Chapter 204
Ling Wu nodded and glanced at He Tinglan and He Tingyao through the protective glass.
They were barely clothed, with vacant eyes, and various instruments attached to their bodies.
She was completely different from the elegant and refined He Tinglan and the pure and proud He Tingyao of a year ago.
Standing next to Lingwu, Duan Lingwu couldn't quite describe her feelings. She wanted to cry and laugh at the same time, and in the end, she could only cover her mouth and sob.
The resentment gradually disappeared, and the blood and tears turned into clear tears.
She spotted He Tingyao the moment Ling Wu arrived, and her empty eyes lit up.
"Mom, did you come to see Yaoyao?"
He Tingyao's vocal cords seemed to have a problem, which made her voice hoarse and unpleasant.
She received no response from Ling Wu, only a faint glance.
Ling Wu's eyes were still gentle, but they were no longer directed at He Tingyao.
"Mom, Mom..." He Tingyao murmured over and over again, her gaze fixed on Ling Wu's face.
It seemed as if he was trying to see a trace of longing for her, or as if he wanted to deeply engrave her image in his heart.
He Tinglan seemed to sense something. He looked at Ling Wu from afar, and finally, with difficulty, raised the corners of his lips and gave her a radiant smile.
All he got in return was a cold glance from Ling Wu before she turned and left.
His smile froze as he pounded on the glass, trying to call back Ling Wu, but in the end he could only watch helplessly as that figure receded little by little into the distance.
Only one tear slowly slid down from the corner of his eye.
He wiped away his tears, looked down at the dampness on his fingertips, and the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
He Tingyao did not struggle; her eyes remained fixed on that radiant figure that would forever remain vivid in her memory.
Only after Ling Wu's figure had completely disappeared did she murmur in a very soft voice:
Did you ever truly love Yaoyao?
Perhaps no response is the best outcome.
At least her mother didn't say she didn't love her.
From then on, they were imprisoned in this cage, like little birds whose wings had been broken by He Tinglan, unable to leave.
He Cheng was imprisoned for attempting to bribe senior executives in the past, and when he was released, He's Group had already gone bankrupt and been acquired by Duan's Group.
He Cheng, who once manipulated people's hearts, now has nothing but the clothes he wore when he went to prison and countless debts.
He thought making a comeback would be easy...
But the person who used to bow and scrape before him now sneers and spits at him arrogantly: "Crawl between my legs and I'll give you 100,000 yuan."
He turned away indifferently, and only when he looked at the endless trash, the countless dishes to be washed, and the chaotic rented room did he understand—
All his past advantages stemmed from having a good family background.
early summer
Jiang Zhi followed obediently behind Ling Wu. "Ling Wu, you just got back from your round-the-world trip. Do you want to rest for a while?"
He handed the empty bottle to the sanitation worker who was rummaging through the trash can.
The man instinctively reached out to thank him, but as he looked up, he immediately pulled his hat down and turned to leave.
"Hey! The bottle... never mind." Jiang Zhi threw the bottle into the trash can and continued to catch up with Ling Wu.
"That person just now seemed somewhat familiar," Jiang Zhi said, puzzled.
"It's Hecheng."
The woman's voice was soft and gentle, yet it startled the man who was hiding in the greenery, covering his face, and he slowly raised his head.
He prepared himself mentally for a long time before finally leaving the greenery.
Unfortunately, she was never seen again.
Only one luxury car passed by him.
While checking the road conditions, Jiang Du, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, glanced indifferently at He Cheng through the car window.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Li Zhenzhen held a box of pastries and turned to give Ling Wu some detailed instructions.
Beside Ling Wu was Jiang Zhi, who had a languid air but was inexplicably a little shy.
He smiled, his eyes revealing his emotions.
As the car drove further and further away, He Cheng lowered his eyes and glanced at the empty bottle he had picked up.
Looking up, you can see the tallest building in the city—
The Duan Group.
