Chapter 25: The Ice Queen’s Fierce Love p3
Guan Ruolin, as a mother, had sensed her daughter’s unhappiness. She had only wanted her children to be safe, happy. Grandma Pan had warned her about the Nangongs, calling them an unsuitable match.
But if Xu Qiuyi wanted to marry into the Nangong family, she would support her decision.
The truth, however, had been too much to bear. Unable to accept that her husband had used their daughter for financial gain, she had been on her way to see Zhichun when she was involved in a car accident, dying instantly.
Guan Ruolin had spoken to Zhichun before leaving, and Xu Qiuyi had learned the truth. At the funeral, Zhichun, overwhelmed by grief, had suffered a severe asthma attack and had been rushed to the hospital.
That night, Xu Zhihong, drunk and distraught, had jumped to his death.
In a single day, Xu Qiuyi had lost both her parents, her sister lay ill in the hospital, and, amidst the emotional turmoil, she had suffered a miscarriage. Lu Weiyu, seizing the opportunity, had decided to find a more suitable wife for her son, and Xu Qiuyi, heartbroken, had left the country.
Within three months, Nangong Yunfei had followed her, using Zhichun as leverage to force her to return, imprisoning her in a secluded villa on a private island. The beginning of their forced relationship.
According to the original timeline, he had visited her frequently, bringing updates and videos of Zhichun, ensuring her compliance.
During their last meeting, Xu Qiuyi had looked at him and said, “Knowing you has been a curse.”
“You killed my mother, drove my father to suicide, and now you’re using my sister to control me. Die. You disgust me.”
And then, she had dissolved him in aqua regia and flushed him down the drain.
After ensuring he was completely gone, she had called the police and confessed.
Xu Qiuyi, constrained by her responsibilities as a student, had become ruthless and decisive as an adult. She hadn’t been ignorant of the injustices she had faced; she had simply been unable to act. Nangong Yunfei’s relentless pursuit, his forced affection, had driven her to extremes.
He had died, never understanding why his seemingly devoted fiancée had turned against him, never realizing that his death would trigger the downfall of the entire Nangong empire.
Later, it was revealed that the villa on the island contained a fully equipped drug lab. Xu Qiuyi’s purpose there became clear, fueling rumors that the Nangong family had pursued her for her talent, her ability to synthesize complex chemical compounds.
Not everyone could reverse-engineer a formula from a small sample.
The Nangongs, enraged, realized all evidence pointed to their former fiancée, Xu Qiuyi.
Many wanted her dead, but by then, she had already been executed, her ashes claimed by an unknown party. Even her sister, the frail Zhichun, had disappeared from the sanatorium.
No one knew how she had leaked the Nangong family’s secrets, how many years she had spent gathering evidence.
Tao Ning didn’t know if the “hero saves damsel” incident in the original timeline had been a deliberate setup. Perhaps her arrival had simply accelerated the inevitable. She could have handled everything discreetly, allowing Xu Qiuyi to remain oblivious until the mission ended.
But after careful consideration, she had decided that Xu Qiuyi, as the victim, deserved to know the truth, to be free from the manipulation of guilt and family obligations.
Severing ties, however painful, was sometimes necessary.
It was better for her to face this now, while Tao Ning was there to support her, than later, alone, on her own.
Some things were best handled early, like the Crown Club. It shouldn’t exist.
The distant wail of sirens grew louder, approaching.
Xu Qiuyi, her eyes flickering towards the sound, then to Tao Ning, asked, “What’s…?”
Tao Ning, her gaze darkening, asked, “Do you know what goes on inside the Crown Club?”
Xu Qiuyi, her curiosity piqued, asked, “What?”
Tao Ning gently brushed a strand of hair from Xu Qiuyi’s face, her fingers lingering on her ear. Amidst the growing noise, she said, “Gambling. Prostitution. Underground fighting rings. And…”
She leaned closer, her lips brushing against Xu Qiuyi’s ear, and whispered, “Murder.”
Xu Qiuyi’s eyelashes fluttered, and she instinctively reached for Tao Ning’s hand.
Tao Ning, her voice soothing, said, “Don’t worry. No one hurts you and gets away with it. This place shouldn’t exist.”
“Nangong Yunfei wants to be the head of the Nangong family? I’ll make sure he’s disowned, a disgrace, never to rise again.”
