Forty-nine: Love-struck minds can be deadly

After finishing his meal, Chen Tianyu’s newly sprouted hopes were thoroughly extinguished.

He bid farewell to the other two and descended the stairs slowly. Though the distance was short, it felt as if he had walked a century.

It was nothing more than a fleeting crush, he told himself, nothing to fret over.

Yet, when he passed the flower shop again, the sour ache in his heart could no longer be suppressed. It burst forth in a surge of anger.

He bought another bouquet of roses from the clerk and hurled them into the street.

As if he had never gone to Su Wan with flowers, never followed them upstairs like a fool to share a meal.

He wandered forlornly along the street, when suddenly a piercing car horn sounded beside him.

Turning, he saw Chi Zhou waving, “Hop in, I’ll give you a ride.”

Irritated, Chen Tianyu didn’t think twice and climbed into Chi Zhou’s car.

Night had fallen; streetlamps cast their glow along the avenue.

As the car moved, he rolled down the window, letting the wind brush his cheek.

“What's the matter? Heartbroken?” Chi Zhou’s voice came from beside him.

Without turning, Chen Tianyu replied, “Yes. Now I understand the pain you once felt.”

“So it’s really heartbreak. That explains the temper,” Chi Zhou snickered.

Annoyed, Chen Tianyu glared at him, “What are you trying to say?”

Chi Zhou smiled, “I heard your sister had a miscarriage?”

Chen Tianyu nodded, “Yes. Wang Luo’s parents are worse than animals. They made her work while pregnant, and when she ate a bit more vegetables, they beat her mercilessly.”

Halfway through, Chen Tianyu realized Chi Zhou already knew everything; he was merely watching for his reaction.

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

Chi Zhou smiled, “Honestly, I still love Wan Jun. Can you help me again, make her divorce Wang Luo?”

Even after what happened to his sister, Chi Zhou still wanted to be with her.

Finding joy in picking up broken shoes.

Compared to that, he felt he was clearly better.

Chen Tianyu’s mood improved, and he felt a certain kinship with the friend who helped him out of heartbreak.

He hooked his arm around Chi Zhou’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, this time I’ll find a way to make her divorce Wang Luo.”

Chi Zhou’s delight could not be concealed, “Thank you.”

Chen Tianyu patted his arm with pity, “It’s nothing.”

The next morning, Wang Luo rushed back to Cloud City.

Blessed by the protagonist’s aura, in just half a year he had risen to an executive position at a company.

He appeared dressed in a sharp handmade suit, his shoes gleaming. The moment he entered, he knelt at the bedside, “Forgive me, Wan Jun, I’m late.”

Chen Wan Jun, ever the hopeless romantic, recovered instantly upon seeing Wang Luo.

Watching her beloved kneeling before her, her heart ached terribly; all pain from miscarriage, weakness, and the loss of her child vanished. She wanted only to help Wang Luo up.

She yanked out the IV, jumped off the bed.

“A Luo!”

Wang Luo raised his head, eyes brimming with affection. “Wan Jun.”

The two embraced tightly, oblivious to everyone else in the ward.

Chen Tianyu couldn’t help but utter a curse, then turned and left.

The Chen parents watched their daughter, and their hearts plunged into despair.

Afraid she’d catch cold, worried she’d be exposed to wind, they dared not leave her side for even a moment.

Chen’s father did nothing but stare at the IV, fearful she’d move and dislodge the needle.

But with Wang Luo’s arrival, all their efforts were instantly for naught.

They had hoped to force a divorce; now it was clear this was mere wishful thinking.

As the couple seemed on the verge of kissing, heedless of those around them, father Chen snorted in anger and also left the ward.

In the corridor, father and son met. Chen Tianyu recounted yesterday’s conversation with Chi Zhou.

Father Chen’s face darkened like soot, “Forget it. That would be too humiliating for her.”

Chen Tianyu thought: Who could argue?

But since both parties were willing, there was nothing he could do.

So Chen Tianyu led a group in, forcibly bringing Chen Wan Jun back to the family home.

The young couple cried in anguish, clinging to each other, refusing to let go.

The scene was reminiscent of Lady White imprisoned beneath the Leifeng Pagoda by Monk Fahai, and her bittersweet parting with Xu Xian.

He had become the cold, heartless Fahai, shamelessly tearing apart a loving couple.

The family left the hospital.

Mother Chen anxiously wrapped her daughter in a blanket, “Wan Jun, don’t cry, darling. You’ve just had a miscarriage, you mustn’t shed tears.”

“Mom, none of this is Wang Luo’s fault. Only his mother is bad. My father-in-law treats me well.”

Mother Chen was speechless for a long time. She couldn’t fathom how she’d raised such a foolish daughter—having brushed past death’s door yet still unable to see the wolves and tigers around her.

But she dared not upset her further. She soothed her gently, “Alright, sweetheart. I know what you’re saying. Let’s focus on your recovery, everything else can wait.”

“We’ll go home now. I’ll personally look after you during your confinement.”

Still, Chen Wan Jun cried on, her tears pouring like a breached dam, heedless of her mother’s words.

Unable to bear it any longer, Mother Chen raised her voice, “Do you have any sense at all?”

“Are you still thinking of following Wang Luo back to the countryside?”

“Do you think your mother-in-law will care for you as I do, tending to your every need?”

“Believe me, if you return, you won’t even get a hot meal.”

“This season, they’re so busy their feet barely touch the ground. Can you expect to lie in bed every day as you do now?”

At these words, Chen Wan Jun’s tears abruptly ceased.

Mother Chen, fuming, said no more and turned to gaze out the window.

In the car, the four sat in silence, the atmosphere stifling.

Someone sighed, and Mother Chen’s pent-up emotions finally broke. She began to cry.

She wiped away her tears quietly, not wanting her family to see, but the tears kept coming, the negative emotions finding an outlet at last, surging forth relentlessly.

At last, everyone noticed something was wrong, turning to look at her.

Unable to hold back, Mother Chen wept aloud, “What’s happened to our good family?”

Everyone’s eyes reddened; after all, they were each other’s closest kin.

They all remembered the scene of Chen Wan Jun’s birth. Mother Chen had a difficult labor, and the family was frantic. Father Chen ran, crying, to get the doctor.

Her two brothers, worried for their mother and unborn sister, even knelt before the doctor.

When Chen Wan Jun was born safely, the whole family was overcome with joy.

All these years, who in the family hadn’t pampered and coaxed her?

They had once been the happiest family in the world.

Now, because of an outsider, all their laughter and joy had vanished.