The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 71

This was a matter of a long gone past.

Many things that this woman was unaware of had happened during that time.

If they were to truly discuss the story of Cen Yin and Wang Yu, they must begin from the day that Wang Yu was invited to Director Li’s residence.

When Wang Yu was invited to Director Li’s residence, he hadn’t been particularly keen on going. However, he found it hard to refuse the invitation. He had no choice but to go.

Once he was there, he did nothing more than some socialising. Director Li seemed very eager to build a relationship with him. The moment Director Li stopped talking, he didn’t stop. At one point, he called for a dancer to perform for them. Wang Yu didn’t have much to say about this. When he saw how scantily the dancer was dressed, he looked down to the point he nearly buried his head in the ground.

Director Li even teased him by saying, “My dear brother, why are you lowering your head like that? Could it be that my dancer isn’t beautiful enough?”

Cen Yin was strikingly beautiful. Her clear and cold moonlit features carried a hint of delicate charm, which made her somewhat less unapproachable.

Wang Yu glanced at her briefly. He didn’t catch a clear view of her face and only noticed how little she was wearing. Her snow-white skin glowed even brighter in the candlelit room.

It was winter, yet she was wearing so little…

Wang Yu felt too embarrassed to look again after that one glance.

He didn’t say anything after hearing Director Li’s teasing. He just lowered his head even further than earlier.

Wang Yu was later persuaded to drink a couple of glasses of wine. After that, he got up and went to the restroom to relieve himself. When he was about to leave the restroom, he ran into the dancer from earlier. She was waiting for him outside.

She was still wearing her thin, delicate dress. Wang Yu was momentarily stunned to see her. However, he then pretended not to have seen her and turned to leave.

However, Cen Yin then called out to him.

“Young Master…”

Her voice was as nice as her dance. Even those two simple words carried a captivating charm.

Wang Yu was slightly dizzy from the wine he’d drunk but still clear-headed enough. He averted his gaze and looked at the sky, the moon—anything but the beauty standing before him.

“What is it?” he asked.

Her presence near the men’s restroom was improper, and Wang Yu didn’t believe it was a coincidence…

But in the next moment, Cen Yin knelt before him. Tears fell from her eyes like drops of rain as she pleaded, “Young Master, please save me…”

Wang Yu was startled. He didn’t know how things had escalated so quickly. He wanted to help her up, but touching her would mean touching her exposed skin, which felt inappropriate. He didn’t dare to make contact.

He stumbled with his words as he said, “W-what are you doing? Don’t… don’t kneel like this. Get up and speak properly.”

Cen Yin continued to cry. Her tears flowed like a spring, and she sobbed as she said, “Young Master, please save me. Master Li is a madman. If I stay with him, he’ll kill me… I’ll really die…”

At that time, Director Li was not yet a director. In fact, he wasn’t yet a court official at all. As a young man, he spent his days being mischievous and indulgent, and when he got carried away with his antics, there was no limit to the trouble he could cause. He wouldn’t care whether she lived or died. If she stayed in the Li family residence, she would truly lose her life.

She had already fended off Director Li for three days now. If she couldn’t leave today, she would fall victim to his cruelty, and it’d only be a matter of time before she died because of him.

Wang Yu was kind-hearted, but he wasn’t a fool in matters like these. He understood what this dancer meant when she said she would ‘lose her life.‘ It meant losing her life in every sense—her body, her soul, she would be stripped of every part of herself. All of those parts would be killed, bit by bit.

However, Wang Yu was visiting someone else’s home as a guest, and it felt inappropriate to interfere in another family’s affairs. While he hesitated, Cen Yin suddenly stood up and made a dash toward a nearby pillar. She clearly intended to crash into it.

Wang Yu was startled. When he reacted, he quickly grabbed Cen Yin, who was determined to end her life.

“What are you doing!?“ Wang Yu said. His voice carried a rare coldness.

He didn’t understand. Why couldn’t they talk things through? Why did she have to resort to crashing into a pillar?

