The Replacement Wife's Revenge
After four years of being married as a replacement for her husband's first love, Bai Huaiyu finally breaks free from her toxic marriage when her sister returns to reclaim the man who was never truly hers.
The Replacement Wife's Revenge
For four years of my marriage to Pei He, I had worked hard to play the role of his first love.
Until I was kidnapped by people hired by his first love.
When I called him for help, he answered and said:
"Do whatever you want."
I resigned myself to fate.
Later, I started learning from his example and staying out all night.
But he suddenly went mad.
He smashed our wedding photo and warned me with red-rimmed eyes:
"You can only be bound to my side, Pei He! If I see that pretty boy one more time, I won't let him off!"
Chapter 1
At 1:45 AM, Pei He returned.
The mattress on my side dipped as cool air drifted from behind me. The moment the man's hand touched my waist, I threw off the blanket and sat up.
I met his slightly cloudy eyes.
He had been drinking.
Pei He's hand, suspended in mid-air, casually patted the bed, signaling me to lie down.
"I just remembered I have a manuscript deadline. You go to sleep first."
Forcing a smile, I quickly put on my coat and shoes, and left the room.
I didn't dare look back at him.
Staring blankly at my computer for half an hour, the Word document remained completely empty.
My mind kept replaying what I had seen at the mall this afternoon.
Pei He was holding a pink women's purse, gazing lovingly at the woman adjusting her skirt in front of him.
After the woman spun around, she threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.
He didn't reject her.
At that moment, my breathing stopped.
A few seconds later, I fled in panic.
I should have noticed earlier.
During this period, he had been working overtime almost every day, many times not even coming home at night.
But I trusted him too much and never suspected anything.
Chapter 2
The next day, as usual, I made breakfast for him.
The moment my fingers touched the doorknob, Pei He came out of the room and stopped me:
"Huaiyu, I forgot yesterday was your birthday. Do you want me to make it up to you?"
I turned to look at him.
When he said this, there was no trace of guilt on his face.
I smiled and said it wasn't necessary.
As I opened the door just a crack, the man behind me spoke again: "Where are you going? Don't you work from home?"
I adjusted my expression before turning to look at him, forcing a smile: "Editor Li wants to discuss the manuscript with me. Breakfast is on the table, drink the milk while it's warm."
After speaking, I no longer paid attention to his hesitant expression and immediately walked out the door.
I knew the woman intimate with Pei He—in fact, I knew her very well.
She was my biological sister, two years older than me—Bai Nianyu.
The person who, four years ago, abandoned me and my gravely ill mother and secretly disappeared.
The phone in my bag rang for more than ten seconds before I snapped out of my memories.
Looking at the unfamiliar number on my phone, my heart started racing.
Pressing the answer key, I heard the voice I least wanted to hear.
"A He gave me your number. Let's meet and talk, sister."
She gave an address and hung up the phone.
Seeming very confident that I would agree to meet her.
My hand holding the phone froze in place until someone behind me accidentally bumped into me and said sorry.
Walking into the coffee shop Bai Nianyu mentioned, I immediately saw the woman dressed brightly and beautifully.
She was wearing the red dress—the same one she wore when she kissed Pei He yesterday afternoon.
So beautiful, just like four years ago.
As I dragged my feet toward her, I suddenly remembered what my mother used to say.
She said I had a weak personality since childhood and only knew how to escape when faced with problems.
Just in meeting Bai Nianyu now, my mother was right.
Seeing me approach, she casually took off her sunglasses and placed them on the table.
Arrogant.
"Sister, yesterday was your birthday, and A He spent the day with me. Don't blame him, he was just too happy I came back."
She paused and glared at me: "Even though you didn't win his heart, you've held the title of Mrs. Pei, so you haven't lost out, have you?"
I couldn't argue with that.
For four years, I had never won his heart.
When they had broken up back then, Bai Nianyu had disappeared without a trace, and Pei He, in a fit of anger, married me.
Because I looked about seventy to eighty percent like Bai Nianyu.
Almost everyone understood that I was just Bai Nianyu's substitute.
Even when Pei He was passionate, he would only bury his face in my neck and whisper "A Yu" affectionately.
As for which "Yu," I never dared to think too carefully.
I had worked hard to play the role of Bai Nianyu.
I drew my eyeliner upward, made my lips bright red, and permed my long straight hair into big waves.
Because I loved Pei He too.
Chapter 3
Bai Nianyu was very skilled at talking, just like now.
Her red lips opened and closed.
Finally, she picked up her cup and took a small sip of coffee.
"Sister, as long as you give up the position of Mrs. Pei, I'll give you five million. How about it?"
Looking at her confident expression, I shook my head: "On what grounds?"
The woman froze for a moment, then laughed even more heartily: "On what grounds? On the grounds that I'm your sister, and that Pei He loves me!"
Too lazy to argue with her further, I picked up my bag and turned to leave.
But my arm was violently grabbed by her.
She took the cup, splashed it in my face, and started crying.
In one swift motion, she left me stunned in place.
Just as I was bewildered, I heard Pei He's angry roar from behind me:
"Bai Huaiyu! What are you doing!"
The man walked past me, hurried to Bai Nianyu's side, pulled her into his arms, and carefully wiped the tears and coffee from her face with a tissue.
Watching their intimate behavior, I lost the right to cry.
Instead, there was a feeling of finally having a suspended heart settle.
As if I had known they would get back together, it was just a matter of time.
