No matter how Bai Yue defended herself or how her parents tried to weave their excuses, Qiao Wenxing quickly found the doctor who had treated the case. From the doctor, he learned that when Bai Yue was brought in, there were clear marks from slaps on her face and swelling on her head. The doctor concluded that someone had slapped Bai Yue, causing her to fall and hit her head, which ultimately led to a miscarriage.
Recalling the arguments he had overheard outside that night, Qiao Wenxing felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion.
At this moment, Bai’s younger brother arrived at the hospital, ready to throw a punch at Qiao Wenxing. “My sister lost her child! Where were you when this happened?”
But Qiao Wenxing was not alone; he had brought four imposing bodyguards with him. They seized Bai’s younger brother as if he were a chick.
Panicked, Bai’s parents rushed to plead with Qiao Wenxing. “He’s still young and doesn’t understand! He’s just worried about his sister!”
The reason Bai Yue had been slapped leading to her fall and miscarriage was because she had unintentionally revealed that Qiao’s mother had tried to pay her off with five million, and that she had torn up the cheque.
Five million! Bai’s parents would never earn that much in their lifetime! With that kind of money, they could buy a big house for Bai’s younger brother back home, and pay for his wedding as well!
Bai Yue actually turned down such a huge sum! She had also refused their request to approach Qiao Wenxing for the five million! In a fit of rage, Bai’s father slapped Bai Yue, causing her to lose her balance, fall, hit her head, and tragically lose her child.
Initially, Bai’s parents had intended to use Bai Yue’s miscarriage to extort money from Qiao Wenxing, but unexpectedly, the Qiao Wenxing who returned from D City was entirely different, almost like a changed man. He was flanked by four bodyguards in black suits, and appeared formidable.
Feeling weak, Bai’s parents feared that Qiao Wenxing would discover the truth about Bai Yue’s miscarriage and dared not ask for money.
Qiao Wenxing said, “Let me talk to Bai Yue alone.”
With no choice left, Bai’s parents could only leave the ward, assisted by the four bodyguards. Before exiting, they shot Bai Yue desperate looks. Bai Yue lay in bed with her eyes closed, tears streaming down her face, choosing not to look at them.
Once everyone had left, the ward grew quiet.
Qiao Wenxing no longer pressed for the truth behind the incident, knowing that Bai Yue would defend her family no matter how they hurt her.
He simply asked, “With something like this happening, why didn’t you call me?”
Bai Yue cried, “They took my phone away!”
Afraid she might complain to Qiao Wenxing, her parents confiscated her phone to keep her from contacting him. It was only after they pressured and convinced Bai Yue to stand in unity with them that her younger brother was able to reach out to Qiao Wenxing. As for where Qiao Wenxing had been these past few days, Bai’s parents were not worried; rather, they were relieved he wasn’t there.
Qiao Wenxing stayed silent for too long, causing Bai Yue to feel uneasy. She weakly asked, “Where have you been these past few days? Why did you only come now?”
Qiao Wenxing looked at her and replied, “I went home.”
Initially confused, Bai Yue soon understood. Qiao Wenxing was referring not to their rented apartment in M City, but to the Qiao family home in D City.
“You!” Bai Yue gasped in fear. But when she met Qiao Wenxing's gaze, her voice fell silent. What was wrong with him going back home? What position did she hold to stop him?
“Are you... coming back?” she finally asked, trembling.
“I won’t be coming back,” Qiao Wenxing said. “I’ll settle things here and then return home, and I won't be back again.”
Bai Yue's lip trembled. “What about me? What will I do?”
Qiao Wenxing fell silent again. After a long pause, he said, “You are my wife; you should come home with me. But…”
He laid down his terms: “If you want to be Mrs. Qiao, sever ties with your parents and never contact them again.”
This condition was impossible for Bai Yue to accept. As the eldest daughter, she had to be filial to her parents. She was also a sister and had to support her younger brother. Her parents had worked hard to raise her, and her brother was her flesh and blood. How could she bear to abandon them?
She cried, “I can’t… They are my father, mother, and brother…”
Silence fell over the ward once more.
After a long time, Qiao Wenxing gently said, “Let’s get a divorce.”
Bai Yue shut her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry…”
Bai Yue had heard through her younger brother about the news surrounding the Qiao family and knew that Qiao Wenxing had lost his qualifications to inherit the Qiao Corporation entirely.