He approached everything in life with optimism. In his opinion, as long as one was alive, nothing was truly insurmountable.

Cen Yin wept bitterly. She dared only to sob quietly, though, as she was afraid of being discovered. She choked back her tears as she said, “If I don’t die now, I’ll be ruined by him later. Whether I die on his bed or here tonight, what difference would it make? I might as well end my life now by crashing into this pillar…”

Wang Yu fell silent. He looked down at her, who was trembling and shaking as she cried, and a sense of pity welled up in his heart. He didn’t know whether Director Li would really kill her, but he thought to himself that if he didn’t take her away, she might truly die here by her own hand.

He exhaled a breath. The alcohol in his system seemed to dissipate completely at that moment. He grabbed Cen Yin’s arm, asked her to calm down, and then said, “Stop talking about death. I’ll take you away from here.”

Then, Wang Yu went to ask Director Li for Cen Yin.

Although Director Li was reluctant to give her to him, he ultimately handed her over to Wang Yu out of respect for him and the Wang family’s influence.

Wang Yu then took Cen Yin away from the Li family residence. He gave her some money and told her to leave the capital, which was a place full of trouble, and go wherever she pleased. From then on, she would be a free person.

However, Cen Yin refused to leave. She persistently followed Wang Yu and even wanted to go home with him.

However, how could Wang Yu dare to bring her home? If his father found out, he’d cause a huge uproar.

Of course, he wouldn’t dare to bring her home.

Yet, no matter how hard he tried to shake her off, Cen Yin stuck to him like a shadow. 

Wang Yu made up his mind to leave her.

However, she just kept following him.

Whenever Wang Yu turned around to look at her, she would gaze back at him with the guilty yet innocent eyes of a startled rabbit, as if her intentions had been exposed.

In the end, Wang Yu gave in. It wasn’t safe for Cen Yin to keep following him, especially as they neared the Wang family residence, where his father might eventually discover her. Secondly, it wasn’t proper for a young woman to trail after him alone, anyway.

On that one snowy night, the handsome young man trudged through the snow towards the girl.

He was annoyed. He usually had a gentle temper, but that was now put under test by her clinginess. 

“Can you please stop following me?“ he said. “If my father finds out, you’ll be beaten to death.”

Seeing his anger, Cen Yin simply blinked at him without saying anything. However, she looked somewhat aggrieved by what he said, and her eyes reddened. 

Perhaps she didn’t know what to say, either.

Where else could she go if she didn’t follow him? 

She had no idea.

Wang Yu realised that he’d spoken a little harshly after seeing her expression. However, he genuinely felt frustrated. Why was she clinging to him like an unshakable shadow? Hadn’t they agreed that rescuing her would be enough? 

He didn’t dare to mess around with girls. His father wouldn’t approve of him doing that.

He looked at Cen Yin and asked, “Don’t you have any family? Can’t you go to them?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Wang Yu regretted them. He realised he’d spoken thoughtlessly.

Of course, she had no family. If she did, she wouldn’t have ended up in a brothel in the first place.

Wang Yu had spoken too hastily. Before he could take back his words, Cen Yin’s tears began to fall. They landed on the snow and melted it instantly. 

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she looked up at him and said, “I have no home…”

Wang Yu was upset with himself for his thoughtlessness. He wasn’t good at speaking and had said the wrong thing, which hurt her. She was crying so hard, and he didn’t know how to comfort her. Her tears made him anxious, and he could only apologise repeatedly to her. “I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t have said that…”

Not everyone had parents. He’d also lost his mother at birth. 

If Cen Yin had parents who cared for her and treated her well, she wouldn’t have had to endure life in a brothel.

However, Cen Yin’s tears wouldn’t stop.

She cried and cried until Wang Yu finally relented. 

“Please, stop crying,“ he said. “I’ll take you with me, alright…?”

Before he could finish, Cen Yin looked up at him. Her tear-filled eyes glistened like they were starry night skies. 

