Fu Hanyi stepped out of his car and walked along the narrow path, finally stopping before the foul-smelling ditch where I had been murdered.
The surroundings were dim, lit only by a distant streetlight that cast a murky, jaundiced glow over the black, polluted water, which shimmered with a chilling, eerie light.
This place was only a kilometer away from Fu Hanyi’s yacht. I had begged him for help, but he had turned a deaf ear, and I ultimately perished under the weight of his mockery.
Watching the site of my murder, fear rose spontaneously in my heart.
I had assumed that death would be the end of it all, but it turned out that I could still feel pain, sorrow, and tears. It was just that these sensations were known only to me.
Recalling the terror of being stabbed in the abdomen by the thugs that day, my wispy soul trembled uncontrollably.
Those who killed me were two tall men.
They wore masks, but the eyes visible above them were incredibly cold and terrifying; their gazes were devoid of a shred of emotion, chilling to behold.
They sliced open my body, and the immense agony caused me to black out. As my consciousness faded, I heard one of them whisper: "Be careful, don't hurt..."
I died from the pain before I could hear the rest of his sentence.
Their words were strange, though.
If they were meant to kill me, why be careful?
And what was supposed to follow "don't hurt"?
I wanted to hear the rest, but the overwhelming pain submerged my consciousness.
When I woke up afterward, I was a mere soul, summoned to Fu Hanyi's side.
I knew nothing of what had happened in the five days since my death.
I did not know what the thugs had done to me afterward, nor did I know where my body was.
But this stinking ditch was indeed the primary crime scene.
Was Fu Hanyi here looking for clues?
I looked at this man with his cold, inscrutable expression, and a flicker of warmth that I could not suppress bubbled up in my heart.
He still cared about my life and death, didn't he?
"Are you here to repent to Yuanyuan?" A cold, deep voice suddenly sounded from behind me, carrying an intimidating air of authority.
The mere sound of it inspired awe.
I turned around.
The man was around thirty, steady, handsome, and impeccably dressed, like an overlord who looked down upon the world, carrying a natural air of majesty.
If Fu Hanyi’s appearance and bearing were exceptional, then the person who had arrived was equally peerless.
Both were like the clear moon and the bright wind.
The person who had arrived was my uncle, Qi Meyan, who had been abroad and whom I hadn't seen in years.
He was my grandfather’s illegitimate son.
However, he took his mother's surname and built his own empire. He had thrived both domestically and abroad, accumulating vast wealth that the small, elite Wen family could only look up to. In terms of status in the business world, even Fu Hanyi had to bow before him.
The true financial titan was not Fu Hanyi, but the incredibly low-profile Qi Meyan.
In my memory, Qi Meyan had not visited the Wen family many times. Each time, he kept a straight face, but whenever he saw me, he would smile and exchange a few words.
Yet, he possessed an inherent chilling aura; even though he showed friendliness only toward me, I felt a degree of fear toward him deep down.
Even though he had saved me once.
That time, I had been locked in the attic by Liang Xinwei, and the one who found me was Qi Meyan.
I had been trapped inside for a day and a night, starving and terrified. When he opened the door, I didn't even see who it was before I pounced on him, clinging to him and sobbing.
He patted my back, his voice as warm as a spring breeze: "Don't be afraid, Uncle is here."
Hearing the words "Uncle," I realized with a start that I was hugging a giant iceberg.
I quickly pulled away from his embrace, but my tears and snot had already smeared his entire chest.
He wasn't angry at all; instead, he ruffled my hair and handed me a piece of cake.
"Starving, aren't you? Eat up."
I was indeed famished. I grabbed the cake, ignoring the dust on my hands, and devoured it in a few ravenous bites.
Qi Meyan took a tissue and wiped my hands and mouth.
He kept his head down, his lips pursed, his firm profile softened by the afternoon sun.
I couldn't help but ask him: "Uncle, did you come specifically to save me?"
He replied indifferently: "Just passing by."
I didn't think much of it.
That was the closest I had ever been to Qi Meyan. After that, I remained afraid of him whenever we met. Later, when my mother divorced Wen Honggang and he went abroad to study and start his business, I never saw him again.
Ten years had passed; he had shed his youthful greenness, becoming more mature and steady, and even more formidable.
Even as a mere soul, my inner fear of him deepened.
However, did his question to Fu Hanyi mean he knew about my entanglement with him?
But I hadn't seen him or had any contact with him since I left the Wen family.
How could he know my recent situation?
Was he paying attention to me?
Although I called him "Uncle," apart from our blood connection, there was no emotional tie between us.
Qi Meyan walked up to Fu Hanyi. The two men, almost identical in height, stood in a confrontation of equal strength. But Qi Meyan stood slightly taller, his shadow cast over Fu Hanyi with a natural sense of oppression.
Fu Hanyi’s aura was no weaker, however. His words were icy and laced with disdain: "Is she worth it?"
I was stunned.
The warmth that had just surged in my heart vanished instantly.
How short-lived was my memory that I could think this heartless man had a conscience?
A faint curve appeared at the corner of Qi Meyan's mouth. His expression changed only slightly, yet a deeper chill radiated from him, enough to make one tremble.
He turned slightly and cast his gaze toward the sewage ditch not far away, the coldness in his eyes even sharper than the reflection on the water's surface.
He was looking exactly at the spot where I had been murdered.
But the scene had surely been cleared by the killers; on the surface, there wasn't a trace of blood.
The water was as still as a dead pool, as if no murder had ever occurred.
Qi Meyan lifted his chin slightly, his voice not loud at all: "Yuanyuan better be fine. Otherwise..."
He tilted his head and shot Fu Hanyi a smile, deep with chill.
Fu Hanyi was momentarily taken aback, then let out a cold laugh: "Is President Qi planning to start a massacre for your little niece?"
Qi Meyan said nothing more and turned to leave. His pace was unhurried, yet every step carried the momentum of an earthquake.
His figure slowly merged into the darkness, like a giant beast temporarily retreating into hiding.
I didn't know what he meant by that remark to Fu Hanyi, but I felt a sense of warmth in my heart.
At the very least, when he mentioned me, it wasn't like the rest of the Wen family, who remained indifferent and asked nothing about my disappearance.
After Qi Meyan’s figure disappeared from view, the cold smirk on Fu Hanyi’s face did not fade.
He stood in silence for a moment, then suddenly pulled out his phone, found my number, and dialed.
I was shocked.
Then I laughed coldly.
I was already dead; how could the phone call go through?
Thinking to reach out to me now—wasn't it a bit too late!
After a series of beeps, the man hung up. He then found my WeChat, edited a message back and forth several times, and finally sent it: "Wen Yuan, if you don't return within a day, don't bother coming back at all."
Heh.
This commanding message made me laugh.
Great President Fu, I am so sorry, but let alone a day, even if you spent your entire life, you would never wait for me to return.