Xu Qiuyi’s heart pounded at her words.
As if on cue, the sirens grew louder.
Liao Shishi, grabbing the two brawling men, pulled them apart, ready to hand them over to the police. She had, however, instructed Uncle Liu to ask Xu Qiuyi a question.
The question, phrased politely, was whether they should “handle” Xu Zhihong, treat him as a victim. But Xu Qiuyi, understanding the implication, remained silent.
Xu Zhihong, finally remembering his daughter, started crying, pleading for forgiveness, claiming he had been tricked, that he hadn’t known the consequences, that he would never intentionally harm his own daughter.
Seeing no reaction from inside the car, he resorted to insults.
He called Xu Qiuyi ungrateful, heartless, a burden, a disgrace, accusing her of abandoning her own father, wishing she had never been born.
Then, he turned on Guan Ruolin, blaming her for not giving him a son, for making him feel inadequate, for forcing him to seek solace in gambling, only to raise an ungrateful daughter.
Tao Ning, after a long silence, heard Xu Qiuyi say, “Don’t let him go.”
Liao Shishi, annoyed by his incessant whining, punched him, silencing him.
“Very well, Miss. We’ll inform the family of the situation,” Uncle Liu said.
Xu Qiuyi hesitated. “Including… my mother?”
Uncle Liu replied, “That’s up to the police. But I believe she’ll be notified.”
Another long silence followed, then Xu Qiuyi nodded slowly. “I understand. It’s… for the best.”
Tao Ning took her hand, placing it on her lap. “Come on. Let’s go.”
At the hospital, Tao Ning, her brow furrowed, reviewed Xu Qiuyi’s medical reports.
Xu Qiuyi, sitting beside her, watching her still-furious expression, felt a strange mix of emotions, a warmth spreading through her chest. “The doctor said I’m fine. Just need some rest. There was no need to…” She hadn’t expected a full medical checkup in the middle of the night.
“It’s our hospital. Don’t worry about the cost. Might as well take advantage of it,” Tao Ning said, pointing at a line on the report. “You’re anemic. You need to eat more.”
Xu Qiuyi: “…”
She silently plugged in her phone to charge. The forgotten device finally powered on, revealing several missed calls from her mother.
As she hesitated, wondering whether to call back, her phone rang. The ringtone startled Tao Ning, who was busy devising a meal plan for Xu Qiuyi. She stopped and looked at Xu Qiuyi.
Xu Qiuyi answered the call. “Mom?”
Guan Ruolin’s voice, soft and gentle, came through the speaker. “I called several times, and the landline too. You didn’t answer. Are you still asleep? Don’t come to the hospital tonight. I’ve managed to get Zhichun to sleep. Rest for a few days.”
“No, I’m awake,” Xu Qiuyi said, her eyes suddenly welling up. She didn’t know how to tell her mother about what had happened. She didn’t ask about Xu Zhihong. She didn’t know he had come home, or why.
Sniffling, she asked, “Zhichun’s still at the Second Provincial, right?”
Guan Ruolin sounded surprised. “Of course, she is. Her doctor is there. Don’t you remember? Are you… overworking yourself? Don’t stress too much… Are you crying? Have you caught a cold? The weather’s been changing. Remember to bring a jacket…”
Xu Qiuyi listened quietly, then murmured, “Okay.”
Guan Ruolin, taking advantage of Zhichun’s sleep, wanting to talk to her eldest daughter, continued, her voice a soothing stream of words.
Xu Qiuyi offered the occasional response, her presence enough for her mother.
Guan Ruolin said Zhichun was doing much better, that she could come home tomorrow, that Xu Zhihong seemed to have finally understood the gravity of his actions, that he had been helpful and remorseful all afternoon.
Did she believe him? As his wife, she couldn’t honestly say she did, but she wanted to believe it, clinging to the hope, the brief respite from hardship.
She had been deceiving herself for so long, creating a facade of normalcy, clinging to the belief that children needed a father.
Xu Qiuyi considered maintaining the illusion, sparing her mother the pain. If she released Xu Zhihong now, made him promise to change, they could have a semblance of peace, at least for a while. But the words wouldn’t come.
Parents knew their children’s weaknesses, and their betrayals cut the deepest, leaving lasting scars.
In the end, Xu Qiuyi said nothing, ending the call.
