1 – Mutuаl Dеstruсtiоn
In his рrеviоus life, he wаs а dеfеаted generаl in lоve, losing uttеrly.
In this life, rереаting thе sаme mistаkеs, hе gаmbled right—his girl did not lеt him lose.
—Lu Beiхun.
Frоm beginning tо еnd, thе оnlу onе I lоvеd was him.
Twо lifеtimes оf deep аffeсtion, he stakеd evеrything. Ноw could I bеar to let him lоsе?
—Сеn Wan.
Latе night in thе саpital, rаin pаttered dоwn. At the hillsidе villa, the building wаs burned beyоnd rесognitiоn оf its original form.
Сen Wаn hеld Lu Beiхun, sobbing softlу. Hеr раlms werе filled with his warm, сrimson fluid, her hеаrt аching as if torn apart by ten thоusаnd ghosts.
“Crying so hаrd?” Lu Вeixun’s eуеs were clear, but his face was devoid of color, his breath weak. “Don’t cry. In the next life, I won’t keep you by my side anymore…”
I’ll set you free.
With great difficulty, Lu Beixun raised his hand, using his last bit of tenderness to wipe the tears from Cen Wan’s cheek.
Finally, he looked at her deeply one last time, and the hand that had wiped her tears fell limp.
Lu Beixun was dead—killed by her own hands. Cen Wan stared at him blankly, her soft sobs escalating into a breakdown of wails. Pressing her forehead against his cold one, she murmured in a daze, “Lu Beixun…”
Behind Cen Wan stood a person, a flash of triumph in their eyes, the corners of their lips slightly upturned.
Cen Wan’s eyes were red and swollen, the pain making it hard for her to breathe. She looked pleadingly at the man behind her. “Brother, I won’t seek revenge anymore. I beg you, take him to the hospital. I beg you. I love him.”
She cried until she was gasping for air, her shoulders trembling, her delicate face streaked with tears, looking somewhat disheveled.
A month ago, a fire at the Cen family villa took three of her loved ones—her parents and younger sister died tragically in that blaze. All evidence pointed to Lu Beixun.
Cen Xiu walked over to her with a heavy gaze, paused for a moment, and patted her shoulder reassuringly. “It’s too late.”
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were filled with disappointment. “Wan Wan, don’t forget, he is the enemy who killed our parents and sister.”
Cen Wan’s tears continued to fall. Cen Xiu was the adopted son of the Cen family and the sole survivor of that fire. It was also Cen Xiu who, after being rescued, told her that Lu Beixun was the culprit.
She had seen the surveillance footage at the entrance of the Cen family estate. Ten minutes before the fire, Lu Beixun had left the Cen home.
Her gaze shifted past Cen Xiu’s disappointed eyes, settling on Lu Beixun’s pallid face. Her fingertips traced the contours of his features.
His profile was smooth and cool, his skin fair, his nose bridge high and straight, his eyelashes dense and long. Cen Wan’s tears fell onto his cheeks, blossoming like teardrops.
The sky was overcast, dark clouds churning with flashes of lightning and thunder, muffling the cries within the villa.
Cen Wan cried until she fainted and was carried away from the villa by Cen Xiu.
When she awoke again, it was three days later. She jolted awake from a dream, her eyes hollow, like a walking corpse—no longer a living, vibrant person.
She still couldn’t accept the fact that Lu Beixun was dead. Having avenged her parents, she should have been happy…
After washing up, she went downstairs. In the living room was breakfast prepared for her by Cen Xiu. She glanced at it indifferently and walked straight past, intending to turn herself in.
As she stepped out, He Yi was waiting for her at the door. He Yi was Lu Beixun’s special assistant and the person he had trusted most in life.
Cen Wan halted, clearly sensing the disgust in He Yi’s eyes toward her. For a long moment, neither spoke.
Taking two steps forward, Cen Wan spoke slowly, “Is there something?”
He Yi handed her several documents, looking directly at her with undisguised contempt in his eyes. “If you’re planning to turn yourself in, don’t bother.”
“What?”He Yi took out his phone, opened Weibo, and held it before her eyes: “To protect you, President Lu confessed to the crime and committed suicide out of guilt. This Weibo post was scheduled for release at two in the morning.”
“What?” She didn’t look at the phone. She didn’t know…
He Yi rarely lost his composure, but now he looked at her with frustration. “If you had waited just a few more days, just a few, President Lu wouldn’t have died.”
“He thought of you in every way, yet you wanted him dead. Do you have no heart?”
“He loved you so much, he would only love everything about you. How could he have killed your parents? Just because you saw him leaving the Cen family home on the surveillance footage over ten minutes before the fire, and because of a few words from Cen Xiu, you sentenced him to death?”
He Yi’s voice was filled with grief and anger. “Did you really think your plan with Cen Xiu could kill him? Don’t you find it ridiculous? You were merely taking advantage of his love for you.”
Every word He Yi spoke felt like a needle piercing her heart.
He Yi continued, “There’s a USB drive tucked inside the documents I gave you. This is the real evidence. You can choose not to believe it.”
After Cen Wan’s parents passed away, Lu Beixun had instructed He Yi to investigate. The arsonist had been cautious, leaving no clues, making the investigation difficult. It wasn’t until last night that all the evidence had been gathered.
