Chapter 151, Chapter Fifty-Two: The Lost Manor
"Oh my god..."
Wang An'an stepped into the waiting room and was instantly stunned by the bride inside.
She exclaimed in a daze, "Sister Yufei, you're practically ascending to heaven! You're the very embodiment of beauty!"
Surrounded by makeup artists and stylists, Li Yufei laughed out loud, then asked, "Your defense is over? Didn't you say you still had things to do at school?"
"I can't miss your wedding no matter what." Wang An'an picked up her camera. "I brought two spare batteries. I won't stop until I've taken five thousand photos today."
"There's no need to make such a fuss." Li Yufei brushed her hair back. "It's not like I'm going to die after today. I'll have plenty of beautiful moments to come."
“That’s true, but this is a wedding, and it’s with the new boss of the Cheng Group.” Wang An’an’s face turned red with excitement. “I was shocked when I came in. How could there be such a beautiful manor?”
Li Yufei's feelings were complicated when the manor was mentioned.
Six years after Cheng Yuzhou's death, the manor was acquired by Song Xiaona's WV company and turned into a tourist attraction.
Cheng Yuzhou returned before it officially opened.
He met with Cheng Yandong, and subsequently, major media outlets reported on Cheng Yuzhou's recovery and return to China.
Thanks to Cheng Yuzhou's previous low profile and Cheng Yandong's indifference towards his son, Cheng Yuzhou's funeral didn't generate much buzz back then, and it's easy to overturn it now.
They explained that the accident severely injured Cheng Yuzhou, and he spent six years recuperating abroad before fully recovering.
Now he's back, has taken back control of the company, and immediately made an offer to WV to buy the estate.
The money WV used to purchase the estate was deposited into Cheng Yandong's account.
For Cheng Yuzhou, the estate cost him twice the money, one portion of which was paid to Song Xiaona. Li Yufei vomited blood.
Besides, WV is already preparing to open the estate to the public. Buying from them now would be significantly more expensive than buying from Cheng Yandong.
"That's almost three times the price!" Li Yufei was furious when she learned the contract amount. "The manor project was spearheaded by Song Xiaona, and the extra money you paid basically went into Song Xiaona's pocket! Where are your negotiation skills? Where is your immense power? Use them to negotiate a lower price!"
Her marital assets ended up in Song Xiaona's pocket, which infuriated her!
Cheng Yuzhou said, "WV's asking price is actually not that high; this price was my suggestion."
"What?!" Li Yufei's eyes widened in anger. Is he crazy?!
Cheng Yuzhou frowned slightly, as if he himself was not very happy.
After a moment, he said, "Feifei, the extra part is compensation for Song Xiaona."
"What compensation?"
“You may not feel it as deeply now, but I still remember how much pain you felt when you killed Song Xiaona.” Cheng Yuzhou clasped his hands together, his eyes lowered. “Back then, you must have felt extremely guilty towards Song Xiaona.”
Li Yufei was speechless.
She listened to Cheng Yuzhou recount the three years in the ghost story several times before she could roughly understand it.
The feeling of stating objective facts is completely different from that of personal experience. Although she knew what happened during those three years, she didn't feel much.
Until she saw Song Xiaona again.
Two months later, at the signing ceremony for the sale of the manor, the moment Li Yufei saw Song Xiaona, a surge of intense emotion welled up inside her.
Overwhelmed with emotions, it was as if a heavy, damp cloth had blocked her heart, so soothing and indescribable.
She wasn't the only one who felt this way; Song Xiaona also stared at her blankly for a few seconds.
The fake smile she wore when she arrived slowly faded, replaced by a complex expression.
At that moment, Li Yufei's dissatisfaction with the contract vanished instantly. She sat opposite Song Xiaona, staring at her intently, as if a sentence was stuck in her throat.
She wasn't sure what those words were; she just had an urge to say something to Song Xiaona.
say what?
What is she trying to say?
"Congratulations, Yufei." After signing the papers, Song Xiaona looked at her with a smile. "I'm so happy for you. Not only are you about to have your first marriage, but you're also about to own your first property. You won't have to work so hard renting anymore."
