Chapter One Hundred and Sixty: Not That

Wen Liang spoke directly in front of He Chuan and a group of police officers, saying, "I have no grudges against anyone."

The police asked, "Think carefully. Are you sure you don't?"

Wen Liang wore a troubled expression, denying it with her words as she said, "No, I'm certain I don't."

"Then do you know Cheng Hui?"

"May I ask why you are asking this?"

"Just answer our question. Do you know Cheng Hui?"

Subconsciously, Wen Liang glanced at He Chuan, who had remained silent throughout. Only then did she reply to the police, "I know her. She is the younger sister of my fiancé's friend."

He Chuan looked at her, his gaze obscure and unreadable. Sensing his scrutiny and knowing he was watching her, Wen Liang nevertheless spoke clearly for the police to hear: she confirmed that she knew Cheng Hui.

The police continued, "What is your relationship with her? Or rather, have you two ever had any conflicts or bad blood?"

Wen Liang shook her head. "No bad blood, and no special relationship. We simply know each other."

"Did you meet with her on the day of your car accident? Did you seek her out, or did she come to you?"

"May I ask what my car accident has to do with her? Why are you asking this?"

"Just answer our question."

Wen Liang paused, gave a low, soft chuckle, and said, "It has nothing to do with her. We don't have any conflicts, and she is also an old acquaintance of my fiancé. We are getting married soon, and I invited her to be my bridesmaid. That's why I arranged to meet her that day."

"A bridesmaid?"

"Yes, a bridesmaid."

...

Throughout the police questioning, He Chuan did not get involved at all. He stood off to the side, his expression deep, dark, and utterly cold, as if the matter had nothing whatsoever to do with him.

When Wen Liang made those remarks, he did raise an eyebrow and glance at her a few times, but he quickly resumed his usual expression and said nothing.

After the police left, He Chuan asked her, "Did you go see Cheng Hui that day?"

Fiddling with the blanket in a distracted manner, Wen Liang replied, "Yes."

"What did you go to see her for?"

"I just told the police. Didn't you hear it as well?"

He Chuan's expression turned a fraction colder as he stared at her without speaking.

That gaze made her look like a total stranger, entirely devoid of any emotion.

Meeting his eyes, Wen Liang felt her heart slowly sink to the bottom. She said, "You don't have to look at me like that, He Chuan. I didn't want to believe it either, but the police just said they suspect my car accident was deliberately instigated by someone, and their investigation led to Cheng Hui. This has nothing to do with me; I am merely stating the facts, and I don't know whether she actually did it."

He Chuan stated, "She didn't do it."

Wen Liang bit her lip tightly, fixing her gaze firmly on him in disbelief. It took her a long time to recover before she asked, "How do you know it wasn't her? Do you trust her that much, or are you so certain she wouldn't try to rekindle her old relationship with you out of jealousy and take it out on me?"

Things having reached this point, Wen Liang dropped all pretenses. Her words laid bare the fact that she knew about the history between He Chuan and Cheng Hui.

He Chuan curled the corners of his lips in a faint, indifferent smile, as if he didn't care whether she knew or not. His expression remained profoundly apathetic, showing no fear of her awareness.

"You knew all along?" he asked.

Reading the chilling coldness plainly written in his expression, Wen Liang said, "Don't look at me like that. I do know that you and Cheng Hui used to be lovers. A few years ago, Mrs. He hired someone to leak the story—I saw those posts, and that's how I found out."

"He Chuan, you never mentioned it to me, never told me a thing. I only happened to remember it by chance, and I never expected that the two of you had once been so intimate."

Bathed in tears, she cried out, "I am a woman, He Chuan, yet you have never once looked at me properly. But the way you look at Cheng Hui is full of predatory hunger and possessiveness. In your eyes, she is the only one who is different."

The atmosphere in the hospital room grew abruptly heavy, underscored by her muffled sobs.

"He Chuan, I am the one who is going to marry you, not her."

For a long time, there was no response. He Chuan seemed lost in thought, his mind drifting far away. After a moment, he said, "Get some rest first. Your health is what matters most; we can talk after you've recovered."

"He Chuan? Where are you going?"

"There's something at the company."

With that, He Chuan walked out of the hospital room without a trace of hesitation.

This was entirely different from what she had imagined. Furious, Wen Liang slapped the bed a few times, her teeth clenched as her body trembled.

He Chuan offered no explanation, nor did he show the slightest guilty conscience for wrongdoing, acting as if everything he did was entirely justified and he owed nothing to anyone.

No, he *did* owe her. Everything he was doing was a betrayal of her!

...

As soon as he left the hospital, He Chuan called his assistant and ordered in a commanding tone, "Find out where Cheng Hui went on her business trip."

