Chapter 64: Is this what it means to be a villain?

"You... you and Zhong Ling..."

Zhong Wanchou looked at him in disbelief.

"Ling'er and I are in love," Gu Hanyuan said nonchalantly.

"Then... what about Bao'er?"

Zhong Wanchou still held a one-in-ten-thousand hope that he had misunderstood.

"The Madam was poisoned with Joyous Harmony Powder by Yun Zhonghe. I was inside, focusing on detoxifying her."

Gu Hanyuan didn't care what they thought, stating it with a straight face.

"I don't believe a word of it!"

This thought flashed through almost everyone's mind.

Especially when they recalled Zhong Wanchou's earlier words.

Tsk tsk, this was a ruthless, crushing blow.

Yet, Zhong Wanchou seemed to have found a glimmer of hope, deceiving himself:

"So it was detoxification... yes, it was detoxification... Yun Zhonghe! You dog, get out here!"

Zhong Wanchou seemed to have found an outlet for his rage, his eyes bloodshot as he roared crazily, though it was unclear if he had even convinced himself.

"Yun Zhonghe was driven off by Wutian," Gan Baobao said, her head still buried.

"Bao... Bao'er. Are you alright?"

Zhong Wanchou asked bitterly.

"I am very well."

Gan Baobao's words were not insincere, which only made her even more afraid to face anyone.

"Duan Yanqing! It was you who brought Yun Zhonghe here. I'll fight you to the death!"

With that, Zhong Wanchou raised his blade and hacked at Duan Yanqing.

Duan Yanqing was quite bewildered.

The plan had been going so well, so why had the people changed?

And why had both the male and female leads been swapped out?

Before, the two of them had been standing outside like fools, guarding the door for others.

He felt incredibly stifled.

Now, Zhong Wanchou was recklessly throwing himself at him; he was bound to become a punching bag.

The two engaged in a white-hot struggle.

Although Zhong Wanchou's martial arts were weaker, he was fighting for his life, unleashing suicidal moves without restraint, forcing Duan Yanqing into a difficult defense.

While the battle raged over there, the atmosphere here had dropped to freezing point.

Duan Zhengchun's face was as black as charcoal; it hadn't been so bad before, but after last night, they had technically rekindled their old flame.

Knowing that Gan Baobao had borne him a daughter and that he had treated Zhong Wanchou as a mere tool, he had felt quite smug.

He never expected to encounter such a stimulating scene today.

Had he known, he would have preferred not to know last night.

Only Dao Baifeng felt a sense of satisfaction, even more gratifying than when she had sought out Duan Yanqing; the stifling resentment of these years had been largely dispelled.

Because of this, she became the only person on the scene whose gaze toward Gu Hanyuan carried a hint of goodwill.

"Bao'er, speak up. Did he bully you?"

Duan Zhengchun was also engaging in self-deception, barely stronger than Zhong Wanchou, after all, he hadn't been the one guarding the door.

"No. And Prince Duan, please do not call me so intimately."

Gan Baobao calmed down after hearing Duan Zhengchun's words.

She looked up at Gu Hanyuan's eyes, exposed outside the mask.

Calm, indifferent, as if nothing in the world could touch his heart.

But having experienced what just happened, she knew his indifference was merely external; internally, he was scorching hot.

A hint of infatuation flashed in Gan Baobao's glistening eyes; she felt as if all her past days had been lived in vain.

Since she couldn't see the face beneath his mask, she would at least remember those unique eyes.

Duan Zhengchun clutched his chest, gasping for air at Gan Baobao's words.

Everything had been fine just last night, yet in such a short time, things had changed so drastically.

"Wutian! I am Duan Zhengchun. Although I am very grateful that you saved Yu'er multiple times, please let go of Bao'er now!"

Duan Zhengchun roared at Gu Hanyuan.

Hearing Duan Zhengchun's words, Dao Baifeng's gaze gradually turned cold.

"Prince Duan, I have no need for your gratitude. Besides, if I let go, the Madam will fall."

Gu Hanyuan's gaze was indifferent.

"Zhong Ling is my daughter! I will absolutely not agree to her being with you!"

Duan Zhengchun suddenly remembered Gu Hanyuan saying earlier that he and Zhong Ling were in love, and in his resentment, he spoke without thinking.

"Nonsense! Zhong Ling is clearly my daughter! What does she have to do with you!"

In the distance, Zhong Wanchou was the first to refute Duan Zhengchun upon hearing his words.

Yet, he never expected that such a moment of carelessness while replying would lead to Duan Yanqing piercing his chest with a One-Finger Zen strike, sending him crashing to the ground.

The gap in their strength was already vast; he had only been holding on by sheer desperation, and once that breath was gone, he was defeated instantly.

"Wanchou!"

Gan Baobao cried out in alarm.

After all, they had been husband and wife for over a decade; how could there be no feelings at all?

Gu Hanyuan brought Gan Baobao to Zhong Wanchou's side, and no one dared to stop them.

Duan Yanqing took this opportunity to regroup with Ye Erniang and Yue Laosan.

Hearing their description of Gu Hanyuan, he instantly became wary of him.

"Wanchou!"

Gan Baobao knelt on the ground, supported by Gu Hanyuan, looking at Zhong Wanchou, who was now breathing his last, feeling deeply saddened.

If it were before, she would only have thought of finding Duan Zhengchun after Zhong Wanchou's death, striving to be together openly.

But now, because of Gu Hanyuan, she knew they could never step into the light.

Without the factor of Duan Zhengchun, she finally faced the care Zhong Wanchou had shown her for so many years.

"Bao'er... I know you don't love me, it doesn't matter... I just want to ask one thing: am I better than Duan Zhengchun to you?"

Zhong Wanchou had loved Gan Baobao for many years, and had hated Duan Zhengchun for just as long.

On his deathbed, he finally saw through himself.

He knew Gan Baobao didn't love him; for all these years, he had been fighting with himself, simply feeling unwilling to let go.

"Wanchou, you are better than Duan Zhengchun. He is cowardly, unfaithful, and irresponsible. You are much better than him."

Tears streamed down Gan Baobao's eyes; without that filter of first love, she could naturally view her past obsession more objectively.

"Wanchou, you are stronger than Duan Zhengchun. He is cowardly, heartless, and irresponsible; you are much stronger than him."

Tears flowed in Gan Baobao's eyes; after losing that filter of first love, she could naturally view her previous obsession more objectively.