"..." Those words were swallowed by Li Yufei.
say what!
What a load of bull! Why are you talking to a piece of shit like that?!
Li Yufei sneered, "Song Xiaona, I don't care, but what about you? Would you mind having your hair pulled out in front of your subordinates?"
A sudden, phantom pain shot through Song Xiaona's scalp, and she instinctively covered the top of her head.
Three years later, the manor has been restored. Cheng Yuzhou put back the parts that WV Company had modified and continued the wedding that was left unfinished years ago.
The first thing Li Yufei did was to pull out Song Xiaona's invitation and tear it up.
Why did they have to throw a pile of dog poop into the wedding venue?
Besides Song Xiaona, Cheng Yuzhou has many other people he needs to compensate.
He handed Li Yufei a thick roster and told her that all 923 people listed on it had been trapped in the ghost stories by him.
Cheng Yuzhou still doesn't think there's anything wrong with what he did. He gave these people the opportunity to see Li Yufei, and they should be grateful.
But he clearly remembered Li Yufei's apology to those people, which led her to decide whether to compensate them.
"How do you plan to compensate me?" Li Yufei asked.
Cheng Yuzhou opened the roster and said, “I have compiled their general information. For example, Brother Wang Chenghuan’s wife passed away early, and he raised his daughter alone. His daughter has excellent grades. We can sponsor their children to study abroad or in better schools through a scholarship program for people like him.”
“That’s good.” Li Yufei didn’t object. “Most people prefer financial compensation. We can organize a relief program and give each of them a sum of money.”
Cheng Yuzhou shook his head. "Most of the tourists who come to the manor are not from impoverished families. It doesn't make sense to suddenly give money to a middle-class family. We still need to provide targeted compensation. For example, since Mr. Qian is a construction engineer, I can find two real estate developers and have them designate Mr. Qian to be in charge of the project."
"And this Ms. Hu, she's a nurse. I can ask my relatives and friends if anyone needs care, and then I can talk to the hospital and hire her as a caregiver for six months at a high salary."
Li Yufei stared at the roster, which was almost as thick as a dictionary, speechless, and then utterly exhausted.
“What a terrible thing to do…” she muttered, burying herself deep in the booklet. “Look at the mess you’ve made, how long will it take to pay for this?”
I'm exhausted, but this is truly unethical, and it was definitely their doing.
If Li Yufei didn't know, that would be one thing, but now that she does, things can't be left like this.
Compensating more than 900 people is indeed a huge undertaking.
It took them three whole years to cross out every single name in the book.
As soon as Li Yufei turned the last page, she let out a long sigh of relief.
"You've worked hard, Feifei," Cheng Yuzhou said apologetically. "This was originally supposed to be my responsibility alone."
“You do it yourself, and it’s all joint property you’re using.” Li Yufei closed the booklet, interrupting Cheng Yuzhou’s apology. “Alright, we’re husband and wife now, so stop with the nonsense. It did take a lot of time, but I didn’t find it particularly tiring.”
She started flipping through the pages from the first one, and on each page were the two of them making notes and annotations.
Page after page, these unfamiliar names slowly became ingrained in her mind during the more than a thousand days and nights that she and Cheng Yuzhou racked their brains for.
Looking back at the roster, the people behind each name and the efforts she and Cheng Yuzhou made for that person all came to mind for Li Yufei.
They purchased 798 cars and contacted car manufacturers to replace the cars with the latest models as a way of rewarding lucky loyal customers.
Using various reasons such as compatibility based on birth dates or being the 999th homebuyer, they tricked some victims into buying new homes at one-tenth of the original price.
Victims who work in the arts buy their works at high prices;
Victims who work as teachers, doctors, military and police personnel, and those in the public welfare sector asked graduates or beneficiaries to write letters of gratitude, make banners, attach the Cheng Foundation's name, and deliver them to the recipients.
They established an entrepreneurial incentive fund for victims of ghost stories, supporting 142 entrepreneurs;
They established a children's growth fund, which has sponsored 832 children;
They organized a medical aid program that helped 1,350 patients.
