Chapter Forty-Four: The Curtain Falls

For Yin Zhengkui, ever since discovering that Yaliying was his daughter, he had sought her out twice: the first time, he slapped her, and the second, he tried to drag her to ruin with him. Yaliying’s heart was already brimming with hatred; if she didn’t let it out, she felt she would die from the pain.

But Ruiying was suffering too—so much so that she couldn’t even bring herself to help her father up. Ruiying hadn’t known her father was meeting Yaliying, but she happened to overhear his phone call. There was no time to tell Liu Minghe, so she rushed out after him.

She never expected to witness such a crazed side of her father. Though he had always been strict at times, he was gentle—a good man, her solid support since childhood, the pillar of their family. Like any little girl, Ruiying had always held a secret admiration for her father.

Now, all those illusions were shattered. When her father pushed Yaliying under the water, he seemed more like a… madman.

Yin Zhengkui stared at his daughter. Ruiying’s face was twisted with pain and fright, and she was too stunned to react—caught between stepping forward and retreating, she simply stared at him in a daze.

Yaliying said nothing. She straightened her clothes; her hair still dripped with water, but she didn’t care. She picked up her phone and, right in front of Ruiying and Yin Zhengkui, called Li Zhuwang.

“Zhuwang,” she said—her tone shifted from seething to gentle so suddenly that Ruiying’s gaze finally moved away from her father.

“I’m at the Sun Hotel. Can you come pick me up? Something happened.”

Li Zhuwang immediately sounded worried. “What happened? Are you hurt? Wait for me—forty minutes!”

Ruiying wasn’t far from Yaliying, and Zhuwang’s voice was loud enough for her to hear every word. But nothing could shock her more than what had already happened between her parents; even Li Zhuwang’s voice now sounded distant and unreal. She turned her head calmly and refused to look at Yaliying again.

She was in pain, but she still could not forgive the sister who had stolen her boyfriend.

Yaliying left soon after, but before she walked out the door, she glanced at Ruiying—standing all alone in the middle of the room, frail and vulnerable, yet with her back straight, utterly unyielding.

As expected, Li Zhuwang arrived at the hotel entrance in no time. When he saw Yaliying drenched, he hurried to ask what happened, but she couldn’t find the words, only collapsed into his arms as if utterly exhausted, desperately in need of support.

Soon, Ruiying also stepped out. It was her first time facing Li Zhuwang and Yaliying together, and watching them embrace so tenderly, she realized that her anger had long since burned itself out.

Perhaps it was because she had a greater burden to bear now, or because the journey of the past three months had made her grow, or perhaps because Liu Minghe’s care had moved her. She watched the couple with a calm, expressionless face.

Yaliying, held in Li Zhuwang’s arms, had her back to Ruiying, but Li Zhuwang faced her directly.

Across from him stood the girlfriend he had dated for five years—whom he’d left before their engagement. In his arms was the woman he now loved, the one he wished to spend his life with.

Yet, faced with Ruiying’s cold, blank stare, Li Zhuwang felt guilty. After their broken engagement, he had sought her out, saying it was better to end the pain quickly than prolong it; that was why he’d left so decisively. Even his grandmother had urged him to reconsider, to not throw away five years so hastily, that everything would be fine after marriage. But his answer then was—he couldn’t marry while still holding another woman in his heart.

Looking back, all those reasons now sounded like excuses for betrayal.

Li Zhuwang gently pushed Yaliying away, his expression grim. “Did you two meet?”

He thought it was Ruiying who had left Yaliying in such a state.

After all, Ruiying’s clothes were neat and dry, while Yaliying was soaked and her cheek was swollen.

Ruiying stared at Li Zhuwang, half expecting his anger to make him lash out at her.

Yaliying stood behind Li Zhuwang, her previous vulnerability and sorrow nowhere to be seen.

Ruiying looked at Li Zhuwang and asked, very calmly, “Do you really think I could beat her?”

Ruiying was physically weak, with little strength. Li Zhuwang had dated her for five years—he knew this well.

How could Ruiying have left Yaliying so battered and yet escaped unscathed herself?

Her gaze was full of contempt and mockery. Li Zhuwang suddenly didn’t know what to do.

Then Ruiying smiled faintly and said, “Zhuwang, are you planning to become my brother-in-law?”

She looked past Li Zhuwang at Yaliying. She couldn’t explain why—she thought she had moved past it, but seeing Yaliying and Li Zhuwang together rekindled her anger.

Li Zhuwang clearly didn’t understand, but Ruiying continued, “You didn’t know Yaliying is my sister, did you?” She no longer cared; everything that needed to be known would come out eventually. “Since my mother stole your mother’s man, you decided to steal my fiancé, isn’t that right?”

Li Zhuwang turned to look at Yaliying, but was struck by the expression on her face.

“It doesn’t matter,” Ruiying said. “If it’s Li Zhuwang you want, take him. A man who wavers so easily will only find another ‘true love’ after marriage anyway.”

She looked off into the distance, where a man was stepping out of a car, her face visibly lighting up.

Liu Minghe walked to her side, subtly separating Ruiying from Li Zhuwang.

