The sky was gloomy, with heavy clouds, and the blurred horizon was nowhere to be seen.

Under such a sky, we walked through the endless fields.

As we passed by, we saw reed seedlings sprouting from the ground.

The black Unimog wove its way along the winding road at a steady pace.

I looked at Gu Shi'an's profile in the rearview mirror, slightly dazed.

The man in the mirror wore sunglasses, hiding his eyes.

The faintly exposed skin was pale and delicate, with a hint of blue veins showing.

"Gu Shi'an, stop it..."

With countless words on my mind, I finally uttered a sentence slowly.

Gu Shi'an didn't respond, continuing to drive forward in an orderly manner.

The car stopped at the foot of a remote mountain.

At the last stop, Gu Shi'an took me to see his parents' memorial tablets.

*

I looked at the kind smiles in the photos of Gu's parents.

Following Gu Shi'an, I bowed to them three times.

"This is Jiang Xuan."

Gu Shi'an's hoarse voice addressed them:

"Dad, Mom. If you have spirits in heaven, please bless her with a lifetime of peace and happiness..."

A sour feeling swept over my heart.

If Gu Shi'an's parents were still alive, he might have been a kind and pure child in this life...

"Ah Xuan."

"You know everything, don't you?"

Gu Shi'an's words made me feel alarmed!

Who knew that in the next moment, he added: "But I won't lay a hand on you."

"So, you can bear to lay a hand on them?"

Hearing his indifferent tone, I suddenly couldn't help but say.

"Even if you want revenge, there's a rightful owner for every debt! You don't go after the real culprits, but instead, you killed the innocent Fang Ning!"

Strong anger made me almost lose my mind.

I was very disappointed in myself.

The image of Sister Fang Ning before she died had been engraved in my mind for years.

I failed her...

"She wanted to take you away!"

Gu Shi'an turned his head to look at me, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.

"She actually wanted to send you to another man..."

The man's appearance at this moment was very unfamiliar.

Like a high and mighty devil, no longer having a moment of mercy for the world.

"I had already spared her many times..."

"But she didn't cherish it."

The air suddenly became quiet, and it seemed as if a thick black fog of despair enveloped the surroundings.

"Ha...hahaha."

I burst into tears and laughter.

"So that night...you saved me but killed Fang Ning?"

"Gu Shi'an, I hate you..."

Gu Shi'an lowered his head and didn't speak.

At this moment, I couldn't see any emotion on his face.

Perhaps, in the past, his gentleness and tolerance towards me were just another layer of falsehood under his dangerous facade.

After a long time, he smiled at me and said:

"Ah Xuan, take a guess... what do you think happened to Fang Tianming now?"

His eyes were cold, and he gave a strange and cruel smile.

A bad premonition swept over me.

"What happened to him?"

"Two hours ago, I posted evidence of Fang Tianming's crimes over the years online."

"By now, the police should have already caught up with him..."

Before he could finish his sentence—

A figure quickly appeared beside me.

A fist struck fiercely at Gu Shi'an's face.

Fang Haoyan glared at him with intense hatred, his hand movements relentless.

"You lunatic!"

"Why did you have to kill them! Why don't you die?!"

Gu Shi'an was knocked to the ground.

He licked the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

A cruel smile appeared on his face.

"Fang Haoyan."

"You're finally here..."

"Perhaps this is fate; your parents killed mine! And you...fell in love with the woman I love."

In the next moment, Gu Shi'an quickly caught Fang Haoyan's fist.

He murmured: "Let's see...who will die at each other's hands in the end."

Fang Haoyan's eyes were as cold as an ice cellar, clearly agreeing with this decision.

I stood by the memorial tablets of Gu's parents, listening to the sounds of their fight.

Expressionless, I looked up at the gray sky, now starting to drizzle.

In the gently blowing cold wind.

Amid the thick smell of blood, colorful leaves fell on my shoulders...

A faint sadness swept over my heart.

Amidst the light and fog, the distant and near sirens seemed to come from the sky, flickering uncertainly.

The main text is finished.

——————————

Extra:

1 Aftermath

"I advise you to be honest..."

Two glaring lights shone into Gu Shi'an's pupils, making them unconsciously dilate.

Thick ropes bound his hands and feet, rendering him immobile.

After an unknown amount of time, the world became dark again.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze directed at the warehouse's crude ceiling.

The air was filled with the oppression of an impending snowstorm...

Everyone

's eyes were fixed on this handsome man, not forgetting that just before they arrived—

He had just killed someone.

Gu Shi'an's eyes were calm, and he confessed without expression:

"I killed them."

"I plead guilty."

Everyone was stunned by the coldness in his tone.

The leading police officer asked again:

"Why? Young man, your future could have been so bright. Why resort to such extremes..."

Gu Shi'an rarely moved his gaze, looking at the middle-aged man who had just spoken.

His regret and hatred were so evident in his eyes.

Perhaps because the man was around the same age as his father, Gu Shi'an suddenly wanted to chat a bit.

"Have you ever seen an honest person forced to lie, a righteous person forced to bow..."

"Have you witnessed the moment when an idealist saw the truth shatter?"