In the end, the group receiving assistance extended beyond the victims of ghost stories.
They witnessed the joy of suddenly receiving money, the emotion of tears shed in gratitude, were embraced by countless hands expressing thanks, and received all sorts of blessings.
Li Yufei lay on Cheng Yuzhou's lap, holding up the thick booklet, and suddenly spoke: "Cheng Yuzhou."
"Um?"
"Being alive is better than being dead, isn't it?"
Cheng Yuzhou lowered his eyes, and after a long while, replied, "Mm."
Much better.
This three-year period is completely different from the three-year period in ghost stories.
For the past three years, he tried every means to squeeze out negative emotions from the same group of people; for the past three years, however, he has been working hard to make them happy.
Two completely opposite three-year periods, but as long as he stayed by Li Yufei's side, no matter whether she pointed east or west, no matter which direction she pulled him along, the weather along the way was always sunny.
After paying off all their debts, they held their wedding at the manor.
The pause button I pressed when I was 23 years old has been pressed again.
This manor has been lost, rebuilt, chaotic, panicked, and prosperous, and then it started all over again.
The hall was packed with guests, twice the size of the list drafted by 23-year-old Cheng Yuzhou.
Many of the former victims of the ghost story came back. They had forgotten the terrible nightmares, but remembered the gifts and help they received from Cheng Yuzhou and Li Yufei.
The castle chapel was too full, so the ceremony was moved to the open-air backyard, in front of the rose garden.
Standing beside the priest, looking at the guests, familiar faces flashed before Cheng Yuzhou's eyes.
The golden autumn sun stung Cheng Yuzhou's eyes, causing him to squint slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Song Xiaona sitting at the first table.
She still came, even though she didn't receive an invitation.
Song Xiaona didn't bring Dean along. Less than a year after Li Yufei and Zheng Jianbin broke up, she also broke up with Dean.
When Li Yufei found out about this, she rolled her eyes, thinking that Song Xiaona was just trying to disgust her.
She muttered indignantly to Cheng Yuzhou, "Luckily you're an only child, otherwise, if I were with you, she might have married your brother."
Cheng Yuzhou nodded in agreement, but he actually knew Song Xiaona's reasons for doing so.
She's just like him.
They loathed each other. Song Xiaona hated his lifeless eyes, but Cheng Yuzhou saw the same in Song Xiaona.
She was not short of money and had no worries about food or clothing. Whether she won or lost, it did not have much impact on her life. After continuous work and study, Song Xiaona's eyes were filled with emptiness and numbness.
They are all roots buried deep underground, and the world they see is dark and gloomy. In order to survive, they must find water and light.
This is why Cheng Yuzhou despised Song Xiaona's way of stealing Li Yufei's attention even more.
She enjoyed seeing Li Yufei angry; it was Li Yufei's most vibrant moment, and she would provoke her repeatedly in order to see that moment.
This approach is too selfish, and Cheng Yuzhou finds it extremely disgusting.
Cheng Yuzhou was secretly pleased after Li Yufei threw away the invitation to Song Xiaona, but when Song Xiaona arrived uninvited, he couldn't bring himself to ask her to leave.
He always thought about the image of Li Yufei kneeling beside Song Xiaona under that gray rain.
At that time, Li Yufei would definitely not have refused Song Xiaona's participation.
At the table, Song Xiaona's expression was not much better.
She gazed at Cheng Yuzhou and at the manor with a brooding expression.
When Cheng Yuzhou returned, their first meeting shocked Song Xiaona.
Perhaps she was too shocked that he was still alive, or perhaps she had always hated him, but the moment Song Xiaona saw Cheng Yuzhou, every cell in her body screamed with hatred and anger.
Her fingers trembled, her head was throbbing with blood, and as she looked at him, a frantic array of criminal methods flashed through her mind—
There's a fire axe in the hall; it can split his skull open.
The scarf around her neck could wrap around his neck from behind;
The hotel kitchen should have even more efficient tools...
This unfounded malice startled Song Xiaona.
She certainly disliked Cheng Yuzhou, but not to this extent.
What's wrong with her...?
