TNSFC – Chapter 72

Before Que Chuling walked into the hospital room, her mind was in turmoil.

Zhu Wanqi was a secret she kept hidden in her heart. She hadn’t introduced her to anyone, as if she were hiding a precious treasure, keeping this girl within her own circle.

She was connected to Que Chuling’s past, a past she couldn’t let go of, holding her love and her hatred. She didn’t want anyone to know.

So, when she heard Que Yining’s name from Zhu Wanqi’s lips, her mood had plummeted.

Que Yining shouldn’t know about this. Panic muddled her thoughts, but then she suddenly calmed down. Que Yining didn’t know about that past, only about her sexual orientation. What was there to be afraid of?

“Are you feeling alright?”

She asked this as she walked in.

Que Chuling had visited Que Yining while she was unconscious.

She had actually suspected someone, but the thought was too shocking, making her afraid to dwell on it. After all, this was murder.

As an adopted daughter, Que Chuling’s feelings for this younger sister were quite complex. They had a decent relationship when they were young, but it was only after Que Chuling fell for someone that they drifted apart, their relationship eventually deteriorating.

Que Chuling didn’t understand it before, but she did now. To someone lost in fervent infatuation, the words she had spoken were like shattering their self-deceiving delusions. Over and over, it was natural that the other person didn’t want to hear it. Que Chuling thought that her younger sister back then might not have been entirely unaware of her own impossibility, and her reminders only tore reality apart more bloodily.

Seeing Que Yining now, bedridden and oblivious to the ugly reality, Que Chuling felt immense pity for her.

“I’m fine.”

Que Yining placed the book aside and gestured for Que Chuling to sit.

She didn’t feign confusion and ask why Que Chuling was there, nor did she act aggressively like the original owner of the body. She simply looked at Que Chuling, waiting for her to speak first.

Between intelligent people, much didn’t need to be said; a single glance could convey mutual understanding.

The smile on Que Chuling’s face slowly faded, replaced by a serious and solemn expression.

“You did it on purpose. Why?”

Que Chuling no longer felt it was just about sexual orientation. She had been prepared for the other party to use her sexual orientation to mock her, but Que Yining hadn’t. Her eyes gave Que Chuling a bad premonition, as if everything had already been seen through by her.

“I want to know some things.”

Que Yining didn’t hide her purpose, getting straight to the point.

Since she planned to use Que Chuling as a breakthrough point, she wasn’t going to observe quietly anymore. Regardless of whether Que Chuling was on Que Linyang’s side or not, she had to stir these muddy waters.

Although there was no absolute evidence pointing to Que Linyang for those matters yet, Gu Shanxue had already found some clues regarding this car accident.

By investigating the driver, they found the person who contacted him and hired him for the job. That person was a pimp involved in illegal prostitution, but his business extended far beyond that. Gu Shanxue used money to buy information about his contact from him, tracing it to another person, who turned out to be the cousin of Que Linyang’s mistress, Deng Zhi.

The number of intermediaries involved was considerable. If Que Yining hadn’t previously discovered Que Linyang’s affair with Deng Zhi, it would have been impossible to link it to Que Linyang.

Since Que Linyang had already made such a ruthless move against her, why should she worry about alerting the enemy?

Que Yining could understand with a little thought: Que Linyang couldn’t tolerate her now and chose the day of the press conference to strike. Wasn’t it because he thought she would expand her business and eventually take over Que Corporation?

Que Chuling: “What things?”

Que Yining: “How much do you know about Que Linyang?”

Que Chuling paused for a moment when she heard Que Yining call Que Linyang by his full name. After realizing it, she couldn’t help but let out a ‘pfft’ of laughter.

“What, you know something? No more sweet ‘Big Brother’ this and ‘Big Brother’ that?”

Que Chuling laughed with a hint of mockery, her tone exaggerated, as if she had heard a very funny joke.

Seeing Que Yining’s expressionless face, Que Chuling’s laughter slowly faded, returning to calm. She looked at Que Yining, her eyes complex and unreadable.

“You’re not as hopeless as I thought.”

