Chapter 60: A Desperate Struggle to the Death

Yun Jiannan grew somewhat impatient.

"The moment you uttered those words, I knew He Lingfeng must have spoken with you, and he must have made you certain promises as well. But have you stopped to think: were there any witnesses when he made those promises? And who would that be? Who would step forward to corroborate it for you if he goes back on his word? In truth, you don't even need to answer me, because I know for a fact there were none. It's merely a matter of one person's word against another's between the two of you. Yet, I believe my uncle is certainly no fool; you surely realize that He Lingfeng is merely trying to win people over to his side right now. And yet, you are willing to listen to him like this simply because you hold onto hope for him. But do you truly believe that if you hand over the Yun Corporation—which Qiuya's father so meticulously built—to someone with such ulterior motives, the company could possibly have any bright future?"

As Wan'er finished speaking, Yun Jiannan's gaze suddenly turned blank and somewhat hazy. He seemed to begin seriously pondering Wan'er's words.

"Uncle Yun, although I am merely a caregiver, I have spent a considerable amount of time by Miss Qiuya's side. She is an exceptionally kind-hearted young woman, and she is already gradually recovering her cognitive faculties. We are now able to have some simple conversations. She has told me of He Lingfeng's crimes, and of how He Lingfeng committed unspeakable acts inside her room. Right now, all you need to do is help us with one tiny favor—you don't have to do anything else, just one small action will expose He Lingfeng's true face to the light. Once everyone knows his true colors, he will naturally be cast out, and the Yun Corporation will naturally return to Qiuya's hands."

"Indeed, Uncle Yun! Qiuya is your own flesh and blood, your niece. And if you help her this time, she will surely be grateful to you. Regardless of any past grievances between the two of you, she would certainly never return kindness with enmity. Surely you know the true nature of your own niece? She is naturally kind-hearted, so she will undoubtedly be grateful that you let bygones be bygones. Besides, agreeing to He Lingfeng in the first place was never truly your own intention. After all, everyone knows that auntie holds the real authority in your household—that was something I noticed long ago."

Taking advantage of the pause in the caregiver's persuasion, Wan'er chimed in once more from the side.

"The two of you wet-behind-the-ears girls are probably only about my age combined, yet here I am wasting so much breath debating with both of you. Enough! The two of you need not try to persuade me any further. What you said is indeed true; I truly have no real say in my household, and my wife holds the supreme authority. For so many years, I have always followed her lead, and the family seems to have only grown more prosperous because of it. I have no intention of betraying my wife, and listening to the two of you would most likely result in my family being torn apart."

The resolve that Yun Jiannan was about to lose instantly solidified once again.

The woman sitting in the front row became even more anxious.

"Even after I've said all this, has it still not brought you to your senses? Do you truly intend to let He Lingfeng kick you out? If he merely casts you aside, consider yourself lucky. But if he grows ruthless out of fear that his foul deeds will be exposed, and ensures that you can never speak the truth again, what will you do then?"

"Uncle Yun, I will not keep anything from you. Right now, I despise He Lingfeng with every fiber of my being. I am entirely open about it, with nothing to hide or conceal. I had a wonderful friend named Qing'er, and she died at the hands of He Lingfeng. He Lingfeng is cold-blooded and ruthless; is there anything he wouldn't do? If he was capable of murdering someone who posed no threat to him whatsoever, and you are sitting on so many of his secrets, can you honestly guarantee that he won't come after you?"

Wan'er's words made Yun Jiannan grow hesitant once again. "Whom did you say he killed? Make yourself clear—did he genuinely commit murder?"

"Do you remember the high-profile female corpse case that shocked the city three months ago?" Wan'er said, her voice choked with sobs as her eyes turned bloodred.

"Are you referring to that discovered body, the one found with almost no clothing on, and a face so disfigured it was nearly unrecognizable?" Yun Jiannan narrowed his eyes, appearing to fall deep into thought.

"That's right, she was my dear friend, and she died at the hands of He Lingfeng. I never imagined He Lingfeng could be so cruel as to subject her to such treatment. Even in death, he forced her to suffer so terribly. What wrong did Qing'er ever do? She did nothing wrong at all! It was all my fault, I take the blame for being too selfish. Back then, I was so desperate to uncover the secret behind Qiuya's fall, so desperate to find out who had harmed her and left her in that state, that I sent Qing'er to help investigate."

"Yet not only did I fail to uncover the truth, but I ended up getting Qing'er killed instead. I am a sinner, and I will never be able to forgive myself. But Qing'er's death served as He Lingfeng's warning to me. He used Qing'er's murder to suppress me, to halt my further actions. Yet I truly grew terrified; after Qing'er died, I was consumed by overwhelming guilt. Night after night, I suffered from relentless nightmares, dreaming of Qing'er coming back to exact her revenge on me. Covered in blood, she demanded to know why I had dragged her into these murky waters and cast her down into hell."

By this point in her words, Wan'er was already weeping uncontrollably, Qing'er's smile flashing once more through the corridors of her mind.

As the scars were ripped open anew, she remained powerless to stop the agony, trembling all over as bitter tears fell.