Everyone looked at each other, no one spoke.

Gu Shi'an's eyes were numb.

His voice murmured, continuing:

"In this filthy and chaotic world, who cares about your steadfastness..."

"I just protect the light in my own way! Am I wrong?"

Gu Shi'an's voice was mixed with a broken low roar.

His desperate and dark eyes swept over everyone present.

Gradually... his voice grew smaller.

"No, you don't understand..."

Gradually, his eyes returned to calm.

As he was being taken away, Gu Shi'an glanced at the middle-aged police officer.

"What about her?"

Receiving the pleading in his eyes, the officer shook his head helplessly, saying:

"Jiang Xuan refused to see you; she probably left already."

Gu Shi'an stood dazed for a while, until he was pushed into the police car, he didn't say another word.

2 Fang Haoyan's Story

From the moment Fang Haoyan saw Jiang Xuan, he knew that for the rest of his life, he might be entangled with her.

It was a rainy morning, he was jogging on the track as usual, wearing earphones.

The morning light shone on the earth, dispelling the remaining water droplets, the wind from the previous night had blown the branches everywhere, and the air was filled with a cold woody fragrance.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Fang Haoyan glanced in that direction.

A girl squatted in a secluded corner.

She was holding a bowl filled with milky white milk, with a few weak kittens lying beside her.

Golden sycamore leaves carefully floated down from the sky, a few landing on her hair.

At that moment, the gentle piano melody from her earphones overlapped with her slender and graceful silhouette.

Unknowingly, Fang Haoyan had already stopped walking and was quietly watching her.

After a long while, she was no longer in sight...

Ever since that farewell, he could not forget that silhouette.

During those days, he scoured all the major forums of the school but found no trace of her.

After a few months, his efforts finally paid off.

One day, the forum suddenly released the list of candidates for this year's freshman beauty queen.

By some coincidence, Fang Haoyan had a strange premonition and clicked in...

*

In the five years later in Country M,

Fang Haoyan thought more than once why he was captivated by that woman with an angelic face but a heart of a viper...

He felt sorry for his sister and his parents.

But the nauseating thing was, every night in his dreams, that woman's figure would appear.

She was crying at him...

When Fang Haoyan finally passed the test from his family, he got the news that she was currently working at a small company in Haicheng, sharing a rental with her friend.

After returning to the country early, he secretly went to see her a few times.

Under the night, she and Aya were very happy, so happy it felt blinding!

But soon, he smiled.

He began a revenge plan specifically targeting her.

Hope she likes it...

3 Jiang Xuan's Story

Three months later.

Jiang Xuan received an email about property transfer.

It contained some real estate checks and shares of IK Software Information Company, and the donor's name was prominently written as Gu Shian.

Jiang Xuan went to visit Gu Shian in prison.

She waited for a long time before a heavy-footed man finally appeared inside.

The once handsome face was faintly visible under the dim light with stubble marks.

Seeing Jiang Xuan's gaze fixed there, Gu Shian raised his long fingers and lightly touched his chin, his ears slightly red as he said:

"I just scraped it with a blade... is it... very ugly..."

Jiang Xuan didn't reply, just quietly looked into his eyes, which were still pure.

All the evidence of Gu Shian's crimes had been handed over to the policewoman who had left her number by Jiang Xuan.

"Do you blame me?" Jiang Xuan asked.

The next moment, he smiled, "Silly Xuan."

The time was up, and someone outside was urging them to hurry up.

Jiang Xuan touched her belly.

Only then did Gu Shian notice her slightly bulging abdomen.

His eyes flashed with disbelief, "You..."

The woman opposite gave him one last look, radiating a gentle light.

"Congratulations, Gu Shian..."

"You're going to be a dad."

As the woman's figure walked further and further away, Gu Shian grabbed the glass with both hands desperately.

Unwillingly, he asked again:

"Jiang Xuan! Did you ever love me?"

Jiang Xuan paused, not turning back, she just softly said:

"Gu Shian, the moment you killed Fang Ning and Fang Haoyan."

"How much love did you have left?"

*

There was no trace of her in the room.

Gu Shian just stared in the direction she left.

Silent for a long time.

Until he awaited death.

4 Aya's Story

When Jiang Xuan arrived here, Aya was washing clothes for that family.

"Just seeing this money-losing calamity makes me angry! We bought her with great difficulty, and she turned out to be infertile?!"

In the farmhouse, a woman in her fifties was munching on sunflower seeds, her eyes looking contemptuously at the woman hunching over by the well outside.

"Mom, didn't we agree not to bring this up?!" The fat man came out of the house with a bowl of noodles.

"She just had a miscarriage, and the village doctor said she needs to rest well to prepare for the next time, or where will we get a boy?!"

The man sat in the yard, leisurely eating noodles and basking in the sun, completely ignoring the woman who had only drunk a bowl of water since morning.

Aya's eyes were numb, indifferent to everything they said.

Her hands continued to mechanically repeat the household chores she had been doing since arriving here a year ago.

Suddenly, the door was forcefully broken open, and several tall and fierce men barged into the courtyard.

