Chapter 3542: Dreamlike Illusion

Cai Cai Zi set out and hurried straight to the core villa area of Tang Chen Yi Pin, taking the familiar route to Ye Chen's doorstep.

Actually, since moving here, she often came here alone for a walk, but usually she would just glance inside and quickly leave, pretending to be merely passing by normally.

When she arrived at Ye Chen's villa gate, she saw three vehicles parked in the yard: a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and two BMWs, one of which was still the BMW 760 with the 5 Series badge.

Cai Cai Zi knew that the Rolls-Royce was usually driven by Ye Chen's father-in-law, the BMW 7 Series by Xiao Churan, and the other BMW occasionally by Ye Chen; now all three cars were at home, suggesting that besides Ye Chen, the other family members should be inside.

At this stage, Cai Cai Zi had attained Dao insight; although her spiritual energy was not yet strong, she could already perceive the surroundings within a few hundred meters. With a mere thought, she used spiritual energy to sweep through Ye Chen's villa, finding no trace of anyone.

She immediately picked up her phone and sent Ye Chen a WeChat message: "Ye Chen Jun, I just checked your home situation—three cars are present, but no one is inside. Do you need me to go in and take a look now?"

Ye Chen immediately replied: "Yes! Please check if there are any suspicious clues in the house!"

When he called home and no one answered, Ye Chen guessed that Xiao Churan and her parents were definitely not at home.

According to feedback from the company's administration, Ye Chen had already suspected in his heart that Xiao Churan had not met with an accident, but had long planned to suddenly disappear from his world.

Yet he could not understand—could not comprehend why, after being together with Xiao Churan for so many years, with their feelings growing stronger, she would suddenly leave him.

Moreover, on the night of his birthday, Xiao Churan had just given him what she had prepared for him—how could she then suddenly depart?

If she had long intended to leave, why would she give him her most precious thing?

No matter how he analyzed it, everything seemed highly unreasonable.

Therefore, he needed Cai Cai Zi to go to his home and investigate thoroughly.

After receiving Ye Chen's permission, Cai Cai Zi leapt lightly from the villa's side wall, tapped her toes lightly against the wall, and nimbly flipped inside.

Seeing that the doors and windows were tightly shut, she chose to strike the lock with a palm from the front door, breaking it open a crack, and swiftly slipped in.

Upon entering the room, Cai Cai Zi found nothing abnormal; the room was extremely tidy, showing no sign of an accident or hasty departure. She immediately took a few photos and sent them to Ye Chen.

At that moment, Ye Chen had just arrived at Buckingham Palace in Melbourne. Upon receiving Cai Cai Zi's photo of the first floor, he felt even more astonished—the interior in the photo showed no abnormalities, and Xiao Churan's slippers were even neatly placed.

He felt uneasy in his heart and said to Chen Zekai and Hong Wu: "You two go back to your rooms first; later tell me the room numbers—I want to make a call from the car."

Chen Zekai immediately said respectfully: "Yes, Young Master; I'll send you the room numbers shortly."

After speaking, he gave Hong Wu a glance, and the two hurriedly pushed open the door and got out of the car.

Only Ye Chen remained in the car; he immediately initiated a video call with Cai Cai Zi, who quickly answered, saying: "Ye Chen Jun, I've checked the first floor of your home and found nothing wrong. Should I go check the property's surveillance outside?"

Ye Chen said: "Cai Cai Zi, first go upstairs to my bedroom and take a look—I want to see the condition of my wife's personal belongings."

Cai Cai Zi asked him: "Ye Chen Jun, is it appropriate for me to go in? After all, it's your and Xiao Lady's bedroom—would it invade your privacy?"

Ye Chen said: "Now we can't worry about that—just go in, turn the camera around, and let me see the room details."

"Okay."

Seeing that Ye Chen had no objections, Cai Cai Zi immediately agreed, and under his direction, came to the bedroom of Ye Chen and Xiao Churan.

Upon entering the bedroom door, Ye Chen immediately sensed something wrong: compared to the clean and tidy public area on the first floor, the room was much messier, with many piles of clothes on the bed, all disordered; the wardrobe doors in the closet were all open, with most clothes hanging on only one side of the hangers, and many had fallen onto the shelves or floor—evidence that they had been hastily pulled down while sorting other clothes.

Cai Cai Zi also noticed the abnormality and cautiously asked him: "Ye Chen Jun, did Xiao Lady leave home without telling you?"

Ye Chen shook his head and spoke truthfully: "No. I just called her and her parents, but the calls wouldn't go through. I called her company, and they said she had already disbanded the company."

"This..." Cai Cai Zi said in disbelief: "Ye Chen Jun, your relationship isn't bad, is it? Why would Xiao Lady leave without a word?"

Ye Chen said blankly: "I don't know either, but there must be some hidden truth behind this."

Cai Cai Zi's gaze swept the room, and suddenly she saw on the bedside table a red document and a folded white sheet. She looked closely—the red document was actually a marriage certificate. She hurried over, pointed the camera at the marriage certificate and the folded white paper, and said to Ye Chen: "Ye Chen Jun, look—is this something Xiao Lady left for you?"

"Marriage certificate?!"

Ye Chen's pupils instantly contracted, and his heartbeat suddenly quickened.

All the previous signs had already made him feel uneasy, and seeing this marriage certificate placed on the bedside table made him even more alert.

He had already guessed that the folded white paper must be Xiao Churan's letter to him.

He pressed his hand to his chest, forced himself to calm down, and then said to Cai Cai Zi: "Cai Cai Zi, please open that paper for me—I want to see what's written inside."

Cai Cai Zi said nothing, extended her slender, jade-like hand, and slowly unfolded the A4 paper that had been folded twice.

When Ye Chen, through the video feed, saw the content of the letter, his whole body froze as if struck by lightning.

Immediately, tears uncontrollably filled his eyes, and then streamed down.

The letter was in Xiao Churan's handwriting, not long, each character written seriously and clearly. The content was:

"Dear Husband, upon receiving this letter,

When you see this letter, I have already forever left China with my parents. Please forgive my departure without farewell.

Ye Chen, at the moment I learned your full background, I did not blame you for concealing your identity from me all these years; on the contrary, I deeply sympathize with your endurance and grievances over the years, and I am deeply moved by your help and care for me and my family through various means and channels over these years.

Over these years, I have failed to fulfill my role as a wife, nor have I discharged my duties as one, leaving me greatly indebted to you;

As for my parents, they have too many character flaws and shortcomings in handling affairs. I truly regret that these years they have caused you so much trouble—especially my mother, who treated you that way, yet you forgave her again and again, even rescuing her from fire and water. These years, you have always had to accommodate us, always had to clean up our messes. I feel immense shame in my heart.

I know you have not yet avenged your parents, and I know that keeping our family by your side would only drag you down. Therefore, after careful consideration, I have decided to take them away, no longer to be your burden, hoping that without our interference and worries, you can focus wholeheartedly, avenge your great wrongs soon, and set your life on the right path.

We each hold a copy of the marriage certificate, but due to your identity, this certificate is strictly speaking without legal effect, so our absurd marital relationship has been from beginning to end nothing but a dreamlike illusion.

Now the dream has awakened, the bubble has shattered—henceforth, you and I are no longer husband and wife. Let each of us keep one copy of the marriage certificate as a memento.

Over these years, I and my parents have enjoyed your care; emotionally and rationally, we should not have just left like this. But I know in my heart that if we did not do this, it would be hard for us to part cleanly. So I again beg you to forgive me, and also beg you not to try to find me.

Henceforth, we two shall each go our own way, each at peace.

——Xiao Churan."