Tao Ning, setting aside the medical reports, moved closer, gently placing one hand on the back of Xu Qiuyi’s neck, the other on her back, pulling her close. “It’s okay to cry. No one will see. I’ll hide you.”
As Xu Qiuyi leaned against her, her eyes and nose burning, a sob escaped her lips.
The long-awaited autumn rain finally arrived.
As Xu Qiuyi cried, the rain fell outside, their intertwined reflections visible on the windowpane.
Tao Ning’s hand gently stroked her back, a soothing warmth, her heartbeat a steady rhythm against Xu Qiuyi’s ear, strong and reassuring.
“Why? Why me? Wasn’t I good enough? What did I do wrong?” Xu Qiuyi, at eighteen, had been asking herself these questions for years.
Why was she born into this family?
Why were her efforts never acknowledged?
Why did he have to gamble?
Why would he betray her, his own daughter?
Would things have been different if she had been… better?
Tao Ning held her tighter, her cheek resting against Xu Qiuyi’s hair. “You’re good enough. You did nothing wrong.”
Xu Qiuyi’s tears flowed silently, her hands clutching Tao Ning’s shirt, her slender shoulders trembling.
She cried silently, her sobs muffled against Tao Ning’s chest, her tears soaking the fabric.
Her restraint only made her seem more vulnerable, more heartbreaking.
Tao Ning felt a surge of anger, a protective instinct fierce and unwavering, Xu Qiuyi’s tears fueling the fire within her.
Tao Ning, despite her easygoing demeanor, was inherently proud, her thoughts and feelings hidden beneath a carefully constructed facade of indifference.
She had believed herself to be immune to emotional outbursts, always in control. Now, she realized she was just as susceptible to sentimentality as any novice.
Seeing Xu Qiuyi cry made her unhappy, deeply unhappy, a tightness in her chest, a mix of frustration and… something else.
She hadn’t yet identified this feeling as heartache. She only knew she was unhappy, and someone had to pay.
She addressed 520. “Are you sure we can’t… implement my friend’s suggestion? I’m confident I can handle it.”
Initially, 520 didn’t understand what she meant. Then, remembering the “send them to Africa,” “eliminate them,” “burn the soul to prevent reincarnation” suggestions, it shuddered.
It even suspected Tao Ning had been testing its boundaries.
But…
520 sensed Tao Ning’s rising anger levels. [I… suppose it’s possible…] Who am I to argue with a host in this state?
It regretted choosing a seemingly obedient novice. This was a hardcore rookie.
As Xu Qiuyi’s sobs subsided, Tao Ning said, “Don’t go home tonight. Stay at my place.” She couldn’t bear to let her go home alone.
And so, Xu Qiuyi, still disoriented, found herself at the Tao residence, the luxurious surroundings a blur as she was led inside, her mind and body exhausted, numbly following instructions, standing, sitting, eating a few bites before giving up.
She vaguely remembered being led to a balcony, the cool night air a stark contrast to the warmth beside her, someone gently applying a cool compress to her eyes, everything dreamlike, surreal.
She thought she heard Tao Ning talking to her mother on the phone. “Yes, Auntie, Qiuyi’s with me. I brought her here. My address is…”
The next morning, Xu Qiuyi woke up in an unfamiliar room, disoriented.
She had slept soundly, her eyes no longer swollen or sore. After a moment, she realized Tao Ning must have taken care of her.
Getting out of bed, she opened the door, intending to find Tao Ning, but she couldn’t remember which room Tao Ning had said was hers.
She stood in the hallway for a moment, then, hearing voices downstairs, one of which sounded like Tao Ning, she followed the sound.
Downstairs, an elegant woman in a business suit was instructing the housekeeper, “Ningning isn’t awake yet… Ah, I hear her coming down. Prepare breakfast.”
The housekeeper nodded and left.
Tao Yan, smoothing her hair, checking her reflection in the hallway mirror, ensuring she still looked impeccably polished, nodded in satisfaction.
Hearing footsteps approaching, she turned around, a bright smile on her face. “Surprise! Guess who’s back…”
She froze, her smile faltering as she met the gaze of a girl in pajamas standing on the stairs.
Tao Yan: “…”
Xu Qiuyi: “…”
Tao Yan’s mind raced. Am I in the right house? Is this my house? Who is this girl? This is so awkward. Someone, please help me!
Leave a Reply