“Really, Young Master?“ she asked.

Wang Yu thought about it, then nodded.

He wanted to say more, but Cen Yin had already thrown herself into his arms. He was willing to take her away, yet she cried even harder. Her tears soaked through his clothes, seeped into his skin, and reached his heart.

Wang Yu felt his heart pounding wildly.

So wildly…

He didn’t push her away. Instead, he reached out and gently patted her back, then said, “Don’t cry. I’ll take you with me.”

He couldn’t take her home—not yet. He still didn’t have the courage. At first, he arranged for Cen Yin to stay at an inn for a few days. Then, he secretly bought a residence on the outskirts of the capital and tucked Cen Yin away there.

When Cen Yin moved in, the residence was practically empty. Besides a few basic necessities, there wasn’t much else there.

Wang Yu didn’t tell her his real name. When she asked, he said his name was Qiongzhang.

Qiongzhang was his courtesy name.

That was what those closest to him called him.

Without thinking much about it, he introduced himself to Cen Yin as Qiongzhang.

He didn’t even know why, when she asked for his name, he instinctively said Qiongzhang instead of Wang Yu.

He didn’t dare tell her that his father was Wang Shun because he knew all too well how awful his father was…

Perhaps he had his own selfish reasons. He thought that, in front of Cen Yin, he should just be ‘Qiongzhang.’

After that, Qiongzhang hired a maid for Cen Yin. She was supposed to keep Cen Yin company during lonely moments and take care of Cen Yin’s daily needs.

When the maid first arrived, the house still felt cold and empty. It lacked the warmth of human presence. But over time, Cen Yin filled the space with life—she planted flowers and grass, and Wang Yu often brought her rare and interesting items to decorate the house with whenever he visited.

The once cold and lifeless residence slowly grew warm.

Qiongzhang was afraid that Wang Shun would discover her, so he only visited the house stealthily and sparingly. Every time he came, Cen Yin would be overjoyed. She liked spending time with Qiongzhang.

To be precise, she liked Qiongzhang.

However, she didn’t know whether Qiongzhang also liked her or not.

Qiongzhang was too pure, too straightforward. She could always read his thoughts with ease.

Just like when they’d first met at Director Li’s residence—with just one glance, she could tell that if she knelt before him and cried, he would surely soften—and when they were in the snowy wilderness after that. At that moment, she knew that as long as she kept following him, he would eventually take her in.

She found it easy to coax and entice him. But still, she couldn’t figure out whether he truly liked her.

Winter passed quickly and gave way to spring. Life began to bloom again, though the days still held a lingering chill.

One evening, Cen Yin coaxed Qiongzhang into confessing that he liked her.

That night, Qiongzhang’s eyes shone brighter than the full moon above. While they sat together in the courtyard, Cen Yin half-teased and half-tricked him into admitting that he liked her.

When he eventually admitted it, Cen Yin froze for a moment, then broke into a radiant smile. At that moment, she thought he was only saying it to make her happy.

However, Qiongzhang wasn’t the type to say such things just to please a girl.

In truth, he hadn’t said it out of any coaxing or teasing. He hadn’t admitted his feelings because Cen Yin had coaxed him. He just truly, genuinely liked her. 

But Cen Yin lacked a sense of security. Qiongzhang could only visit occasionally, and during the days when he wasn’t around, she felt restless and uneasy. She never knew when he’d come next. She was always afraid there wouldn’t be a next time, that he would never come back.

It reminded her of when her father had sold her to the madam of a brothel. He’d given her a piece of candy and promised he would come back for her later.

She waited and waited for him to come back for her, but he never did.

It took her an entire month to accept that her father had abandoned her.

Those childhood memories hung over her like a shadow and pressed heavily on her heart. She couldn’t shake the fear that Qiongzhang might abandon her, too.

She was always afraid he wouldn’t come back.

