Chapter One Hundred and Thirty: This Is Bad

The clothes Auntie had taken out of the wardrobe were all nearly new. She remembered that He Chuan had asked his assistant to buy them some time ago. They had been left in the wardrobe ever since, and the young lady had barely worn any of them. They were so new, and so expensive—it would be a waste to throw them away. Auntie folded them one by one, placed them in a trunk, and carried it into the storage room.

While Auntie was not paying attention, the dog pushed open the storage-room door and slipped inside. It bit open the trunk, dragged the clothes out one by one, and left them scattered across the floor.

Auntie was startled when she saw it. She wanted to scold the dog, but did not dare, afraid it might bite. So she picked up the clothes one by one, folded them neatly, and put them back into the trunk.

…

It was already after ten in the morning when He Chuan arrived at the office. Wen Liang noticed that he looked tired, so she went to the pantry, poured him a cup of black coffee, and brought it to his desk. With some concern, she said, “Senior, did you sleep badly last night? You don’t look very well.”

He Chuan pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “It’s nothing.” His eyes fell on the coffee. “Thank you.”

“Senior, you don’t have to be so polite. I only poured you a cup while I was there. By the way, have you had breakfast?”

He Chuan shook his head. He had already turned on his computer, and his eyes did not linger on her for even a moment.

Wen Liang noticed and pretended to remain calm, acting as though nothing had happened. “I bought an extra breakfast this morning. I’ll go get it for you. You can’t keep skipping breakfast—it’s bad for your health and your stomach. Don’t say no. Throwing it away would be a waste.”

He Chuan remained unmoved. When she brought the breakfast over, he said rather coldly, “Thank you for the trouble.”

Wen Liang said, “Mr. Song is coming today. We arranged to meet over lunch, and I’ve already reserved a table at a restaurant nearby.”

He Chuan replied, “I know. You don’t need to come at noon. Song Chen and I will go ourselves.”

Wen Liang froze for a moment before responding, “Oh, all right. Then I won’t go.” After a pause, she said awkwardly, “I’ll go out first, then. I won’t disturb you, Senior.”

He Chuan did not respond. He kept his eyes fixed on the computer screen.

His company was not very large at present. It was still in its early stages, and the only reason it had managed to get this far was Song Chen’s investment. A small number of the employees had previously worked with him at the He family’s company. Now that the He family was facing one crisis after another, the company had been affected as well, and many employees had left.

Wen Liang had not come through a job transfer. She did not mind He Chuan’s current circumstances in the slightest. On the contrary, she was more than willing to help him. To be honest, the salary he offered her was not even enough to buy one expensive designer handbag. She did not lack money. She had come to work for him not so much because she had just returned from abroad and wanted to develop her career, but because she had come for him—and to remain by his side.

There was no way He Chuan did not know that.

…

Wen Liang walked out of the office and bit her lip, glancing back at the door.

They had known each other for so many years, yet in the end, she realized that she did not understand him as well as she had thought.

There were actually quite a few rumors about He Chuan in the company. Wen Liang had asked some of the people who had worked closely with him before. They did not know much, but she had learned that he had once been in a relationship.

That girl often came to the company to see him as well. She seemed to still be in school and was quite young. However, the employee did not know her name or where she was from.

After all, this was the boss’s private life. Asking too many questions would only invite gossip. Besides, anyone capable of working with He Chuan was certainly not there to fool around. They took their jobs seriously and did not pay much attention to their employer’s private affairs.

Wen Liang instinctively felt that the only thing capable of making a man behave abnormally was a woman.

And He Chuan probably still had that girl in his heart. Otherwise, he would not have been so oblivious to Wen Liang’s hints.

She felt that she still had a long way to go. She had to work harder, so that one day he would see her shining brightly.

…

At noon, He Chuan had lunch with Song Chen. Song Chen told him about the He family’s current situation. It was not very optimistic, but the family’s foundation was solid enough for them to hold on for the time being.

He suggested that He Chuan create another wave of public opinion and use it to attack the He family. He Cheng was already surrounded by negative news, and now was the best time to strike.

Song Chen was a businessman, shrewd and calculating. He would never let an opportunity pass him by. As long as profit was involved, he did not care about anything else.

