After a few days, Han Yanyan finally called Jiang Ye.
"Still alive," Jiang Ye said, his tone heavy with guilt. "My brain is severely deprived of oxygen and I'm still in a fog."
His voice carried a weight of regret. Yang Jun, just as his girlfriend and subordinate described, had been too young and too eager for success. Unfortunately, he had crossed paths with Yao Chen just as the latter was purging traitors, landing himself in a deadly situation.
Qingshui Bay had now fallen under close city surveillance. Yao Chen's men no longer disposed of corpses there; instead, they took Yang Jun to a remote area in the suburbs and buried him alive. Jiang Ye’s team had managed to locate him through tracking, but now Yang Jun hovered between life and death, with a strong chance of brain death.
Han Yanyan asked Jiang Ye, "Do you trust me?"
Jiang Ye paused for a moment and replied, "I trust you are someone who wants to see Yao Chen brought to justice, just like me."
"Then let's cooperate," Han Yanyan proposed.
Thus, an alliance was formed. With Jiang Ye as her partner, their efforts became remarkably efficient. They decided to place the blame for leaking news about the transaction squarely on San Hu.
Back in May of the previous year, Han Yanyan had deliberately driven a wedge between San Hu and Yao Chen, piercing through both. Whatever information San Hu had, Yao Chen would naturally be aware of as well.
Such suspicions were difficult to explain and only served to entrench them further. Yao Chen could only quell his doubts about San Hu through continued trust and reliance on him. Yet, Yao Chen himself pondered whether San Hu's doubts might lead to disloyalty. This kind of suspicion was toxic and could not be easily resolved.
With Jiang Ye outside and Han Yanyan inside, they worked together to mislead Yao Chen into believing the real traitors were actually San Hu's crew, with Xiao Yang merely being a scapegoat. Eventually, the relationship between Yao Chen and San Hu soured, resulting in one death and one escape. Yao Chen lost another brother, and San Hu had fled the scene.
In one fell swoop, Yao Chen lost two trusted allies.
Despite the fallout, Yao Chen wasn't without his own suspicions. He conducted another thorough investigation and discovered several listening devices that Han Yanyan had set up. Thankfully, Han Yanyan had been vigilant, immediately erasing any evidence of her surveillance.
Yet, this incident made Yao Chen realize there was still a traitor among his ranks. He doubted many, but never once thought to suspect Han Yanyan. This woman was his legal wife, wholly dependent on him. Should he fall, she would suffer the most.
Logically, she was the least likely person to betray him.
“My listening devices were discovered; we cannot take further action for now,” Han Yanyan explained to Jiang Ye.
Now, Jiang Ye saw this “he” as an important ally and reminded her, “Be careful, don’t get caught. Do we have a chance to meet?”
Han Yanyan smiled, “Of course we do. The day we meet will be when I gather enough evidence to bring Yao Chen down.”
As Yao Chen continued to suffer setbacks and grew increasingly suspicious of everyone around him, he leaned even more heavily on Han Yanyan.
He entrusted her with more power. She was inching closer to the core affairs she so longed to touch. How could she gain Yao Chen's complete trust?
Yao Chen had encountered much displeasure lately, and his mood remained foul.
One day, as he looked at Han Yanyan, he felt thankful to have her by his side. No matter how gloomy he felt, seeing her always lifted his spirits.
No matter how many ambitions one has, in the end, it is the warmth of family that truly matters. In a moment of tenderness, he pulled Han Yanyan into his arms, saying, “Let’s have a child. If it’s a son, I’ll give him all my inheritance.”
Han Yanyan was surprised. “We talked about this already…”
Yao Chen had mentioned wanting children when they married, but Han Yanyan had been on birth control since they got together. She said she was still young and had not finished her studies, so she didn’t want to have a baby yet. She had school and work to juggle; adding a child would complicate her life. Besides, she truly was still young – just two or three years until she finished her postgraduate studies, so Yao Chen didn’t press her.
But now, Yao Chen felt an urgent desire for a child.
“Stop the pills,” he ordered.
Han Yanyan was uncertain about having children in this world.
When Yao Chen was away, Han Yanyan went down to the basement and pulled out a flying knife.
“Leo, Leo,” she called for the twisted figure.
He didn’t respond. Did he need to be begged to come out every time? Han Yanyan pressed the blade against her neck, adopting a stance like an ancient loyal minister rebelling against a king, yet Leo remained silent.
She thought it might be a good test.
With a slight pressure, the sharp edge left a line of blood on her neck, narrowly avoiding the artery; red droplets quickly welled to the surface.
Han Yanyan held the knife, awaiting Leo’s appearance.
He didn’t dare show.
Did he?
In the previous world, he would appear at will, jumping out at a simple call. Yet in the apocalypse, he only dared to reveal himself when Han Yanyan was far from Ding Yao, hastily retreating.
Now, they were in the same city, not too far apart, and still, Leo would not make an appearance despite her urging.
Originally, she intended to ask about having a child, but with this turn of events, the child’s matter seemed trivial. After applying a tissue to stop the bleeding and smiling at the ceiling, she turned and headed upstairs.
Outside of this world, Leo felt particularly inclined to smother Han Yanyan.
But those with him in the monitoring system remarked, “This woman is quite ruthless toward herself. Where did you find someone like her?”
Leo replied curtly, “In a godforsaken place, very primitive and backward.”
