Jiang Bei's attempt to comfort her was interrupted by Wei Qiao's return. His gaze, sharp as a knife, was fixed on Xiao Wanqing, who was surrounded by bodyguards. Her body covered in blood was like a testament to a nightmare, filling Jiang Bei with rage. He knew that the root of this disaster lay with the woman before him.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Shen Zhi Qiu tensed instantly, breaking free from Rong Mo's embrace. Her eyes, sharp as knives, were focused solely on her target ahead—Xiao Wan Qing. Her face was filled with anger and grief, these two intense emotions intertwining into a raging storm within her, propelling her forward with a sudden burst of energy.
As she rushed towards Xiao Wanqing, her gaze was fixed on the gun in Wei Qiao's hand. That gun seemed to be her only salvation, the only tool that could allow her to avenge Lu Jia. Without hesitation, she rushed forward, snatched the gun from Wei Qiao's hand, and gripped it tightly in her own.
"Zhi Qiu!" Rong Mo and Wei Qiao exclaimed almost simultaneously, their faces showing tension. They had never seen Shen Zhi Qiu so angry and resolute.
Seeing Shen Zhi Qiu's actions, Xiao Wan Qing's lips curled into a disdainful smile. She slowly raised her head, looking at Shen Zhi Qiu with a provocative gaze, as if mocking her powerlessness. Her voice was full of sarcasm, "Miss Shen, oh no, Miss Rong, you've finally become something, daring to point a gun at me! Tell me, if you had been more aware of this sooner, Lu Jia wouldn't have died because of you."
A flicker of pain flashed in Shen Zhi Qiu's eyes, but she quickly concealed it, coldly staring at Xiao Wan Qing and shouting to the bodyguards, "Let her go." Her voice was firm and powerful, brooking no argument.
The bodyguards hesitated, glancing at Rong Mo with some uncertainty.
Rong Mo frowned, nodded to the bodyguards, and they immediately released Xiao Wanqing and walked to the side.
Xiao Wanqing lost her balance and fell to the ground. She clutched her abdomen with her uninjured right hand, letting out a muffled groan of pain. Her face was full of dishevelment and resentment, but she did not beg for mercy; instead, she stared at Shen Zhi Qiu with a defiant look.
Lin Su looked at Xiao Wanqing, shook her head, and whispered, "Those who do evil will not live."
Shen Zhi Qiu stepped forward, pointing the gun at Xiao Wan Qing's right arm, her voice filled with hatred. "Xiao Wan Qing, I'll make you taste the agony of unbearable pain too." Her voice trembled, revealing her inner struggle and anger.
Rong Mo quickly walked up behind Shen Zhi Qiu, his voice gentle yet firm, "Zhi Qiu, give the gun to your brother, okay?" He tried to soothe Shen Zhi Qiu's agitated emotions.
Jiang Bei also rushed to Shen Zhi Qiu's side. He gently persuaded her, "Zhi Qiu, don't get your hands dirty. It's not worth it for a woman like that. Give me the gun, okay?" His voice was full of concern and worry.
Shen Zhi Qiu stubbornly shook her head, gripped the gun in her hand tightly, and felt her hatred deepen.
Seeing that things had come to this point, Rong Mo knew he couldn't persuade Shen Zhi Qiu, so he drew his sidearm from the nearest bodyguard and fired another shot at Xiao Wan Qing's right shoulder without hesitation.
Xiao Wanqing's body trembled violently from the impact of being shot again. Her facial muscles contorted, and blood gushed from the new wound, this time soaking her clothes completely.
Shen Zhi Qiu was startled by Rong Mo's sudden gunshot. She froze, as this was the first time she had ever heard gunshots so close to her. Not only was she a little scared, but the gun in her hand also trembled slightly.
Seeing this, Jiang Bei hurriedly stepped forward, trying to snatch the gun from Shen Zhi Qiu's hand. His movements were swift and forceful, but Shen Zhi Qiu seemed to be completely controlled by the rage of revenge; she gripped the pistol tightly and refused to let go.
"Zhi Qiu, calm down!" Jiang Bei shouted, trying to bring her back to her senses. "Doing this will only make things worse!"
Shen Zhi Qiu's gaze was fixed on Xiao Wan Qing, watching her struggle desperately, but she could not quell the pain in her heart.
“Zhi Qiu, don’t do this, I’ll do it,” Jiang Bei insisted. “If Lu Jia knew you killed someone for him, he would be heartbroken too.”
“Jiang Bei, she killed Lu Jia! I watched the ship explode at sea, do you know that?” Shen Zhi Qiu thought of that horrific scene, and knelt down helplessly, burying her face in her hands in anguish.
Shen Zhi Qiu's tears fell silently like beads from a broken string. Her body trembled, enduring immense pain. Jiang Bei's heart clenched as well; he could no longer control himself and held Shen Zhi Qiu tightly in his arms.
"I'm sorry, Zhi Qiu, I'm late." Jiang Bei's voice was gentle yet firm, every word filled with self-reproach and guilt. "I failed to save Lu Jia."
Shen Zhi Qiu lowered the gun with trembling hands, her body seemingly devoid of all strength. She hugged Jiang Bei back and burst into tears, "Jiang Bei, it's all my fault! If it weren't for me, Lu Jia wouldn't have died! If I hadn't looked for Lu Jia back then, he would still be living a good life in Rongcheng. It's all my fault! I killed him! It was me!"
Jiang Bei, fighting back tears, sighed and gently patted Shen Zhi Qiu's back. "You know what? After you got off the ship, he told me it was good that you had gotten off the ship, and that it was good that you weren't facing all of this alone. I believe that when he sailed away, he absolutely couldn't blame you. He would only feel that it was good that he was the one facing it, and that your safe survival was his greatest wish."
Hearing this, Shen Zhi Qiu cried even harder. Her tears soaked Jiang Bei's shirt, but she didn't care about that; she just kept venting her grief.
Xiao Wanqing lay on the ground, her face deathly pale, her eyes filled with sorrow and despair. She spat out a mouthful of blood, her voice weak and hoarse, "Shen Zhi Qiu! Why? Why are there always people willing to give everything for you? Si Mingyu did, and Lu Jia even risked his life to protect you! I hate it! Why are you always so lucky!"
"Thank goodness, Lu Jia is finally dead. You'll live with regret for the rest of your life, never able to let go. That gives me some comfort, haha."
With her last breath, Xiao Wanqing struggled to sit up and looked at Shen Zhi Qiu with a mocking tone, "In the end, you lost to me. Do you know what Gu Qingyan just said? He said he has always loved me, that he has loved me for many years. My imagination was right. Marrying you was just a mistake. Haha! You lost, haha, you lost!"
Jiang Bei gently helped Shen Zhi Qiu up and handed her to Rong Mo. Then he walked up to Xiao Wan Qing, looked at her frantic state, and said through gritted teeth, "Leave her to me."
"What do you want to do?" Rong Mo frowned.
“President Rong, Lu Jia and Zhi Qiu are both my best friends. Now that Lu Jia is dead, I must avenge him.” Jiang Bei said with a straight face, “If we just shoot her to death like this, it would be too easy for her to die.”
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