novelraw Chapter 858 - 639: Human Skin Mask (Second Update)
Chapter 858 - 639: Human Skin Mask (Second Update)
"It seems I’ve said before that you’re no longer welcome here, and I don’t want to see you again."Wu Rong took a deep breath,
"Yes, you did say that last time, but Lu Ping, your current actions don’t seem like you’re drawing a clear line and cutting off all ties with me."
"My current actions? What actions?"
Lu Ping’s expression was full of sarcasm.
"Who wrote that blog post?"
"Who wrote it? After all the time we’ve known each other, Wu Rong, I remember you once praised my writing talent and said I had the potential to be a writer. What? Can you no longer see my literary skills now?"
"Lu Ping, sarcasm isn’t your style. Tell me, who came to you?"
Wu Rong asked seriously.
"Who are you afraid might come to me?"
Lu Ping replied with a question instead.
Wu Rong felt an extreme tightness in his chest, his gaze falling on Lu Ping’s face,
"I’m not afraid of who might come to me, you don’t understand anything, you’re just a gentle, ordinary woman. I’m in a high official position, with so many people eyeing my place eagerly, I’m only worried you might be used by others!"
"Pingping, I’m here today, do I look like I’m here to interrogate you about something? I’m worried about you!"
"There are too many people in this world with malicious intentions, their malice can even make you think it’s kindness, a kind of redemption."
"If everything is just like the content of that blog post, that I’ve conspired with others to set up my own brother, am I even human?"
"Have I needed to care for you and your child all these years, every day? Tell me, what motive could I possibly have?"
"Yes, I’ve never been able to forget you, if I wanted to possess you, would I quietly let the years slip by? Ah Yao died fifteen years ago, have I ever made a single inappropriate move towards you?"
"Last time... we had an unpleasant argument, indeed, I couldn’t hold back, and showed a bit of jealousy I had in my heart."
"But aren’t these things just human nature?"
"I take care of you because you’re my sister-in-law, and I regard Ah Yu as my own... can’t you see these things?"
"In this world, besides one’s own family, who else would truly take other people’s affairs upon themselves?"
"Pingping, tell me, who taught you to do these things, who instructed you?"
If Su Xiaomeng hadn’t come by today, perhaps listening to Wu Rong’s words, and connecting it with the care he showed her and her child over fifteen years, maybe Lu Ping would have truly been convinced by him.
Maybe...
She would really feel she was just being used by others.
"Sometimes, people’s malice can even make you think it’s kindness, a kind of redemption... Uncle, is this about yourself?"
It was Wu Yu speaking, a slender teenager with his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, strolling over and leaning against a nearby sofa, looking down at Wu Rong from above.
Facing Wu Yu’s almost indifferent expression, Wu Rong knew...
The situation had perhaps already surpassed his imagination.
Wu Yu was mature-minded, but still a minor, and many things couldn’t be easily concealed even if he wanted to.
Especially with those eyes that were almost identical to Wu Yao’s.
Proclaiming the justice in their hearts, those bright eyes held an intense hatred for evil.
He... saw himself as an enemy...
The blog post’s content, if false or in any small way didn’t match with what actually happened back then, Wu Rong wouldn’t be this flustered.
But the writer’s speculation almost perfectly reconstructed that "conspiracy" back then.
Bringing past events, long buried and forgotten in his heart, vividly back to mind, and becoming clear again.
Wu Rong knew the person who most wanted to see him fall right now was Su Xiaomeng.
But Su Xiaomeng couldn’t possibly know about this matter, even if she investigated, she couldn’t find such details.
Was it... Bai Sidong?
Speaking of Bai Sidong, although he and Wu Yao were in the police force around the same time, they were not from the same task force.
These two had similar dispositions, genuinely sacrificing themselves for the greater good of the country, willing to risk their lives for their police duty...
They often had to choose between national duty and personal feelings.
Once, twice, countless times, they would always choose national duty.
As they put it, it was a principle they understood when they first put on the police uniform.