Que Chuling used to always mock her younger sister, simply because she couldn’t see through things.

She laughed at her for mistaking a wolf for a sheep and treasuring that false kindness. But actually, she knew it was quite normal. After all, it was only much later that she herself learned Que Linyang had started scheming so early on; his intentions were truly malicious.

She had actually thought about shattering all of this, but she also had her own concerns and couldn’t speak out, only watching everything gradually slide into the abyss.

She had once imagined how Que Yining would break down if she glimpsed the truth behind it all. Now it seemed she had underestimated Que Yining. The little girl from back then might have changed into someone else when she wasn’t paying attention.

Que Chuling: “How much do you know so far?”

Seeing that she seemed willing to cooperate, Que Yining smiled and said, “Perhaps a little more than you imagine.”

When Que Yining smiled, the scar on her face twitched along with it. Combined with her gaze, the scar gained a somewhat demonic aura.

“For example, your unforgettable Jiao Shanyue? It seems you’re quite the sentimental one, even looking for lovers who look similar.”

If Que Chuling had spoken properly, Que Yining might not have refused to talk to her properly. But since the other party insisted on being prickly, Que Yining had never conceded defeat to anyone when it came to sarcasm.

Que Chuling’s expression changed slightly. The most secret part of her heart had been touched. She sat up straight, unconsciously adopting a defensive posture.

Que Yining observed her face. Que Chuling was now over thirty. Her hair, too short for a woman, gave her a somewhat stern look. Perhaps due to the recent nourishment of love, her cheeks were fuller than during the New Year, making her look less gaunt and her complexion much better. Que Yining made her calculations, becoming increasingly calm and composed.

“Don’t be so nervous. I want to have a proper talk with you. After all, I find it really strange. Que Linyang stole the person you liked back then, so how can you still be on peaceful terms with him now?”

“Who’s on peaceful terms with him?”

Que Chuling sneered, her eyes filled with disgust.

“He’s the most hypocritical and disgusting person I’ve ever met in my life, a hundred thousand times filthier than a rat barely surviving in a gutter.”

Que Chuling spoke her mind without reservation, simultaneously observing Que Yining’s expression.

She didn’t know if this biological daughter of her adoptive parents truly had the ability to bring down Que Linyang, but she had endured for a long time, ever since that person’s accident years ago. She had been enduring until now.

“That’s quite an accurate assessment.”

Que Yining nodded, her expression one of complete agreement.

Que Yining: “Since you detest him so much, yet you’ve been putting on a facade for so many years, and given your temperament, you don’t seem like someone who would swallow insults silently. Does he have some leverage or weakness of yours in his hands?”

Que Chuling fell silent. She believed Que Yining had truly changed. The person before her was no longer the ignorant little girl of the past, whether in terms of business acumen or her other abilities.

“It seems I didn’t guess wrong. Although I’d really like to know, given your personality of not speaking up for so many years, you probably won’t tell me. But it doesn’t matter, I can find out myself. I met with you today because I want to know from you what exactly Que Linyang has done. Of course, it’s fine if you don’t tell me these things. After all, you have no obligation to tell me. Let’s just say Mom and Dad misjudged people all these years, raising one ingrate after another.”

Que Yining deliberately mocked, her tone laced with light scorn.

She played the family card, although she knew people were selfish. But she truly looked down on people like Que Linyang.

Although Que Chuling might not have done anything, she must have been an informed and silent party to some matters. Que Linyang intended to seize the family assets, and it was impossible for Que Chuling not to know.

Who said silence meant no fault? Having received the Que parents’ kindness of raising them, how did each of them repay it?

Que Chuling didn’t refute upon hearing this, merely sighed and revealed a rather self-deprecating smile.

“If only you had been this smart earlier, you wouldn’t have waited until now to change.”

“So, it’s my fault then?”

Que Yining sneered, but she knew in her heart that this matter likely had a chance.

Que Chuling’s expression was calm. She shook her head and said, “It’s not your fault. Actually, you were wrong about that first thing. It wasn’t him who stole my person.”

