Chapter 59 Redemption "Fortunately, this time, I protected my girl..."
Song Nanchen probably didn't know that Qiao Yunzheng wasn't in Kunming. After hanging up the phone, he only sent her a location message.
Fortunately, it wasn't too late, and Qiao Yunzheng caught the last flight back to Kunming.
Even though Song Nanchen told her that things weren't that serious, she still couldn't help but overthink it.
Her consciousness seemed to return to three years ago, to a similarly desolate autumn night, when she was alone in a foreign country and received Uncle Zhang's phone call: "Xiao Zheng, come back quickly, your father... he's not doing well..."
Just before that phone call, her father had video-called her, saying he would fly to a foreign country to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with her. Only three hours later, a mere 180 minutes, she lost her father so suddenly and unexpectedly.
Qiao Yunzheng felt ice-cold all over and trembled uncontrollably.
A passing flight attendant noticed her unusual behavior and kindly asked if she needed a blanket. She shook her head blankly, unable to speak.
All that remained in my ears was a sharp, piercing buzz, as if that disturbing noise would never stop.
No, it won't.
She shook her head, trying hard to stop herself from thinking about it anymore.
As soon as the plane landed in Kunming, she rushed out of the airport and grabbed a driver waiting for fares: "To the western suburbs!"
The middle-aged driver, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, sized her up and down, his eyes darting around, and said, "Two hundred."
Qiao Yunzheng couldn't listen to anything else, and the syllables she squeezed out were almost broken: "Three hundred, and it has to be quick!"
The driver's eyes lit up. He stubbed out his cigarette, started the car, and the old engine roared loudly.
We arrived at the designated location very quickly.
Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Qiao Yunzheng pushed open the car door and jumped out.
The abandoned factory in the distance was pitch black, and the flashing police lights were particularly glaring.
It felt as if something had pierced her heart, and the cold wind from all directions swept through her chest, freezing her limbs and bones.
"Madam, you haven't paid yet..." The driver chased after her to ask for the money, but when he saw the scene in front of him and her distraught appearance, he couldn't finish his sentence and stood there in a daze.
Qiao Yunzheng rushed over like a madwoman. The dark factory building stood in the night, like a giant beast that would devour people, gradually overlapping with the huge hydrogen fluoride tank in her dream that had taken her father's life.
She bent over, hands on her knees, panting heavily.
A police officer who was cleaning up nearby noticed her and came over to ask, "Ma'am, are you alright?"
Qiao Yunzheng looked up, her vision blurred, and she could no longer make out the person's face. She suddenly grabbed the person's arm: "Where is he?"
The officer quickly understood: "He's already been taken to the People's Hospital. Go check on him there!"
She nodded, and before she could say thank you, she turned and ran.
Seeing this, the driver who was waiting there quickly called out to her, "How about I give you a ride?"
Qiao Yunzheng suddenly stopped, turned around, and got into the car.
The driver kept glancing at her through the rearview mirror, carefully considering his words before speaking: "Don't rush, why don't you make a call and ask first?"
Her rationality gradually returned because of these words, and she dialed Wen Hong's cell phone, but Song Nanchen answered the phone again.
His emotions calmed down a bit, and he returned to his usual calm and composed demeanor. He gave her the specific floor number and reminded her not to rush.
With her heart finally calming down a little, Qiao Yunzheng hung up the phone and then looked up at the driver in front of her: "Thank you, sir!"
"Hey! What's the big deal? Everyone runs into trouble sometimes," the driver said, quickly weaving through the congested traffic as he lit another cigarette. "You're just being overly concerned, it's only human nature!"
Qiao Yunzheng didn't say anything more. She glanced at the QR code for receiving payments hanging on the back of the passenger seat, silently opened her phone, and scanned four hundred yuan.
The hospital wasn't as noisy at night as it was during the day. The overhead lights shone coldly on her, making her shiver involuntarily.
When they arrived at the location Song Nanchen had described, Qiao Yunzheng looked up and saw three small, cold green characters above the operating room door.
Song Nanchen was sitting on a bench when he saw her coming over, and he slowly stood up.
Qiao Yunzheng stared at the closed door, her teeth chattering from the cold: "What happened to him?"
"It's nothing serious," Song Nanchen said, having calmed down considerably. He forced a smile, a hint of helplessness in his expression. "I got too into character and lost my rhythm, resulting in a minor injury."
Qiao Yunzheng turned her head blankly, a cold glint in her eyes: "Getting into character?"
Song Nanchen shrugged: "Don't look at me like that, I was held hostage by Lao Wen."
He gestured for Qiao Yunzheng to sit down, and then sat down himself: "Qiao Zhenhuai has been arrested."
She looked up abruptly, incredulous: "Qiao Zhenhuai?"
“Yes,” Song Nanchen pinched his brow, looking troubled. “Old Wen had been trying to gather evidence against Qiao Zhenhuai, but he was slippery and didn’t reveal anything until the Wen family got into trouble, at which point he started to lose his composure.”
Qiao Yunzheng clenched her fists, hearing her own heart pounding: "So, what did Wen Hong do?"