But I hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
"Bai Huaiyu! She's your sister, how can you be so intolerant of her! Is this what your mother taught you!"
"She just came back and wanted to see you, how can you face her?"
My originally drooping lips slowly curved upward, and I forced a laugh.
My husband, holding my sister, told me I had wronged her.
"Bai Nianyu, you just said that if I give up the position of Mrs. Pei, you'll give me five million. Is that offer still valid?"
The woman apparently didn't expect me to say it directly, frowning and glaring at me: "Sister! What nonsense are you talking about!"
My gaze shifted from her to Pei He, who was staring at me resentfully, as if at an enemy.
He didn't believe me.
The moment I turned to leave, I heard Pei He whispering comforting words to her behind me.
"A Yu, ignore her, in my heart, you'll always be first."
Chapter 4
Leaving the publishing house, looking at the colorful lights all over the street, I felt refreshed for the first time.
So the night lights were this beautiful.
For four years, to take comprehensive care of Pei He, I had voluntarily requested to work from home from the publishing house. Editor Li valued me and approved it.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner—I never missed a single meal.
I varied the dishes every day, afraid he might be picky and not like them.
I went from someone who couldn't cook any dish to becoming his personal menu.
I thought his cold heart would melt for me.
Now it seemed, it was all in vain.
I walked into a hot pot restaurant and ate my first hot pot in four years.
The extra spicy broth was so hot it made my tears stream down.
Too spicy, I'd need to order medium spicy next time.
After finishing hot pot, it was only nine o'clock.
Still early.
I bought a bottle of wine and went to the cemetery.
To visit my parents.
The summer evening wind carried a bit of coolness but also rolled in heat.
Unscrewing the bottle cap, I tilted the bottle, and the liquor poured out onto the ground, making a pattering sound.
The wine was fragrant, and I couldn't resist tilting my head back and drinking several mouthfuls.
It was strong going down, but once in my stomach, my whole heart felt warm.
There were no lights in the cemetery, it was pitch black.
I simply sat cross-legged, leaning against the tombstone.
Only when I got closer could I vaguely see the black and white photo on it.
My mother's smile was still so kind, so warm, and my father was smiling too.
"Dad, Mom, sister is back, but I'm not happy, am I heartless?"
"I resent her, who told her to leave us without a word back then."
"My sister came back and immediately started fighting me for Pei He, she's so awful. Throwing away a man she didn't want, now she wants to go back to him, she's not a good horse."
It was very quiet all around, no sound, only a breeze came by, blowing my curly hair loose.
The big waves hanging on my chest—I had just seen them on Bai Nianyu's head today.
No matter how much I looked like her, I could never compare to her.
"Mom, tell me, if I had been able to contact Pei He back then, would your illness have been curable... I, I could have borrowed money from him to save you..."
Still no one answered me.
The bottle of wine was empty.
My head was dizzy, and I couldn't even see the photo on the tombstone clearly.
In a daze, I heard someone's voice.
"Why is this happening again..."
Chapter 5
Four years ago, my father's company went bankrupt overnight.
Eighty million in debt—we couldn't come up with that money.
My father jumped to his death.
My mother's hair turned white overnight, she fell seriously ill.
I had just graduated from university then and had no money.
I resented Bai Nianyu.
I resented her for abandoning me and my mother and leaving alone.
Even after Pei He married me and helped our family pay off the debt, my mother was already gone.
Feeling light through my closed eyelids, I covered my temples and opened my eyes.
It was daylight.
My legs, immobile for a long time, were now stiff and I couldn't stand up.
I took my phone out of my bag and turned it on.
No missed calls, no unread messages.
Nothing at all.
Taking a deep breath, I supported myself against the tombstone, stood up, and staggered out of the cemetery.
When I returned home, Pei He was no longer there.
Or perhaps, he hadn't come home at all last night.
Looking at the face in the mirror that resembled Bai Nianyu's, my calm heart started racing again.
I went to the kitchen, got scissors, grabbed my long curly hair, and bit down as I cut it.
Only when a woman with shoulder-length short hair appeared in the mirror did I feel relieved.
The brightly colored dresses in the closet were also pulled out one by one and cut to pieces.
The moment I packed them into the trash bag, I felt the sky was a bit bluer that day.
When I returned home from getting my hair trimmed at the salon, I ran into Bai Nianyu right at the doorway.
The first thing she said was: "Sister, with your hair cut, you don't look like me anymore. Can A He still bear to look at you?"
Just as I was about to speak, I saw Pei He push the door open and walk out, hands in his pockets, staring at me coldly, as if trying to burn a hole through me.
In the end, I still didn't speak.
I walked past them, changed my shoes, and entered the house.
The door was left open.
They stood outside, inseparable, completely disregarding me, a living person.
If I didn't initiate conversation with him, he wouldn't come to me either.
It was quite peaceful.
When my stomach started growling, I finally stood up from my computer and walked out of the study, running into Pei He wearing black home clothes.
Strange, he wasn't with Bai Nianyu.
As I passed him, my wrist tightened as he grabbed it.
"Huaiyu, what's for dinner? I want to eat fungus and lean meat congee."
I turned to look at him.
His dark eyes seemed to hold a pool of clear water, naturally carrying deep affection when looking at people, his thin lips naturally pursed, speaking softly.
Pei He had a handsome appearance.
I was deceived by this face.
"I'm going out—for hot pot. You can order takeout."
His stomach wasn't good, he couldn't eat spicy food.
I was deliberately being difficult with him.
