Chapter 185: Hope she wins

When Fu Yichuan arrived at the deck, the rescue team had already gone down for the second wave.

He wanted to follow them down, his eyes almost bursting, but his father, with a stern face, slapped him.

In the end, they still didn't find her.

The night was so dark, the sea so vast, everyone shook their heads, saying there was an eighty or ninety percent chance she was gone.

Fu Yichuan could not accept this result.

He found one of the parties involved, that young lady of the Chen family, and raised his doubts countless times.

"You two are such close friends, I don't believe you'd fight over a torn skirt! It's fake, right? She's perfectly fine! Tell me, where is she?"

"I don't know."

The other person stared at him for a long time, as if annoyed by his interruption, and spoke bluntly: "Fu Yichuan, you're not the only one who likes Shuyin; I can tell you clearly, you won't be the exception."

"You like Shuyin, but you don't understand her enough."

"You think you can protect her? Then you've never found it strange that you've searched for her so long, yet the people you sent back bring no news; given your Fu family's current standing, who do you think would dare to defy you, the Eldest Young Master of the Fu family, behind your back?"

Hardly had his words finished when Fu Yichuan got the answer.

His uncle, his parents.

It was his Fu family, not allowing him to find her.

"Fu Yichuan, this itself is a transaction."

Anyone with common sense knows that the Xie family incident originally was just someone above with ulterior motives, wanting to use Xie family construction as a tool to make a huge profit, but ended up being rejected by the Xie family.

Xie Wangzhou, seeking to vindicate his second son, found the most suitable cooperation with the Fu family at the time, handing over only three‑quarters of the evidence and list he held; the affair was too extensive, extremes lead to reversal, and Xie Wangzhou used his death to tell the remaining one‑quarter of those involved that he would not pursue the matter further upward.

Because he wanted to protect his wife and granddaughter.

Xie Wangzhou never mentioned any benefits to the Fu family; he had only one condition: have the Fu family cooperate, using their help to let his wife and granddaughter shed their old identities like a cicada's shell and start new lives, though he never expected his wife would follow him in death.

"Let go, Fu Yichuan; by suppressing news of her death you're harming her—let Shuyin be completely free, for she was meant to be free."

"Let go…… forget her?"

Fu Yichuan proved with the next ten or so years of his life that this was not easy.

He indeed let go, no longer obstructing the cancellation of the identity "Xie Shuyin".

But her influence on him remained.

Once, while accompanying elders to a meal, he stepped out for air; passing a private room, he heard through a loosely shut door a teasing male voice and a girl's desperate cries for help.

They were a few utterly corrupt playboys.

Fu Yichuan did not want to get involved; he took out his phone to call the police, but before the number could dial, he realized reporting would have little effect on these trash.

Somehow he suddenly thought, if it were her, she would surely rush in without a second thought.

She was always warm‑hearted.

As soon as that thought arose, Fu Yichuan abandoned staying out of it, kicked open the private‑room door, pulled those playboys apart, and took off his outer coat to drape over the girl.

The girl was terrified, her voice trembling as she said one of those men was a fiancé her family had arranged for her, bullying her on the pretext that they would eventually marry anyway.

She said she was the daughter the Shi family had just recovered, named Shi Qing.

Fu Yichuan offered a few polite words of comfort, failed to notice the girl's glowing look at him, handed her to the attendant and left—just a small effort, he didn't think they'd meet again.

And so, in this world many things have causes that bring effects.

As his uncle's rank rose higher and higher, more and more eyes turned to the Fu family; rivals seeking to catch the Fu family's flaws stirred up those playboys whose fun had been interrupted, slipping something into his cup.

The drugged Fu Yichuan staggered wildly through the hallway, his ability to hold the phone and dial almost gone; in his daze he bumped into someone.

It was the girl he had previously rescued.

With the little clarity left, he concluded that since he had helped her, she ought to return the favor by calling a doctor for him.

But when he woke the next day, they were lying on the same bed.