Who would have thought that the Duan Group, which was on the verge of bankruptcy thirteen years ago, would have such a glorious future?
"Mom, what's the name of the tallest building you live in?"
"The Duan Group is the family of that pretty lady you like the most."
"Is it from my sister's family? Is it a family business?" The little girl was dressed coolly, but her voice was still very childish.
The woman holding his hand showed a hint of tenderness as she lowered her head.
"Yes and no."
"Um?"
"The Duan Group as it is now belongs to Duan Lingwu." After saying this, she picked up the little girl. "You'll understand when you grow up."
The little girl pouted, but said nothing.
Their figures gradually shrank, and He Cheng withdrew his gaze from the towering building.
"Duan as in Duan Lingwu".
He murmured, as if recalling something or mocking himself.
As he bowed his head, he saw his current face through the broken half of the mirror.
Life is full of vicissitudes, yet mediocre.
Compared to Jiang Zhi, who has been following Ling Wu for so many years and is praised by the entire Beijing circle as a "devoted lover," she has no right to be compared at all.
He swept the mirror off along with the half-stomped cigarette butt.
She didn't become like this; it was he who became like this.
——
Border Town
Lingwu stood on the mountaintop, holding a camera in her hand.
"Snap—"
The photo was quickly printed out, and the figure, invisible to everyone else, ran towards Ling Wu with a smile.
"My lord, can this photograph really remain in this world?" Duan Lingwu's eyes seemed to hold stars.
Lingwu nodded.
A gentle breeze stirred, lifting her long, dark hair.
A "click" sound came from behind, and the boy, wearing a white shirt, stepped forward with a shy smile.
"Um...it was so beautiful back then. I'm really sorry I took this photo without your permission." He said, handing the photo to Ling Wu.
The boy's clear eyes were very pure.
Lingwu took it, and only when she looked up did she slowly utter his name, "Night Cry".
The boy was taken aback for a moment, then smiled brightly, "You figured it out again."
As he spoke, he took out a warm orange rose from behind his back.
"See your keepsake."
Lingwu accepted it noncommittally, lowered her head and gently sniffed it, the fragrance of the flower was captivating.
Ye Ti took a few steps back, raised her camera, and said with a hint of warmth in her voice, "How about I take a picture of you and her together?"
Standing behind Lingwu, Duan Lingwu looked wary!
Night Cry adjusted the camera settings and explained to himself, "There seems to be a spiritual entity there, somewhat similar to you, but I can't be sure, um... just assume there's something wrong with my brain."
Only after receiving Ling Wu's consent did he press the shutter button.
The woman in the photo is wearing a long red dress. She looks at the camera with a gentle smile, her eyes overflowing with tenderness like spring water.
Strangely, she was the only person in the shot, but she was positioned slightly to the left of center, with her left hand slightly raised and her palm half-clenched.
It's like holding hands with someone you can't see.
This photograph is displayed on the National Wall of Honor. It is a pity that the beautiful woman has passed away, leaving only her lingering fragrance in the world.
All shares controlled by Duan Lingwu in the Duan Group have been handed over to the state, and all other assets under her name have been donated to charity.
That photo, which has been described as "making peace with one's past self," is often mentioned by people.
The man wearing a baseball cap looked at the photo wall, his fingers trembling slightly. Finally, he turned and left, getting into an ordinary-looking car parked on the side of the road.
After the car drove away, the other vehicles parked on the street also left one after another.
Until they reached a secret base.
Night Cry took off his baseball cap, revealing a pair of clean but indifferent eyes. He plucked a warm orange rose and then tossed the petals upwards.
Warm orange hues filled the sky, slowly falling.
“Kill me, and the alarm I carry will alert the entire galaxy. You will be safe here for at least a thousand years.”
As for the survival of carbon-based life forms a thousand years from now, that's none of his concern.
He just wanted to quickly experience all his lifetimes, atone for his sins, and await the salvation of a god.
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