Chapter 40: Journey to Taizhou

Due to the tragic accident in which Du Huacheng and Yang Yuehe fell onto the tracks and lost their lives, several officials who seemed to be in charge came down to inspect the situation, and the train’s departure was delayed accordingly.

However, no matter how they questioned the witnesses, everyone’s testimony remained consistent.

They all insisted that the two had fallen by themselves.

Only Du Ying’er cried out from the side:

“That’s not true! Zhong Xiao is the murderer! This was all planned by Zhong Xiao, and now she’s trying to run away—you have to catch her! Catch her now!”

“If it weren’t for Zhong Xiao, my family wouldn’t have ended up so miserable. She orchestrated all this. My father and my mother—both were killed by Zhong Xiao...”

Hearing Du Ying’er’s frantic accusations, the officials exchanged glances and asked:

“Are you sure? Do you have any evidence for what you’re saying? Are you willing to take responsibility for your words?”

Upon hearing this, Du Ying’er fell silent.

She dared not speak recklessly any longer.

Someone nearby, unable to stand it, commented, “This woman must have been driven mad by the shock. That young lady just said a few words—said she wasn’t this man’s biological daughter, and then her father went berserk, dragging her mother down with him. How can that be called murder? Clearly, it’s self-inflicted and deserved.”

Du Ying’er’s eyes instantly reddened.

Self-inflicted... deserved...

Those six words stabbed into her heart like a curse.

They would not fade, no matter how much time passed.

She could not tell at what point her life, which had always gone so smoothly, with every detail seemingly arranged to perfection for the future, had gone awry.

Was it when she listened to Yang Yuehe, and began seducing Zhou Yongxin?

Or was it when the pretense became reality, when she truly fell for Zhou Yongxin and conceived his child?

Or perhaps it was when she could not restrain the jealousy in her heart, and pushed Zhong Xiao down the stairs?

She herself did not know.

Soon, Du Ying’er was shoved forward, boarding another train.

A train bound in the exact opposite direction from Zhong Xiao’s, a train whose path would never cross hers again.

Awaiting her was nothing but endless wilderness, boundless countryside, and a future of despair with no end in sight.

…

The train moved forward slowly. Zhong Xiao and Sun Yangzhong sat by the window, Sun Yangzhong facing her.

Zhong Xiao gazed at the scenery slipping past outside.

She could not quite articulate her feelings.

Besides the exhilaration in her heart, there was also a faint, indescribable unease.

From this moment on, she was stepping onto a completely unfamiliar path.

She did not know what awaited on Taizhou Island, nor whether Mr. Song and the others had been found.

Her brow furrowed unconsciously, a detail not lost on Sun Yangzhong, sitting across from her.

Sun Yangzhong’s gaze had darted away several times, but at last, unable to resist, he let his eyes fall carefully upon Zhong Xiao’s face.

She was too beautiful.

Even though she wore the plainest of clothes, her face free of any powder or rouge, and had even taken the trouble to don a hat to reduce her presence, with hair on either side obscuring her features, and dressed in an ordinary linen shirt like any other—

She was still so beautiful that one could not look away.

At that moment, her brows were lightly knitted, her eyes shaded with a sorrow Sun Yangzhong could not decipher, her gaze drifting out the window, her entire being seeming as if she might shatter at any moment.

It stirred a deep sense of pity, an almost uncontrollable urge to protect her.

The eldest daughter of the Zhong family was something of a legend in Yue City. In the past, Sun Yangzhong had not understood why; today, he did.

No one who had ever seen such a face could possibly forget it.

Before he knew it, Sun Yangzhong found himself entranced.

Zhong Xiao seemed to sense it; her eyes flicked over, meeting his gaze.

Sun Yangzhong’s heart thudded wildly. He looked away in a panic, his face uncomfortably hot. He raised a fist to his mouth and coughed.

Zhong Xiao looked at him with concern.

“Deputy Squad Leader Sun, is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Sun Yangzhong quickly waved his hands.

“No, no, I... Miss Zhong...”

“Just call me Zhong Xiao,” she said with a gentle smile.

That smile sent ripples through Sun Yangzhong’s heart once more.

He recalled that back in the army, during rare moments of leisure, someone had spoken of the eldest Zhong daughter.

“You don’t know how rich her grandfather is. Half the factories in Yue City used to belong to him. After the mergers, he walked away with a fortune, and he donated plenty back in the day.”

“I saw the eldest Zhong daughter once—dressed so gorgeously, from a distance she was like a princess from the royal family.”

“Haha, as if you’ve ever seen a real princess.”

“I haven’t, but she’s as beautiful as one.”

“That’s right. Only someone so beautiful could be the Commander's daughter-in-law. Didn’t you know? The Song and Zhong families have a marriage arrangement!”

“Beauty only gets you so far. Girls from families like that are bound to be spoiled rotten. They’re not fit to be wives; if you want to marry, choose a hardworking, unpretentious girl. Otherwise, you’ll spend your life waiting on a pampered princess.”

“That’s true. The Zhong family’s eldest is famous for being willful...”

Yet the young woman before him showed not a trace of arrogance. Her demeanor was gentle, without the slightest hint of haughtiness.

Sun Yangzhong suddenly felt nervous, especially now, with Zhong Xiao watching him so intently that he could not meet her eyes.

After a long pause, he finally said,

“Comrade Zhong Xiao, you shouldn’t worry too much. Heaven protects the virtuous. Whether it’s the Commander or the Colonel, I’m sure they’ll both be fine.”

Zhong Xiao looked slightly surprised.

She had not expected that this seemingly naive young officer would have seen through her concerns.

She pressed her lips together in a faint smile. After a moment’s silence, she asked softly,

“Deputy Squad Leader Sun, may I ask... what kind of person is Song Tingshen?”