Although he had not created the negative news surrounding He Cheng, he was involved in it indirectly. In the end, he had still played a part.

He Chuan’s expression remained indifferent, revealing nothing.

“I’ll make the arrangements.”

“But judging from you, you don’t seem very happy. What is it? Have you gone soft-hearted?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then why do you look so unhappy? Have you suffered some kind of setback in love?”

He Chuan said nothing. Song Chen seemed to have hit the mark. He smiled and tried to soften the blow. “I was just saying. I didn’t actually guess correctly, did I?”

Xin Gan had not told Shen Ruoxin about what happened with the Cheng family. She was not the sort of person who gossiped with Shen Ruoxin. It was not that she thought the matter was unworthy of discussion, but that it concerned Cheng Hui’s reputation. If too many people found out, it would inevitably affect her. It was not a question of shame; Xin Gan was simply considering Cheng Hui’s feelings.

Since Shen Ruoxin did not know, it was only natural that Song Chen was unaware as well.

He Chuan came back to himself and said carelessly, “Do you think I’m that sort of person?”

He meant that they were no longer young. How could something as trivial as romance still trouble him?

Song Chen was quite magnanimous. “It’s nothing. There’s no shame in getting your heart broken.”

He Chuan gave a mocking laugh. “It’s not heartbreak. There isn’t anyone I can’t win over.”

Song Chen thought he was rather confident—too confident, perhaps. The more confident a person was, the easier it was to suffer a crushing defeat.

Setting aside their business relationship, he was genuinely curious about what kind of woman could bring He Chuan to his knees.

…

By evening, everyone else in the company had left, but Wen Liang was still at her desk. She kept turning around to look at He Chuan’s office. He was still inside and had not come out. It was already this late, yet he still had no intention of leaving.

Wen Liang ordered takeout—two portions. He did not eat spicy food, so she chose only light dishes.

While waiting for the food, Wen Liang went to the pantry again, poured him a cup of coffee with extra sugar, and brought it to his office.

She knocked for quite a while, but there was no response. Assuming he was not inside, she opened the door and walked in without waiting for permission.

At the sound of the door opening, He Chuan looked up. When he saw her, he frowned slightly.

“Senior, I knocked just now, but you didn’t answer. I thought you weren’t here, so I came in…”

“It’s fine. Why haven’t you gone home yet?”

“You haven’t left either.” Wen Liang smiled and set the coffee down in front of him. “Do you still have something unfinished? Is there anything I can do?”

He Chuan’s expression remained cold. “No. You should leave first.”

“I’ve already ordered takeout. I can go after we eat.”

He Chuan glanced at her again but said nothing.

The food arrived not long afterward. Wen Liang went downstairs to collect it and brought it back up.

“Let’s eat together. I ordered yours too. It’s not good for your health to eat this late.”

She arranged the containers across the desk. The food was still steaming and looked quite appetizing.

He Chuan, however, remained unmoved. His gaze was sharp and distant as he said, “You eat. Leave after you’re done. I’m not hungry.”

“Senior… You should at least eat a little…”

“Don’t worry about me.”

This time, He Chuan’s tone had turned completely cold.

His expression was so stern that the word severe would not have been an exaggeration.

He had not smiled much during this period, and Wen Liang was merely his employee. Apart from that, at most, she was a former university schoolmate. There was nothing more between them.

Wen Liang stood there holding her chopsticks, at a loss. She realized that she had overstepped. She had done so much, yet he did not need any of it.

Embarrassed, she said, “I’m sorry. I’ll pack everything up.”

He Chuan did not stop her.

…

When He Chuan returned home, he saw the dog pawing repeatedly at the storage-room door. Thinking something had happened, he opened it and found a large trunk inside.

When he opened it, he saw that it was filled with Cheng Hui’s belongings. He paused, then carried the trunk outside himself and threw it into the garbage bin.

He discarded it cleanly and decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

Just as Cheng Hui had gone abroad—cleanly and decisively.

He understood that she had no choice, so he had not stopped her. There was no need for her to give up her family because of him.

She had family who loved her, parents who cherished her. He did not. Strictly speaking, perhaps they had never truly been the same kind of people. It was only natural that they could not end up together.

