Chapter 70: Are You Kidding Me?

At the very beginning of the story, the origin lies with Su Ling’s father, Dong You.

When Dong You was in graduate school, he was a high-IQ academic genius. His first love was Yu Qiao. At that time, Yu Qiao was just nineteen years old and had only recently started university. She was full of vitality, playful, and charming. Everyone envied Yu Qiao for having such an outstanding boyfriend, and Yu Qiao herself was quite satisfied too.

But what Yu Qiao didn’t know was that Dong You and the current Mrs. Wen had grown up together as childhood sweethearts.

Wen Xian liked Dong You, but upon closer investigation, it turned out to be quite the coincidence: her childhood sweetheart’s girlfriend was actually her own cousin—the daughter of her unmarried aunt who had gotten pregnant young.

Wen Xian sneered. Dong You had always refused to be with her. So, he didn’t like her but liked her cousin instead?

Wen Xian approached Fei Hang, the middle-aged man currently caught, who back then was young and handsome, just as Grandma Zhao Yuan described him.

Fei Hang liked Yu Qiao, but unfortunately, Yu Qiao already had a boyfriend.

People from that generation were conservative in their thinking, unlike today where sexual attitudes are more liberal. Wen Xian told Fei Hang, “Dong You is so great. If we don’t use some tricks, Yu Qiao and Dong You will never break up. But if Yu Qiao becomes yours, she won’t stay with Dong You either. After you’re done, take photos. Once Dong You finds out about Yu Qiao’s ‘betrayal,’ he’ll surely break up with her.”

Who knew that Fei Hang would refuse? He truly loved Yu Qiao and didn’t want to hurt her with such tactics.

Wen Xian wasn’t upset by his refusal. If Fei Hang wouldn’t help her, she took matters into her own hands, drugging Yu Qiao and taking her to a bar.

Yu Qiao regained consciousness halfway through and quickly called Dong You for help. But as soon as the call connected, before Yu Qiao could speak, Dong You’s cold voice came through: “I’m in the middle of an important experiment. Stop fooling around.” Then he hung up on Yu Qiao.

At that moment, Yu Qiao felt utterly heartbroken and hopeless. She realized that Dong You didn’t love her as much as she had imagined. To Dong You, being with her was simply following the normal course of life—dating, marriage. His heart was set only on his career.

When those men dragged Yu Qiao in, Fei Hang rushed over to save her.

Fei Hang didn’t touch her; he carefully helped her put her clothes back on.

Yu Qiao cried hysterically. She confronted Dong You, who remained silent for a long time before apologizing to her.

In the end, Yu Qiao decided to break up with him.

This man didn’t love her.

Yu Qiao also went to confront Wen Xian, but without evidence, all she got was Wen Xian’s smiling denial of everything.

In the end, Dong You and Yu Qiao broke up that year.

Fei Hang was very kind to Yu Qiao, and gradually, Yu Qiao began to develop feelings for him. Although Fei Hang wasn’t as wealthy or intelligent as Dong You, he was sincere and brave at heart.

That New Year, Yu Qiao brought Fei Hang back to her hometown.

Meanwhile, though Wen Xian successfully caused Dong You to break up with Yu Qiao, it only made Dong You even more disgusted and distant toward her.

Six months later, Dong You got married.

His bride was a girl who grew up in an orphanage named Zheng Yingjun.

Left with no other choice, Wen Xian ended up marrying into the Qin family through an arranged marriage. In her first year of marriage, she gave birth to Qin Xiao.

Wen Xian thought her marriage was devoid of love, and Dong You didn’t love Zheng Yingjun either. But over time, she gradually realized that Dong You had fallen in love with that gentle and beautiful girl.

It wasn’t the lukewarm affection he had for Yu Qiao. To Dong You, Zheng Yingjun was his most precious treasure.

Wen Xian threw tantrums and plotted schemes. She didn’t care about her husband or child, even though the head of the Qin family adored her.

Her obsession with Dong You had become a mental fixation.

However, Dong You protected Zheng Yingjun well. The research work he was involved in was highly confidential and dangerous, and the outside world didn’t know he had a wife. Only Wen Xian, who was obsessed to the point of madness, knew. For several years after marriage, Zheng Yingjun didn’t get pregnant, and Dong You and Zheng Yingjun adopted a daughter, now known as Zheng Xiaoya.

The year Dong You developed a major classified project, Su Ling was born.

