She gave up all her purity for a false home.
"Later, he took me home. It was too late, and as he said at the time, it was dangerous for me to take a taxi alone while drunk, and I might not be able to get one. I thought I was careful enough, but someone who wants to eat you has a million ways to eat you."
There are partitions between the front and rear rows; even without them, the driver probably wouldn't turn around.
His hand moved across her front, the overwhelming smell of alcohol assaulting her nostrils, the hot breath on her ear making her nauseous: "Juanjuan... you smell so good, Juanjuan, you're so beautiful..." His burning lips pressed against her cheek, kissing her from her cheek to her neck. Her stomach churned, but she couldn't vomit.
She tried to push him away with her elbow, but couldn't. She was desperate then; she couldn't hear or remember what he had said in his so-called confession. She was reflecting on the first twenty years of her life.
While still in the womb, she was anticipated. After birth, as the firstborn, she received some "preferential treatment" and was not subjected to the same difficulties as her second sister. She was not forced to marry off her family before finishing high school, without any choice of her own. Because her grades were not good enough, her second sister was criticized for being worthless in comparison. However, her second sister did receive an admission notice from a key high school in the high school entrance examination, but only because of the 200,000 yuan dowry. Because the dowry was 200,000 yuan, her second sister was considered worthless—her second sister was to be married off.
A sharp pain shot through my body; it was Cao De causing this.
“Juanjuan, come with me. I’ve liked you for a long time. If it weren’t for my wife being so difficult, I would definitely divorce her and marry you. Juanjuan, come with me, I will treat you well; aren’t you short of money? I heard what your mother said to you on the phone. Your younger brother injured someone at school and urgently needs money, right? Poor Juanjuan… Rather than letting your third sister get married at such a young age to exchange for money, why don’t you be with me? I will give you money, a lot of money.”
Yes, she needs a lot of money, enough to help her third sister escape from that cage.
The tension in his arms finally eased.
She doesn't remember how she got home; the disgusting experience was blocked out by her brain.
She told herself—if you want to live, you must endure humiliation; if you have no choice but to live, you must endure humiliation even more.
She lived a life full of hardships until the age of twenty-two, barely surviving until the age of twenty-two; she tried to escape countless times, but could not escape.
It's worth it to earn more money in one night than you could in a month.
“I have money now, and I used it to buy an apartment for my family. I asked my parents to give my third sister a large room with the sun facing her. My third sister wasn’t sold off by them. She went to school normally and had excellent grades. She went to Lizhou University a couple of years ago. My younger brother was expelled from high school multiple times for fighting and now works in a factory. I thought things would get better.”
Years of forbearance had numbed her. She had long understood the saying, "He who walks by the river will eventually get his feet wet." Pregnancy, trouble from his ex-wife, and his finding excuse to end their relationship were all within her expectations. Five million was enough. She had received far more than five million over the years, not to mention the job Cao De had introduced her to. Even if she gave up this handout, she could live in a small town where no one knew her. She wanted to start over.
However, where there are expectations, there are also unexpected ones.
She maintained contact with a close friend from university after graduation. Like her, her friend came from a small town. She confided all her unspoken troubles to her friend, who unexpectedly went to her hometown and told her neighbors and relatives about her situation.
Her parents kept scolding her, her third sister called to question where her money came from, and her younger brother sent her sarcastic messages.
She never had a family, but at least she gave her all to this false home.
“My blood relative, my sister whom I raised with money I endured to make money, I’m paving the way for her with my own flesh and blood, I’m repaying her with my own flesh and blood. What I get in return is being called a slut, they told me never to go back, saying I’ve disgraced them, and then they asked me how much money I have left.”
Tears mingled with blood streamed down her cheeks. Her upturned eyes flashed, the image of her death from the fall rapidly alternating with her restored face. A shrill voice echoed in the living room: "All my efforts have been in vain!"
The sharp voice was incredibly penetrating, as if it had entered Wen Dai's heart and cut open a wound. She frowned slightly, her gaze towards Yao Juan tinged with empathetic pity.
Her voice sharp yet calm: "But I still can't hate them, I only hate myself." Yao Juan tilted her head back, her gaze fixed on the air, her eyes filled with a lonely red that looked like it was about to turn into drops of blood. "I'm the one who's soft-hearted, I'm the one who's willing to give and not refuse, I'm the one who's willing to make dirty deals. I came to find Cao De simply because I felt that if he hadn't forced me down this path, maybe I could have lived a good life, even if it was a bit tough; at least I wouldn't have lost my fake home, at least I wouldn't have been called a slut."