To keep her from regretting it in the future, he had not given her the chance to choose. He had let go first.

Cheng Hui was not doing well in London. Every day was agonizing. It was not merely that her body had failed to adjust to the new environment; her mind had not adjusted either.

She felt that something was wrong with her mentally, but she could not determine exactly what. She was anxious and uneasy, spending entire nights unable to sleep. Although she was exhausted, the moment she lay in bed, her mind became frighteningly alert. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Once, Cheng Jiu called and asked how she was doing.

The moment she heard Cheng Jiu’s voice, she burst into tears, crying so hard that her throat became hoarse again.

Cheng Jiu was worried, but he could not leave the country. All he could do was ask one of Xin Gan’s friends in London to go and check on Cheng Hui.

Cheng Hui lay weakly in her dormitory. She lived alone in a single room, and when Julia arrived, she was lying motionless on the bed.

“Cheng, what’s wrong? My God, what happened?”

Cheng Hui’s face was as pale as paper. She no longer had the strength even to speak.

Julia hurriedly called an ambulance.

Ambulances abroad were extremely expensive, often costing several thousand dollars. Fortunately, Cheng Hui did not lack money. Mrs. Cheng had never treated her harshly, and she could afford the bill.

After a series of examinations at the hospital, the doctor determined that there was nothing physically wrong with her, but recommended that she see a psychologist.

Cheng Hui touched her throat and tried to speak, but no sound came out. She could only type a message on her phone and show it to Julia:

“My throat is too sore for me to speak. Please explain it to the doctor for me. Thank you.”

The doctor then returned to examine her throat. After another series of tests, he concluded that her throat was inflamed again. He prescribed some medication and told her to return home and rest.

On the way back, Cheng Hui had regained enough strength to walk by herself. Then, when she saw a tree by the roadside, she suddenly stopped. Tears slipped silently from her eyes.

Her emotions had become so bleak that she wanted to cry at the sight of everything.

Unable to hold back, Julia hugged her. “Did something happen? If you trust me, you can tell me. I swear I’ll keep it a secret. I won’t tell anyone.”

Cheng Hui hugged her back, but she could not speak.

…

Liang Yang came to see her that evening. By then, she was feeling a little better and sat on the sofa reading comics, as though the person who had been on the verge of collapse that morning had been someone else entirely.

Liang Yang did not disturb her. He sat quietly beside her, playing with his phone while she read. Neither interrupted the other.

For a long time afterward, Liang Yang kept her company. Whenever he had free time, he would come to see her.

As time passed, the students around them all assumed that they were dating, including Julia.

Julia told Xin Gan that Cheng Hui seemed to be in a relationship.

After learning the general situation, Xin Gan told Cheng Jiu.

“She never mentioned it to me,” Cheng Jiu said. “I’ll ask her later.”

Cheng Jiu contacted Cheng Hui and learned that it had all been a misunderstanding. She was not dating anyone. The young man was merely her friend. They were both from the same country, both from Yongcheng, and had simply grown close because they spent a great deal of time together.

Cheng Jiu immediately relaxed. He gave her a few more instructions before ending the call.

As soon as Cheng Hui hung up, she collapsed onto the bed. She had not attended class for several days and did not want to see anyone—not even Liang Yang.

After her classmates began spreading rumors that she and Liang Yang were together, she instinctively started avoiding him. Whenever she saw him, she thought of He Chuan.

Whenever she thought of He Chuan, the pressure in her mind grew heavier. Her mood sank into deeper despair, and dark thoughts even flashed through her mind.

She also missed her school examinations. When one of her teachers called, she said she was ill and could not attend. The teacher believed she was lying and warned her that she had to come to school. If she did not appear the next day, the school would contact her parents.

Cheng Hui wanted to return home. If this could be used as a reason to go back, so much the better. She ended the call.

The next day, she did not go to school.

The school really did contact her guardian. They went directly to her father and told him about her situation. He then called her and asked what was going on.

Cheng Hui cried. With great difficulty, she forced the words from her damaged throat. “I want to come home. I don’t want to stay here. Not at all.”

“Weren’t you doing fine before? What happened? Did something happen?”

“How was I fine? I’ve never been fine. If you won’t let me come home, then fine. I won’t come back. I’ll never come back again.”

