. “That brat’s temper is getting worse and worse.”
The bodyguard smiled. “Ninth Master takes after you the most, sir.”
Gong Yuanren stroked his chin and chuckled. “That’s true. That’s why I never doubted he was switched at birth.” He gazed into the distance, sighing. “After all, the men in our Gong family are all sentimental and foolish. How did we end up with such a cold-hearted, ruthless, work-obsessed bastard like him?”
The bodyguard: “…”
Was being sentimental and foolish something to be proud of?
~
In the end, Gong Chen went to Wen Yue’s apartment.Wen Yue was often away from home due to work, so her living room was equipped with surveillance cameras.
Gong Chen had always known that if Wen Yue had truly committed suicide, he could uncover the truth simply by coming here.
Yet, as Gong Hengye had said, he was indeed too afraid to come and confirm it.
He would rather cling to Gong Hengye, foolishly seeking comfort in the idea of betrayal.
He would rather be betrayed than face Wen Yue’s death.
He wasn’t actually running away or making excuses for himself.
He was genuinely, just afraid of her dying.
The apartment passcode was his birthday.
As he entered the code, his fingers trembled.
Fear surged through him once more, as if pushing open this door would mean stepping through the gates of hell, with no hope of redemption.
Gong Chen closed his eyes, gripping the doorknob tightly.
After taking several deep breaths, he slowly pushed the door open. The overwhelming scent of blood hit him the moment the door swung wide.
The living room was dimly lit, but the curtains of the floor-to-ceiling window were drawn open, allowing the neon lights from outside to stream in. He could easily see the shattered wine bottles and glasses scattered before the window facing the entrance.
Large, dark stains covered the floor.
They had long since dried.
Gong Hengye had arranged for Wen Yue’s body to be taken away, but he hadn’t touched a single thing in the room—not even a shard of glass.
Gong Chen’s heartbeat quickened, his breaths grew shallow, and the smell of blood made him dizzy, almost unable to stand.
Even if he wanted to deceive himself, he couldn’t anymore.
He was acutely aware that this was Yueyue’s blood.
This was where she had slit her veins and taken her own life.
His palms were slick with cold sweat as Gong Chen stepped inside.
He didn’t turn on the lights, still unable to face the reality of her death.
Walking to the center of the living room, his gaze swept across the room. Everything here was familiar to him.
The purple plush toy on the sofa was a gift he had given her when she successfully debuted at eighteen.
But in truth, it was just something he had hastily asked someone to buy from a small store in an emergency.
That day was also Wen Xi’s debut.
He had prepared a gift for Wen Xi half a month in advance. At the time, he truly hadn’t expected Wen Yue to succeed in her debut as well.
After all, ever since the incident where she pushed Wen Xi into the water, Wen Yue’s reputation had been tarnished.
So when he learned that Wen Yue had also debuted successfully, it was too late to prepare another gift. He could only ask someone to buy a random plush toy from a nearby store.
He had been nervous when giving it to her, but she hadn’t shown any disdain—she had loved it.
She had even kept it all this time.
What she didn’t know was that the gift he gave Wen Xi was a custom-made diamond tiara hairpin, worth countless such plush toys.
Gong Chen sat on the sofa, cradling the plush toy in his arms.
He felt lost.
Suddenly, he began to question his own actions over the past three years.
Back then, he could have given the hairpin to Yueyue and the plush toy to Wen Xi.
Or at the very least, he should have made it up to her with a better gift later on.
Why hadn’t he?
Was it because, at that time, Wen Xi truly mattered more to him than Wen Yue?
If that was the case, why did his heart ache so much now?
It hurt so badly he felt like he was dying.
“Yueyue…”
Gong Chen murmured hoarsely, closing his eyes and burying his face in the soft plush toy, as if holding her.
After a long, long while, the suffocating pain finally eased. He took out Wen Yue’s phone, which he always carried with him.
The phone passcode was still his birthday.
She had always been a simple person, but he knew he didn’t deserve her simplicity.From the very beginning, his approach to her was driven by selfish and dark intentions.
He simply couldn’t stand his uncle’s arrogance and wanted to take something away from him.
There was an app on his phone that allowed him to view the surveillance footage.