The vague expectation became her obsession—this sentence subconsciously surfaced in Wen Dai's mind.
Seeing Yao Juan lost in her fantasy, Wen Dai blinked away, clearing the heat from her eyes. She clenched her loose hand into a fist and said resolutely, "Have you ever considered that this is just a romanticized fantasy? Have you ever thought that even without Cao De, there would be another Liu De or Wang De? I don't want to tell you definitively that there are always a few predetermined paths in life that you have to take, but that's the reality. Besides, if you hadn't chosen this path, do you really think you could have lived a good life? I can tell you're a kind and compassionate person."
She took a step closer, her gaze towards Yao Juan still complex, but her words were like daggers, shattering Yao Juan's dreams. "Your family of origin was indeed tragic and unfortunate. Born into such a family, what you should have had most was not kindness but decisiveness and rationality; what you should have learned most was to love yourself; but you didn't, not even until your death; if you had learned to love yourself after being belittled by them, and had learned to be ruthless, you wouldn't have jumped off the building. So even if you were given a second chance, I personally believe you would still repeat the same mistakes, not that you would become someone's lover again, but that you would sacrifice yourself once more."
"Some of the resentment you leave in this world does indeed come from Cao De; he did have flaws in his behavior, and your resentment is justified. But most of it comes from your obsession. Can't you hate your family of origin? Actually, you already do, but your act of revenge is hurting yourself. If you didn't hate them, you wouldn't prove yourself by giving back with your own flesh and blood, as you said. Still giving is also a kind of hatred, a self-destructive hatred."
The crisp, clear female voice landed, each word striking Yao Juan.
She stared blankly up at the eyes that were fixed on her. Tears streamed down her face; even in death, she would weep.
Chen Sizhe, standing on the other end, was also somewhat surprised. He turned to look at Wen Dai, as if he was taken aback by her words.
That's a truly unconventional angle. It suits her quite well.
Wen Dai squatted down in front of Yao Juan, her outstretched hand hovering in front of Yao Juan's protruding belly, though she couldn't actually touch it; but she gently touched it with her finger, her slightly pouting lips curving up, combined with her dimples, and surprisingly exuding a lovely gentleness, "Actually, you also can't bear to abort the child, right? People are always the best at saying one thing and meaning another."
She lifted her eyelids, her two clear, dark eyes meeting Yao Juan's gaze. Her hand, which had been hovering in mid-air, was now resting on her knee. Her tone was soft and gentle: "I don't want to fight you, and I don't think it's necessary. If we can negotiate, we must abandon violence. Haven't you noticed? Your resentment is already dissipating. Yao Juan, your life as a human being has ended. Now you've opened the door to another world. Don't continue to hurt yourself more than you're hurting your enemy, okay? Go live peacefully there. When it's time to pass away, go and experience something completely new. This life of Yao Juan is over. It doesn't matter if you abandon this name and identity. Learn to create your own happiness."
The armor she thought she wore was easily stripped away by the person in front of her. Yao Juan raised her hands to cover her face, her pain often existing in silent sobs.
Wen Dai gave Chen Sizhe, who was standing to the side, a wink. The latter put down the backpack on his shoulder, took out the props he needed and placed them on the coffee table. He took out incense, lit it and inserted it into the jar, silently reciting the difficult incantation.
She stood up, supporting herself on her knees, and walked around from behind the coffee table. Cao De, who had been sitting on the sofa in a daze, quickly got up and followed Wen Dai out.
As Yao Juan, still sitting on the sofa, was enveloped in a black mist that gradually dissipated, Chen Sizhe performed a ritual to help her pass on to the afterlife. Before long, a wisp of the resentful spirit that had been lingering in this world dissipated.
The last words Yao Juan left behind could also be considered her last words. These were spoken to Wen Dai, echoing clearly in her mind: "Thank you."
Her eyes and nose suddenly stung, and Wen Dai patted her eyelids several times. She pursed her lips and silently held back the tears she was trying to suppress.
Subtle changes in expression caught Chen Sizhe's eye. His usually aloof, fox-like eyes revealed emotion. He silently shifted his gaze to the standing Cao De, and adopted a businesslike tone: "It's over. Settle the divination fee and travel expenses. I'll send you the order; please reimburse me in one lump sum. Thank you." His politeness was icy.