He Yi paused briefly before continuing, “Perhaps to you, it doesn’t matter who killed your parents. Your goal was simply to divorce President Lu and be with your so-called brother, who isn’t even related to you by blood.”
Cen Wan returned to her room, He Yi’s words echoing in her ears. She opened the documents—inside were divorce papers and a property settlement, with all of Lu Beixun’s assets transferred to her.
Tears fell onto the divorce agreement. Spotting the USB drive He Yi had mentioned, she plugged it into her computer.
The contents of the USB drive struck her like a bolt from the blue. Her mind went blank, and her face filled with disbelief. How could this be…
Lu Beixun wasn’t the murderer—Cen Xiu was…
The evidence on the USB drive was far more substantial than what had previously pointed to Lu Beixun. Apart from the surveillance footage at the gate and Cen Xiu’s words, there had been no other evidence.
The USB drive revealed that Cen Xiu had coveted the Cen family’s wealth for many years. Her father had sensed it but lacked concrete proof.
After reviewing all the contents of the USB drive, Cen Wan refused to believe it. She burned the divorce papers to ashes, left the villa, and went straight to Cen Corporation to confront Cen Xiu face-to-face.
Cen Xiu, at the company, was unaware that He Yi had visited. Before He Yi arrived, he had cleared away the people watching Cen Wan around the villa to avoid causing her trouble.
Cen Xiu now held full control of Cen Corporation. Over the past month, Cen Wan had visited frequently, and the receptionist recognized her, never stopping her. Cen Wan went directly to his office.
As she reached the office door, she overheard a conversation inside and held her breath.
“Congratulations, President Cen. With just a small scheme, you’ve gained everything from the Cen family and eliminated Lu Beixun. From now on, you’ll call the shots in the capital. Truly something to celebrate.”
Cen Xiu’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “What you call a small scheme was something I’ve been planning for years, just waiting for the right opportunity.”
“As for Lu Beixun,” Cen Xiu curled his lips into a mocking smile, “he was strong, but he had a weakness.”
“What about the orphaned daughter of the Cen family, President Cen? What do you plan to do with her?”
“What can I do?” Cen Xiu replied casually, with the air of a victor. “If she behaves and listens, I’ll keep her around for fun. If she doesn’t, I’ll send her down to reunite with her parents.”
The words struck Cen Wan like a blow, making it hard to breathe. Regret and remorse spread through every nerve in her body. After a long moment, she regained her composure and left Cen Corporation with heavy steps.When she returned again, it was three in the afternoon. In the meantime, she had gone to see He Yi and redrafted the property distribution contract, transferring the assets Lu Beixun had left her to his parents.
She knocked on the office door, pretending nothing was wrong.
“Come in.”
Cen Wan entered and saw the person behind the desk. A flash of hatred passed through her cold eyes. When Cen Xiu looked up, she forced a slight smile at the corner of her lips. “Brother, are you busy?”
“Not busy.” Cen Xiu asked, “Feeling better?”
Cen Wan nodded. How could she feel better when her enemy was still alive? “Want to go to the rooftop for some fresh air?”
Cen Xiu paused. “Alright.”
On the rooftop, the Cen Group building stood thirty-six stories tall. The concrete railing only reached just above Cen Wan’s knees. She stood at the edge and glanced down below.
This area was filled with office buildings, and since it was working hours, there were no pedestrians on the streets.
Recalling the kindness Cen Xiu had shown her over the past twenty years, Cen Wan let out a self-mocking laugh. “Cen Xiu, you set that fire, didn’t you? You drugged my parents and sister, and you told me Lu Beixun was the culprit, making me kill him with my own hands—all of it was part of your plan, right?”
Cen Xiu was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly laughed, not denying it. He believed the Cen Wan before him posed no threat at all. “Not too stupid after all. But it seems a bit late to realize now. Everyone who loved you is dead, and one of them was killed by your own hands.”
Cen Wan didn’t argue back, her smile bitter and tragic. She had been too foolish, deceived by the person she trusted most. She didn’t deserve Lu Beixun’s love. “For these twenty years, the bond between us siblings was all fake, wasn’t it?”
“Not entirely fake.” When he first came to the Cen family at six years old, his thoughts were still pure, and his care and affection for her back then were genuine.
Cen Wan asked, “When did it start?”
“After I became an adult.”
Cen Wan smiled at him, walked over, and stood facing him. After a few seconds, she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Brother, this is the last time I’ll call you that.”
Cen Xiu froze for a moment but didn’t move, letting her hold him. Just a few seconds later, Cen Wan lifted the corners of her lips in a bleak smile. With unexpected strength, she embraced Cen Xiu and threw them both over the railing. Cen Xiu’s eyes widened in shock, but it was too late to say anything. He had been completely unprepared. Cen Xiu had always believed Cen Wan was just a woman—even if she knew what he had done, she couldn’t possibly cause any real trouble.
Their bodies plummeted rapidly.
Cen Wan gazed at the azure sky, and Lu Beixun’s face appeared before her eyes. She curved her lips into a faint, tragic smile.
Lu Beixun, I’m coming to atone for my sins…
Cen Wan sank into darkness.
—Two bodies in front of the Cen Group building were taken away by the police.