Finally, he came again. This time, Qiongzhang hadn’t visited for over half a month. Cen Yin, who had been terrified, blurted out a torrent of hurtful words. She questioned him, asking if he intended to abandon her as well and if he thought of her as nothing but a burden.

Qiongzhang couldn’t understand why she thought that way. He simply couldn’t visit too often. If he came too frequently, his father would surely grow suspicious.

He had to choose his moments carefully. He couldn’t just come and go as he pleased.

But he didn’t realise how much fear Cen Yin had endured during that half a month.

Qiongzhang watched her cry and heard her accusations. He felt deeply puzzled. If he didn’t like her, why would he go to such lengths to see her? If he didn’t want her, why would he have brought her here in the first place?

Yet, even as Cen Yin cried and lashed out, he didn’t get angry—he only felt a deep ache in his heart.

She sobbed so hard she could barely catch her breath, and seeing her like that made Qiongzhang feel even worse.

He held her and said, “I’m not abandoning you. I told you before—I like you. Why won’t you believe me?”

To him, the word ‘like‘ wasn’t something that was difficult to say. If he liked someone, he should tell them. Otherwise, how would they ever know?

But even after he’d told her, Cen Yin still didn’t believe him.

Qiongzhang thought, perhaps it was because she had been deceived too many times in the past. Perhaps it was because she’d been hurt by too many cruel people.

Poor A-Yin…

He stroked her back, again and again, and promised her that he wouldn’t leave her. He knew how deeply suspicious she was, so he swore—if he ever abandoned her, then he would die a miserable death.

The next moment, Cen Yin pulled away from his embrace and kissed him.

Qiongzhang was stunned and froze for a moment. However, even when he came back to his senses, he didn’t resist. He simply let her kiss him.

He thought, if kissing her would calm her anger and convince her to believe his words, then so be it.

But in the next moment, Cen Yin began reaching out to remove his clothes.

Qiongzhang was utterly dumbfounded.

When he finally snapped out of it, he pushed her away.

He understood what she was trying to do.

Qiongzhang was actually also someone who cried easily. When he saw Cen Yin act this way, he couldn’t help crying as well.

He said, “A-Yin, I told you I won’t abandon you. Please, don’t do this…”

How could Qiongzhang not know what a woman was thinking when she began unfastening a man’s belt at such a moment?

After all, he was the son of the senior grand secretary. He had frequently entered the palace even as a child.

Qiongzhang understood more than most about such things.

He knew what Cen Yin was thinking. Was she trying to use her body to make him stay?

The realisation hit Qiongzhang like a hammer and shattered him inside.

He didn’t want any of this. He only wanted her to be alright.

“Don’t do this, A-Yin. You can’t do this. I’ll come visit you more often in the future. I’ll come whenever I can. It’s just… My father can be harsh, so please wait for me. Once I’ve made something of myself, I’ll bring you home…”

He thought that as long as he could make something of himself and win his father’s approval, his father would eventually accept Cen Yin.

But Cen Yin didn’t believe him. She had been deceived by too many people.

Men could make endless sweet promises, and she could no longer tell if Qiongzhang’s words were true or false.

Back when she was in the brothel, she had often heard the older girls there speak of such things. Men would always say, ‘Just wait a little longer, and I’ll take you home…’

But in the end, without exception, they’d all disappear without a trace after having their fill.

The days in which she’d waited for Qiongzhang had terrified her.

She thought Qiongzhang was no different from those men.

Her thoughts were entirely different from his.

She simply didn’t feel secure.

She was afraid.

She wanted to use any means she could to make Qiongzhang stay.

She undressed herself completely.

She said, “You keep saying you like me, but you won’t even touch me… Do you think I’m dirty? I’m not. No one else has…”

She wanted to say that no one else had ever touched her.

However, Qiongzhang covered her mouth with his hand. His eyes were filled with emotions she couldn’t understand.

There was sadness… and pain… but absolutely no disgust.

He didn’t want to hear her talk about her past—not because he found it repulsive, nor because he wanted to pretend it had never happened. He simply couldn’t bear to hear what she’d gone through.