Too intimidated to ask questions, the assistant replied, "Yes, Boss."

Whatever He Chuan instructed, he simply needed to execute.

...

Cheng Hui was startled to receive a phone call from the Yongcheng police. They asked where she was, posed a series of questions, and finally instructed her to report to the police station to reissue her statement.

She had no choice but to cut her work trip short and return to Yongcheng.

Lacking solid evidence, the police relied solely on the statement of the hit-and-run driver to summon Cheng Hui for cooperative questioning.

...

The moment she stepped off the plane, Cheng Hui headed straight to the police station.

She had done nothing wrong and remained completely composed. When faced with the police's inquiry as to why she was with Wen Liang that day, she answered truthfully. The interviewing officers exchanged glances before asking, "Do you have any conflicts with Wen Liang?"

Cheng Hui swallowed, hesitating for a moment of uncertainty before finally saying, "I'm not sure if there are any conflicts."

"How so?"

Biting her lip, Cheng Hui found it difficult to articulate. She had no idea whether Wen Liang had found out about her past relationship with He Chuan, nor did she know if something had happened that prompted the police to ask such questions.

Had the police perhaps uncovered something?

Yet, wasn't that car accident supposed to be an accident?

If it was an accident, why investigate these things?

After turning it over in her mind, she decided it was best to simply come clean. "Her boyfriend and I used to date. I'm not sure if she found out."

"Did you know her identity all along?"

"Yes."

"Did you also know that they were getting married?"

"Yes."

"Do you know the driver who caused the accident?"

The police showed her a photograph of the driver, but Cheng Hui shook her head. "No, I don't."

"Think carefully. Do you really not know him?"

"I don't. I've never seen him," Cheng Hui insisted.

"And yet this driver claims he knows you, and that you paid him to crash into Wen Liang and orchestrate this accident. Miss Cheng, I advise you to make a full and honest confession and stop putting up a futile struggle."

"..." Cheng Hui stared in disbelief, her gaze shifting back and forth between the photograph and the policeman's face. Finally, piecing something together, she let out a bitter laugh. "I don't know this driver, and I never asked him to crash into Wen Liang. This car accident has nothing to do with me."

"She spent that day talking to me endlessly about useless things, and I had no idea what she was getting at. When I temporarily took a call and turned to leave, she chased after me, claiming I had dropped something. But I hadn't dropped anything. When I turned back to look, she had already been struck. That driver has not the slightest connection to me, and I hope you will investigate this thoroughly."

...

By the time the assistant caught wind of Cheng Hui's whereabouts, she was already detained inside the police station, unable to leave. He immediately reported this to He Chuan.

He Chuan instructed him to drive to the police station, but the assistant hesitated, advising, "Boss, the information I received is that Mr. and Mrs. Cheng have already arrived there. If you run into the two of them at the police station right now, the impact might not be good."

The assistant knew a thing or two about the bitter fallout between He Chuan and the Cheng family years ago, even if not the full story, allowing him to deduce the reasons behind it.

Moreover, since this car accident was tangentially linked to He Chuan, Mrs. Cheng would undoubtedly pin the blame on him. That would heap more accusations upon He Chuan and further inflame the conflict, which was why he strongly advised against He Chuan going there at this moment.

"The Cheng family certainly won't let Cheng Hui suffer an unjustified charge, Boss. Let's not go. Rest assured, Cheng Hui will be fine."

He Chuan's face turned frighteningly dark. The assistant's words weren't unreasonable, and it was precisely because they made sense that his expression grew so grim.

The assistant broke out in a cold sweat, terrified of displeasing He Chuan.

Yet, with the current situation laid out before them, neither of them could change reality.

Though the assistant couldn't fathom why He Chuan was entangling himself with Cheng Hui again—especially since he was the one who had abandoned her years ago, dumping her and ignoring her frantic, tear-soaked phone calls without an ounce of pity—he kept his thoughts to himself.

Sitting in the backseat, He Chuan slowly closed his eyes and said, "If you were Cheng Hui, wouldn't you be utterly disappointed in me?"

"..." How was he supposed to answer that? After a long moment of careful deliberation, the assistant reminded him, "Boss, Miss Wen is your girlfriend."

Although the assistant and Wen Liang did not get along, He Chuan and Wen Liang's wedding was scheduled for the end of the year, just about two months away. Time flew by in the blink of an eye.

He Chuan represented a corporation, not just himself as an individual. Negative publicity at this juncture would inevitably impact the company.

The company was He Chuan's life's work, and the assistant considered matters from the company's perspective; he did not want to see He Chuan ruin his own hard work.

As it turned out, his worries were largely unnecessary.

