Chapter 53: Going to Hell She Admits Hate... and Finally...
The wedding was held in a manor by the lake, with a huge glass dome framing the clear sky.
Pale golden irises bloomed in clusters, adorning the immaculate white hall. Vintage champagne exuded an intoxicating aroma, while elegantly dressed guests chatted quietly over glasses.
Backstage at the wedding, the bustling noise was kept out of the door.
Zhui Lian was looking down at her phone, while the dresser behind her was adjusting the intricate ribbons on the back of her wedding gown.
In the WeChat chat box, Pei Zhiwei just sent a WeChat message:
V.【Is everything ready?】
Her hands moved on the keyboard and she replied with a simple "hmm".
She lowered her head, unable to tell what she was feeling, she just felt a little dazed, so she didn't hear the slightest sound coming from the door behind her. The costume designer behind her had quietly retreated and was replaced by another tall figure.
Until a pair of hands quietly touched her back.
Zhui Lian felt a complete difference.
The fingers were slender and slightly cool as they slid down along her snow-white skin, accurately pinching the ribbon in the middle that had not yet been tied.
She turned back suddenly.
"How did you..."
Before she could finish her words, Pei Zhiyu's hand gently but firmly covered the back of her head, straightening her head and forcing her to look at the mirror again.
In the mirror, he stood behind her, his head slightly lowered, his eyes focused on the crisscrossing ribbons, as if it was the most important thing in the world.
"Don't move."
His nimble fingertips weaved through the crisscrossing ribbons. Unlike the costume designer, he was not as cautious as she was. His gentle movements carried an irresistible force. Every time he pulled the ribbons, his fingertips would inadvertently caress the skin of her exposed back.
Like feathers, itchy and numb.
But wherever he passed, his skin would tremble uncontrollably.
Slowly, slowly, he traced his fingers down the groove of the spine.
The ribbon was tightened inch by inch, further outlining Zhui Lian's slender waist.
Finally, he deftly tied a knot, pressing his fingertips lightly at the end.
Zhui Lian wanted to turn her head to look at him again, but she saw the man in the mirror lean over slightly, and his warm and soft touch fell on the exposed skin on her back.
But the kiss only lasted a brief moment.
It's fleeting.
Pei Zhiyu raised his eyes and met Zhui Lian, who was still stunned, in the mirror.
"alright."
He gently placed his hand on the back of her neck and said, "The wedding is about to start, let's go out."
*
The bell of the auditorium rang, Zhui Lian took Pei Zhiyu's arm and walked through the holy corridor covered with flower petals. The sunlight passed through the dome, casting a halo on her.
The veil embroidered with light gold irises was long and trailed on the ground. Half of her face was hidden in the veil, and she looked as soft and beautiful as an angel who had fallen into the mortal world by mistake.
She stood on the podium, glanced across the guest seats, and saw Pei Zhiwei sitting in the audience.
The other person's eyes met hers and he gave her a formal smile.
Behind her, on the huge curtain wall, carefully edited photos began to play in a loop, some of which even Zhui Lian herself had never seen.
In the classroom of Xiting High School, in that photo snapped by the student union, the blond boy gazed intently at her as she slept; under the mistletoe path on an English winter day, snowflakes swirl, he bent down to kiss her, the two of them leaning against each other under the dim streetlights; and beside the rocky beach in the seaside town, she hugged him, covered in blood, sobbing softly...
Green, lingering, thrilling...it turns out they had so many moments together.
In front of the altar, a kind-faced priest in pure white robes looked at her and Pei Zhiyu and said solemnly, "Mr. Pei Zhiyu, are you willing to marry the woman next to you, no matter good times or bad, no matter rich or poor, no matter healthy or sick..."
But before the priest could finish his words, the picture on the wall behind the two of them suddenly flashed.
Sizzle, sizzle.
There was a sound of electricity, like a bad signal.
The screen flickered a few times and suddenly switched—
The medical report on the abnormal drug content detected in Pei Qianhuang's body, the surveillance footage of Qiao's father being lured into gambling at the Crown Club, and the cold recording of the phone call between Pei Zhiyu and Fu Dongli...
All the ugliness, conspiracy and evil were exposed to the public at this moment.
The audience was dead silent.
What wealthy family doesn't have its share of dirty deeds? With the accumulation of wealth and power, what family doesn't have a few skeletons behind them? Even something as shocking as poisoning and patricide is commonplace here.