Jiang Xuan slowly walked in from outside the door.

At the moment she saw Aya, her eyes reddened...

Aya looked at her in shock, seemingly unable to believe she would appear here.

"Ah! Someone, help, murder!" The old woman screamed desperately, not forgetting to drag her son to run outside.

Jiang Xuan gave a look, and several men immediately surrounded her.

The old woman's eyes rolled around, and she suddenly smiled and said, "Let's talk this over... let's talk this over! Hehe!"

Jiang Xuan glanced at her, not wanting to waste words, "Aya won't stay here anymore, I'm taking her away."

Then she took Aya to leave.

The old woman hurriedly blocked her way, "That's not possible, she's ours! My son spent 600,000 yuan to buy her!"

"Then I'll buy her back with money..." Jiang Xuan looked at her and said.

The old woman looked at Jiang Xuan in surprise, and asked in disbelief, "What did you say? You want to buy her!"

"Oh, that's great!"

Aya stared coldly at her, tears of humiliation streaming from her eyes.

"600,000, not a penny less!" The old woman seemed afraid Jiang Xuan would regret it and quickly said.

Jiang Xuan was full of anger, but she suppressed it forcefully, smiling faintly, "As you wish."

*

In the following days, the police arrested the old woman and the man for human trafficking.

Along with Aya's stepmother, who had initiated this and acted without consent, they were all punished.

Jiang Xuan got back the 600,000 yuan by turning herself in to the police.

Aya had no family left here, her only father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer a year ago and passed away shortly after.

Jiang Xuan asked Aya if she would like to return to Haicheng with her?

Aya Ting was stunned for a long time, then nodded and shook her head...

Jiang Xuan knew she was worried about not being able to keep up with the pace of the big city.

She hugged the weathered and introverted Aya, gently coaxing her by her ear, "It's okay, I have money now... shall we go traveling to relax?"

Under the other's silent gaze, she lifted Aya's hand and placed it on her noticeably bulging belly.

"And this child also wants to go!"

"You're her godmother, you can't be absent."

Aya's hand stayed there, she was dazed for a long time.

Then she carefully touched it and slowly smiled.

5 Gu Shian's Story

Gu Shian was different from ordinary people since birth.

At the age of five, he invented a new mechanical principle by assembling toys. After the local news reported it, experts visited him that year and applied for research funding for him.

Since then, the name of the "little genius" of the Gu family became well-known in this neighborhood.

Whenever neighbors met his parents, they would joke, "Your baby is not only smart but also handsome! I think he should be my son-in-law in the future..."

Gu Shian tilted his head, looking up at her in confusion.

He remembered that the aunt in front of him seemed to have no daughter...

Gu's mother touched Gu Shian's head, smiling gently, without saying a word.

*

That was the last time Gu Shian felt the warmth of his mother's hand...

The last time he saw that aunt, she cried and said to him:

"Xiao An, Auntie has something to tell you... you must be strong..."

"Your parents were hit by a car..."

"Your mother is still in the hospital fighting for her life."

The Gu family was completely shattered.

Gu's father died at the scene of the car accident.

And his mother, after waking up six months later, chose to end her own life.

Gu Shian lay by her hospital bed, her last words still echoing in his ears:

"Don't let him get away with it."

In the days that followed, Gu Shian drifted through life in a daze.

He thought over and over again, everyone said he was smart...

Did God think He had given him too much, and so had to take back some of the more important things?

Could he not have these gifts!

Could God return his parents to him?

Gu Shian cried bitterly.

It was the first time he tasted the pain of loss.

Pain and hatred surged in Gu Shian's heart, overwhelming him with a sense of destructive fury...

He wanted to burn away all the darkness in the world.

——

"What happened then?"

"How did you fall in love with me after that."

The visitation room was silent.

Gu Shian's eyes were slightly red, staring at the spot where she had just been sitting.

In his mind, he had imagined her asking this very question...

"Axuan, have you already forgotten the child you once saved..."

After becoming an orphan, the boy who was neglected by society had thought about suicide——

But when she was ten, traveling to Haishi with her parents, she happened to encounter him by the river, where the autumn wind blew and the boy, about her age, stared blankly at the water.

Those eyes were dark, filled with an impenetrable fog.

Jiang Xuan sensed something, quickly letting go of her mother's hand and running up to him.

"Big brother! Don't jump..."

The little girl's eyes sparkled like stars, and the warmth from her hand was soft and gentle.

It had been a long time since he had felt such warmth...

Gu Shian looked at her expressionlessly, no one hearing the fierce beating of his heart.

After that, she was his light...

And he was her shadow.

Where she couldn't see, when she smiled, he would smile too.

When she was sad about her parents' death, no one knew, but on that night when they embraced in the rain——

A young man sat in his car, watching them the entire night.

A police officer standing nearby held his gun, waiting for the final command.

"At the moment you killed them, how much love did you have left?"

Gu Shian knelt on the ground, staring at the gloomy sky.

Her last words to him echoed in his ears.

He thought, his love for her was something even his own broken self could not understand...

Because he yearned for her as a savior, but also feared she was a abyss.