Que Chuling had once thought that kindness was truly humanity’s greatest flaw, because when people are kind, they vastly underestimate the malice of the despicable.

She opened a box sealed for many years, revealing a past suppressed in old times.

Back then, Que Chuling and Jiao Shanyue were very good friends. Que Chuling had a one-sided love, thinking it was enough to just silently protect her. But one day, Jiao Shanyue exposed her feelings, and they naturally got together.

“At that time, I thought we would really be together for a lifetime. Only later did I realize it was just a scam,” Que Chuling stared at her palm, recalling past joys and pains. “They had already gotten entangled without my knowledge. Que Linyang was already married then.”

“He initially saw me as a rival, after all, you were still too young back then. The methods he used were truly ruthless, truly disgusting.”

Que Chuling gritted her teeth. Even after so many years, recalling the truth at this moment still made her stomach churn.

Back then, Que Linyang saw Que Chuling as the strongest competitor for the family assets. He had his lover, Jiao Shanyue, pretend to agree to be with Que Chuling, thereby monitoring and obstructing her.

Que Chuling was too deeply in love back then. She complied with everything Jiao Shanyue said, to the point of neglecting everything else, whether it was work matters or her adoptive father’s earnest hopes.

“When the projects in my hands ended up with Que Linyang’s people, I didn’t even notice anything unusual. It wasn’t until she became pregnant and couldn’t hide it anymore that I found out.”

When she discovered her girlfriend was pregnant, Que Chuling was utterly stunned.

When she saw Jiao Shanyue standing with Que Linyang, what else was there not to understand?

“I should have hated her, but I couldn’t. Don’t you think people are pathetic?” Que Chuling smiled bitterly. “Later, her child couldn’t be saved due to her poor health and she miscarried. She was abandoned by Que Linyang and came back to me.”

“She said she loved me, but I didn’t believe her anymore. Sure enough, she was still there to monitor me, just to trade for a position back by Que Linyang’s side. What was so good about that disgusting man? One after another, they all went crazy for him.”

“But how could she ever compete with Que Linyang’s lawfully wedded wife? Que Linyang, who cared so much about his reputation and was so good at pretending, how could he possibly abandon his wife and child for her? But she couldn’t understand.”

“Due to the blow of the miscarriage, she was already somewhat mentally unstable. She delusionally tried to threaten Hou Manni, but ended up losing her own life.”

Que Yining understood. She had initially thought from the information that Hou Manni had caused Jiao Shanyue’s miscarriage and had also orchestrated the car accident. Now it seemed the truth was vastly different from her conjectures.

“So, for revenge, you got involved with Hou Manni?”

“It seems you know quite a lot.”

Que Chuling was briefly surprised, then calmed down, her expression somewhat obscure and hard to read.

“Perhaps there was an element of that. But we were merely tormenting each other. Whether it was me or her, we were just people being played with. Everyone was ridiculous.”

Que Chuling lowered her eyes. Mentioning Hou Manni made her mood even more complicated.

The people they loved had become entangled, making both of them look like a joke.

It began with jealousy, anger, and loneliness—a chaotic, deformed relationship that drew warmth and pleasure from mutual torment. Perhaps for a fleeting moment, they might have truly had some kind of hopeful thought for each other, but it was extinguished in the heavy darkness. A momentary palpitation and sincerity in bed couldn’t erase their aversion to each other.

Hou Manni hated Jiao Shanyue, who had stolen her husband and nearly cost her her life. And hatred spreads, easily transferring to those close to the hated person. She was the same.

“Actually, it’s not that I didn’t think of telling Mom and Dad, but… she still had a younger brother. The day she went out, she sent me a message, hoping I could take good care of that little boy. By the time I saw the message, she was already…”

“Her younger brother is still under Que Linyang’s control. That was her dying wish. I had to swallow my pride and endure. That boy is being raised by him, almost like you used to be, very obedient to Que Linyang. I’m helpless.”

Que Chuling’s expression was very grim. When she said the last sentence, her look was almost one of resentment and hatred.

Sometimes, what controls people most in this world isn’t profit, but emotion.

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