Fu Yichuan clutched his own hair desperately, feeling like jumping from that high floor, and at the time he thought the drug had robbed him of reason; as compensation, he resolved Shi Qing's family‑imposed arranged marriage.

The condition was that nothing had happened between them, and they owed each other nothing.

Not long after, Shi Qing came running to Fu Yichuan, eyes red, saying she had clearly taken the medicine yet still became pregnant.

She helplessly asked him what to do.

"What can we do? What else can we do? Naturally we won't keep it!"

Fu Yichuan gave Shi Qing a substantial sum for medical expenses and compensation.

One year later.

Shi Qing came to Fu Yichuan again; this time she brought two newborns, a boy and a girl, tears streaming as she said she was terrified, couldn't bear to abort them, so she had given birth.

She asked him again, "What should we do?"

Only then did Fu Yichuan see beneath Shi Qing's pitiful exterior the kind of ambition she harbored.

Back then he had compensated everything he could; he could not accept two children, and the consequences of bearing them were hers alone to bear, so he ignored her.

Yet Fu Yichuan still underestimated Shi Qing's limits; when the children were four, she openly brought them to his workplace to find him.

Fu Yichuan angrily asked Shi Qing how much money she wanted, offering to buy off the trouble in one lump sum.

Shi Qing, however, looked dejected: "... Why do you think I'm only after money?"

Fu Yichuan looked at her with an indescribable gaze.

Then he heard her continue: "Fu Yichuan, I know you have someone else in your heart, but she's not here anymore, right? Since she left you, that shows she's not worthy; I will strive, strive to make you like me, like the children, even a little……"

"Shut up! Who gave you the right to mention her!" Fu Yichuan reacted strongly; the disgust on his face was like a sharp ice blade that could pierce anyone's self‑esteem, and he said word by word: "You don't even deserve a single hair of hers—how could you possibly be worthy of my liking?"

After all, worried about alarming his family, Fu Yichuan flung a check at Shi Qing, sending her and the children away from Hai Cheng, warning her that if she dared appear before him again, he could not guarantee what he might do.

After that, whether the warning worked or not, Shi Qing truly never appeared again.

After the police station call ended, Shi Qing still waited for Fu Yichuan.

The meeting room.

The man walked quickly, his eyes bloodshot, and seized Shi Qing's neck.

……Looks like you……you know?" Shi Qing didn't even try to dodge, she gave a strained smile, looking very pleased: "Fu Yichuan, do you know……how miraculous fate is……Back then you drove us away, and not long after I met her in another city……Xie Shuyin."

The her you've been searching for so long and couldn't find, I ran into her right away.

Your Fu family's checks are just so useful……There are so many people willing to do this, a single stab kills……Hahaha, her death, you also have a share……, you could have known earlier, if you had shown even a hint of concern for me.

Fu Yichuan's eyes grew redder and redder, his teeth almost grinding to pieces, he said that if he could start over, he definitely would not have saved her that night.

"Really?"

Shiqing laughed even more happily.

Even until today, she still did not think she had done wrong.

Everyone said she was pitiful, lost since childhood; little did they know, it was her superstitious father who, after listening to some master's slander, claimed her horoscope was too strong and would bring unrest to the whole family, so he sent her away; not only that, he also wanted her to suffer endless hardships, and the more hardships she endured, the better it was for the family.

Her living environment since childhood caused her personality to be so extreme; in order to survive and to obtain what she wanted, she had to use any means necessary, sparing no effort to eliminate anything in her way.

Shiqing looked at the man before her who hated her so much he wanted to strangle her to death, and as she laughed and laughed, tears streamed down her face.

At first, she did not deceive him.

Her cheap father, who disliked her for supposedly bringing misfortune to the family, yet when the company's business ran into trouble, remembered this daughter of his, brought her back, intending to use her to secure an investment.

It was Fu Yichuan who saved her, descending from the heavens.