Cen Yin had suffered so much. Her past had been so unbearably bitter. He didn’t want her to recall it again when she talked about it.

Dirty? How could she be dirty?

A-Yin was the purest person in the world.

Qiongzhang had never refused Cen Yin before. When she asked him to take her away from the Li family residence, when she begged him to take her home…

Even though he had been reluctant at first, he still wouldn’t refuse her in the end.

And this time was no different.

If Cen Yin was this frightened, then so be it. He could let it happen.

After this, then she wouldn’t have to be so scared of him leaving anymore…

He didn’t want her to be scared. He wouldn’t abandon her. He really would never leave her behind…

Cen Yin later became pregnant, and the two of them worshipped Heaven and Earth in the courtyard of that residence.

There was only one witness to this ceremony: the maid who had been caring for her.

Their daughter was born at dawn in the spring.

They named her Jingchun.

As the sky grew ablaze with rosy hues at daybreaks, so would the flowers on a tree blossom in spring.

Within the year after Jingchun was born, Qiongzhang started visiting the residence in the outskirts of the capital more frequently. However, things couldn’t continue that way.

Wang Shun was beginning to grow suspicious.

Wang Shun was always busy. His position was far from easy, and when he was engrossed in work, his mind often wandered to other matters, which left him temporarily unaware of Qiongzhang’s frequent trips. However, since the birth of his daughter, he had also been visiting the residence more often. How could Wang Shun not notice that something was amiss?

Qiongzhang felt that if things went on like this, they would inevitably be discovered one day.

What would the consequences be? Could he bear them?

Probably not.

If Wang Shun found out he had been deceiving him for so long—and that he intended to marry a dancer as his wife—he would undoubtedly be furious.

It just so happened that during that period, Wang Shun was troubled by the initiative in Jiangnan to convert rice fields into mulberry plantations. Qiongzhang took the opportunity. He suggested to Wang Shun that he should go to Jiangnan to oversee the matter.

Qiongzhang had made up his mind. He wanted to marry Cen Yin. He couldn’t leave her waiting at that residence forever.

He wanted to take her home.

He wanted to take her and their little daughter back home.

Before Qiongzhang left, he said to Cen Yin, “I need to take care of some matters outside. Once I’ve dealt with them, I’ll bring you home to meet my parents. A-Yin, wait for me. Stay at the residence and wait for me. If there’s anything you want to eat or anything you need, ask someone else to fetch it for you. Don’t go out—the outside world is dangerous…”

He was still worried that Wang Shun might discover them. In his eyes, if Wang Shun ever found out about Cen Yin and their daughter, he would definitely not let them off. And if that happened while he was away in Jiangnan, he wouldn’t be able to protect them.

That would be the end.

So, he kept reassuring her, over and over, and urged her not to leave the residence.

Cen Yin didn’t want him to go. She didn’t want him to leave her.

But she had come to believe in him now. She believed that he wouldn’t abandon her, and that he wouldn’t leave her alone again. She knew he had to go this time, and she understood that he was doing it so he could marry her and bring her to his home.

Cen Yin didn’t stop him but couldn’t help shedding tears.

She said, “Qiongzhang, do you remember? Do you remember the oath you once made?

“You said that if you ever dared to abandon me, you would die a miserable death.

“You have to come back. You must come back. I’ll wait for you. I’ll stay here and wait for you—I won’t go anywhere. I’ll wait for you to come back…”

Qiongzhang felt a lump in his throat. He was on the verge of tears himself. However, now that he was a father, he couldn’t just cry with Cen Yin every time he felt emotional.

He held their one-year-old daughter, Jingchun, in his arms once more.

She was still so small, so tiny, always smiling cheerfully. She couldn’t even call out to them yet.

He kissed her forehead. The usually quiet and obedient child suddenly burst into inconsolable tears after that one kiss and cried her heart out. Qiongzhang was startled and tried to soothe her for a long time, but no matter what he did, she wouldn’t stop crying.