Song Nanchen stared at her intently, his expression complex. After a long while, he shook his head and smiled helplessly: "Before, he called me and said he wanted me to play along with him in a trap."
Wen Hong arrived at the abandoned factory in the western suburbs as promised and met Qiao Zhenhuai, who was already waiting there.
“It’s you,” Wen Hong said, unsurprised, and sat down opposite Qiao Zhenhuai. “What brings you here?”
"It seems your father was right. Whenever it involves your mother, you always come." Qiao Zhenhuai said unhurriedly, picking up the teapot on the table and filling the teacup in front of Wen Hong.
"What do you want?" Wen Hong twirled the teacup between his fingers, staring casually at the light brown tea, but didn't drink it.
Qiao Zhenhuai lowered his tone, adopting a rare amiable demeanor. He didn't directly answer Wen Hong's question, but instead handed over a brown paper bag: "I've worked at Qiao's my whole life. Some of the secrets I have are known to your father, but of course, there are many more that he doesn't know..."
Wen Hong glanced down at the brown paper bag and curled her lips into a smile: "You summoned me here to surrender?"
Qiao Zhenhuai looked at him with fervent eyes: "As the child who wasn't favored by the family, I understand your situation. I can understand that you hate your father, want to destroy him, and drag innocent me into it as well, but," he stared into his eyes, "now that you've achieved your wish, shouldn't you loosen your grip a little?"
His eyes were filled with anticipation as he watched Wen Hong put down her teacup, hold the brown paper bag in her hand, and raise an eyebrow with a smile.
Qiao Zhenhuai pressed his advantage: "Or, is there anything else you want? We can discuss that..."
Wen Hong glanced at him with a mocking look in her eyes: "What does Vice President Qiao want from me?"
“Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them,” Qiao Zhenhuai said, his expression becoming more sincere when he mentioned his children. “Over the years, the lines between me and Qiao Zhende have blurred. Many things involve not only me, but also my children and relatives… I want to ask you to let go and stop harping on our family. After all, there’s no real grudge or entanglement between us.”
With a "thud," Wen Hong tossed the file folder back onto the table. He stood up, his posture casual and nonchalant. "It seems that Vice President Qiao also understands the bond of blood ties," he looked down at him, his eyes gradually turning cold. "How come you didn't show the slightest mercy when you turned against your own brother?"
Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhenhuai, who had been feigning humility, suddenly changed his expression and stood up abruptly: "President Wen! You can't just say things like that!"
He paced slowly, his footsteps echoing in the empty, dilapidated reinforced concrete space, his voice cold and menacing: "I wonder if you still remember that man named Yuan Ming..."
Upon hearing this name, Qiao Zhenhuai's barely maintained composure crumbled instantly. He glared fiercely at Wen Hong: "It seems we have nothing to talk about today?"
Wen Hong paced slowly in the factory, seemingly bored out of his mind, occasionally kicking the scattered discarded materials on the ground: "Of course we can talk. You pay for my father-in-law's life, and I'll consider letting your family live. How about that? It's fair and just! Didn't Vice President Qiao just say that parents who love their children plan far ahead for them? Tsk, I have to say, I was quite moved."
Qiao Zhenhuai's eyes were bloodshot, and he could no longer pretend. His body trembled violently, like a withered autumn leaf, swaying precariously. He clung to his last shred of hope: "You think you can convict me based on the words of a madman?"
Wen Hong finally stopped.
The windows of the abandoned factory were long broken, and the autumn wind blew in through the broken window openings, carrying eerie sounds.
He squinted at the dark night outside, and vaguely saw two barely perceptible sparks flickering in the inky darkness.
“He alone, of course, isn’t enough, but…” He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a USB drive, “Who told you I didn’t have any other evidence?”
His expression was arrogant, his eyes were cold, and when he looked at Qiao Zhenhuai, it was as if he were looking at an ant that he could crush at any moment.
This expression finally broke down Qiao Zhenhuai's defenses. His eyes reddened and his lips trembled: "Impossible! What evidence is there? Everyone who knew about that back then has long since disappeared! They're either insane or dead! And where did you find out?"
He suddenly rushed over, trying to snatch the USB drive from Wen Hong's hand, but due to his height advantage, no matter how he jumped up and down, he couldn't touch Wen Hong's hand at all.
Completely blinded by rage, Qiao Zhenhuai shouted hysterically, "I did what I did back then so secretly, there's no way I could have left any evidence. I want to see what kind of tricks you're playing!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Hong suddenly let go of his hand.
The USB drive floated down lightly and landed at Qiao Zhenhuai's feet.
Wen Hong clapped his hands: "Ah...you're right, it wasn't there before, but now..."
Qiao Zhenhuai, who was holding the USB drive in his hand, was startled by the words and looked up abruptly: "You tricked me!"
Wen Hong shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
He seemed to have lost interest and wasn't going to waste any more time there, so he turned to leave.
Qiao Zhenhuai suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Wen Hong's leg tightly, his eyes bloodshot: "Since that's the case, then let's not leave."
Wen Hong didn't turn around, her lips curving up almost imperceptibly, as if she had already anticipated his actions. Coming to her senses, she punched him hard in the face.