This person was the only one who had ever given her warmth in her impoverished life of over a decade; his warmth made her feel as if she could grasp a lifeline, urgently wanting to seize him.

Actually, if Shiqing viewed the whole process from an observer's perspective, she would think herself extremely foolish.

She originally had a good hand, could have lived a different life, but she messed it up; yet she actually feels no regret.

Because she… likes him, even though she knows he likes someone else.

Shiqing once went mad‑like searching for information about the person he likes; that person truly shines extraordinarily, from head to toe, shining to the point of making others feel utterly ashamed.

He said she couldn't even compare to a single hair of hers; so what if that person weren't around?

Fu Yichuan was choking Shiqing, yet Shiqing helplessly thought that this was still the first time Fu Yichuan had actively come to find her.

Dying by his hand wouldn't be too bad.

But it couldn't be as wished; bystanders pulled Fu Yichuan apart.

Shiqing's face flushed red, she coughed uncontrollably, yet her face still bore a smile, laced with vengeful intent.

"This is what unrequited love feels like, Fu Yichuan; I let you taste a suffering a hundred times worse than this."

Shiqing also never told Fu Yichuan that the person he likes has fallen for someone else and even had a child with that person.

Shu Lingchen received a notice from the police asking him to go to the station—the case of his mother's murder from fourteen years ago has been reopened, the evidence is solid, the perpetrators have all been apprehended and sentenced to death.

He told Shu Shu about this.

Shu Shu, upon hearing it was a death sentence, nodded without much expression.

Sea City, Xie Shuyin.

As for this place and this name, to Shu Shu now it feels as if it were something from a past life.

Actually, back when the second son of the Xie family ran into trouble, Xie Wangzhou did not immediately plan to seek justice for him; it wasn't that he didn't feel pain, but his concerns were too deep.

Such conduct was no different from striking a rock with an egg or a mayfly trying to shake a tree; it made Xie Wangzhou feel like retreating, but it was his granddaughter Xie Shuyin's persistence that finally gave him steadfast courage.

The two months that Xie Shuyin took off from school were not, as outsiders assumed, a period of decadent staying at home wiping away tears.

Everyone says mountains are towering and immovable, but Xie Shuyin does not believe it; she insists on fighting with her back to the water, chiseling open this hard rock stratum.

Uncle Xie Yingheng was accused of using his position to wx minor, she nevertheless crossed over half a map to find the person hiding in that remote place.

The Xie family's Eldest Young Lady, Xie Shuyin, saying she is a white moonlight may be a bit much, but she is enough to leave a bold, vivid stroke in everyone's hearts.

After the Xie family ran into trouble, she did not want to implicate others, proactively cut off contact, and everyone silently lit many green lights for her behind the scenes.

Everyone hopes she can win.

Xie Wangzhou, before his suicide, had left two letters, one of which was for his granddaughter Xie Shuyin:

"Yinyin, seeing your letter is like seeing you."

"Good child, don't be sad; a person in this life will make various choices for various reasons, so this is Grandfather's choice."

"Speaking of this, this is probably the first time Grandfather has written you a letter; usually there's no chance, because you're always by my side, so whatever I want to say to you you can hear."

"Before putting pen to paper, Grandfather felt he had many, many things to tell you, but upon actually writing he realized you are thorough and excellent in everything, making all such advice redundant."

"There are some regrets; Grandfather cannot be part of your future life, but he is not overly worried, for he believes that no matter what storms you encounter in the future, you have the ability to respond with ease and resolve problems readily."

"White clouds rise to distant peaks, swaying into the clear sky. Riding on transformation, following the smooth unfolding, unattached to beginning or end. These two lines of poetry Grandfather happened to read, he shares with you."

"Yinyin, the matter is over; don't remain trapped in hatred; with a new identity, go embrace your completely new free life."

"I've always heard that the cloud sea of Moving City Bathing Rosy Ridge is extremely beautiful; Grandfather has only seen it in photos; if you have the chance, Yinyin, bring Grandma along to see it for Grandfather in person."