Cao De suddenly came to his senses. He couldn't quite grasp the strange feeling lingering in his heart. His eyes were still somewhat dazed. He just held his phone, making "eh" sounds repeatedly while tapping the screen with his finger. He transferred 200,000 yuan to Chen Sizhe's account. "You guys really helped me a lot this time. I'll give you this amount all at once."
Wen Dai, who had been focusing her attention on observing the interior of the villa, moved to Chen Sizhe's side. She stood on tiptoe, raised her chin, and peered around, trying to glean the amount of the transfer—at first glance, it seemed that Cao De had given quite a lot.
Upon noticing the person beside him struggling to rise higher, Chen Sizhe paused for a moment while holding his phone, and then slowly raised it a little higher.
With a sharp eye, Wen Dai raised an eyebrow, turned to look at Chen Sizhe, pressed her tongue against her back teeth, and said in a strained voice, "Are you kidding me? You're so childish, Chen Sizhe. You're almost thirty, can't you be a little more mature?"
"Interesting. No way."
He held his chin high, showing no disdain whatsoever; his arrogant demeanor made you want to punch him a few times.
Just as Wen Dai clenched her fists, ready to smash them against him, he leisurely lowered his arm, and the raised screen reflected Wen Dai's eyes. The numerous zeros on the payment page almost made Wen Dai's eyes blur.
She exclaimed in astonishment, "Two hundred thousand!?"
Upon hearing this, Cao De smiled, his face contorting slightly. "It's not much money, and I'm very grateful that you helped me resolve this troublesome matter." His smile was too superficial, and it didn't last long before he reverted to his original expression. He lowered his head as if deep in thought, and then a sigh escaped his lips: "Furthermore... I really feel sorry for her. Giving her this amount is because you all helped her through it. How should I put it? I'm certainly not a good person, but I truly loved her."
On the return trip, Cao De again arranged for a driver to take them back to the hotel. Wen Dai swayed beside him and clicked her tongue, saying, "I really can't stand people like you who are so lucky with money. I originally estimated that I could get a little over ten thousand, but I didn't expect it to be two hundred thousand! If we split it, it'll be one hundred thousand each, right? Tsk tsk tsk, Chen Sizhe, you make money so easily."
"Don't flatter me, the credit is yours this time." With a lazy tone and a flat manner, Chen Sizhe surprisingly didn't retort. He walked to the elevator, pressed the up button, and then casually said, "Remember to pack your luggage when you get back. I booked a flight for 3 pm."
Wen Dai, who had planned to wear her new dress and go for a stroll today, slowly turned her head. Her gaze seemed to be fixed on Chen Sizhe. She followed him into the elevator, but her legs remained rooted to the spot.
Chen Sizhe, standing in the elevator, pressed the open button. He frowned and looked at Wen Dai outside the door with a puzzled expression. "What are you standing there for? Aren't you coming in?"
"What kind of look is that? Is Yao Juan's resentment transferring to you?" Chen Sizhe frowned as he watched Wen Dai walk in like a lost soul. He tapped the sensor with his room card and pressed the floor button, his disdainful gaze meeting Wen Dai's resentful stare.
Her cheeks puffed out habitually, but deflated again after a rational reminder that there was a foul-mouthed guy standing next to Wen Dai. She glared at Chen Sizhe and sneered, "I can't believe you always say you have a cooperative spirit. Look at you, where is it? You booked your return flight without telling your partner the time—do you know I was planning to go out and have some fun today? And what about that old bastard who taught Yang Qing how to use his genitals?"
"Didn't I already go out for a stroll yesterday? As for the person you mentioned, I can't find him. I did some divination that night to find out his location. He's left. I guess he's a professional, unscrupulous swindler who keeps changing locations to fool people."
Wen Dai choked, her brows furrowing. She bit her lower lip. "If I can't find it... then forget it." She couldn't possibly waste time, effort, and money to catch a heartless swindler. There were countless people like that old man in the world. She was already struggling to move forward in her own life, let alone uphold this elusive justice.
She raised her chin again and looked at him, saying, "...But I only bought clothes yesterday! Where did I go shopping?"
Chen Sizhe's brows furrowed even deeper, utterly perplexed: "Isn't shopping for clothes at a mall just browsing?"
Wen Dai's peach blossom eyes were almost as round as a cat's pupils as she turned to face him and said indignantly, "Buying clothes is buying clothes, and shopping is shopping. Can you not confuse the two? I'm a lawyer, and you're not serious at all."
"I don't understand you women."
"I just don't understand straight men like you!"
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