"Sister, he's awake."
It was a familiar voice, but the tone had changed from spoiled to sweet and innocent.
Sister, when did Ruan Jiao have an older sister?
Just then, a beautiful and aloof figure came into his line of sight. It was Du Lan, yet it seemed to be someone else entirely, not the Du Lan he remembered.
In both memory and reality, Du Lan was incredibly fragile. He Heng often worried about what would happen to Du Lan if he left him.
When he truly faced it, and faced the fact that Duran had left him, He Heng seemed to find it even harder to accept.
The once pitiful face now possessed a cold and stern demeanor, causing a complete transformation in Durant's overall aura.
Previously, she resembled a delicate, innocent lotus flower; now, she possesses an unparalleled, pure beauty and a resolute, unyielding spirit.
"Lan... Lanlan."
He Heng called out haltingly, still unwilling to believe that the little white flower had turned into an iron body.
Unwilling to believe her own incompetence, she was manipulated by Du Lan and Ruan Jiao.
He was always the one manipulating others; when did it become his turn to be manipulated?
The sharp gaze sent a chill down He Heng's spine, and made him realize the harsh reality even more clearly.
Durant is not the Durant of the past, nor is he the Durant we remember.
He Heng hesitated, wanting to say something, but couldn't even think of what to say.
He Heng didn't know how to say it, or what to say, and he didn't know where to begin. After thinking for a long time, he could only come up with one sentence:
"Why?"
Du Lan and Ruan Jiao were met with questioning and betrayed looks, but they could only laugh. Did someone like He Heng have the right to ask why?
Does he deserve it? If he did, those who were harmed by him in the past would probably have already spoken out.
"Why, He Heng, why are you asking why?"
"Why can't I ask?"
He Heng gritted his teeth; if he could, he would have rushed up and slapped Ruan Jiao and Du Lan twice.
The more he liked and pitied them in the past, the more he hates them now. To be fair, he was good to both of them.
Duran, the girl he fell in love with at first sight, became his sweetheart. He took extra care of her, fetching hot water for her and saving her a seat.
He's already done so much, what more could Durant possibly want? Why would he want to harm him?
And then there's Ruan Jiao. Although he didn't particularly like this spoiled young lady, every time she argued with Du Lan, he always told Du Lan to give in to her.
Otherwise, given Ruan Jiao's temperament, she would have known long ago how many people she had offended.
The two people in front of him had both benefited from him, but in the blink of an eye they plotted against him and locked him in a small room. What is this if not repaying kindness with enmity?
The more He Heng thought about it, the more he felt his good intentions had been wasted, and the more accusatory he looked at Du Lan and Ruan Jiao became.
"He Heng, do you still remember what happened in Haicheng?"
Pulling back the impulsive Ruan Jiao, Du Lan asked in a cold voice,
Having been in Beijing for quite some time, the sudden mention of Haicheng made He Heng feel somewhat dazed.
Haicheng, Haicheng's affairs... His eyes widened instantly, and He Heng didn't dare to look Du Lan in the eye.
"Looks like she's remembered."
With a cold snort, seeing He Heng's evasive behavior, Du Lan was no longer in a hurry.
Two stools appeared out of nowhere; Du Lan sat down on one, and gestured for Ruan Jiao to sit on the other.
As for He Heng, what right does a criminal have to sit here?
"Do you remember now?"
The voice grew colder, as if carried by wires, and He Heng reflexively offered a pretext for denial.
"No, I don't remember anything."
As soon as he said it, He Heng wanted to slap himself. His words were practically an admission of guilt.
Du Lan and Ruan Jiao didn't pay much attention; given He Heng's personality, it would have been truly surprising if he had admitted it.
Denying it is normal; admitting it is definitely a scam.
"It's okay if you can't remember. We have plenty of time to help you recall until you do."
Duran's words reminded He Heng of the months he was imprisoned, that dark and hopeless life.
"I...I remember now."
"Now that you remember, let's reminisce together."
He Heng looked at Du Lan in surprise, as if to say, "Why aren't you playing by the rules?"
The opinion of a prisoner is unimportant, and Du Lan and Ruan Jiao care even less. They might have cared before they got their hands on him, but now that they have him...
They were concerned with what would happen next, rather than arguing with He Heng about unnecessary topics.
Do you remember the first girl you ever met?
The cold, clear voice made it difficult for He Heng to remain calm; this was the first girl he had ever met.
He Heng's heart skipped a beat, and a trace of sadness he had deliberately forgotten surfaced in his eyes.
The first girl he met was his favorite; after all, she was his first love when he was just beginning to experience love, and she left a deeper impression on him than any of the other girls he met later.
"It seems you've remembered."
His eyes were unfocused, filled with memories and longing; it was clear he had remembered.
That's how people are; they don't think about things when others don't mention them, but as soon as someone brings them up, a nostalgic look appears on their face, as if they have some deep affection for someone.
In reality, it was nothing more than a complete exploitation. There was little affection involved; the real purpose was to gain benefits from the exploitation.
No... I didn't.
Anxiety spread through He Heng's heart. He wasn't sure how much Du Lan and Ruan Jiao knew, but since they could talk to him face-to-face in a room, they must know quite a bit.
"Really not? He Heng, should I remind you? The first person you contacted and used was named Xiao Ting."
With a cool demeanor tinged with a hint of mockery, Duran truly despised people like He Heng.
Having ambition and desire is a good thing, but doing it incorrectly can turn ambition into something negative.
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