“Come back, let’s talk properly,” her father said. “Don’t lose your temper. You’re already there, so study hard and finish your degree. I’ll bring you home after you graduate.”

“After I graduate?” Cheng Hui gave a cold laugh. “What is there left to say? You haven’t even cleaned up your own mess, yet you still want to control me. Dad, I’m actually very disappointed in you.”

She still remembered what had happened between her father and Tang Huaihuai. She had never had the courage to ask him about it, but she did not believe Tang Huaihuai’s version of events.

Her father had no idea what had happened to her. He simply assumed that she was still throwing a tantrum. He spoke to her patiently, but she refused to listen and hung up not long afterward.

Cheng Hui did not know how long she could endure. The weather there was cold, and the unfamiliar surroundings frightened her. She was anxious and unsettled. As a result, her emotions became increasingly unstable.

The doctor recommended that she see a psychologist, but she resisted fiercely. No matter what anyone said, she refused to go and remained shut inside her dormitory.

The school had no choice but to send a teacher to look for her.

After knocking on the door for a long time without receiving an answer, the teacher called the police. They had been unable to contact Cheng Hui and were afraid something might have happened to her.

The police forced the door open. Inside, they found Cheng Hui lying motionless on the bed.

White pills were scattered across the floor beside her, and she clutched the medicine bottle in her hand.

…

The first half of Cheng Hui’s life had been smooth and blessed. She had never experienced any real hardship. She was the Cheng family’s beloved daughter, raised in the palm of their hands. She had even had He Chuan doting on her. She had never suffered much of anything.

Then, beginning the previous year, her good fortune seemed to run out. It was time to repay every debt.

She felt that the rest of her life would be just as terrible. She could do nothing, fix nothing, and change nothing.

She did not want to keep exhausting herself. In the end, she would have nothing. It would be better to end everything now and finally be free.

That was how she thought. Her thoughts had become utterly bleak.

…

News of Cheng Hui’s suicide by sleeping pills soon reached the country. It sparked another fierce argument between Mr. and Mrs. Cheng.

Mrs. Cheng blamed everything on her husband. She said his indulgence had left Cheng Hui unable to endure the slightest hardship. Her husband, in turn, accused her of sending their daughter abroad and acting without reason.

For a time, the Cheng family once again fell into endless quarrels.

Cheng Jiu was caught in the middle, and the pressure he endured was no less than anyone else’s.

Xin Gan flew to London, putting aside everything else to visit Cheng Hui.

She found Cheng Hui in the hospital room. There was no longer any light in her eyes. They were dull and lifeless, as though she had become an entirely different person.

Cheng Hui called out softly, “Sister Xin, you came.”

Xin Gan hurried forward and embraced her, gently stroking her hair.

“It’s all right now. Everything will pass.”

Cheng Hui said nothing. She simply remained silent.

Xin Gan did not ask where she had obtained the pills. There would have been no point. If Cheng Hui did not want to say, asking would only be futile.

…

Even after Cheng Hui’s suicide attempt, Mrs. Cheng still refused to let her return home. She seemed determined to the very end.

Not many people knew that Cheng Hui had attempted suicide abroad. To Mrs. Cheng, it was a family disgrace, and she was even less willing to let the matter spread.

Meanwhile, Cheng Jiu forced himself to pull together and deal with He Cheng’s situation.

He went to speak with Jiang Meng, but she refused to reveal anything. She pretended not to hear, pretending ignorance, and insisted that everything she had said at the police station was true.

Cheng Jiu gave a cold laugh. “Whether it’s true or not, you know perfectly well.”

Jiang Meng replied, “Whatever the case, what I said is the truth. You may believe me or not. I know Miss Xin is your wife and that she holds a special place in your heart, but you can’t let that blind you to reality.”

Although Jiang Meng maintained a firm expression, her heart was pounding with guilt. She was indeed lying. If the police discovered the truth, she would go to prison and have a criminal record.

But she had no choice. She could only grit her teeth and continue repeating the story He Cheng had given her.

“I never wanted to interfere in your affairs, but the police came to me, so I told them everything I knew. That’s all. I had no other intention. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the police to continue investigating.”

