Chapter 149: Nevermore

Cheng Hui figured she would probably never forget that late night a few years ago. Behind Mrs. Cheng's back, she had borrowed money from Doctor Ye for a plane ticket to rush back and find He Chuan. She waited the whole night, only to watch him bring another woman home.

At that moment, she felt that all her suffering was simply brought upon herself, and in the eyes of others, her pain meant nothing at all.

She had awakened much too late.

Back then, she was also far too young; it was merely her overestimating her own capabilities.

Cheng Hui gave a light, casual smile and said, "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Wen Liang smiled gently, seemingly recalling some sweet memory, and said, "Actually, I never expected him to propose to me either. Even now, thinking about it feels a bit surreal."

With a languid and indifferent smile, Cheng Hui twitched the corner of her mouth, glanced down at her phone briefly, and said, "I'm sorry, I have some matters to attend to right now, so I must be going."

"I should be the one apologizing. I'm sorry for rambling just now and making a fool of myself in front of you."

"It's fine."

"Then I won't disturb you any longer. Goodbye."

*I hope we never meet again.*

Cheng Hui thought to herself.

Walking away for a short distance, Cheng Hui felt her tightly strung nerves instantly relax. Yet, the ache in her chest remained overwhelming—a sensation as though she had been plunged right back into her darkest days, where even drawing a breath hurt.

Right there in the center of her chest.

In truth, she had never intended to give up on He Chuan at the very beginning; she had genuinely wanted a proper future with him.

However, far too many things had happened afterward, making her realize that if He Chuan had truly wanted to mend things, he wouldn't have been with another woman, nor would he have failed to come looking for her. He clearly could have sought her out if he wanted to.

All other reasons given to cast her aside were nothing more than excuses.

When boiled down to the core, it simply meant he no longer held her in his heart and had no desire to continue.

It had taken her nearly three years, which was more than enough time to let her heart completely die.

...

She did not care in the slightest when He Chuan would hold his engagement banquet. She went to work as usual, went out to entertain herself as usual, and refused to let his marriage ruin her own life.

Wen Liang had kept their private meeting a complete secret, never mentioning it to He Chuan. She harbored her own quiet fears, terrified that something might go awry at the engagement banquet, and thus did everything she could to prevent any unforeseen accidents.

Recently, Wen Liang paid intense attention to He Chuan's every move. Whenever he took a phone call, she would strain to hear who was on the other end. Only after confirming it was purely business matters would she feel at ease and quietly walk away.

When He Chuan was going out to see friends, she wanted to tag along as well.

Without raising any objections, He Chuan brought her with him.

Over the past few years, the circle of people he knew had expanded significantly. They were mostly business tycoons and heads of important municipal departments—all prominent and influential figures.

He Chuan had made no secret of his impending engagement, and with news traveling fast in their circles, everyone already knew.

Upon meeting Wen Liang, they all offered polite pleasantries. It was safe to say she was experiencing the sensation of being the star of the show.

Only then did Wen Liang truly internalize the reality that she was about to become engaged to He Chuan.

This reality was now unchangeable.

As was the man standing beside her.

As for that photograph of Cheng Hui tucked away inside his book, it no longer mattered.

Perhaps it had been left there inadvertently, or perhaps he had tucked it away casually a long time ago and had likely forgotten about it himself.

Wen Liang had no desire to dwell on it and interrogate him relentlessly. She convinced herself to let go of the photograph; since they were already getting married, a single photograph couldn't possibly stir up any waves.

Besides, so much time had passed. If He Chuan had genuinely intended to take action regarding the past, he wouldn't have remained inactive for so long, let alone agreed to marry her.

With that thought, Wen Liang smiled faintly.

Tonight's gathering consisted entirely of He Chuan's friends. Wen Liang recognized a few of them and occasionally socialized with them, though they weren't particularly close. After all, they were his friends, outside her immediate circle. Not only had He Chuan brought a companion, but those among his friends who were taken had also brought their partners, leaving the single ones looking somewhat isolated.

With He Chuan and Wen Liang's happy union approaching, their friends constantly brought up the topic, especially upon seeing Wen Liang, repeatedly addressing her as "Sister-in-law."

Even the friends' girlfriends followed suit and chimed in with "Sister-in-law."

Hearing those words sung out one after another, Wen Liang was genuinely pleased.

While the men gathered to socialize, the women huddled together to chat.

Ever since she slipped it onto her finger, Wen Liang had kept the ring on continuously. He Chuan had been remarkably generous; the engagement ring he purchased carried a hefty price tag, and its design was something anyone with an eye for luxury could instantly recognize.

It was a limited edition that required advanced reservation.

In their social circle, most of the girlfriends dating these men were not yet viewed as marriage material—casual dating was fine, but marriage was no laughing matter.