That project had far-reaching implications. To force Dong You to hand over the data, they decided to kidnap the person most important to him.

Those people didn’t know about Zheng Yingjun’s existence, so they kidnapped Dong You’s first love, Yu Qiao, and for added leverage, they also abducted Wen Xian.

Since the Qin family was powerful, those people dared not harm Wen Xian. After much hesitation, they decided to release her.

Wen Xian glanced at Yu Qiao in the corner and casually mentioned, “The person most important to Dong You isn’t me or Yu Qiao—it’s… Zheng Yingjun.”

She calmly walked away, neither reporting the incident to the police nor warning Dong You of the danger.

Upon investigation, those people indeed found Zheng Yingjun’s existence.

Not only Zheng Yingjun but two daughters as well!

When Zheng Yingjun woke up, along with baby Su Ling still in swaddling clothes, they were captured.

By that time, Yu Qiao, who was considered “worthless” yet couldn’t be released, had been tortured severely.

Yu Qiao was in her early twenties that year. Because she wanted to enter the entertainment industry, she kept delaying her marriage to Fei Hang. But now, the only one who could save her was Fei Hang.

Yu Qiao tried to contact Fei Hang, but the guards discovered her attempt and decided to kill her.

In her struggle, Yu Qiao accidentally knocked over a candle in the basement.

It was summer, and the basement was stacked with hay. In an instant, the hay caught fire.

It was almost impossible to extinguish the flames in time.

Amidst the thick smoke, Yu Qiao saw Dong You rushing in, drenched from head to toe.

He went straight to find Zheng Yingjun.

At that moment, Yu Qiao wanted to cry amidst the flames. After all these years, she still couldn’t let go. Dong You had abandoned her for his project, but now he was risking everything to save someone else.

Yu Qiao pursed her lips. Dong You didn’t see her, and she no longer had the strength to stand up.

Yu Qiao had never hated anyone so much.

Zheng Yingjun shielded her daughter as the fire spread rapidly. She couldn’t open the iron door and desperately pounded on the lock.

When Dong You arrived, she was in tears, urging him to take their daughter out.

At that moment, the iron bars allowed for the passage of an infant but not Zheng Yingjun.

Dong You adamantly refused, his eyes red as he battered the lock.

Suddenly, Zheng Yingjun said, “There’s another girl locked outside. I heard them say her name is Yu Qiao.” Tears streamed down her face. “Take our daughter and leave. Save Yu Qiao. She’s innocent.”

Dong You froze. He didn’t know Yu Qiao was there. Perhaps the person he felt most guilty towards in his life was Yu Qiao. In the end, Dong You gritted his teeth and carried the infant out.

He placed the child outside and immediately turned back to save Yu Qiao.

Yu Qiao was already severely injured.

When Dong You carried her out, she had already passed out. He handed her over to Fei Hang, who had rushed to the scene, and then charged back into the fire.

And this time, Dong You never came back…

Fei Hang suffered burns to half of his face.

He carried Yu Qiao out of the fire.

When Yu Qiao regained consciousness, the sound of a baby crying filled her ears. The prison that had held her captive for nearly a month was now engulfed in towering flames.

Yu Qiao didn’t know that it was Dong You who had carried her out. Clutching Fei Hang’s sleeve tightly, her consciousness began to fade. “I hate them,” she murmured. “I hate them! I hate Wen Xian. I hate Dong You!”

Her injuries were severe. A beam had struck her internal organs, and she had inhaled a large amount of smoke. She wouldn’t survive.

Eventually, she slowly stopped breathing.

Fei Hang turned to look at the increasingly weak cries of the baby…

He wanted to strangle it, his hands trembling many times, but in the end, he left with the baby in his arms.

Wen Xian was still alive and well…

After hearing the entire story, Su Ling remained silent for a long time.

Qin Xiao frowned, feeling uneasy. Though he wasn’t a good person either, he knew that his mother, Wen Xian, bore significant responsibility for what happened back then.

Wen Xian wasn’t a murderer, but she was the one who pushed everything forward.

Qin Xiao feared Su Ling’s resentment.

Zuo Yin coughed lightly. He came here because he was concerned about Su Ling’s psychological state.

Even the drugs Fei Hang used to drug Su Ling were similar to the ones Wen Xian had used on Yu Qiao. He wanted to return all the pain everyone inflicted on Yu Qiao, unchanged, to them.

So he sent Su Ling to Qin Xiao.