She was no longer the naïve girl who believed that princes and Cinderella would live happily ever after, thinking that love alone is enough. She now understood what Qiao Wenxing lost because of her.
Qiao Wenxing completed all his business in M City and divorced Bai Yue. True to his earlier promise, he bought her an apartment. He also provided Bai Yue with a generous amount of alimony. As long as she managed her money well, she could live comfortably for the rest of her life.
As long as she could manage it.
After settling everything, Qiao Wenxing returned to D City, finally feeling as though he had awakened from a dream. He had been a spoiled young master, but this dream had forced him to mature profoundly.
The simple meal meant for the four of them never came to pass, but he ended up having dinner alone with Han Yanyan. Growing up together, having even been engaged, their relationship was characterized more by friendship than romantic love. When he had backed out of the engagement, Han Yanyan hadn’t pressured him at all, leaving Qiao Wenxing with a deep sense of guilt.
Upon seeing her, he was momentarily stunned by Han Yanyan’s radiant appearance.
Qiao Wenxing was somewhat puzzled; was this the same Han Yanyan he once knew? Why did she look so much more beautiful, confident, and vibrant? Even more alluring? She was not at all like that when they were together.
During their dinner, Qiao Wenxing sensed a stark difference between Han Yanyan and Bai Yue. Their perspectives, expressions, and manners differed by far.
Feeling bewildered, Qiao Wenxing wondered if knowing her for so long had made him overlook her brilliance in the past. But how could he possibly ignore the allure of a woman so captivating?
“What are your plans moving forward?” Han Yanyan asked him.
Qiao Wenxing forced a smile and replied, “Dad gave me two companies to manage.”
In this return to social circles, he noticed how others treated him differently than before. Previously, he had been the esteemed heir of the Qiao family, but now, he was merely a young master without much distinction. He could no longer be the center of attention among friends as he used to be.
Now, it was Qiao Chengyu who received all the adoration.
After parting from Han Yanyan and returning home, he lay in bed that night, restless and unable to sleep. He forced himself to close his eyes, but the experiences from the past year replayed vividly in his mind, and it was hard to shake off the changes he had undergone after his return.
Qiao Wenxing felt a dull pain in his heart.
Suddenly, Han Yanyan sprang up and dashed down the stairs. Her father, seated in the living room reading a newspaper, was startled by her abruptness.
“Dad! Run! There’s an earthquake!” Han Yanyan yelled, tugging at him frantically.
“Don’t be ridiculous! There’s no earthquake,” her father replied, bewildered. “I’ve been sitting here, how could I not notice?”
Breathless and shaken, Han Yanyan glanced fearfully at the ceiling, confirming that there was no movement, no signs of an earthquake at all. But…
“It shook so violently just now! The walls in my room have cracked!” she exclaimed, still in shock. Anyone lying peacefully would be frightened by such a sudden disturbance, especially as the walls visibly cracked.
Her father, not convinced, followed her upstairs. The room was intact, the walls covered with pristine wallpaper.
Han Yanyan was left speechless.
“Really, I saw it with my own eyes…” she murmured.
“Were you dreaming?” her father replied with disbelief. “Perhaps you’re just too tired. The mergers and acquisitions have indeed been tedious, but you need to keep a close eye on them. Once this case wraps up, go abroad to find your mother and take her out shopping. You need to relax. And remember to bring her back; it’s been a year since she was home.”
Her father left with a sigh of lament, leaving Han Yanyan sitting in a daze. How could she have experienced such a hallucination?
After a moment, Han Yanyan’s expression changed.
She locked her door, returning to the center of her room. Her room was large, with a dressing area as big as a small bedroom. She turned in circles in the middle of the room, staring up at the ceiling, shouting, “Hey! Are you there? Hey! You, the electronic voice!”
But the electronic voice offered no reply. Han Yanyan yelled a few more times, but the room remained silent, and she looked like a fool.
Resolute, Han Yanyan rummaged through a drawer, pulling out a small knife, and drew a line against her wrist. Having survived in a post-apocalyptic world for three years, she had faced zombies and had taken lives without hesitation; crimson blood flowed immediately from the deep cut.
In her mind, Han Yanyan counted down: ten, nine, eight…
“Han Yanyan! What are you doing!”
She had only counted to three when the piercing electronic voice exclaimed in panic.