Cheng Yuzhou's attitude towards her remained the same, even more polite than before, but her aversion to Cheng Yuzhou lingered.
An indescribable anxiety gripped her, and this anxiety reached its peak when she saw Li Yufei appear beside Cheng Yuzhou.
On the day the estate contract was signed, Li Yufei sat next to Cheng Yuzhou, and Song Xiaona felt a chill run down her spine, almost unable to resist pulling Li Yufei to her side—
Am I crazy? Why would I do this?
...No! Has Li Yufei gone mad? Why would she marry Cheng Yuzhou?
She had tried her best to resist her engagement with Cheng Yuzhou, so why did she immediately flock to him as soon as he returned?
Having experienced poverty, her spirit was worn down, and she was willing to sell her life for money.
Another kind of anger engulfed Song Xiaona; illogically, she suddenly found herself unable to tolerate Li Yufei's stupidity and felt a near-betrayal of rage.
This signing, which earned her hundreds of millions, brought her no joy. Song Xiaona tried her best to suppress those inexplicable emotions, but she still couldn't help but mock Li Yufei on the spot.
Naturally, the meeting ended unhappily.
Their relationship remained unchanged, neither improving nor worsening because of Cheng Yuzhou's return.
Li Yufei didn't invite her to the wedding, and Song Xiaona didn't want to go either, but the moment she learned where the wedding would be held, her heart skipped a beat.
Cheng Yuzhou, the manor, the wedding... She felt an unprecedented unease and came here unexpectedly.
Stepping back into the now-sold manor, the anxiety, frustration, and urgency surged even stronger.
Sitting on the castle's roof, Song Xiaona felt almost suffocated.
She wanted to stop...stop what...was she going to stop the wedding?
What exactly is she worried about?
What is she anxious about?
The strong scent of roses in the air made Song Xiaona feel nauseous. She patted her agitated heart and repeatedly questioned herself—
What exactly is she averse to?
Could it be that she's worried?
Are you worried that Li Yufei will become unhappy?
Are you worried that Cheng Yandong's son will not be able to control his morbid desires and will turn her into a second Fang Yuzhou?
Her heart pounded faster and faster. The thought that Li Yufei would become "Mrs. Cheng" and lose her bright and beautiful colors made Song Xiaona restless.
Is it too late?
She suddenly had an absurd and extreme thought: if she went to Li Yufei now and hired her with a monthly salary of 400,000 to 500,000 yuan, would Li Yufei agree to cancel the wedding?
Her agitation intensified, and Song Xiaona could barely sit still.
She got up in frustration, and suddenly a series of cannon salutes went off.
The emcee announced with a loud laugh, "Please welcome the bride!"
Song Xiaona turned her head and walked through a series of rose arches. The magnificent gold and white wedding dress appeared in everyone's sight, and she immediately saw Li Yufei's radiant smile.
Li Yufei laughed with an almost arrogant and conceited air. Photographers were all around her, and she was wearing expensive, rare clothes, enjoying the amazement of the people. Her pride was bursting out from the corners of her eyes and brows.
But what she was most proud of was herself.
Song Xiaona stared at her intently, but she didn't notice her at all; her eyes were fixed on Cheng Yuzhou on the stage.
Cheng Yuzhou, just like Song Xiaona, was drawn to the light source the moment Li Yufei entered, unable to look away.
Those alluring fox-like eyes curved into a smile, their gleam shining brightly; the entire expression from head to toe could be summed up in one sentence—
She is absolutely gorgeous.
She was radiantly beautiful.
Li Yufei is not good at lying, so she basically tells the truth.
This is the most truthful statement among them.
She was so beautiful that Cheng Yuzhou was captivated, forgetting everything else, and could only gaze at her in a daze.
"Groom, groom... cough, Mr. Cheng." The emcee called him but he didn't respond. An awkward cough didn't bring Cheng Yuzhou back to his senses.
The guests teased her in good-naturedly, but Li Yufei didn't feel embarrassed at all. She was very satisfied with Cheng Yuzhou's reaction and burst out laughing, feeling even more smug and proud.