Cen Yin was alarmed, too. Their daughter had never cried like this before.

She reached out to take the baby from him to calm her down, but Jingchun clung tightly to Qiongzhang’s sleeve and refused to let go of him.

Cen Yin finally understood. She said, “Xiaochun doesn’t want you to leave either.”

Qiongzhang didn’t want to leave them, either. But he had no choice. He had to go. He had to leave.

So, he left. He travelled to Jiangnan.

Qiongzhang promised that he would return by the New Year at the latest. But he didn’t come back. The New Year came and went, and he didn’t return. Another year passed, and still, he didn’t return. Cen Yin waited for him with their daughter, year after year. By the third year, her daughter could already call out ‘Mother‘ and ‘Father’…

But Qiongzhang still didn’t return.

Two years had passed. Cen Yin lived with her daughter and the maid who looked after them. They clung to each other for support. By then, she had even started to wonder if Qiongzhang had lied to her, too…

That liar—didn’t he say he would come back and marry her? Didn’t he promise her a home?

Cen Yin waited and waited until her health began to fail. She grew more and more despondent, and her body became weaker by the day. Seeing her mistress in such a state, the maid became desperate and inquired about a temple in the capital called Miao’en Temple, which was renowned for its efficacious prayers. Perhaps if Cen Yin burned some incense there, she could pray for the young master—Qiongzhang, to return.

Cen Yin still remembered how, two years before that, Qiongzhang had told her not to leave the residence. But since he hadn’t returned for her, she decided she would no longer listen to him.

In the end, Cen Yin left. She went to the famous Miao’en Temple. She prayed to see Qiongzhang one last time. Just one more time. She only wanted to ask him why he had deceived her. Why had he lied to her, too…?

She thought to herself, after seeing him this one last time, she would never forgive him. Even if he came back, she would never forgive him.

But still, she wished he would come back. She wished he’d let her see him one last time. Why had he abandoned her like this?

Cen Yin brought her daughter to the temple to burn incense. But that very day, she lost her daughter, too.

They said she was a kidnapper. But that was her child—her own daughter. Yet they accused her of being a kidnapper.

Cen Yin was shoved to the ground, and her daughter was taken away from her.

She lost everything… Everything was gone…

Qiongzhang had been right—the outside world was terrifying. She should never have left the residence.

Cen Yin died after that. Before she passed, she saw her daughter for the last time. The child was already four years old by then—healthy and glowing with rosy cheeks. That brought Cen Yin some peace as she left this world. Yet, as she lay dying, her thoughts weren’t solely of her daughter—they also drifted to the man who had disappeared nearly three years ago.

Qiongzhang… Didn’t you promise to marry me and bring me home?

Three years had passed. Why hadn’t he returned?

She no longer blamed him for anything. There was nothing to blame him for any more.

Yes, she wasn’t angry anymore. As long as he came back, she would never be upset with him again.

Qiongzhang, I just want to see you again…

She wanted to see him so badly.

The bitter wind blew in through the window. Cen Yin lifted her gaze and looked outside. The flowers and plants in the courtyard had long since withered and left behind only an abandoned expanse.

They were just like her.

They were all on their way to their final destination.

They said Luoyang was adorned with flowers like brocade, yet when I arrived, it was not in spring…

This life of hers—perhaps this was all there was to it.

Inside the main hall of the Wang residence, the maid told Wang Shun everything that she knew.

Her knowledge started at the time that she’d been hired to take care of Cen Yin. She also told him how Cen Yin and Qiongzhang had worshipped Heaven and earth together. Then, she told him about the birth of their daughter, Qiongzhang’s departure from the capital, Cen Yin’s trip to the temple, and finally, how their child had been taken away from Cen Yin…

Hearing this, Wang Shun’s frown deepened.

It seemed as if he had pieced something together, and his face twisted with rage.

“You’re telling me… Qiongzhang’s child was taken?”