“Is she planning to use betrayal to provoke him?” the other queried. “Will it work?”
“Who knows,” Leo said, waving his hand and pulling up a chart in the air.
“Look at this line! It’s so stable. One trigger, and wham! Up it goes! I’m quite looking forward to it!” He smiled genuinely, taking delight in the malice.
Though an insufferable woman, she was indeed an exceptional architect.
When Yao Chen returned home, he saw the bandage around Han Yanyan's neck and his pupils contracted. “What happened?”
“Ugh! Don’t touch! It hurts!” Han Yanyan complained. “I was playing with a flying knife, and it slipped.”
Yao Chen found the bloodied knife and the blood-stained carpet, along with the stool Han Yanyan had intentionally kicked, making the whole scene look like a terrible accident. He believed her.
“Be more careful, don’t play with knives!” He felt a twinge of fear. He had always been fascinated with knives, and they were indeed sharp enough to cause such accidents.
“It’s nothing; I was just lost in thought when it slipped,” Han Yanyan reassured him.
“What were you thinking about?” Yao Chen inquired.
Sitting in his embrace, Han Yanyan looked up at him. “I want to hear you say to stop taking the pills.”
Yao Chen turned a mix of surprise and joy, “What made you change your mind?”
“Considering the timeline, even if I stop taking the pills, it’ll be six months before I could get pregnant. It’s not like I can just will it to happen. I’ve already started working on my thesis, and that should give me the time to graduate,” she explained.
Han Yanyan had always resisted having children, which made Yao Chen suspicious. He worried she was keeping an exit strategy for herself. If she was willing to have a child, that signified her genuine desire to build a future together.
Many men believe that having a child signifies ownership of a woman, thinking once she bears his child, she will be bound to him for life.
Just like his mother, who endured relentless beatings from his deadbeat father. He had urged her countless times to leave him, but she believed she couldn’t live without the man who assaulted her daily. In the end, she died at his hands.
Han Yanyan’s reasoning was sound, and Yao Chen’s heart swelled with delight as he lifted her off the ground, spinning her around joyfully.
“Yanyan, give me a son!” he declared. “In my first half of life, I lived for myself, and now, I’ll fight for you and our child!”
Han Yanyan teased, “What if it’s a girl?”
Yao Chen laughed heartily, “A daughter is fine too, any child will do.”
That night, Yao Chen carefully avoided the bandage on her neck and made love to her, pouring himself into her completely. Such an act often fills a man with a profound sense of conquest and possession.
Afterward, he lay his hand on Han Yanyan’s flat stomach, wishing it would swell at that moment and deliver a child.
Han Yanyan laughed breathlessly, “That’s impossible; it’ll take at least six months before anything can happen. You’ll need to avoid any pregnancies during this time.”
Yao Chen sighed wistfully and gradually committed himself to being careful. Han Yanyan educated him extensively, explaining that he didn’t want to bear a deformed child. He had seen firsthand the consequences of toxic lives. Such children could only be considered burdens.
Han Yanyan completed her postgraduate studies and obtained her master's degree but still hadn’t conceived.
Yao Chen felt anxious, but he had been reading about pregnancy so that he wouldn’t apply any pressure on Han Yanyan. Instead, he worked diligently, hoping for results.
After their lovemaking, he wouldn’t let her bathe immediately, holding her tight, insisting she “lie still for five more minutes” to increase her chances of conception.
Finally allowed to bathe, Han Yanyan stood before the bathroom mirror after her shower, wiping away the mist.
Looking at her reflection, she gently rested her hand on her lower abdomen.
“Leo,” she said softly, “I need to get pregnant. I must get pregnant.”
Leo’s lips twitched. Damn, this woman was even issuing orders now!
“Can she still get pregnant inside?” someone asked from the monitoring team.
“Yes. If she desires it, she can,” Leo responded.
The other person remembered, “Then the child born would also…”
“Right, also,” Leo affirmed.
After a moment of silence, the other person commented, “That’s rather complicated.” This woman, after all, knew nothing. As a woman, could she really not form a bond with her child?
If only you had the heart for compassion, could you at least let me off the hook? Leo cursed silently. Their lives rested in her hands, and it wasn’t an easy burden.
“Who made her an architect in the first place?” He scoffed at Han Yanyan, feeling a wicked sense of satisfaction.
The other person glanced at him, “Your architects don’t have happy endings either, do they?”
“Not at all, they live exceptionally well in the ‘world,’ indulging in luxury and pleasure.” Leo lamented, feeling wronged.
But what of it? He pondered, if he were in their shoes, having gone through several worlds, he might have gone insane.
Yet he needed architects; he needed Han Yanyan. Even with a flicker of sympathy for her, his position dictated he could never offer her assistance.
After all, compared to the other, Han Yanyan was insignificant.
In her heart, Han Yanyan believed she needed to bear a child for Yao Chen, and so she became pregnant.
The moment she conceived for Yao Chen would be the moment he fully entrusted her.
“Otherwise, take a break at home and don’t worry about the company,” he suggested.
“Absolutely not; I would go stir-crazy,” she replied, “It’s not physically demanding, why worry?”
Yao Chen consented. He not only allowed her to continue her work but finally entrusted her with his most sensitive matters.
“All of this will be for you and the child in the future,” he said, gripping her hand.
Han Yanyan beamed with happiness, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Your trust in me makes me truly joyful.”
One could say, she was exceptionally happy.