Seeing that He Chuan offered no reaction, the assistant took it as silent acquiescence.

In the end, He Chuan did not go to the police station.

Cheng Hui was personally brought home by her father and mother.

Realizing that the ones picking her up were her parents, Cheng Hui's heart dropped, bracing herself mentally. She prepared herself for a torrent of scolding and reprimands from Mrs. Cheng—any of it was possible; the only thing impossible was peace and quiet without a reaction.

She still remembered how fiercely Mrs. Cheng had kicked up a fuss years ago.

In that instant, she felt the resurgence of absolute despair and emotional injury.

At the same time, however, she felt a sliver of relief because He Chuan hadn't come. She was thankful he stayed away, or else it would have erupted into another world war.

Physically and mentally exhausted, she knew she wouldn't have the strength to withstand yet another battle.

Stepping out of the police station, Cheng Hui remained mute. Having contracted an illness in London, her mental health had already been compromised; now, layered on top of that, her physical health had deteriorated as well. Weakened by medication, she appeared utterly frail.

On the car ride over, Mr. Cheng had repeatedly implored Mrs. Cheng to keep her emotions in check, urging her not to attack their daughter, to save whatever issues they had for home, and to refrain from sarcastic remarks. Above all, he advised her to say nothing at all until they were back.

Mrs. Cheng clenched her fingers into fists, forcefully suppressing her emotions and biting back her fury to avoid attacking Cheng Hui in front of outsiders.

Catching a glimpse of Mrs. Cheng's expression, Cheng Hui pressed her lips into a tight line. Her naturally fair face looked devoid of a single drop of blood.

With her spine held rigidly straight, she gazed at Mrs. Cheng with an expression bordering on pitiful. She had nothing to do with this matter, yet the look in Mrs. Cheng's eyes was neither trusting nor supportive.

Cheng Hui bit her lip even harder, her pupils frozen in a glassy stare, her features tense with a dark, gloomy pallor. She wanted to say something, but Mrs. Cheng turned abruptly and got into the car.

"Get in. We'll talk at home," Mr. Cheng said, walking over and giving her shoulder a reassuring pat.

It was precisely at the touch of that pat that Cheng Hui's vision suddenly went black. Losing consciousness, her body tipped backward of its own accord.

In the final fragment of her consciousness, Cheng Hui bizarrely thought that never waking up again might actually be the ultimate release.

Instead of going home, they were forced to turn back for the hospital.

Because Cheng Hui had suddenly fainted, she had to be rushed there for emergency treatment.

Even after she collapsed, Mrs. Cheng's internal fury not only failed to subside but intensified tenfold after listening to the doctor's diagnosis.

Mr. Cheng, too, struggled to suppress his own temper.

Had the doctor not been present in the room, Mrs. Cheng would have shaken Cheng Hui awake right then and there to vent her rage.

The doctor had stated, "She is suffering from low blood sugar and malnutrition, which has caused her body to become exceptionally weak. She also has a stomach ulcer. Young women nowadays skip meals just to maintain their figures, and the damage that causes to the body is severe. Once she wakes up, you really must persuade her not to diet excessively. Her body belongs to her, and she needs to eat three meals a day."

As soon as the doctor departed, Mrs. Cheng's anger erupted. "Look at what your daughter has reduced herself to over a man! She never should have come back. I told you not to let her return, but you had to be soft-hearted, pampering her and letting her come back. Look at her now—are you satisfied?"

"Fine, fine, fine, it's all my fault, my problem. I shouldn't have let her come back. But you can't say she got into this state because of He Chuan; the doctor clearly said it was because she refused to eat and developed a stomach condition."

"Isn't it because of a man? Tonight's mess is still tied to He Chuan, and you're still defending her? Still speaking up for her? In your heart, do you even think Cheng Hui is your daughter? You don't care about her at all, just letting her destroy herself like this!"

Mr. Cheng had no desire to wear such a heavy crown of blame, nor did he enjoy arguing with Mrs. Cheng in front of Cheng Hui. Besides, he knew he couldn't win an argument against Mrs. Cheng anyway. At middle age, all he wanted was domestic harmony, not endless, unceasing squabbles.

Cheng Hui had been jolted awake by the commotion. Upon waking to the sound of Mrs. Cheng's nagging and berating, her head throbbed violently. Unwilling to endure the endless arguing or face Mrs. Cheng, she feigned sleep and kept her eyes tightly shut.

Driven to exasperation, Mr. Cheng strode out of the hospital room to avoid sharing space with Mrs. Cheng.

Noticing the subtle flutter of Cheng Hui's eyelids, Mrs. Cheng correctly guessed that she was awake and merely pretending to sleep to avoid facing her.