He greeted Li Zhuwang politely, “So you’re Li Zhuwang from the Sun Daily—I’ve heard a lot about you.” Then, putting his arm around Ruiying, he smiled warmly. “If there’s nothing urgent, I hope you won’t meet Ruiying alone in the future. Otherwise, it would trouble me.”

Ruiying blushed with embarrassment, but still asked, “Minghe, would you ever leave me for someone else?”

Liu Minghe playfully tapped her nose. “After all the effort I put into courting you, of course I’ll cherish you. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be worth it.”

Ruiying rolled her eyes at him in mock annoyance, and together, the two brushed past Li Zhuwang.

She knew that after today, Li Zhuwang and Yaliying would certainly have a falling out over what had happened, but whether they stayed together or not, it no longer had anything to do with her.

In the car, Ruiying recounted everything to Liu Minghe. She told him she wanted to find a job and move out—living under the same roof as her parents was too painful now. She needed time.

Liu Minghe wanted her to move in with him, not for any improper reason, but because his house was large and empty, and he’d worry if she lived alone.

“Why not sign with our company? You already have experience as an editor, it’s no problem.”

Ruiying shook her head. She once worked at the same place as Li Zhuwang, and now she didn’t want to repeat the same situation with Liu Minghe. Once bitten, twice shy.

“I want to finish my travelogue first,” she said thoughtfully. “I have some savings; once it’s done, I’ll job-hunt. If no one hires me, you’ll take me in, right?”

She smiled, but her eyes were red. Liu Minghe knew her thoughts were still on her parents, so he sighed softly, turned her face to his, and said, “Let your parents deal with their own mess. They made their choices—let’s see how they make amends. You don’t have to carry it all.”

He was right. Yin Zhengkui was healthy, Shen Xiuzhen was a well-known TV actress; neither was old, weak, or infirm. They could handle their own affairs.

Although Ruiying couldn’t let go, she knew she had to act as if she could—otherwise, life would be unbearable.

She hesitated, then nodded.

Liu Minghe took her out for dinner before dropping her home.

The atmosphere was stifling; Shen Xiuzhen already knew about Yin Zhengkui’s meeting with Yaliying and was in a rage.

“Why should you feel guilty? Why not talk about how she slapped me twice!” Shen Xiuzhen fumed. “She deserved it! That wretched girl, she couldn’t keep herself decent and insisted on stealing Ruiying’s boyfriend!”

“That’s enough, Mom.” Ruiying interrupted as she entered. “Before you say things like that, remember what you did back then.”

She looked at both parents. “I’m ashamed of you. Tomorrow, I’m moving out.”

“Ruiying!” Shen Xiuzhen was terrified and grabbed her arm, only to find Ruiying was crying too.

“I’ll come back when I can accept all this.”

Her mother was a homewrecker, her father a man who had abandoned his wife. Ruiying simply couldn’t bear to see them any longer—family made the burden heavier.

That night, she silently packed her things. The next morning, Liu Minghe came to pick her up; until she found a new place, she agreed to stay at his home.

·

Ma Ling heard from Zhao Yingchun that Ruiying had moved out and that Yaliying had taken her revenge—she couldn’t have been happier. After falling out with Ruiying, she’d sworn never to speak to her again. Normally, Ruiying would have called to apologize, but this time, days went by with no word.

Zhao Yingchun was secretly pleased too; she’d always disliked Shen Xiuzhen’s smugness. Now, seeing Shen Xiuzhen in tears every day was immensely satisfying, as if all her old grudges were finally avenged.

Mother and daughter gossiped about Ruiying’s family in the living room. Zhao Yingchun was sure the media would expose Shen Xiuzhen, who would then lose her job and any hope for a good future. As for Yin Zhengkui, she speculated the Sun Daily’s president wouldn’t tolerate such a scandalous subordinate.

Events unfolded just as Zhao Yingchun predicted. Yaliying exposed Shen Xiuzhen, and soon after, Yin Zhengkui was dismissed.

Half a month had passed since Ruiying’s confrontation with Yaliying. She had found a new apartment, not far from Liu Minghe’s, with rent a bit high, but manageable.

After hearing the news, Rachel and Han Ji-eun kept her company. She went home for New Year’s, but the atmosphere was oppressively heavy. The house had been sold and replaced with a smaller one. Now, with both parents out of work, they had to live off their savings.

After the New Year, as the weather warmed, Ruiying’s book was finally published.

Zhao Yingchun and Ma Ling, who had expected Ruiying to be miserable, even bought her book. Ma Ling later saw Ruiying at a mall—she looked well, dressed in a brand-new RS trench coat. When they passed each other, Ruiying pretended not to see Ma Ling, making her so furious she nearly stomped her feet.

Meanwhile, Yaliying’s revenge had run its course. She knew there was nothing more she could do—she couldn’t really destroy Yin Zhengkui and Shen Xiuzhen, and she couldn’t take revenge on Ruiying, who was, after all, innocent.

With her vengeance ended, Yaliying met with Li Zhuwang and broke up with him.

Author’s note: Next comes the romance arc for the main couple; the story will likely end in one or two chapters.

There will definitely be two updates tonight, hmph.