I tried to pull my wrist back but couldn't, so I had to look up at him again.
His gaze lingered on my face, finally landing on my hair.
"Huaiyu, you, are you angry? Because of A Yu?"
I forced a smile, using my other hand to pry open his fingers and rubbing my sore wrist.
"How could I be? My sister came back, I'm thrilled, why would I be angry? Editor Li invited me out."
Pei He stood in place, not moving.
He watched me change clothes, change shoes, and grab my bag.
"Huaiyu, your sister hasn't had it easy these years abroad. Since she's back, you should be more tolerant."
Chapter 6
Sitting in the hot pot restaurant, I ordered a medium spicy broth.
On my phone were photos and videos from Bai Nianyu.
I opened them one by one.
Hugging, kissing, watching sunrises together, dancing together...
Look, in just over ten days since Bai Nianyu returned, Pei He had already done so many things with her.
More than what we had done together in four years.
On my way back after eating hot pot, I saw a print shop by the roadside.
Looking up at the fireworks blooming in the sky not far away, I smiled and walked in.
When I came out again, there were two divorce agreements in my bag.
Looking along the roadside, I discovered many food establishments.
On the tempting signs were mouth-watering images.
The road ahead was long, with much to enjoy.
My mother was absolutely right—I'm best at escaping.
So I chose divorce.
However, when I placed the divorce agreement in front of Pei He, his face darkened.
His gaze slowly shifted from the black and white words on the table to my face.
"Bai Huaiyu, do you know what you're doing?"
I knew, all too well.
"Let's get divorced. I'll make way for my sister. You two together should be happy."
I thought I had controlled myself well, but I still couldn't help shedding tears.
In university, I, Bai Nianyu, and Pei He were schoolmates.
Back then, our families could be considered well-matched.
The first time Bai Nianyu brought Pei He to my home for dinner, I was sitting in the living room drawing.
Simple sketches.
He held Bai Nianyu's hand with one, and pointed at my sketchbook with the other, laughing: "So childish, but so cute."
I turned to look at him, right into a pair of smiling eyes.
I froze for a long time before remembering to hug my sketchbook and go upstairs.
That was our first meeting.
To put it bluntly, if Bai Nianyu hadn't left, I would never have had the chance to get so close to him, let alone marry him.
But it happened.
"I don't want anything. You can skip the property section. Once you sign, you'll be free."
Suppressing my trembling teeth, I sat in a chair, avoiding him as I wiped my tears.
"After I sign, you can go ask A Yu for that five million, right?"
"Bai Huaiyu, have I treated you poorly these four years? Do you want that five million so badly!"
The man before me roared as he tore the divorce agreement to shreds and scattered them.
The fragments fluttered to the floor, scattering everywhere.
Just like my life, which could completely change overnight.
"Yes! I love that five million! Mind your own business! Don't you love Bai Nianyu? Then marry her! Not marrying her but occupying her, are you a hooligan!"
Having only seen my gentle side before, Pei He was momentarily stunned by my sudden hysteria.
After a few seconds, he raised his hand to slap me.
But it didn't land.
It froze in mid-air.
If you won't slap me, I will.
I slapped him across the face, so hard that his head turned to the side.
Soon, a clear five-finger mark appeared.
On his fair face, it looked particularly conspicuous.
I still hit too lightly—should have hit him hard enough to knock out his teeth.
I thought this would make him agree to the divorce, but he suddenly laughed:
"Bai Huaiyu, you've got guts."
I've got guts, but Pei He doesn't.
Chapter 7
I slept in a separate room from him.
He slept in the master bedroom, I in the second bedroom.
We didn't disturb each other.
During the ten-plus days of the cold war, although we lived under the same roof, we were like strangers.
Even when we passed each other, we deliberately looked straight ahead.
Only Bai Nianyu persistently shared their beautiful moments with me.
At first, I still opened them one by one like a thief.
Later, I set Bai Nianyu's messages to "Do Not Disturb."
Shopping, going to amusement parks, watching movies, eating all kinds of delicious food...
Until the twentieth day, when I returned to my room and saw Pei He standing before the bay window.
The man had his back to me, hands behind his back, like a veteran cadre.
The moment I saw him, the option to escape flashed through my mind for a second.
But this was my room—he was the one trespassing.
"How did you get in? Did you pick the lock or climb through the window?"
I casually placed my bag on the cabinet by the door and forced myself to walk in naturally.
Pei He turned around and stared at me with a smile: "I never realized you were so sharp-tongued, Bai Huaiyu."
My name was very ordinary, but coming from his mouth, it carried an extra tenderness.
"This is my home, I can come whenever I want."
The man sat on the bed, propping himself up on one arm to look at me.
The phone in my bag rang, and I glanced at Bai Nianyu's name on the screen, hesitated for a few seconds, and still pressed the answer key.
A woman's crying came from the other end.
"Sister, I had a fight with A He, can, can you help persuade him?"
She tearfully recounted what happened during the day.
Finally, she begged me to persuade Pei He to go back.
After hanging up, I looked up at the man sitting on the edge of the bed, his face calm.
You come to me for fun only after fighting with Bai Nianyu.
You disgusting thing.
"Bai Nianyu is waiting for you. You should go."
Facing my pushing, Pei He grabbed my wrist, applying pressure bit by bit.
"Huaiyu, do you really want to divorce me?"
"Pei He, listen carefully. If you're here to sign, there are divorce agreements in the drawer. You can sign and leave. If not, please leave as soon as possible. You're not welcome here."