The maid nodded.

Wang Shun’s voice trembled as he said, “Who did it?“ 

“It was the Minister of Personnel’s household, the Jiang family. The madame of that family insisted on taking the child. Madame lost her child and passed away within a year after that…”

The Jiang family…

Hearing this, Wang Shun felt his bl00d run cold.

Only now did he finally realise that the person he had been searching for was right before his eyes all along.

The child who had been taken from Miao’en Temple—wasn’t that Jiang Jingchun?

Outside, the cold wind howled. It seeped through the cracks in the windows. Wang Shun felt as though his limbs were frozen stiff.

His teeth chattered, and his face was ashen.

Jiang Jingchun was Wang Yu’s child. This revelation left him gasping for air.

But then, another realisation struck him—a truth so devastating it nearly suffocated him.

Years ago, Wang Yu had gone south and was murdered by Jiang Nan. Then, Jiang Nan took care of the mulberry field conversion, which earned him even greater favour from Secretariat Elder Song. Jiang Nan’s status and influence rose steadily.

Wang Shun had thought about taking revenge back then, but every method of killing Jiang Nan seemed too lenient.

No matter how Jiang Nan died, it wouldn’t satisfy the hatred burning in Wang Shun’s heart.

Eventually, his gaze fell upon Jiang Jinghui, Jiang Nan’s youngest daughter.

Jiang Nan adored this little girl, and the Jiang family lived a happy, thriving life. Jiang Nan’s rising status only made the family’s fortune shine brighter.

But as Wang Shun watched their happiness, he asked himself, ‘What about me?’

By then, his own son had already been dead for two years.

As he looked at the blissful Jiang family, a dark idea took root in his mind. Since he was in pain, Jiang Nan should suffer the same.

So, he arranged for Jiang Jinghui to be kidnapped.

Jiang Jinghui’s disappearance back then had been his doing.

To simply kill Jiang Nan would have been far too easy. Even being torn apart would be insufficient punishment for someone like Jiang Nan.

He wanted to drag it out and grind him down bit by bit. Then, he wanted Jiang Nan’s daughter—the one he’d been looking for since more than a decade ago, to deliver the final blow to him.

But Wang Shun hadn’t anticipated what happened next.

By some twist of fate, Jiang Nan’s family ended up taking A-Yu’s child.

When Wang Shun was informed that the Jiang family had taken a child from the temple, he hadn’t thought much of it at the time. All he could think was that the Jiang family had a debased bloodline and that it was no surprise that they would be capable of such a disgraceful act.

That was all he thought. He’d thought nothing more.

And so, he did nothing.

The Jiang family raised A-Yu’s child—his granddaughter—as a substitute for someone else for over a decade.

Meanwhile, Wang Shun stood and watched everything unfold from the sidelines.

If Wang Shun hadn’t kidnapped Jiang Jinghui, Jiang Jingchun wouldn’t have met such a fate.

But then again, if Wang Yu hadn’t died, how could things have ended up like this?

Fate—it was the most powerful force of all. It’d mercilessly grip human beings by the throat and mock and ridicule them endlessly.

Wang Shun felt like he was suffocating.

His bl00d surged to his head.

He remembered how he had once shoved Jiang Jingchun and berated her to vent his hatred for Jiang Nan. He had called her a child without parents, a stray without proper parental upbringing…

Without proper parental upbringing…

Stray…

He had used those words to insult her.

As this realisation dawned on him, Wang Shun felt his chest tighten, and with a violent cough, he spat out a mouthful of bl00d.

Xiao Lun and Wang Fu, who were standing nearby, were both startled by the sight. Wang Fu rushed to support him while Xiao Lun ran out to fetch a physician.

No one could bear the weight of this truth.

How had their family fallen to such a wretched state?

A-Yu must be losing his mind from worry as he watched them from the afterlife. After seeing his wife and daughter suffer like this—he must be beside himself with worry.

Wang Shun couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed into unconsciousness.