A glint of light flashed in Han Yanyan’s eyes as she pressed down on her wound to stop the bleeding. Having been injured often in the apocalypse, she was surprisingly adept at first aid. Aside from her lack of special powers, everything she had learned in the apocalypse had followed her here.
She thought, maybe she should find a fighting gym to test her skills out someday. Why hadn’t she thought of that sooner?
“Does ‘Miss Han Yanyan’ still possess the skills of ‘Apocalyptic Han Yanyan’?”
“Hey, why did you call me out?” the electronic voice said, sounding unhappy now that she was no longer in danger. The voice floated in the air without a face or a body.
“Have you been here all along?” Han Yanyan asked.
“I mentioned before that I was monitoring you the entire time,” the electronic voice replied.
Han Yanyan smirked coldly. “Then when I called out for you, why didn’t you respond?”
The electronic voice sounded a bit unnatural. “You’re doing quite well in this world, so I didn’t need to show up.”
“I just felt an earthquake and saw the walls crack. But no one else felt anything, and everything I saw has vanished,” Han Yanyan explained. “I remembered a time before when I felt an earthquake alone in my office, but everyone else felt nothing. What could be happening?”
“Is this world… about to collapse too?” Han Yanyan, having experienced a world’s collapse once, directed her gaze at the ceiling.
“Uh, it’s not exactly a collapse…” the electronic voice responded vaguely.
“Be clear!” Han Yanyan demanded, her air of authority having formed from a year of acting as the highborn daughter and heir of a corporation.
The electronic voice couldn’t help but shudder in response, answering instinctively, “It’s not a collapse; it’s just nearing the end.”
“The end?” Han Yanyan was taken aback.
Having spoken out, the electronic voice seemed to lose its restraint.
“Yes, nearing the end. I’m surprised myself,” the electronic voice said. “This is not a high-difficulty task, but you are a beginner, and I didn’t expect you to progress so quickly.”
Han Yanyan lowered her gaze, but then lifted it again, asking, “Does this relate to Qiao Wenxing?”
“Yes. He is the target; the most crucial one,” the electronic voice said, sounding pleased. “But you’ve impressed me; you’re indeed an excellent architect.”
“Han Yanyan! Put in your best effort! It’s almost done!” it urged. “Just a little more, and the task for this world can truly be completed! Come on, show me what you’ve got, give Qiao Wenxing some real stimulation, hit him hard! You perform well, and I promise to reward you!”
Yet Han Yanyan remained contemplative, considering for a moment before asking, “If the task ends, will the world disappear?”
“Yes,” the electronic voice confirmed.
“Then what is the purpose of this world’s existence?” Han Yanyan gritted her teeth.
“Why do you care about that? Just do your job well,” the electronic voice answered dismissively.
“If there’s no task, can the world exist on its own?” Han Yanyan pressed on.
The electronic voice hesitated before responding. Han Yanyan understood then that these worlds existed solely for the tasks.
Suddenly, the electronic voice grew impatient, speaking rather harshly. “Why are you thinking so much? Have you forgotten why you took on the tasks? Your life is in my hands! Just do your job properly and finish this task! There are proper tasks waiting for you! Stop overthinking! No matter how much you think, you won’t leave here!”
The voice spoke the brutal truth. Han Yanyan’s fate lay in someone else’s hands; what right did she have to interrogate?
“Alright, alright, is there anything else? If not, I’m disconnecting!” the electronic voice said hastily.
“Wait a moment,” Han Yanyan called out, “You must have a name, right? What should I call you? I can’t just call you ‘hey,’ right?”
“Oh,” the electronic voice replied, “I’m called Leo.”
“Leo,” Han Yanyan smiled, “You must be younger than me, right?”
“Not at all!” Leo instinctively retorted. “My age is three times yours.”
Realizing he had revealed too much, his eyes darted around. “You…” But with a glance at the dark barrel of a gun behind him, he dared not admit that he had been led into this by Han Yanyan, and forced himself to say, “Stop talking nonsense, just do your job!”
After closing the communication, he turned around, flattering those with him. “She’s doing well here; in a little while, it will all be over. As soon as she’s ready, I’ll let her get to the real task…”
With Leo’s voice gone from the room, Han Yanyan pressed against her wounded wrist, a cold smile emerging at the corner of her mouth.
Indeed, there were people hiding behind the microphone…