Upon realizing what had happened, Cheng Yuzhou blushed deeply. He lowered his head slightly, his fingers curling up like a mimosa plant.
“What’s there to be shy about?” Li Yufei commanded him frankly, “Look up at me! You’re my husband.”
Li Yufei's husband—
Cheng Yuzhou trembled, his blood rushing to the top of his head along with intense, overwhelming emotions.
An indescribable excitement overwhelmed him; his soul was captivated by her, and his joints and organs were entangled and hooked by her. No matter what she said, Cheng Yuzhou couldn't help but do as she said.
He looked at her as instructed, and then fell for her beauty.
That beauty wasn't limited to her physical appearance; like the earth's spiritual energy, it emanated from her eyes, from her breath, from the deepest part of her being, overwhelming and full of vitality.
His gloom, his negativity, his decay were instantly swept away by her; he was bathed in radiant energy and fiery passion, completely lost in the moment.
Cheng Yuzhou didn't know what expression he had at that moment; he only saw Li Yufei raise the corners of her lips at him.
As the bells rang, they embraced and kissed amidst the roses and beneath the gods.
Bang--
Hundreds of rose-shaped fireworks went off one after another, and a romantic shower of flowers drifted down.
Li Yufei raised her hand in surprise and caught a petal.
Tiny white crystals clung to the fiery red petals. She sniffed them curiously, then took a sip, exclaiming in surprise, "What's this? Powdered sugar? You sprinkled sugar on the flowers?"
The exquisite petals shimmered in the sunlight, and countless sparkling sugar powders refracted the sunlight, echoing the diamond on Li Yufei's ring finger.
"It's sugar!" "It really is powdered sugar!"
Exclamations and laughter filled the room. "So beautiful, sparkling!" "It's so gorgeous, even the air feels sweet."
The drifting powdered sugar added a touch of brightness to this dreamy wedding, but Cheng Yuzhou frowned.
This was not part of his plan.
He personally oversaw every single detail of the wedding, so how could an unexpected incident suddenly occur?
He immediately asked his secretary to check and confirm, prioritizing that the sugar's ingredients were harmless and safe.
During the brief moment Cheng Yuzhou was away, Li Yufei took charge of entertaining the guests.
She carried her wine glass and walked from table to table.
Cheng Yandong was not present. The first table was occupied by Li Yufei's parents, younger brother, and Song Xiaona.
Tsk, there's a pile of shit already.
Li Yufei raised her chin, revealing the diamond jewelry on her neck, ears, arms, and fingers, and chuckled, "Old man Li, long time no see! How did you get so old?"
Her first words turned Li's father's forced smile into a mixture of anger and rage.
"You..." He had barely opened his mouth when the chair opposite him suddenly scraped against the floor with a sharp sound. Song Xiaona stood up. "Li Yufei, come here."
She walked toward the rose maze in the distance.
Li Yufei glanced at the remaining people at the table—never mind, there's no one at this table anyway, she'll just go listen to what nonsense Song Xiaona is going to spout this time.
She walked towards Song Xiaona.
Looking at Song Xiaona waiting for her in front of the maze, Li Yufei suddenly had a sense of déjà vu.
It felt like sometime in the past, when Song Xiaona stood here, asking her to meet her alone.
That's impossible, of course; how could they possibly arrange a private meeting?
“I don’t recall inviting you here.” Li Yufei raised an eyebrow.
"Do you know Fang Yuzhou?" Song Xiaona completely ignored her provocation.
"How come I don't know about my mother-in-law?"
"Do you know what Fang Yuzhou and Cheng Yandong went through after they got married?"
Li Yufei's tone was unfriendly, "What do you want to say?"
“I just want to tell you that the influence of genes and family is indelible,” Song Xiaona said in a deep voice. “Li Yufei, have you thought this through? The power behind him is far greater than you imagine. This marriage is one you have no way to back out of.”
Li Yufei had vaguely known some of Fang Yuzhou's tragedy before.
She didn't think Cheng Yuzhou would become Cheng Yandong.