Therefore, the situation between He Chuan and Wen Liang could be considered a success.

In their impression, Wen Liang had initially been nothing more than a minor assistant, yet she had now ascended to become He Chuan's fiancée. One could only conclude that she truly possessed the capability to claw her way up to such a position.

"Sister-in-law, is that ring on your finger a gift from He Chuan? I remember this specific design being extremely expensive. He Chuan is certainly generous."

The others chimed in with agreement, showering compliments on her ring.

Wen Liang still remembered that back when she was merely an inconspicuous assistant, He Chuan's friends wouldn't even spare her a proper glance, let alone treat her with the current level of deference.

Fully aware of this, Wen Liang smiled and replied, "I actually have no idea how much it cost. He Chuan bought it a while ago, and I was quite surprised when I saw it."

"I never imagined He Chuan could be so romantic."

With a polite laugh, Wen Liang deflected, "Not at all, not at all. He is hardly the romantic type."

"It's precisely those who seem least likely to do romantic things who touch your heart the most when they actually do them."

"Your words have completely wrapped me around in circles."

Amid the conversation, Wen Liang's phone rang. Murmuring an apology, she stood up and stepped outside the private dining room to take the call.

The moment she left, the expressions of the women who had just been speaking shifted instantly. Some wore looks of pure disdain, while others simply dismissed Wen Liang's words entirely, treating the exchange as nothing more than empty, casual chatter.

Anyone who actually took Wen Liang's words seriously would have to be terribly naive.

Wen Liang was practically shoving her engagement ring in everyone's faces—who wouldn't notice?

She was practically taping a price tag to the ring.

A petty person tasting sudden success.

Wasn't she just a lowly assistant who climbed her way up?

After Wen Liang had been gone for a brief moment to take her call, someone muttered, "I heard Cheng Jiu's sister, Cheng Hui, is back."

As soon as those words dropped, they landed like a bolt of lightning, exploding quietly within the private room.

He Chuan was seated on the leather sofa, smoking a cigarette. In the dim, warm lighting, his facial expression remained unreadable.

None of the others dared to pick up the thread, and a heavy silence descended upon the room for a moment.

The person who had brought up Cheng Hui naturally knew who she was, as well as her past history with He Chuan. Furthermore, the affair had been the talk of the town and was hardly a secret within their circle.

Their eventual breakup had happened because Cheng Hui went abroad, though there was never a definitive word on who had actually dumped whom.

Talk about bringing up a sore subject.

Cheng Jiu was not present. Being a married man with a child, he was naturally at home spending time with his wife and kids.

Men with children differed significantly from those still casually dating; the former prioritized their families, while the latter retained their carefree freedom.

He Chuan showed no reaction, as though he hadn't heard or simply didn't care.

Recognizing the tension, someone made a lighthearted joke to pivot the conversation, and no one else dared to mention Cheng Hui again.

Many of the women present had no idea who Cheng Hui was, nor did they understand why her mere mention had suddenly silenced everyone.

Standing outside the door of the private room, Wen Liang had overheard someone drop Cheng Hui's name before the conversation abruptly cut off. Pretending she had heard nothing at all, Wen Liang pushed the door open, stepped inside, and naturally resumed her seat beside He Chuan.

Glancing at her, He Chuan asked, "Why did you take so long?"

"It was a call from my dad, just chatting. He was wondering why I'm still out playing instead of coming home."

"Want to head back?"

"I'm not in a rush. I'll listen to you."

With a calm, indifferent expression in his eyes, He Chuan said, "Then let's go."

Since he was leaving, none of the others dared to press them to stay.

Declining any offers for someone to drive them, He Chuan told the rest to carry on with their evening.

As soon as they left, the person who had brought up Cheng Hui was immediately scolded by the others for carelessly dragging up her name and acting like he had a death wish.

The man merely chuckled dismissively, saying lightly, "I was only speaking the truth. I can tell He Chuan still has lingering ghosts in his heart; otherwise, he wouldn't have ignored it entirely."

Back in the day, He Chuan had truly, deeply fallen hard for Cheng Hui.

And yet, he had now made a clean break and was preparing to marry someone else.

Having consumed alcohol, He Chuan was naturally in no condition to drive.

Wen Liang took the driver's seat.

He Chuan sat in the passenger seat, his brow furrowed, his gaze drifting hazily toward the road ahead.

As she drove, Wen Liang—who had five or six years of driving experience under her belt—kept the vehicle remarkably steady. "He Chuan, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Why don't you stay over at my place tonight? You've been drinking and shouldn't drive."

He Chuan gave no response, simply staring blankly ahead, lost in his own thoughts.

The mention of Cheng Hui earlier had hooked his straying thoughts and dragged them away.