What she was thinking about was that helpless, petite figure, curled up tightly, three years ago, when he wasn't by her side.
He clenched his jaw muscles and rained down heavy punches.
For her unwillingness to accept defeat, and for my own regret.
But after driving the dog into a dead end, and after a few rounds, Qiao Zhenhuai suddenly unleashed a burst of strength.
Wen Hong suddenly fell to the ground, accidentally getting a bruise on her face.
He hissed, a flash of annoyance in his eyes, and retaliated with double the force.
In the struggle, the two were only a step away from the broken window.
A ruthless glint flashed in Qiao Zhenhuai's eyes. He grinned, revealing bloodstained teeth: "Everyone says how capable Qiao Zhende is, but when he fell to his death, he wasn't a second slower than anyone else." His smile sent chills down one's spine. "Why don't we all go to hell together today!"
As he spoke, he hugged Wen Hong's waist tightly and suddenly slammed towards the window.
A look of surprise flashed in Wen Hong's eyes. He hadn't expected Qiao Zhenhuai to be so reckless.
Fortunately, just a second before the fall, Wen Hong reacted quickly and grabbed the exposed steel bars on one side of the window opening.
His girl was still waiting for him, and only at this moment did he feel a little annoyed at his less-than-thought-out plan.
Qiao Zhenhuai was still holding onto his leg. His years of pampered life were no longer enough to sustain him through such a long battle, and his arms were already shaking uncontrollably.
Wen Hong looked down at him, her voice laced with sarcasm: "Your wretched life is not worthy of talking to me about 'us,' my daughter will be angry."
He reached out his other hand and struck the cumbersome thing wrapped around his leg.
Unexpectedly, at the very moment he made his move, a white light flashed.
Qiao Zhenhuai suddenly had a short knife in his hand, and just before he fell, the blade pierced Wen Hong's abdomen.
Fortunately, Qiao Zhenhuai had long since run out of strength. After only glancing over his skin, he fell into the darkness below with his master.
Wen Hong belatedly felt the pain, and his first thought was that this time, he would probably have to put in a lot of effort to appease her.
When he finally made it back to the platform, the flashing lights in the distance were already close by, and Song Nanchen was calling out anxiously.
-
Despite Song Nanchen's repeated assurances that he had examined Wen Hong and found it to be merely superficial wounds without any internal damage, Qiao Yunzheng couldn't help but worry.
The twenty minutes of waiting outside the operating room seemed to stretch on endlessly, with each second stretching out indefinitely.
When the operating room door finally opened and Wen Hong was wheeled out on the bed, Qiao Yunzheng's feet seemed to be nailed to the spot, unable to move an inch no matter what she did.
The scene was so similar that she couldn't distinguish between reality and memory. The glaring white sheets intensely stimulated her visual nerves, causing her tears to flow uncontrollably.
The hospital bed stopped in front of her, and Wen Hong reached out from under the covers and took her hand: "Azheng, why are you back so soon?"
Her tone was so casual, as if she had simply stepped out the door.
Hearing that familiar voice again, the torment of the past few hours was finally released in that instant. Ignoring the strange looks from others, she let her tears flow freely.
"If you dare... if you dare..." Qiao Yunzheng stammered, but what she was thinking was that if fate were to cruelly make her bear that kind of pain again, she was unsure what extreme thing she might do.
Back in the ward, Song Nanchen finished explaining all the precautions and then tactfully withdrew, leaving them alone.
Qiao Yunzheng's eyes were still red. She stared intently at the conspicuous white gauze around his waist and abdomen, and pursed her lips.
Wen Hong stared intently at her, knowing she was angry, and reached out to tug at her fingers: "A-Zheng..."
Qiao Yunzheng didn't want to talk to him and angrily avoided him.
She didn't make any big movements, but Wen Hong hissed.
She panicked and rushed over, asking, "What's wrong? Where does it hurt? You're injured, why are you moving around like that?" As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again.
Wen Hong seized the opportunity to grab her hand, preventing her from escaping: "My heart aches, but as long as you pay attention to me, it won't hurt anymore."
Qiao Yunzheng didn't dare to move again, and just let him hold her hand, turning her head away.
The intense fear hadn't yet subsided: "We clearly agreed that no matter what, we would never hide anything again, and we would face it together, right?"
Wen Hong readily agreed: "I was wrong in this matter. You can punish me however you want, as long as you don't get angry."
Tears fell onto their clasped hands, and Qiao Yunzheng said, her voice choked with sobs, "Wen Hong, you don't understand. I can't bear to do something like that a second time... How could someone like him be worth you doing that!"
Wen Hong raised his hand with some effort and pinched her cheek: "But Azheng, do you know? I care so much," his eyes gleaming, "I care so much that I didn't cling to you back then, I care so much that I didn't go looking for you, I care so much that I wasn't by your side when you were most confused and helpless..."
His voice choked with emotion: "Fortunately, this time, I protected my girl."
Author's Note: Thank you to "Sunshine" for the nutrient solution! Mwah~
Ta-da! There's only one last chapter left! Waaaaaah~
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