We stared at each other for more than ten seconds, but he still didn't let go.
"Huaiyu, do you hate me?"
Hate him, how could I not?
He had been in a relationship with Bai Nianyu for two whole years. When my family went bankrupt, I never saw him lend a hand.
When my mother was critically ill and urgently needed life-saving money, I called him more than ten times, but he never answered.
How could I not hate him?
But then again, I couldn't bring myself to hate him.
He had no relation to our family—what obligation did he have to help us?
"Tell me, what exactly do you hate me for?"
I forcefully shook off his hand, took a step back, and looking into his eyes, I said:
"Pei He, don't make me look down on you. If you can't give me happiness, don't let down another woman. No one can wait for you forever."
Chapter 8
On the way to the cemetery, it started to rain.
Raindrops poured down relentlessly.
A passing van drove through a puddle by the roadside, splashing me with water.
I sighed and had to bend down to wipe off the mud.
But in a moment of inattention, that van backed up again.
Something struck my head hard, and everything went black...
When I regained consciousness, I was in a large warehouse.
Rusty iron frames, shattered glass, rusty debris all over the floor.
The man in black standing beside me was listening to a phone call, occasionally saying "yes," his eyes glancing at me with sharpness.
It took me a long time to realize—I had been kidnapped.
The man walked over, squatted before me, and dialed a number.
A few seconds later, it connected.
The man turned on speakerphone, then held the phone to my lips, pushed my forehead, signaling me to speak.
My gaze fell on the call interface—Pei He's number.
I bit my lip and remained silent.
The next second, a slap came across my face, very heavy, very loud.
My head buzzed, and my cheek burned with pain.
My neck was choked, and I was brought back to the phone again.
I still didn't speak.
The man glared at me and shoved me to the ground.
My back slammed hard against the ground, seeming to hit something sharp.
The pain made me gasp.
"Bai Huaiyu is in our hands. If you want her to live, prepare fifty million in cash..."
The man's words were cut off by a female voice.
"Sister, if you want money, just say so directly. How could you hire people to stage a scene? Isn't this fraud?"
It was Bai Nianyu's voice.
But this was Pei He's phone.
There was a pause on the other end of the phone before Pei He's voice came through.
"Is Bai Huaiyu with you? Do whatever you want, don't tell me about it. We're getting divorced anyway, and she and I will soon have no relationship."
"Do whatever you want."
His voice was very cold, even echoing in the warehouse.
Very empty.
That last bit of hope was gone too.
Tears streamed down my temples, soaking into my hair.
Chapter 9
Stiffening my fingers to open the door, the house was empty, no one was there.
I showered for two hours.
Almost scrubbed my skin raw.
But the blood on my body wouldn't wash off.
My back hurt terribly, I couldn't bear it, and still went to the hospital.
Sure enough, the skin and flesh had been pierced.
After the doctor bandaged my wound, he put the hemostatic cotton on a plate, and while packing up, he said something I couldn't quite understand.
"I saw your blood test report. You're six weeks pregnant. You need to eat a balanced diet. It's best not to engage in strenuous exercise. With an injury like the one on your back, did you bump into something? You need to be careful in daily life, protect your abdomen..."
My ears were buzzing.
My menstrual cycle had always been regular, but this month, it indeed hadn't come.
When I walked out of the department holding the blood test report, my mind was still in a fog.
This child shouldn't come, and, shouldn't have come.
"Huaiyu?"
Walking toward me was Pei He supporting Bai Nianyu.
He had his arm around her shoulder, almost supporting her entire weight.
"What are you doing at the hospital? Not playing kidnapping games anymore?"
My nails dug through the blood test report paper, deep into my palm.
I finally couldn't force a smile anymore.
"Pei He, you think that was a game?"
He frowned, seemingly not understanding why I was fixated on this issue.
"A He, my knee hurts."
The man who had been staring at me immediately shifted his gaze, looking tenderly at the woman in his arms.
Following Bai Nianyu's finger, I saw a small red patch on her knee.
I gave a cold laugh and ignored them.
I went to schedule an abortion.
Lying on the operating table, I fell into memories again.
When did Bai Nianyu change?
Clearly, she used to be very nice.
My parents only had two daughters, Bai Nianyu and me, so they doted on us very much.
My father would have plucked the stars from the sky for Bai Nianyu.
Because she was most like him.
Outspoken, straightforward, and fearless.
On Bai Nianyu's twentieth birthday, my father sat on the sofa looking at her and laughing: "If Nianyu were a son, our family would be perfect!"
And Bai Nianyu laughed and pushed my father's arm, pretending to be angry:
"What's wrong with being a daughter? A daughter can also be a big boss. In the future, when you're old, I'll run the household, and sister can just enjoy life, not worrying about anything..."
When she mentioned me, I hugged my mother and secretly laughed, whispering to my mother:
"Sister is shameless, yesterday she was pestering me, begging me to draw her portrait..."
Chapter 10
"Bai Huaiyu!"
When I opened my eyes, I saw Pei He's face.
Frowning, very angry.
"Bai Huaiyu, you've grown wings now, you can do anything! You even want to abort my child! Do you hate me that much?"
There was no pain in my lower body.
Looking at the doctor standing beside me, she was wearing a mask, so I couldn't see her expression.
But probably, it was a gossipy expression.
After the anesthesia wore off, the doctor said our opinions as a couple differed too much and told us to go home and discuss it before deciding.