"Stop faking sleep," Mrs. Cheng snapped. "Since you're awake, let's talk."

Left with no alternative, Cheng Hui opened her eyes, choosing to stare blankly at the ceiling rather than look at Mrs. Cheng.

Mrs. Cheng continued, "Cheng Hui, did you come back just to drive me to an early grave? Once you've managed to kill me off, I suppose you'll finally be able to rest easy."

Hearing those words, Cheng Hui tasted only bitterness rising in her chest. Every breath she drew felt laced with sharp needles piercing her respiratory tract—a misery impossible to put into words.

She didn't want to fight with Mrs. Cheng; she had no strength left for arguments. All she wanted was peace and a moment of quiet rest.

Naturally, Mrs. Cheng had no intention of letting her off so easily.

"Now you're even being implicated in hiring someone to frame and harm others. If the police hadn't called, how much longer were you planning on keeping this from me? How dare you still associate with He Chuan? How dare you still go see him? Do you have any idea how much shame this brings upon yourself and upon our family? Have you no shame left at all?"

Rolling onto her side out of sheer, bone-deep exhaustion, Cheng Hui said, "Mom, even if I told you I did nothing wrong, you wouldn't believe me anyway, so there's no point in saying anything more. I didn't do it, and I will never admit to something I didn't do."

"I am so sorry for disturbing you and dragging you both out so late."

Mrs. Cheng demanded in a harsh, ringing voice, "If you didn't do it, why would the police come after you?"

"They are merely conducting a reasonable suspicion-based inquiry. The investigation is still ongoing."

Mrs. Cheng let out a cold, sarcastic laugh dripping with derision. "Reasonable suspicion means you are a suspect. Cheng Hui, did you forget my warning? I told you explicitly that I forbid you from entangling yourself with He Chuan ever again. If you had an ounce of self-respect left, you wouldn't still be seeing him."

"He is getting married, and you are engaged. I am warning you once more: hand in your resignation. I will speak to your company's superiors on your behalf. From now on, you will stay obediently at home until you get your marriage license and hold your wedding. The Cheng family isn't short of that pittance you earn, and you have no business going out to work."

A faint, ethereal, and hollow laugh slipped past Cheng Hui's lips. "Mom, after all these years, you haven't changed at all. You're just as unreasonable as you've always been."

"I gave you a chance, and you're the one who refused to cherish it, insisting on continuing your affair with He Chuan. Can you have some self-respect? How old is He Chuan, and how old are you? If the two of you were actually a match in age, would I act like this?"

The more listless and defeated Cheng Hui appeared, the harder it was for Mrs. Cheng to mask the fury churning in her heart. "You are a young woman in your early twenties, lacking neither money nor love—why on earth must you insist on tangling with He Chuan? His family is a mess of scandals, not to mention the age gap. I shouldn't even have to spell out how much older he is than you!"

Unable to bear another word, Cheng Hui closed her eyes in pure despair and let out a long, shuddering sigh. "I am not associating with him. I don't want to be with him. I'm not that cheap..."

...

After staying in the hospital for a single day and night, Cheng Hui was hauled back home by Mrs. Cheng.

True to her word, Mrs. Cheng brought her straight back and locked her indoors—an exact replica of what had happened years ago.

Yet, unlike those years past, Cheng Hui had completely lost any will to resist.

Over at the police station, the investigation remained open without a definitive conclusion, hindered by a lack of direct evidence proving Cheng Hui had commissioned the crime.

However, new evidence surfaced a few days later. The hit-and-run driver provided the police with communication logs and text message exchanges detailing his contacts with Cheng Hui.

Cheng Hui had no idea where he had managed to dig up those records, but they were undeniably real—texts she had indeed received.

Word of these developments eventually reached He Chuan. Before he even had the chance to confront Wen Liang about it, Cheng Gu made a move, showing up at his office. There was no need to guess the purpose of his visit.

Having grasped the full sequence of events, Cheng Gu vented all his pent-up fury directly onto He Chuan, lashing out with a heavy punch to his jaw. He Chuan absorbed the blow squarely, offering no resistance whatsoever.

He knew he deserved that punch.

"You already gave up on Cheng Hui, so why let your woman loose to harm my sister?"

He Chuan replied, "This whole business has nothing to do with Cheng Hui. It's a conflict between Wen Liang and me; she wrongfully targeted Cheng Hui."

"And your point is?"

"I will talk to Wen Liang. The problem lies with her, and Cheng Hui was an innocent bystander dragged into this. She would never do something like that. I know it."

Cheng Gu warned, "From now on, you stay far away from her. Don't ever get close to her again. She is my only sister."