Chapter 21: The Nameless Female Corpse

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Three days later.

Night had fallen heavily over Cloud City, deep and silent, as though even the air had solidified.

An oppressive weight hung over every corner of the Wen family’s luxurious estate.

In a bedroom on the second floor, Wen Wan’er lay curled up on the bed, clutching herself tightly as the blanket wrapped her from head to toe.

Her eyes were sunken and bloodshot, dark circles stark beneath them. She looked utterly haggard.

The room was pitch-black and stifling, with only a sliver of faint light squeezing through the crack beneath the door and spilling onto the floor.

On the table nearby, a newspaper lay in silence. Its headline was painfully conspicuous.

The words read: “Unidentified Female Corpse Discovered in Cloud City.”

Downstairs in the living room, Wen Yun’an had barely stepped through the front door when a servant took his bag and keys from him. She shook her head, then hurried into the kitchen.

Wen Yun’an’s expression was grim. His aquiline nose rose sharply, and worry filled his eyes.

He walked over to the sofa, sat down, and lit a cigarette. Drawing deeply, he tried to dispel the unease weighing on his heart.

Amid the swirling smoke, Wen Yun’an suddenly remembered something. He immediately crushed the cigarette out in the ashtray.

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His brows drew tightly together. Just as he rose and headed toward the staircase to the second floor, the servant in the kitchen saw him through the glass door, rushed out, and suddenly blocked his path.

“Young Master, it would be best if you didn’t go upstairs.” Her voice trembled with unease. “Miss is in a terrible state. She only just finished crying, and she quieted down a few minutes before you came home.”

Wen Yun’an’s expression grew even more severe. Unable to understand, he asked, “What happened? Wasn’t Wan’er just beginning to feel better?”

His question made the servant even more nervous. Fidgeting unconsciously with her hands, she stammered, “After Young Master left this morning, Miss came out of her bedroom. It was the first time she’d left the room in three days, and I was so happy that I went to prepare some food for her. But in the blink of an eye, the newspaper delivery arrived. When I came back out, Miss was already staring blankly at the newspaper…”

Self-reproach filled the servant’s voice. As she spoke, she could not help wiping the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.

Wen Yun’an let out a heavy sigh. Irritation and worry surged through him like a rising tide.

“How could you have been so careless? You knew she was in a fragile state. You should have stayed right beside her. How could you leave her alone?”

“She may be upset, but she isn’t foolish. How could she fail to realize that the headline was obviously about Qing’er? The clothes, hairstyle, and identifying features of the corpse are all exactly the same as Qing’er’s. I deceived Wen Wan’er by telling her that we were still searching for Qing’er’s whereabouts. Now she knows everything.”

Wen Yun’an gazed anxiously toward Wan’er’s bedroom upstairs, his heart filled with conflicting emotions.

He understood that Wen Wan’er must be suffering as though her heart were being carved apart.

His heart clenched violently. Without hesitation, Wen Yun’an dashed up the stairs and headed straight for her bedroom.

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A faint sound of sobbing came from Wen Wan’er’s room, unnaturally jarring in the stillness.

The door was ajar. Wen Yun’an breathed a sigh of relief and pushed it open—only to be met with a sight that broke his heart.

Wen Wan’er was still curled up on the bed, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Tears slipped silently from the corners of her eyes, soaking a large patch of the pillow.

Her gaze was hollow and despairing, as though the entire world had lost its color.

Wen Yun’an walked to the bedside and sat down gently.

He reached out, wanting to stroke her hair, but his hand stopped in midair, afraid to touch her.

Taking a deep breath, he said in the gentlest voice he could manage, “Wan’er, don’t be afraid. Your brother is here.”

Time seemed to congeal. The entire room held nothing but Wen Wan’er’s sobs and Wen Yun’an’s heavy breathing.

Wen Yun’an sat silently beside the bed until her sobs gradually subsided and she slowly drifted to sleep.