Cheng Jiu stared at her with his sharp eyes. Jiang Meng naturally did not dare meet his gaze and kept her eyes lowered.

When she finished, she abruptly stood up. “I still have to go to work. I’ll leave first.”

Cheng Jiu was not fooled. He said suddenly, “Your grandmother is in the hospital, isn’t she? She needs surgery?”

Jiang Meng’s entire body trembled. Her legs felt as though they had been filled with lead. She could not take another step.

“I know someone at the hospital where your grandmother is staying. I asked around. A few days ago, you suddenly gathered enough money and paid the entire surgical fee at once. Your salary isn’t enough to cover the cost in one payment, and the operation wasn’t cheap. If I give this lead to the police, what do you think will happen?”

Cheng Jiu withdrew his gaze and spoke casually. “Do you not remember what I used to do?”

How could she not remember?

Jiang Meng’s hands fell limply to her sides before curling tightly into fists. She bit her lower lip and said with difficulty, “Cheng Jiu, for the sake of what we once had, please show me some mercy.”

“Show you mercy?” Cheng Jiu said. “You think too highly of me.”

“I’m begging you, Cheng Jiu. Don’t tell the police. What I did was wrong, but I truly had no choice.” Her attitude changed quickly as she pleaded with him. “That money was only enough to pay for the operation. Afterward, there will be an entire course of treatment, and every part of it will cost money. I was really driven into a corner. Cheng Jiu, I’ve never asked you for anything before. This time, I’m begging you. For the sake of our past, forgive me just this once, all right?”

“That’s impossible.”

“Miss Xin only suffered a minor injustice. It won’t affect her. It was all a misunderstanding. Once this is over, I’ll go to her and apologize. I’ll even kneel and beg if that’s what it takes. None of that matters. The most important thing is that you don’t expose me. If you do, my grandmother will be implicated too…”

Cheng Jiu remained unmoved. He looked at her coldly.

He truly could not understand how he had once been blind enough to date her. Back then, he had sincerely treated her well. He had never wronged her. Yet in the end, he had given her an opportunity, and she had used it to harm Xin Gan.

Xin Gan knew nothing about any of this.

Jiang Meng’s actions were understandable from her own standpoint. She had made a mistake in order to pay for her grandmother’s surgery, and from her perspective, she truly had no other choice.

But if something was built upon hurting another person, how could anyone be expected to accept it?

Especially Cheng Jiu.

When Jiang Meng saw that he remained silent, she raised her head and looked at him.

“Cheng Jiu, please. Just let this go this once…”

…

Xin Gan remained in London to care for Cheng Hui. At home, only the cats were left behind.

The moment Cheng Jiu returned, the first thing he did was feed them. Afterward, he called Xin Gan.

When she answered, he heard the sleepiness in her voice.

“Are you off work? How are things at home? Mom and Dad didn’t argue again, did they?”

Hearing her voice made much of Cheng Jiu’s negative emotions dissipate.

“Mm. They didn’t argue.”

“Go home and check on them from time to time. I can’t take care of things at home right now. Hui Hui isn’t doing well, so I need to stay here for a few more days. I can’t come back just yet.”

She had no time for the art studio either. There was simply too much to deal with.

She was actually considering transferring ownership of the studio for the time being. She could not manage it at present and was afraid of delaying the students.

She was still thinking it over.

“How is Hui Hui now?” Cheng Jiu asked.

“She’s asleep. It took me forever to coax her into sleeping.” Xin Gan grew more distressed the more she thought about it. “Should we tell He Chuan? Maybe he could come and speak with her. It might make things easier for her.”

A psychological illness required the right emotional cure.

Cheng Hui’s mental state had deteriorated because of He Chuan.

But Xin Gan was not certain. She was also afraid that He Chuan might make Cheng Hui’s condition worse.

Her state was simply too terrible.

Mrs. Cheng refused to let Cheng Hui return home, so that path was temporarily closed.

If necessary, He Chuan could go abroad to see her.

“He Chuan has already let her go,” Cheng Jiu said. “He won’t go to see her.”

Xin Gan had nothing to say.

She no longer had even the slightest favorable impression of He Chuan. He had let go so cleanly and decisively. When he had once clung desperately to Cheng Hui, why had he not been so decisive then?