What is truly shocking is that these crimes were broadcast openly at such a grand and public wedding organized by the Pei family themselves using such simple and unskilled means!
During this period, the ones with the ugliest expressions were undoubtedly the group of old shareholders in the Pei family elders' council.
"Quick...quick, cut off the power!" One of the elderly men sitting in the front row stood up with the help of a cane and hurriedly gave orders loudly.
The content on the curtain wall was suddenly interrupted, but it was too late.
It was clearly the result of her own planning, but at this moment, Zhui Lian still felt confused and dazed. She subconsciously looked at Pei Zhiyu.
As the protagonist of the "scandal", Pei Zhiyu seemed much calmer than her.
He didn't even look at the curtain wall that would send him to hell. He seemed to not care what kind of abyss the evidence would push him into, nor where he would end up.
From beginning to end, his gaze was only on Zhui Lian's face.
There was no ripple or fear in those deep black pupils, and there was even a hint of indescribable relief and almost liberation.
The priest was already stunned, and could hardly hold the Bible in his hand.
Everyone was shocked, but Pei Zhiyu seemed to be out of the matter.
He reached out and held Zhui Lian's wrist.
The grip was tight, very tight, and the force was irresistible.
He ignored the stunned priest and the uproar in the room, his gaze fixed on Zhui Lian. He continued the interrupted process himself, his voice clearly resounding through the silent auditorium:
"I do."
He paused, looked into Zhui Lian's eyes, and revised the sacred oath word by word:
"No matter heaven, no matter hell, no matter whether you hate me or not, no matter what the price, even if it's your life—"
His voice was low and steady, yet one could hear an extreme madness and piety in it.
"I will love you forever, until death."
The whole place fell into deeper silence.
If, if you could say, some whispers could still be heard in this auditorium just now, then at this moment, it was truly silent.
Apart from--
Except for the sound of the ring being pushed into the ring finger.
The cold metal ring was put on along the knuckle and fastened tightly to Zhui Lian's ring finger.
Pei Zhiyu lowered his head, still carefully adjusting the position of the ring for her.
"Is this okay?" he asked her as if no one was around.
Zhui Lian looked at the man in front of her who, even if he was disgraced and hopeless, was still determined to complete this ridiculous ritual and tie her to himself tightly.
The huge sense of absurdity tore at her, leaving her almost speechless.
However, this is not the end.
Pei Zhiyu still held her wrist, raised his eyes and looked into her eyes.
He asked her softly, his tone very gentle: "So, Lianlian, what about you?"
"Are you willing? No matter heaven or hell, no matter whether you hate me or not, no matter what the price is, even if it's your life—"
A moment's pause.
"Will you also...love me till death?"
Finally, Zhui Lian raised his other hand and covered his face tightly, his shoulders shaking violently and uncontrollably.
She had never seen the gates of hell so clearly before her eyes.
But this hell is not just for Pei Zhiyu.
It's also for her.
They will eventually be devoured together.
*
Pei Zhiyu was placed under house arrest.
Although the evidence displayed on the wedding curtain wall that day caused an uproar, it could not 100% convict him of poisoning Pei Qianhuang.
But Zhui Lian knew that Pei Zhiwei must have a backup plan.
A backup plan that is enough to send Pei Zhiyu to jail.
But Zhui Lian had no intention of asking or thinking about it. She just stayed quietly in the small western-style building with Pei Zhiyu.
Pei Zhiyu's movements and communications were restricted, but he didn't seem curious or anxious to know what was happening outside. He accompanied Zhui Lian as usual, prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner for her in different ways, read poems or told stories to her before bed, and took care of their daily lives in an orderly manner.
Isolated from the wind and rain from the outside world, time in the building seemed to stand still.
But from some day on, Pei Zhiyu began to spend more time in the study.
Occasionally, Zhui Lian would pass by and see him staring at his computer screen. Instead of any news about himself, he'd read detailed profiles of various design companies and studios. On the other side of his dual-screen computer was an open document filled with job evaluations for design jobs in S City and several other livable cities.
He has reorganized every corner of the house, and even all the medicines in the medicine box have been classified and clearly labeled with their uses and expiration dates.
Zhui Lian sometimes followed behind him like a silent little tail.
She wanted to say something, but no words came out.
She could only follow in silence until Pei Zhiyu felt a little amused and nudged her, saying, "Why are you following me all the time?"
She still couldn't speak.