To prove this point would likely require a lengthy explanation, but Li Yufei didn't think that far ahead; she only grasped the core essence:
The dominant theme in the tragedy of Cheng Yandong and Fang Yuzhou is violence.
Whenever Fang Yuzhou smiled at anyone other than Cheng Yandong, Cheng Yandong would immediately pull her back to her room.
Fang Yuzhou was dragged into the house time and time again;
Li Yufei would first give Cheng Yuzhou an uppercut in the stomach, then kick him out of the house, telling him to get lost.
Cheng Yandong forbids anyone from touching Fang Yuzhou, and if Cheng Yuzhou is like his father, he cannot call security guards.
Then he would have no choice but to engage in a one-on-one physical fight with her.
If he intended to drug her—no one gets fat overnight—she would use violence to teach Cheng Yuzhou a lesson before he became so extreme.
"Stop worrying about him." Li Yufei crossed her arms. "I know him better than anyone."
"Ha." Song Xiaona laughed dismissively. "Do you really know?"
That disdainful expression on her face, as if no one knew Cheng Yuzhou better than her, instantly enraged Li Yufei. "If I don't know, do you? What do you know? Do you know how many centimeters he is, or how many minutes he lasts at a time?!"
How dare she spout such nonsense in front of the legal wife! Who does she think she is?!
"Are you crazy!" Li Yufei's voice was almost heard throughout the table when Song Xiaona hurriedly stepped forward to cover her mouth. Li Yufei yanked her hand away, glaring at her angrily, "Shut up and eat! Get out of here after you're full!"
I thought she was going to say something, but she must be out of her mind to come out and listen to her talk.
Li Yufei turned around and stormed back.
"Li Yufei!"
Song Xiaona's shouts came from behind.
Li Yufei stopped and turned around, seeing Song Xiaona standing with a frown in front of the winding and complicated maze-like flower garden.
She gazed at her from afar, opening her mouth as if to speak, but couldn't utter a word immediately.
Without a word, his shrewd and capable eyes were filled with a myriad of thoughts, brimming with weighty words.
A gentle breeze wafted by, carrying two or three rose petals, dusted with sugar powder.
They remained at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, neither willing to take another step closer, yet neither turning away in anger.
As the anger above her head gradually subsided, Li Yufei suddenly remembered the strange tale that Cheng Yuzhou had told her three years ago.
He said that she killed Song Xiaona here, in this manor, with swift and decisive action, severing her trachea and leaving Song Xiaona no last words.
That was truly an unbelievable plot. Li Yufei could hardly imagine that she would kill someone, let alone that Song Xiaona would die at her hands.
What were Song Xiaona's feelings when she was killed by her?
If Song Xiaona could still speak back then, what would she say to her?
“Li Yufei…” The woman who had known her since birth looked at her, hesitant to speak, then finally said, “Is this really what you want? If you just need money, I can…”
“It’s what I want.” Against the wind, Li Yufei’s voice cut her off first.
She raised her hand to tuck her wind-blown hair behind her ear, laughing fearlessly and arrogantly, "Don't overthink it, Song Xiaona. I don't need any room for regret. If that day ever comes, I'll make Cheng Yuzhou regret ever daring to mess with me."
Song Xiaona's pupils contracted slightly.
The woman in front of me had nothing. She had no wealth, no power, and no family. How did she have the confidence to say such things?
She is incredibly naive and ignorant to say such a thing;
She was incredibly beautiful to dare say such a thing.
As her golden-white skirt receded into the distance, Song Xiaona stood for a long time before the roses.
A petal fell at her feet.
She was drawn to the vibrant red, looking down at the ground. Only when she saw her own reflection did Song Xiaona realize, in a daze:
The sun was still in the sky.
Roses have graced the entire estate.
Petals drifted past the Psyche and Eros statue in the center of the town square.
At the top of the statue sat a white-haired boy.
He looked at the courtyard where people were with a smile.
The scent of the wedding was sweeter and more fragrant than that rose garden.
The sun shines brightly overhead.
The boy opened his arms, and fine, shimmering powdered sugar flew from his fingers, drifting into the castle on the wind, adding a sweet blessing to the wedding.
——
(End of Unit 3)
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