Pei He dragged my arm and shoved me into the car.
Only after sitting down did I see Bai Nianyu sitting in the passenger seat.
They say when rivals meet, they see red.
She indeed saw red.
Her fair fingers wiped tears on and off, occasionally turning to look at Pei He.
Back home, Pei He's anger completely erupted.
He loudly questioned why I had an abortion behind his back.
Bai Nianyu sat at the other end of the sofa, quietly watching Pei He and me.
My back hurt, my heart hurt, my whole body felt uncomfortable.
Years of accumulated dissatisfaction instantly overflowed, and I shouted: "Because I, Bai Huaiyu, don't want this bastard child!"
The man froze for a moment.
The next second, his hand choked my neck, pinning me against the wall.
"Pei He!"
Bai Nianyu's voice was both angry and anxious.
For a moment, I had the illusion that she was worried about me.
Pei He's eyes reddened at the corners, water gathering in his eye sockets as he suppressed his voice and yelled at me:
"Bai Huaiyu, you called my child a bastard? How dare you!"
He really wanted a child.
I had always known.
But in recent years, he couldn't let go of Bai Nianyu and was very restrained in that regard.
Mostly, when he was drunk, he would mistake me for Bai Nianyu and press me down while calling "A Yu."
But this child couldn't stay.
The hand on my neck wasn't actually that strong, but I felt like I couldn't breathe.
Tears flowed uncontrollably.
"How dare I not! I dare swear I loved you, do you dare!"
"Since there's no love, this child would be a mistake if born!"
"Let him come into this world to suffer the scorn of others, to be pointed at and cursed for his parents' discord, for his father and aunt having an unclear relationship?"
"Pei He, you only think about yourself!"
The man's hand loosened a bit, slowly dropping.
He suddenly hugged me, repeatedly saying "I'm sorry."
Bai Nianyu stood before the sofa, watching Pei He and me, her fingers twisting together, her face complex.
I stared at her, leaned close to Pei He's ear: "No one is willing to wait for you in place forever, Bai Nianyu is no exception."
"Also, you're truly scum."
Chapter 11
After pushing him away, I turned and left this home.
Behind me, the man's sobs were gradually covered by the woman's comforting voice.
When I received Editor Li's call, I was standing at the hospital entrance, looking up at the huge red cross above.
"You've been crying? I'll come pick you up."
The phone was then hung up.
Six minutes later, I got into Li Yan's flashy red sports car.
"Hey, sister, I told you long ago that men aren't worth it. You wouldn't listen, and now your heart is broken..."
I tilted my head to look at the woman with both hands on the steering wheel, driving skillfully.
Red short hair, large gold earrings—at first glance, she appeared very straightforward.
Li Yan was my boss.
Thirty-six years old this year, unmarried and childless.
But her spirit was better than mine at twenty-six.
When I went to work at her publishing house, she valued me greatly and tried her best to satisfy any request I made.
Of course, she always advised me: "I don't understand men. If you don't get married, you'll always be fresh. Once married, when held in hand, they get bored to death. It's best not to marry..."
Li Yan sat openly on a barstool, ordering drinks from the bartender.
When he asked me, I replied, "A glass of milk."
She stared at me, laughing: "Are you kidding me? We're in a bar, not a children's playground."
"I'm pregnant."
Her eyes widened even more, and she leaned over to ask me mysteriously:
"Whose? Have you come around? Found someone outside?"
The feeling of laughing was good.
After hearing my explanation, Li Yan said "Oh" and took a big drink of her wine.
"Then another day I'll accompany you for the abortion."
As she spoke, she paused for a moment, then continued: "If you don't want to abort, that's fine too. Give birth, and we can raise him together..."
I didn't hear the rest of her words—it was too noisy here.
"Hello, miss?"
My right shoulder was lightly tapped, and I turned around.
A young man in a white T-shirt stood beside me, smiling at me.
"Miss, my name is Cheng Jing. Can I get to know you?"
My gaze passed over him to see three or four young men on a nearby sofa, craning their necks to watch the excitement.
A QR code was held in front of me, somewhat dazzling.
Li Yan nudged my elbow, signaling me to go for it with her eyes.
I sighed and smiled back at him: "I have a child. Do you mind?"
The young man froze for a few seconds, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile, his voice very clear: "I don't mind. I can be his stepfather."
This was very rude.
But when it reached Li Yan's ears, it seemed to turn into something else.
She laughed loudly and reached into my bag for my phone, skillfully entered the password, opened the green app, and scanned Cheng Jing's QR code.
After the young man left, she still couldn't stop laughing.
"Sister, open your eyes and see, isn't this much more handsome than that Pei He fellow? Blind for so many years, you should finally taste something good!"
Chapter 12
I still had the abortion.
With Bai Nianyu accompanying me.
She wouldn't rest easy without seeing me abort the child with her own eyes.
On the way back to the hotel from the hospital, I asked the question that had been weighing on my heart—why she had abandoned me and Mom and left.
Bai Nianyu's fingers gripping the bag strap turned white, biting her lip, her eyelids drooping.
I couldn't see the emotions in her eyes.
"I didn't want to give up my dream."
She grabbed my hand, looking at me, her tone tinged with resignation:
"Huaiyu, you know me, my biggest dream is to have my own clothing brand. At that time, I had already passed the interview with a foreign company. If I didn't go, everything would have been wasted..."
I thought she had some unavoidable reason.
Every time I thought of Mom, I made excuses for her.