I could only open my arms and silently ask him for a hug.
The two of them hugged each other until dusk suddenly fell. Pei Zhiyu rested his chin on the top of her head and suddenly said, "From the very beginning, this house was bought in your name."
"The property deed is in the first drawer next to our bed, and the key is behind the wedding photo frame."
His eyes fell on the ring on Zhui Lian's ring finger. He paused for a moment before continuing softly, "If you don't want to live here anymore, you can sell it at any time. I've consulted about the procedures in advance, so it's not difficult."
"Can you please not talk about this for now..." Zhui Lian didn't seem to want to listen and buried her head deeper in his arms, with a bit of an escapist attitude.
"I'm afraid it will be too late later."
"Pei Zhiyu." Zhui Lian said softly, "I'm not a fool."
Pei Zhiyu seemed to laugh a little, then shook his head after a while and said, "Yes, our Lianlian is not a fool, it's just that I'm too concerned and confused."
He released the hug and walked over to the living room wall lamp.
Autumn has gradually arrived in S City.
He didn't know why, but there was always a chill in this small house. He turned on the warm wall lamp, and in front of it lay a snow-white velvet blanket that seemed a bit thick for this season.
"Lianlian, I'm a little sleepy. Please read me a poem."
Pei Zhiyu pulled Zhui Lian to sit on the blanket, then he lay down naturally, resting his head on her lap. He tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and his long eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes.
The collection of poems was placed on the carpet, and Zhui Lian reached out to take it.
She pinched the corner of the page and flipped through it frantically for a long time before finally turning to the page with the bookmark -
It's Neruda's "I'm Here to Love You":
I love you here.
In the dim pine forest, the wind frees itself.
The moon shone phosphorescently on the wandering water.
Day after day, year after year, everything repeats like this.
…
Sometimes, I wake up in the morning,
Even my soul is still wet.
Far away, the ocean roars and echoes.
This is a port.
I love you here.
Here I love you, and the horizon hides you in vain.
In these cold things, I still love you.
Sometimes my kisses cross the oceans in heavy ships.
I see myself forgotten like those old anchors.
The pier becomes sad as dusk anchors there.
And my life has become tired and thirsty for no reason.
I love what I don't have. You are so far away.
My hatred fights the slow twilight.
But night comes and begins to sing to me.
…
A soft female voice read the last sentence.
The verses slowly faded into the air, leaving behind only an endless desolation.
As dusk fell, the room darkened, leaving only the light from the wall lamp illuminating the small world on the carpet. In the silence, Pei Zhiyu, resting his head on Zhui Lian's lap, suddenly spoke:
"Have the police arrived?"
Zhui Lian's body suddenly stiffened, and the hand holding the poetry book trembled slightly. She turned her face away, her throat seemed to be blocked by something, and she could not make a sound.
The next moment, Pei Zhiyu sat up.
The slightly cool hands cupped her cheeks, gently yet irresistibly turning her face back.
"Zhui Lian, look at me."
She was forced to meet Pei Zhiyu's gaze.
"Lianlian," he looked at her, his voice still incredibly gentle, "Actually, the WeChat user named V. is mine."
Although he had expected this, Zhui Lian's breathing still suddenly stopped.
"So you..." she asked in a trembling voice, "You already knew all this, right?"
"Yeah, but isn't this the ending you wanted?"
Pei Zhiyu curled up the corners of his lips slightly.
It was a smile that was equally gentle, so gentle that it was almost indulgent, and so indulgent that it was almost doting.
"So I thought, I'll help you make it happen."
The emotional dam completely collapsed at this moment.
Zhui Lian finally couldn't hold it in anymore, and tears burst out without warning, rolling down in big drops, hitting her neck, the back of her hands, and the blanket.
She suddenly stretched out her arms and hugged him tightly.
This hug ignited the final chapter. The two people were embedded in each other's embrace, as if they wanted to melt each other into their own bones and blood.
His clothes were scattered and his back was pressed against the carpet.
This was the first time Zhui Lian responded so actively, her fingertips sinking deeply into the skin of Pei Zhiyu's back, leaving one red mark after another.
Puff——
It turned out that the wound on Pei Zhiyu's chest, left when he blocked the gun for her, could not withstand the violent movement and suddenly broke open.
Warm blood splashed out, spreading from his chest all the way, leaving large, sad marks on his thin body, and also staining Zhui Lian's naked skin.