Gong Chen’s fingers trembled as he opened it, searching for the time when she had made her last call to him…
The colorful, glimmering lights from outside the window shone in, casting a myriad of hues across her pale face.
She leaned weakly against the floor-to-ceiling window, one hand hanging limply at her side. Blood gushed from her wrist, slowly staining the snow-white wedding dress she wore.
With little strength left, she rested her head against the window, holding the phone as she whispered to him on the other end, “Gong Chen, I’m not feeling well. My head hurts. Can you come back?”
How had he responded to her then?
He had said, “What are you up to now?”
At that time, he had been in a hurry to buy a bowl of lotus seed soup for Wen Xi.
Cracks began to form in Gong Chen’s composure, and the light in his eyes slowly shattered completely.
While he had stayed up all night watching over Wen Xi, afraid she might suffer from a fever, his Yueyue had been quietly and alone, leaning against the window, just wanting him to come back and see her…
Was she in a lot of pain then?
Was she… very sad?
On the day he left, Yueyue had still been alive and right in front of him, still arguing and losing her temper with him.
Tears had filled her eyes, and her gaze had been filled with despair, yet it still held a glimmer of hope as she said to him, “Gong Chen, the person in the video isn’t me. You know that.”
Yes, he knew.
Of course it wasn’t her.
But what had he said?
He had said it had to be her, it could only be her.
Because only if it were her could Wen Xi be completely cleared of suspicion.
He had even blamed her, accusing her of being an unreasonable and selfish older sister, of making a fuss over nothing.
He remembered her words then, her pained expression as she screamed at him hysterically, “Sacrificing myself to admit to something like this—is that what you call being reasonable?”
“If the person in the video were me, I wouldn’t hesitate. But she isn’t me, so why should I admit to it?”
At the time, he had looked at her and felt only strangeness.
How could his Yueyue have such a twisted and terrifying side? She had truly changed.
Without hesitation, he had turned and walked away, not wanting to look at her for another second.
And now, Gong Chen wished he could kill his past self.
Yueyue had never changed.
Was he the one who had gone mad?
To have treated his Yueyue that way.
Even when she ran away from home with nothing, she refused to take a single cent from him, insisting she would support herself through her own efforts.
When she joined a talent show and was ostracized and subjected to silent treatment because she was too beautiful, she never once complained.
When he called her, she would still laugh and say to him, “They hate me because I’m too talented, because they’re afraid of me. Why should I be angry?”
She was good, always good.
She had always been an optimistic person by nature.
But at some point, she had stopped smiling. Tears always seemed to linger in her eyes, and feelings of grievance and despair followed her constantly, which had also begun to annoy him.
He would often say to her, “Wen Yue, I really don’t understand why you’ve become like this. You’re completely unreasonable now. Can’t you learn from Xi Bao and be more generous and understanding?
Xi Bao has never blamed you for taking her place, so what right do you have to dislike her?
Wen Yue, this is what we owe her!”
These words, repeated over and over, had pushed Wen Yue to the brink of collapse.At this moment, Gong Chen’s heart felt as if it had completely shattered. Waves of palpitations and suffocation mercilessly lashed at his nerves, his head throbbing with unbearable pain.
In truth, he knew why Wen Yue was hurting.
It wasn’t because of Wen Xi’s appearance, but because from the moment Wen Xi arrived, everyone had ignored her, blamed her, and even despised her.
Everyone could only see Wen Xi.
If Wen Xi so much as frowned, they acted as if the sky were about to collapse, willing to give everything in the world just to make her happy.
Including him.
Wen Yue had once said to him, “Gong Chen, I’m not part of the Wen family. I have no relatives left. In this world, you are my only family.”
Yet, in the end, he had still “betrayed” her.
Gong Chen’s hand gripping the phone trembled violently, and he finally couldn’t hold back a low, agonized cry, his body curling inward as he hunched over.
Just as he broke down in tears from the pain, outside the door, Gong Hengye leaned against the wall, a cold sneer curling his lips. “How pitiful. It seems he really does love you.”
He turned his gaze to Wen Yue, who stood beside him, her face deathly pale. His eyes were icy, his tone equally cold. “Do you want to go in and comfort him?”