When Wen Liang repeated her suggestion, he lazily uttered two words: "Whatever works."

It wasn't as though he had never been to Wen Liang's apartment, but his visits were rare—only a handful of times, and all of them had occurred *before* they officially got together. After they became a couple, he had never stepped foot inside; at most, he would drive her home and drop her off downstairs without ever going up.

A woman's living space differed vastly from a bachelor pad.

Wen Liang's apartment was modest and cozy, completely contrasting with He Chuan's cold, monochromatic aesthetic.

Once they entered the apartment, Wen Liang handed him a pair of slippers to change into and said, "I'll go pour you a glass of water."

Though somewhat intoxicated, He Chuan remained reasonably clear-headed and understood precisely what Wen Liang was implying.

Wen Liang returned with a glass of water and handed it to him.

"I'm going downstairs to buy you a razor and a fresh change of clothes," Wen Liang told him. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back."

He had never stayed overnight at her place before, which meant she kept no male toiletries on hand.

Her words also served to prove that over the past few years, he had been the only man in her life, and her heart belonged solely to him.

In truth, the same principle applied to women.

It was simply that women tended to be far more sensitive and attentive to details.

As for men, it all came down to where their hearts lay.

If it was a woman he cared about, such details might earn extra points; if he didn't care, then at the end of the day, it still meant nothing to him.

Wen Liang descended to the neighborhood shopping center to purchase a razor and disposable men's underwear, purposely selecting the most expensive brands available. As she paid at the counter, her peripheral vision caught sight of a foil packet resting near the register. Hesitating for a brief moment, she picked up a box and added it to her bill.

When she returned, He Chuan was still there, sitting on the sofa with his legs apart, having made no move to leave.

Seeing that he hadn't left, Wen Liang felt a wave of relief and happiness.

Moving over to him naturally, she said, "Go take a shower first, and I'll whip up some hangover soup for you."

He understood her intention completely.

He Chuan also caught sight of the box she was holding.

Maintaining a blank expression, he still felt no inclination toward that sort of activity—not even the slightest spark of interest.

Yet, because Wen Liang had taken the initiative several times, rejecting her yet again would likely crush her heart.

That was hardly the behavior of a proper man.

...

Cheng Hui made a trip back home after her father summoned her to check on Mrs. Cheng.

Suffering from a persistent cough, Mrs. Cheng was seated in the living room watching the news. On the table sat a bowl of deeply colored herbal medicine; it had already grown cold, yet Mrs. Cheng hadn't taken a single sip.

Naturally, Cheng Hui's return prompted immediate questioning from Mrs. Cheng.

Choosing to ignore her mother, Cheng Hui picked up an apple and began peeling it.

Mrs. Cheng repeated her question, demanding to know where Cheng Hui was currently working.

With an air of nonchalance, Cheng Hui replied, "In the city. Just some company."

"What's the annual salary?"

"Monthly salary."

"Is it related to your college major?"

"Mhm."

"Quit it," Mrs. Cheng commanded without missing a beat.

The apple peel snapped off midway. Cheng Hui paused her knife for a fraction of a second, then resumed peeling as she asked, "Why?"

"Just like your brother, you're going to study for the civil service examinations or graduate school exams."

Cheng Hui let out a small laugh. "I don't want to."

"You must do as I say."

"Forget it. I have no desire to listen." Cheng Hui felt a quiet sense of triumph, realizing she was no longer the helpless girl from a few years ago who could only cry when faced with adversity. Sitting here so calmly and conversing with Mrs. Cheng proved she had achieved a high level of mental maturity.

Flaring up instantly at her attitude, Mrs. Cheng snapped, "It's one thing that you refuse to live at home after coming back, but now I'm telling you to quit your job and you refuse to listen?"

Finishing the apple, Cheng Hui placed it onto a clean plate, pushed it across the table toward Mrs. Cheng, and said, "I don't want to quit. I am an adult now, not a teenager of eighteen or nineteen; I am fully capable of making my own decisions. Mom, you should focus on taking care of your own health instead of meddling in my affairs."

"Cheng Hui, have your wings grown stiff now? When you returned from abroad, I didn't bring you back just so you could defy me. I was able to ship you out of the country back then, and I can do it again now."

Finding herself unable to control her daughter, Mrs. Cheng resorted to the exact same threat she had used years ago.

With a faint smile, Cheng Hui replied, "Do as you please. It's all the same to me."

"You've always been accustomed to acting like a dictator anyway; nothing I say ever gets through to you. If you think my job is unacceptable and demand my resignation, or if you attempt to threaten me with exile abroad once more, I have no objections. But Mom, if you arrange to send me out of the country again this time, I will never return. You won't even need to nod or shake your head—I can guarantee you with absolute certainty that I will never, ever come back."