It turned out to be just because of an opportunity.
I shook off her hand, looking at the increasingly unfamiliar face before me.
"Bai Nianyu, your heart is so cruel. Do you know how scared I was back then? Mom was vomiting blood mouthful after mouthful, and before she died, she was still calling your name. How could you be so heartless!"
"I didn't want to either! The company went bankrupt, and I couldn't do anything about it! If you want to blame someone, blame Dad! It was he who didn't listen to Mom and invested all the money at once! Blame him! Blame him for leaving himself no way out!"
"Bai Nianyu!"
I shoved the woman hard to the ground, her red high heel breaking.
"Weren't you the one who introduced that project to Dad? Can't I blame you for that?"
Four years ago, City H was vigorously developing real estate.
My father bought a considerable piece of land.
But unfortunately, a major accident occurred during construction, and several workers died.
Paper can't wrap fire.
Soon, someone reported anonymously that the project didn't have government approval.
That is, it was illegal.
The company was sold, the house was sold, and we still owed eighty million in debt.
Previous good partners one by one refused to see us.
During that time, our family hardly dared to go out.
Unable to bear the external pressure, my father jumped from the twenty-seventh floor.
My mother fell seriously ill.
At a time when we should have shared adversity, Bai Nianyu had disappeared completely.
"Bai Nianyu, you're just like Pei He, selfish."
"Aren't you the same? Didn't you marry your former brother-in-law?"
Bai Nianyu propped herself up and stood, staring at me with a straight face: "Sister, we're equally bad, neither of us is any good. Don't criticize each other. Even if I hadn't returned, Pei He would never have truly loved you."
At this point, I wouldn't discuss Pei He with her anymore.
After glaring at her, I turned and left.
The woman behind me was relentless, still shouting at me: "Sister! You should thank me. A man like Pei He, you can't handle him!"
Chapter 13
When Li Yan heard I had the abortion, she looked sad for a moment, then the next second she was clamoring to celebrate.
She called a few friends from the publishing house and organized a drinking party.
Cheng Jing came too.
Li Yan said he came on his own, not that she invited him.
I couldn't be bothered to argue with her, so I let it go.
The young man sat beside me the whole time, quietly telling jokes from time to time to make me happy.
Singing until the middle of the night, Li Yan sang while crying, holding the microphone and thanking everyone present one by one.
Her cheeks were red, her eyes clouded, her body swaying unsteadily.
Finally, she shouted "Dismissed!"
After taking Li Yan home, Cheng Jing drove me to my doorstep.
But I ran right into Pei He.
The man glanced at Cheng Jing standing beside me and asked me coldly: "Is this your backup plan?"
Before I could speak, Cheng Jing vented my frustration for me.
"Hello, sir. When are you two getting divorced? I'll go with you. I'm rather impatient and hate long delays. When Huaiyu and I get married, please come for the wedding."
"If you can't make it, that's fine too. Your presence is what counts."
Watching Pei He get angry but have nothing to say, I secretly gave Cheng Jing a thumbs-up.
Pei He took a few breaths, gritting his teeth and glaring at Cheng Jing: "Fine, I'll wait for that day."
"Bai Huaiyu, come home, sign the divorce papers."
When I entered, I waved to the worried-looking Cheng Jing, signaling him not to worry.
But once inside, Pei He suddenly changed his mind.
"Bai Huaiyu, look what you've become now! Staying out all night, messing around with pretty boys outside! You've changed!"
For a moment, I thought I heard something barking.
"Staying out all night? Didn't I learn that from you! Who's the one who changed?"
I took the divorce papers from my bag and slapped them on the coffee table, tossing him a pen.
"Don't you want to sign? Sign it."
Pei He, angry to the point of laughter, pointed at me a few times before turning and rushing into the bedroom.
The wedding photo was "slammed" by him onto the floor, glass shattering everywhere.
"You can only be bound to my side, Pei He! If I see that pretty boy one more time, I won't let him off!"
Utterly disgusting.
I swung my arm with full force and hit his face, turning his head to the side.
"Pei He! What right do you have to control me? Where were you when my mother died? Where were you when I was being bullied by those people?"
"You can't even remain faithful yourself, yet you demand I be chaste? Too late!"
"You will sign these papers, whether you want to or not. When this goes to court, it's you, it's the Pei family who will be disgraced!"
The atmosphere froze for several minutes.
The man took a deep breath, plopped down on the sofa, and stared at the broken wedding photo on the floor for a long time.
Just when I thought there was no hope this time either, he picked up the pen and signed the agreement.
Stroke by stroke, very slowly.
Holding the agreement in hand, as I turned to leave, I said: "See you at the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow."
The man behind me didn't respond.
Probably, he agreed.
The next day, I got up early and went to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
I didn't call Cheng Jing.
He was so clean and innocent—he shouldn't have to give up what he originally had for me.
Red book for red book.
After leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau with the divorce certificate, I felt much lighter.
In contrast, Pei He.
The red blood vessels in his eyes could almost weave into a net.
Bai Nianyu stood not far away, watching Pei He, not approaching.
The happiest ones now should be the two of them.
Without me as an obstacle, their path to happiness would no longer be congested.
I moved out of the Pei family home.
After bringing all my things to the hotel, I realized that without those imitative "props," my own clothes and jewelry were pitifully few.
But that was fine too—out of sight, out of mind.
Chapter 14
In the following month, my relationship with Cheng Jing grew closer.
Until he invited me to his home to see his collection.
