Chapter 264 What does it feel like to lose a loved one?
Autumn is deepening in Beijing, but Hainan Island is still in the height of summer.
In the Gu family's courtyard, the bougainvillea blooms passionately, casting dappled light and shadow across the ground.
Grandpa Chen Zhongwen was holding a rattle drum, idly playing with his baby grandson Gu Ping'an in the cradle.
The little guy was amused and giggled, waving his arms and legs. Grandma Chen, standing beside him, held a small palm-leaf fan and carefully fanned him, afraid that the delicate little boy would get too hot.
"I wonder how Yueyue and Xinyue are doing in the capital, whether they are used to the food, and whether they are living well."
Grandma Chen looked at the baby in the cradle, but kept talking about her granddaughter who was far away.
"Don't worry," Chen Zhongwen put down the rattle drum and handed his wife a glass of cooled warm water. "With the Gu and Huo families looking after her over there, how could our granddaughter suffer? Besides, when has Yueyue ever let herself suffer?"
That's what she said, but Old Mrs. Chen still couldn't help but sigh.
Her granddaughter and granddaughter-in-law are both the apple of her eye.
Just then, a tall figure walked out of the house.
It's Gu Beichen.
This ruthless and decisive commander, who was usually so decisive in battle, seemed somewhat at a loss at this moment.
He was holding a baby bottle and awkwardly testing the temperature on the back of his hand.
He just finished a week-long vacation and will be returning to his unit tomorrow. These past few days he has been a full-time stay-at-home dad, spending all his time with his wife and children and cherishing the warmth they have left behind.
"Grandpa, Grandma," he called out, walking to the cradle.
Gu Ningjing was sleeping soundly in the cradle, her little mouth slightly pouting, and her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyelids.
Gu Beichen bent down and stiffly brought the pacifier to his daughter's lips.
Changing diapers and feeding bottles—he went from being drenched in sweat at the beginning to now being able to manage it with some difficulty.
Although his movements were still clumsy, like disassembling a sophisticated bomb, his gun-wielding hands were incredibly gentle when facing this tiny, delicate life.
He cherished this hard-won warmth of family, and enjoyed this moment of peace and tranquility.
This tranquility was something he earned through a hail of bullets.
He will dedicate his life to protecting it.
Meanwhile, in the capital city, thousands of miles away.
A dark room in the most secluded corner of the guesthouse was filled with a strong musty smell.
Lin Wan'er curled up on the cold bed, trembling all over.
It's been two days.
She hadn't eaten anything for two days, and her stomach was burning with pain.
But this pain is far less intense than the resentment and hatred in my heart.
A hellish flame exploded in Lin Wan'er's unfocused pupils.
She struggled to get out of bed, staggered to the bedside table, and pulled out a small gold locket from the innermost compartment.
This was the only thing her mother left her, her last thought.
But now, she can't care about that.
The flames of revenge had burned away the last vestige of her humanity.
She clutched the gold locket tightly in her hand, wrapped it in a tattered cloth, hid it in her sleeve, and limped out of the guesthouse.
The black market in the capital city is always hidden in a corner where the sun never shines.
Lin Wan'er, wearing a tattered hat and burying her face in the shadows, walked through the dirty and chaotic alley and found a stall that bought and sold secondhand goods.
"Boss, how much can I exchange this for?" She placed the gold locket in front of the stall owner.
The stall owner was a lean man. He picked up the lock, weighed it in his hand, and then bit it with his teeth, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes.
"Dead stock, twenty dollars, two industrial coupons."
"That's too little!" Lin Wan'er exclaimed anxiously, "This is pure gold!"
"Take it or leave it." The stall owner said impatiently. "In this day and age, you can't buy anything even if you have money. I'm being generous by giving you a coupon."
Lin Wan'er's lips were bitten until they bled.
She needs money, she needs coupons.
"Okay, deal." She squeezed out the three words through gritted teeth.
Holding the twenty yuan and two crumpled industrial coupons, Lin Wan'er didn't linger and immediately turned and went to another place.
She is looking for someone.
A temporary worker at the Beijing Botanical Garden, surnamed Zhao, was notorious for his dishonesty; he would do anything for money.
In a secluded corner behind the botanical garden, Lin Wan'er met Xiao Zhao.
She stuffed ten yuan and an industrial voucher into the other person's hand.
"Do me a favor."
Xiao Zhao weighed the money in his hand, a lewd smile spreading across his face. "What is it? Please tell me."
"Tonight at midnight, go to the greenhouse and find a flower called 'South China Sea Purple Stamen Flower'." Lin Wan'er lowered her voice, each word carrying a chilling coldness. "Get me some of its pollen, the more the better."
Xiao Zhao was taken aback. "That's a rare species, it's heavily guarded..."
Lin Wan'er took out the remaining ten yuan from her pocket and slapped it into his hand.
"Once it's all done, all of this is yours."
Xiao Zhao's eyes lit up when he saw the money.
"Don't worry, I guarantee it will be done!"
That very night, Xiao Zhao kept his word.
He carried an inconspicuous cloth bag and sneaked back to the agreed location.
"Here's what you wanted." He handed Lin Wan'er a small package wrapped in oil paper.
Lin Wan'er opened the oil paper package, inside which was a fine, almost colorless powder.
She carefully put away the oil paper package, turned around and left without saying a word.
Back in the moldy room, Lin Wan'er locked the door and pulled out an old newspaper from under the bed.
She put on the cheapest cloth gloves she had bought on the black market and carefully, drop by drop, sprinkled the deadly pollen into every fold of the newspaper.
This pollen is colorless and odorless. Once inhaled into the respiratory tract while turning the pages of a newspaper, it can immediately cause laryngeal edema and respiratory failure in people like Grandma Chen, who have a particular allergy.
Finally, the hospital's diagnostic report will only show the words "sudden heart failure" or "sudden cardiac death".
It goes unnoticed by gods and ghosts.
There's simply no way to investigate.
After doing all this, she folded the newspaper again and put it into a brown paper envelope.
The next morning, she put on a hat and a mask and went to the post office furthest from the guesthouse.
She dropped the newspaper containing the "death notice" into the green mailbox, just like any ordinary citizen.
As the envelope disappeared into the darkness of the mailbox, a triumphant, twisted smile finally appeared on Lin Wan'er's face.
Su Yue.
You will soon receive a "big gift".
I'll make you taste what it feels like to lose a loved one!
I will make you so grief-stricken that you lose your mind and all sense of reason!
I want to watch you be consumed by pain, bit by bit!
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