In Wu Rong’s view, all the conflicts and pains, Bai Sidong and Wu Yao didn’t experience, and the so-called choices... they didn’t have them either.
Impossible, it’s not Bai Sidong, he didn’t have such deep ties with Wu Yao, if he did, Bai Sidong would have acted long ago.
Then... who was it?
Someone else from the Yin Family?
Could it be... Yin Shiqing?
No way... why would Yin Shiqing do this? What benefit would he have from removing him?
Wu Rong’s mood was indescribably complex and tangled.
Facing such a tricky problem for the first time, all the speculation seemed like dead ends, simply insurmountable.
"Ah Yu, hehe... Uncle really didn’t expect that one day you would speak to me like this."
Wu Rong pulled up the corners of his mouth, coldly looking at Wu Yu with an intensely cold glare,
"Your mother is someone who doesn’t concern herself with outside matters, who knows nothing, but you’re at least a high schooler, would you easily believe others stirring up discord in our family?"
"Can I ask you a few questions?"
Wu Yu, undeterred by Wu Rong’s threatening gaze, remained as calm as ever.
"Alright, ask away."
"Do you dare swear right here, in front of me, my mom, and my father’s memorial, that you’ve never done anything to wrong him?"
"..."
Wu Rong pressed his lips together.
"What? Don’t dare to swear?"
"It’s not that I don’t dare, but indeed, I have done something wrong to him."
"..."
"Back then, when he wanted to take my place to carry out the mission, even if I had to die, I should have stopped him! Whatever the reason, the task that was mine, I should have executed it!"
"..."
"The greatest mistake I’ve done in my life was agreeing to let your father take my place for the mission! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended in such a tragic way."
What beautifully spoken words...
Su Xiaomeng thought while standing behind the curtains.
The sentence Wu Rong said was also lingering in her heart...
Sometimes, people’s malice can even make you think it’s kindness, a kind of redemption...
Wasn’t he talking about himself?
Humans, indeed, have too many means and ways to disguise themselves.
For someone experienced in countless battles, to put on the appearance they wish in front of truly simple and naive people, is incredibly easy.
A mask that he wore in front of Lu Ping and her child for fifteen years.
Another mask, how long did he wear it in front of Shixiu?
How adept at disguise must he be to deceive someone as shrewd as Shixiu into his trap?
Listening to Wu Rong’s smooth words in front of Lu Ping and her child just now...
Su Xiaomeng felt chilled to the bone, clenching her fists involuntarily, a deep anger and sorrow in her heart.
Such a person, how could he hold such a high position, clearly guilty of corruption, smuggling, involvement with gangs, and other heinous crimes, yet pretend in front of ignorant citizens to be a servant to the nation...
This mask of hypocrisy, Su Xiaomeng wished desperately to tear open the curtains and confront him, tearing off not just his mask but his skin!
To see if beneath that skin were true flesh and blood or masses of writhing maggots!
Yin Shixiu didn’t die, but Wu Rong undeniably attempted to murder Yin Shixiu once...
The grudge of killing her husband, the hatred for it, couldn’t be alleviated by the fact Yin Shixiu was still alive.
Wu Yu’s fists were also tightly clenched, feeling the same as Su Xiaomeng...
Yet people like Wu Rong have their fatal flaws.
Once someone tears away their mask of hypocrisy, they will never earn anyone’s trust again.
Even if he acted like the world’s most sincere and innocent person, no one would believe him ever again.
"Ah Yu, you’re still young, but uncle can see, you’ll achieve great things in the future, you’ll be more capable than uncle... when you’re uncle’s age, sitting in uncle’s position, you’ll know..."
"I don’t want to be like you, high-ranking but losing myself."
"..."
"I want to be like my father, upright, strong."
Wu Rong took a deep breath,
"It seems... no matter how much I say, it’s useless... since you all want to overturn the case, go ahead... I’m not afraid of shadows when I’m upright."
Wu Rong stood up, and just then, the doorbell rang once more.