The blood was wet, hot and sticky, enveloping Zhui Lian's senses. She froze in her tracks and her tears flowed even more violently.
Pei Zhiyu seemed not to feel the pain, but just hugged her tighter, clasping the back of her neck with his blood-stained palm, deepening the predatory kiss.
There was a lot of blood and a lot of tears.
Blood and tears mixed together, and large flowers of blood bloomed between their skins, beautiful and strange, staining the snow-white velvet blanket beneath them red.
Be it resentment or decadence, everything that comes comes with a kind of self-destructive madness, much more tragic than the last carnival of death before doomsday.
It seems that only enough pain is worthy of this sacrifice.
It seemed that only in this way could they explain the inextricable bond entangled with deep sins... and it seemed that only in this way could they leave the last bit of truth before this doomed ending.
But the wind is not stable and people are not calm.
I don’t know where the wind came from, but it was so cold that it blew away the suffocating heat that was swirling between the two of them.
But why was the wind so soft? He pushed her forward, only to feel the scent of blood between their lips. Zhui Lian tilted her head back. This was the first and only time she took the initiative to move forward and kiss Pei Zhiyu on the lips.
Pei Zhiyu's stunned pupils dilated infinitely in front of her eyes.
The smell of blood filled the air and entangled between lips and teeth, but what the two people tasted more was the salty taste of tears.
"Pei Zhiyu."
In this final, desperate kiss, Zhui Lian whispered, "Only with this ending can you atone for your sins, and only then can we truly have the possibility of starting over."
Love and hate burn and burn, but they can never be reduced to ashes.
After all these years, at this end, she admitted to hatred... and finally, admitted to love.
In the distance, the sound of sirens can be faintly heard.
In front of me, the reflection on the wall showed two figures clinging to each other in a desperate situation. They looked like trapped beasts with nowhere to go, their foreheads touching.
The taller figure suddenly lowered his head and looked at the figure in his arms.
The shadow follows the lamp.
Pei Zhiyu looked at Zhui Lian, the emotions in his eyes were hard to discern, but very deep, so deep that it made people want to sigh unconsciously.
He raised his hand, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and said softly, "Okay."
The sirens were getting closer.
The blood on his chest was still slowly spreading. Pei Zhiyu took a deep breath and supported himself to stand up.
He did not treat his wound first, or rather, he did not care about the wound at all and had no intention of treating it.
He simply bent down and picked up Zhui Lian's clothes scattered on the ground one by one.
He reached out and helped her put on her underwear, fastening the buckles, and then straightened her long hair that was scattered on her shoulders and neck. Then he carefully put on her soft outer shirt, lifted her ankles, and put on her trousers...
But the sirens were already at the door.
There was a heavy and rapid knock on the door.
"Open the door! Police!"
"Hold on."
Pei Zhiyu was putting on the last pair of socks for Zhui Lian. When he heard the knock on the door, he continued to complete this last step slowly and carefully.
"alright."
He raised his head, took Zhui Lian's hand, and kissed the back of her hand.
A kiss so light and fleeting, like a feather.
"Lianlian, remember that I love you."
He said it very softly, very gently.
After he finished speaking, he turned around, walked to the door without hesitation, and turned the doorknob.
Zhui Lian stared blankly at the direction he left.
The moment the door opened, the noisy voices and dazzling light from outside poured into this world that had been briefly isolated from the outside world, stinging her dazed pupils.
Pei Zhiyu had already walked out, his tall figure blurred in the backlight.
He calmly faced the fate he was willing to accept.
Throughout his life, he was paranoid, crazy, and full of sins, and he never repented for anything he had done.
But if the person who asked him to atone for his sins was Zhui Lian, then he would be willing to do so, even if it meant dying at her hands.
He was willing to exchange his own irretrievable destruction for her possible peace of mind.
And a possible…start over.
The door slowly closed behind him, temporarily isolating the two worlds.
Zhui Lian sat on the ground in a daze, the wind blowing the poetry book, and the book flipped back to the page he had just read, revealing the verses he had not finished reading.
The moon turns his dream like a gear,
The biggest star is gazing at me through your eyes.
When I loved you, the pine trees in the wind,
shall sing thy name with their silken leaves.
(End of Text)
-----------------------
The author has something to say: I'm writing the sequel! ! Please don't send me razor blades! ! QAQ
Do you have any other extras you want to see besides the he extra? If not, I will just do whatever I want [milk tea]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