His home was conveniently located—right across from my former home.
The young man enthusiastically introduced his cameras, film rolls, and tripods to me.
He buried himself in a leather suitcase, rummaging through it, his mouth never stopping.
"Oh right, there's a video from March 9, 20xx. I remember, it was the first time I tried singing a song I wrote myself."
The moment he said that date, my heart tightened.
It was the day my father jumped.
My fingers started trembling uncontrollably, and I couldn't even hold the lightest box of photo paper.
It fell to the carpet with a "thud."
He plugged it into the computer and opened the video.
In the image, the young man held a guitar, singing and playing.
Behind him was a building.
I recognized it at a glance as the building our family used to live in.
"I never deleted this video. I was in good shape that day, my breath was steady. How is it? Does it sound good?"
What Cheng Jing was talking about was the song.
But my gaze was completely captured by an inconspicuous corner in the upper right of the screen.
But what shocked me was that I saw Bai Nianyu's figure.
On the way back to the hotel, Cheng Jing still talked nonstop.
My mind was filled with what I had seen in the video—I didn't hear a word he said.
On the rooftop, Bai Nianyu pushed my father.
"Huaiyu? Huaiyu?"
The suddenly enlarged face before me pulled me from my memories.
"You'll come see my performance, right?"
The young man's eyes were bright, like a golden retriever wagging its tail for affection.
I vaguely answered him with an "Mm."
Having received my response, Cheng Jing smiled and said goodbye.
Pressing the elevator, swiping the room card, entering.
I sat on the bed like a zombie, not knowing how I got there.
A very large net hung over my world, and I seemed never to have found its center.
After much consideration, I hired a private detective.
I wanted to know what really happened the night my father jumped four years ago.
The waiting period was agonizing.
Photos and investigation results were laid out before me.
But I couldn't piece them together.
In black and white, it said: Bai Nianyu suspected of pushing Bai Shengyuan to his death.
In the surveillance video, two and a half minutes after my father fell, Bai Nianyu ran out from the first floor.
Then she never appeared again.
Combined with the video Cheng Jing had accidentally recorded.
Bai Nianyu had killed her father and mine.
Chapter 15
While burning those photos, I thought a lot.
My mind kept replaying the beautiful moments our family had shared in the past.
After making up my mind, I borrowed Li Yan's red sports car.
This time, I chose daytime to visit my parents.
Passing the cemetery duty room, an old man in a security uniform stopped me:
"Young lady, didn't you come once yesterday? You're back again today? You come quite often. You even came late at night twice before..."
I held the flowers, standing on the steps below, looking up at him.
Yesterday, I hadn't come.
Late at night, I had only come once.
Who was he talking about?
"When you came yesterday, you had long hair, and today it's cut? Young people change so quickly these days..."
The old man said, then turned back to the duty room, put on reading glasses, and slowly picked up a newspaper to read carefully.
I thought, I knew who it was.
Placing the flowers before the tombstone, I shamelessly sat down before them again.
I wiped the dust from the photo with my fingers, and I could see clearly.
"Dad, that night, was it sister who pushed you? I feel like I don't understand her anymore."
The wind came, very refreshing.
Unconsciously, autumn had arrived.
"Mom, I haven't told you yet, I divorced Pei He. Different roads, we go our separate ways. I'm very happy now."
Tears fell like broken strings, continuously onto the ground, wetting it.
I hated the feeling of no one answering me.
After the moon climbed into the sky, I called Bai Nianyu.
Telling her to come see our parents too.
Seeing me sitting to one side, her face showed no expression as she bent to place the flower bouquet before the tombstone, placing it next to the other bouquet.
I drove the car.
Taking Bai Nianyu back together.
On the way, I still asked her about that night.
I wanted to hear her tell me personally.
"I told Dad I was going abroad, and he disagreed, saying he couldn't afford to support my studies abroad."
"Tell me, why am I so unlucky? Just about to realize my dream, and something like that had to happen."
"I just mentioned it casually, and Dad took it seriously, insisting on investing."
"Mom too, if she had stopped Dad from investing, wouldn't everything have been fine?"
"I did push Dad. Who told him to call me an ungrateful wolf and say you were good and family-oriented."
"We're both his daughters. How could he be so partial?"
"When I saw Pei He at the airport, I was terrified. Who knew he would chase me to the airport. I almost couldn't go abroad. He would definitely have dragged me back to deal with that mess..."
My fingers gripping the steering wheel turned white.
The woman in the passenger seat spoke of these things without a trace of guilt in her voice.
Instead, there was resentment.
I couldn't believe that for more than twenty years, I had never truly seen her.
"What about the kidnapping?"
"I hired those people."
Bai Nianyu admitted without hesitation.
Turning to smile at me.
"Who made Pei He like you? He argued with me because of you. Your four years weren't in vain—you still have a place in his heart."
"Don't you know he's best at being spiteful? He married you out of spite last time. During the kidnapping, I just provoked him a little, and he said such cruel things to you."
"He's not a good man, just from a wealthy family."
"Originally, I didn't plan to let you come back alive."
"But sister, you always surprise me—you came back."
The woman smiled with her eyes, leaning over to ask me: "Hey, why don't you tell me, what did those two men do to you before letting you back? Sister wants to hear."
Chapter 16
I didn't answer her question.
After the sports car drove onto Jinjiang Bridge, I stepped on the accelerator.
Bai Nianyu didn't react much, just quietly tightened her seatbelt.