Finishing her calm declaration, Cheng Hui turned on her heel and walked upstairs to the home gym.

She stepped onto the treadmill and powered it on.

In truth, she felt the words she had just uttered were rather harsh. It was true that her initial departure abroad had been orchestrated by Mrs. Cheng using this exact same method. For Mrs. Cheng to pull off the same trick twice was impossible, nor would Cheng Hui obediently submit to it. If she truly dug her heels in, Mrs. Cheng would be powerless against her, yet she had deliberately chosen those cruel words simply to provoke her.

They were mother and daughter by blood, yet they insisted on tearing each other apart using such methods.

A short while later, Cheng Father pushed open the door to the gym and walked in. "The things you said just now hurt your mother."

He had overheard every word Cheng Hui said.

Continuing her run, Cheng Hui kept silent.

"Huihui, it's your father's fault. I couldn't help you and let you suffer abroad."

Even if he had stepped in back then, he wouldn't have been able to override Mrs. Cheng.

A jolt ran through Cheng Hui's heart, her guarded expression softening slightly. "It's fine. It was nothing much."

She worried for a second that her father had discovered the truth about her past battle with depression, which startled her slightly. However, so much time had passed; if her father had known, he would have found out long ago and wouldn't be bringing it up only now.

Reassuring herself, she listened as her father let out a heavy sigh. "Pay no mind to what your mother said; she won't send you abroad."

Still, Cheng Hui remained quiet.

"Your mother has been suffering from severe insomnia lately. She can't sleep, and when she does, she mumbles your name—she must be dreaming of you. Even if she doesn't voice it aloud, your father knows she misses you."

A cold scoff escaped Cheng Hui. "Dad, you don't need to make excuses for her. Just because time has passed doesn't mean I've forgotten. I have no way of forgetting. She thought she was doing what's best for me, but the methods she used inflicted deep wounds on me. And instead of realizing it, she frantically insists that everything was my fault."

The rift between Cheng Hui and Mrs. Cheng could not be mended overnight. Understanding this, Cheng Father felt utterly helpless; once Mrs. Cheng turned stubborn, nobody could manage her.

Cheng Hui asked, "Dad, do even you think Mom did nothing wrong? She packed me off abroad back then, forcing me to break up with He Chuan. Now that I've returned, she wants to control what kind of job I hold. Am I nothing more than a puppet who isn't allowed to have her own thoughts, expected to obey blindly whatever she dictates?"

Her tone remained remarkably serene, devoid of any emotional fluctuations in her phrasing.

"Alright, don't talk like that," Cheng Father appeased. "Dad understands how you feel."

"You don't understand. If you did, you wouldn't have messed around with women outside." A wave of irritation washed over Cheng Hui. The moment the words left her mouth, she froze in shock, immediately reaching out to shut down the treadmill and stepping off it.

Cheng Father was equally stunned, never expecting her to still hold onto that grudge after so many years, especially since the situation was entirely different from what she imagined.

Yet, due to hidden difficulties, he could not explain the truth.

Cheng Hui walked away, leaving as abruptly and decisively as she had arrived.

Her departure left Mrs. Cheng infuriated. Seated heavily in the living room, she furiously dialed Cheng Hui's phone repeatedly, desperate to drag her back.

Noticing this, Cheng Father quickly stepped in to pacify her. "Let Cheng Hui cool down for a bit. If she comes back right now, the two of you will just start screaming at each other again."

Mrs. Cheng let out a cold laugh. "She's definitely going to find He Chuan. Yes, exactly—He Chuan is getting engaged. She hasn't given up, so she's bound to go look for him."

"What kind of nonsense are you babbling about? Go look for who? What does He Chuan's engagement have to do with her?"

"Don't think I don't know. The only reason she came back is because He Chuan is getting engaged! For all these years, she hasn't even bothered to visit home—all because of He Chuan! Because of him, she renounced me as her mother, refuses to step foot in this house, and won't even place a single phone call!"

With a heavy sigh, Cheng Father was overcome by a profound sense of powerlessness.

Over the past few years, his patience had been utterly exhausted. The only reason he could still face his wife was out of a sense of masculine responsibility that prevented him from abandoning her. Yet her mental state fluctuated wildly, her temper matching her instability, transforming her into a raving maniac who recognized no one when episodes struck.

Hastily, Cheng Father dialed a physician's number, requesting a doctor to come evaluate her at home.

Catching him with his phone, Mrs. Cheng launched into another round of sarcastic mockery. "Don't think I'm blind to the schemes you two pull behind my back. Cheng Hui still has her hooks in He Chuan! No, I absolutely cannot allow her to continue associating with him—those two must never, ever be together."

"Enough is enough," Cheng Father snapped. "How much longer do you intend to tear things apart? Because of you, this household has not a single day of peace."