novelraw Chapter 205 is always
Chapter 205 is always
Lu Xiran sent Jin Qiqi a WeChat message, but received no reply. She sent another, but it still went unanswered. A sense of unease crept in, so she dialed the number directly—it rang three times before being hung up. She gripped her phone, her brow furrowing. Jin Qiqi never hung up on her, never.
She typed: [Qiqi, this has nothing to do with you, don't blame yourself. And don't let it cause too much of a rift between you and Gu Yanxu. Let's stick to the facts.]
The message was sent out like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, leaving not even a ripple.
Jin Qiqi was already at the villa. All the lights in the walk-in closet were on. She pulled clothes out of the closet one by one, threw them on the bed, and stuffed them directly into her suitcase without even folding them. Her movements were swift, as if she were fleeing.
"Qiqi." Gu Yanxu stood at the door, raising his hand and then lowering it again, not daring to touch her. "Please don't do this, okay?"
Jin Qiqi didn't look up. She took out a jewelry box from the drawer, opened it, glanced at it, closed it again, and put it back in the box. It was his wedding gift to her; she hadn't thrown it away, but she also didn't look at him.
"When did you find out?" Her voice was flat, as flat as a stagnant pool.
Gu Yanxu stood behind her, watching her back. Her back was taut, like a string about to snap. His throat tightened, but he knew she wouldn't give him a chance to fool him.
"When we were about to return from our honeymoon." His voice was very soft, as soft as a child who had done something wrong.
Jin Qiqi's hand paused. Their honeymoon. Back then, she thought she was the happiest woman in the world. Every morning she woke up to find him beside her, Yi Nuo babbling softly beside her, sunlight streaming through the window, bathing the three of them. She thought those days would last forever. But he already knew.
"So, you went to the island to kill someone and cover your tracks?" Her voice began to tremble.
"No!" Gu Yanxu was stunned, his eyes instantly reddening. "How could you think of me like that?"
"Like mother, like son." Jin Qiqi finally raised her head and looked into his eyes. There was no hatred in those eyes, only a heartbreaking disappointment. "I saw your mother try to kill Ranran yesterday. That lamp almost hit her in the stomach."
"She didn't." Gu Yanxu's voice lowered, almost pleading, "She just wanted to scare her..."
"Scare me?" Jin Qiqi laughed, a laugh more painful than a grimace. "Gu Yanxu, how old are you? Can't you tell the difference between scare tactics and murder?"
Gu Yanxu was speechless.
Jin Qiqi zipped up her suitcase and stood up. "Gu Yanxu, if you come with me to the police station to explain the situation, I might still—"
"She's my mother!" Gu Yanxu's voice suddenly rose, his eyes red-rimmed. "She's always protected me since I was little! When my father wasn't home, she raised me all by herself. I know she made mistakes, but she's my mother—please, for my sake..."
"Face?" Jin Qiqi looked at him as if he were a stranger. "Gu Yanxu, Ranran is the most important person to me. You actually used me. Your mother always uses me. Do you know that? Every time I close my eyes now, I see her lying in the hospital bed three and a half years ago—her face as white as paper, her body covered in blood. How did she get through those three years? Who will make up for the three years she and my older brother missed?"
Her tears finally fell, but she didn't wipe them away.
"If she hadn't miscarried because of your mother, their child would be the same age as Yinuo now." She looked at him. "Gu Yanxu, put yourself in her shoes. Can you forgive her?"
Gu Yanxu's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but his throat felt blocked. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse like sandpaper. "Qiqi, besides my mother, who in the Gu family isn't targeting Gu Yanshen? He survived, that's his own skill. But even without my mother, there would be others."
Jin Qiqi slapped him across the face.
The crisp sound echoed in the empty walk-in closet, like shattered glass.
"Gu Yanxu, are you even speaking human language?" Her voice trembled, from her fingers all the way to her shoulders. "I don't even dare to see Ranran anymore. I don't even dare to reply to her WeChat messages. I already went to give a statement last night."
Gu Yanxu covered his face and looked at her. His eyes were filled with tears, but he held them back and didn't let them fall.
"Jin Qiqi, I'm your husband." His voice was very soft, as if he were asking about something he was afraid to know the answer to. "Lu Xiran is just an outsider. Are you really going to divorce me for her sake?"
"Yes." Jin Qiqi looked at him, enunciating each word clearly. "Not only will I divorce you, I will also sue your mother. I will bring her to justice and give Ranran the justice she deserves."
"What about Yinuo?" Gu Yanxu's voice finally broke. "Are Yinuo and I not as important as Lu Xiran?"
Jin Qiqi stared at him for a long time.
"Yinuo doesn't have a father like you who can't distinguish right from wrong." She pulled the handle of her suitcase and walked towards the door.
Gu Yanxu stood in the doorway, arms outstretched.
"Get out of the way."
He didn't move.
"Gu Yanxu, I told you to get out of the way." Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail.
He slowly lowered his hand.
Jin Qiqi opened the door and went out. Sunlight streamed in, so bright it made her squint.
She didn't turn around.
The suitcase wheels rolled over the threshold with a soft thud, as if something had finally broken.
She got into the car, and her phone lit up. It was a message from Lu Xiran. She looked at the words—[Qiqi, none of this has anything to do with you, you don't need to blame yourself.] Tears welled up instantly, blurring the screen. She typed two words: [I'm sorry.] Then she deleted them, one by one.
She was too ashamed to face her. She didn't know if she could ever face her again. She started the car and drove out of the villa. In the rearview mirror, Gu Yanxu stood at the door, his figure growing smaller and smaller until he became a blurry dot and disappeared around the corner.
Lu Xiran finished breakfast after 10 a.m. Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the entire living room. She leaned back on the sofa, her hand resting on her lower abdomen, a smile playing on her lips. Last night felt like a dream, every frame so sweet she dared not dwell on it. She remembered his words, the way he looked at her, the tight embrace he held her. She felt as if she were bathed in honey, even her breath was sweet.
My phone vibrated.
She picked it up; it was Jin Qiqi.
[Ranran, I've moved out.]
Lu Xiran's smile froze. She sat up straight and typed rapidly.
Where are you? I'm coming to find you.
It was a long time before Jin Qiqi returned.
Don't come. I'm ashamed to face you.
Lu Xiran looked at the words, and her nose stung with tears. She remembered Jin Qiqi standing in front of Lian Bichen to protect her, and how Jin Qiqi cried out, "If you want to kill her, kill me first!" She had never blamed her. How could she blame her?
【Kiki, I've never blamed you. You're my best friend, and always will be.】