The moment we rushed toward the guardrail, I remembered what I had done that day.
After Pei He's phone hung up, those two men threw a fit at me.
It was nothing more than cursing me for being useless, leaving them with no money to gain.
They walked to the side and muttered for a while, then rubbed their palms together and came over with lecherous smiles.
It horrified me.
They started roughly tearing at my clothes.
I suddenly understood.
A strong will to live made me tremble as I negotiated with them.
When one of them dragged me behind the iron frame, I had already hidden a sharp piece of scrap metal in my palm.
I actually don't remember clearly what happened after that.
When my dazed head cleared, they were already lying in pools of blood.
The black T-shirt on my body was torn with dozens of cuts, revealing red and white flesh.
After recovering for more than ten minutes, I scrambled and crawled out of the warehouse.
I didn't call the police.
Perhaps, I was inherently bad.
I stood in the heavy rain, letting it wash the blood from my clothes.
Fortunately, fortunately it was raining.
Li Yan's car—I could only repay it in the next life.
It's a shame I can't go watch that young man Cheng Jing perform.
I had promised.
The End
Epilogue
Pei He's heart suddenly twitched, as if a nail had been hammered into it.
He felt uncomfortable all over.
It was already ten o'clock at night, and Bai Nianyu hadn't returned.
Calls to both sisters were turned off.
A strong sense of unease drove him out of the house and to the hotel where Bai Huaiyu was staying.
But the room was empty.
After asking the front desk, he learned that Bai Huaiyu had left in a red sports car.
Pei He called Li Yan.
On the phone, although Li Yan was confused, she still responded:
"Huaiyu said she wanted to borrow my car for a drive, so I lent it to her. How..."
Before Li Yan could finish, Pei He hung up the phone.
Bai Huaiyu had a warm personality but was also very stubborn. Once she set her mind on something, she would dive in headfirst and not look back until she hit a wall.
Bai Nianyu was also someone prone to extremes.
Moreover, because of that incident back then, they already had conflicts between them.
When the two of them clashed, nine times out of ten, something would go wrong.
Just as he was extremely anxious, he received a message on his phone.
A video of a red sports car being pulled from the water.
...
Li Yan, slumped on the sofa watching videos, saw that video and immediately jumped up. Without time to change shoes, she rushed out in slippers.
"Stupid Huaiyu, don't let me catch you, I'll definitely scold you."
On the Jinjiang Bridge deck, inside the police tape, a gap in the guardrail blatantly welcomed people.
The red sports car continued to trickle water.
Beside it on the ground were two bodies covered with white cloths.
Police desperately held back the man trying to rush in, warning him not to approach.
Until the man said: "I'm her husband! I'm her husband!"
Pei He rushed over, his legs instantly失去知觉, "thudding" to the ground.
Trembling, he lifted the white cloth, revealing a pale face.
A few strands of short hair stuck to the side of her face, making the woman's face appear even more bloodless.
She lay with her eyes closed, quietly.
Not cursing him, not pushing his hand away.
Pei He felt a bit unaccustomed.
That person who had just learned to bare her fangs was gone.
...
When Cheng Jing arrived at the scene, he saw a man in a suit and tie, weeping over the white cloth.
Two police officers stood behind him, watching him.
Even though he had comforted himself before coming—it wasn't Bai Huaiyu, it wasn't Bai Huaiyu.
But when he clearly saw the person lying on the ground, he still couldn't help but feel his legs go weak.
He wanted to step forward, but his feet seemed nailed to the ground, unable to move.
Cheng Jing knew he was afraid.
The person who had been joking with him just days ago was gone in an instant.
Only then did he understand how little he knew about that person who always said "it's fine."
...
At Bai Huaiyu's funeral, Li Yan cried while cursing Bai Nianyu for not keeping her word.
The people attending the funeral didn't know what they had agreed on, only seeing a woman crying hysterically, finally fainting.
Later, Pei He often dreamed of a pond with two lotus flowers floating in it.
When it rained, the big lotus flower would tilt, and the collected rainwater would pour into the small lotus flower's heart.
Back and forth, pouring into each other.
Finally, one day, a heavy rain came, beating the big lotus until it drooped and died.
Strangely, the surviving small lotus soon withered too.
Every time he woke from these dreams in a panic, Pei He's heart would race.
These strange dreams seemed to indicate certain past people and events.
Later, he began to see Bai Huaiyu's figure at home.
Wearing a white dress, sitting before the bay window typing on her computer.
Wearing a pink floral apron, carrying a bowl of fungus and lean meat congee, smiling and calling him to sit and eat.
But as the light and shadow shifted, short hair became long hair, the white dress became a red dress.
Bai Nianyu spun around, stumbling toward him on unsteady feet, throwing herself into his arms.
Softly calling him "A He."
In the empty room, a man's murmur of "A Yu" filled the space.
...
When the cemetery security guard was patrolling with a flashlight, he saw a man sitting before a tombstone drinking.
Scattered on the ground beside him were eight or nine empty bottles.
He kindly reminded the man: "It's not good to be in the cemetery at night. Go home early."
The man raised his bottle, signaling the security guard to leave quickly.
So in the dark cemetery, only Pei He remained.
The dizzy-headed man, in a daze, saw two figures in the distance waving at him.
So the next day, when the security guard came on patrol again, not far from the previous night's tombstone, he discovered a man's body collapsed face down.
His right hand extended above his head, his left hand placed at his waist.
Both hands' fingers were half-curved, as if holding something.