Isn’t that how they liked to use despicable means?

In her past life, all of Fei Hang’s plans succeeded.

As an extra surprise, Qin Xiao fell in love with Su Ling. Later, after uncovering the truth, to protect Su Ling, he eventually confronted Wen Xian.

Later, Su Ling died, and presumably, Qin Xiao went nearly mad?

Fei Hang harbored hatred, and Su Ling’s grandmother did too.

But this elder woman raised Su Ling and gradually developed feelings for her. In the end, she couldn’t distinguish what her feelings for Su Ling were. She wanted to stop, but it was already too late.

Su Ling walked up to Fei Hang, who was tied to a chair.

Fei Hang’s eyes were red, and the burned side of his face looked especially terrifying.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered softly. “My father wronged Aunt Yu Qiao.”

Fei Hang sneered, “No need to apologize. Qiao Qiao hated him… So you, all of you, deserve your retribution…”

“My grandmother said,” Su Ling’s gaze was calm, speaking with quiet resolve, “Yu Qiao was a wonderful girl. Though she had a bit of pride, she was lively and kind. She wanted to enter the entertainment industry and worked hard for her dream. She loved acting, so I changed my college entrance exam application from education to acting.”

Fei Hang fell silent.

“I always thought she was my mother. I wanted to continue her dreams.” Her eyes welled up with tears. “When I found out she wasn’t, I was filled with regret and sadness. After hearing the whole story, Fei Hang, Yu Qiao didn’t know my father went back to save her. She hated my father, but I think she wouldn’t want you to end up like this.”

Su Ling lowered her eyes.

Because of this, she died at twenty-four.

In her previous life, Qin Xiao wouldn’t have fared well either.

Wen Xian couldn’t escape, and Qin Xiao certainly wouldn’t spare Zheng Xiaoya. Everyone, whether they deserved it or not, lost many things because of it.

Su Ling walked out of the room. It was afternoon, and white butterflies fluttered in the garden.

She stared blankly at the clusters of roses.

Qin Xiao hugged her from behind, gently kissing her earlobe.

It tickled, and she squirmed away. “Qin Xiao, what are you doing?”

His low, hoarse voice sounded in her ear, “I’m sorry.”

Lately, he seemed to like apologizing, whether it was his fault or not. Fearing losing her, he wanted to soften her heart and always admitted his mistakes directly.

Su Ling turned around to face him.

After a while, she lifted her eyes to look at him. Her eyes were wet and soft, and her voice was gentle and warm. “I won’t blame you for this. Wen Xian is Wen Xian, and you are you. Blaming others for someone else’s mistakes is unjust.”

The cause and effect of this matter were unclear.

Dong You never intended to harm Yu Qiao, but Yu Qiao endured what she shouldn’t have.

Dong You also perished in the fire.

He tightened his grip on her fingers. “I am different from you. When I learned the entire truth, I could only think of one thing: Wen Xian spent her whole life obsessing over Dong You. She didn’t love anyone. When my father died, she rejoiced that the Qin family was hers. She was also stubborn and selfish. For the first time, I felt like her, my blood so filthy.”

And his filth was directed at her.

Would she feel repulsed by him?

She blinked, her voice tinged with laughter. “But Qin Xiao, you’re different from her.”

He suddenly met her eyes.

It was August, midsummer, clear and sunny, the sky a deep blue.

“Wen Xian didn’t care about Dong You’s life or death; she just couldn’t accept that she wouldn’t be loved. But you wish for my safety every year.” Even if you shatter yourself to pieces.

“Dong You never loved Wen Xian, but I…” Her other hand caressed his brows and eyes, and she tiptoed to gently kiss his cheek.

For two lifetimes, my joys, sorrows, loves, and hatreds, all belong to you, only you.

His heart was struck hard, his dark eyes gazing at her.

Under the August sun, the heat made his heart burn, and the place she kissed felt so sweet it almost hurt. Dong You never loved Wen Xian, but you… what about you?

He waited for that answer, his heart aching painfully.

Her eyes sparkled with laughter, her tone long and tender. “And I hope you’ll be safe and sound for the rest of your life.”

He couldn’t help but smile, whispering, “Are you kidding me?”

“No,” her eyes were full of laughter, and her coquettish demeanor made his heart tremble.

Even if she teased him, he was deeply in love with her.

She was Su Ling, the one who melted his steely heart and turned his hardened steel into something soft and pliable.