Xu Hua suddenly fainted, but before the ambulance arrived, she regained consciousness. When the doctors checked her, they determined it was due to lack of rest, stress, and her age, combined with the shock she had suffered. They assured her that with proper rest and emotional stability, there wouldn’t be any major issues.
After a night’s rest, Xu Hua insisted on confronting Gu Yueshan to get clarity.
Gu Yueshan, anticipating her visit, had already prepared. Yi Wei was also present, and the three of them sat down for an open and direct conversation.
“You orchestrated such a deception, mocked us, and watched us being played for fools from the shadows. Did you and Yi Wei find it all very amusing?” Xu Hua asked Gu Yueshan, her face showing the toll of recent events.
“You’re always quick to blame others for your troubles, never reflecting on your own mistakes,” Gu Yueshan replied coldly. “Yes, Mi Wei was Yi Wei all along. But he created this identity not to deceive you, but to conceal his pregnancy while staying in the country. It was you who thought you could use an easily controlled Mi Wei to replace Yi Wei. Did you expect him not to fight back?”
Yi Wei added, “I didn’t initiate this scheme; I only retaliated against yours. You tried to trap me, so I turned your trap against you. If Mi Wei were a real person and your plans had succeeded, what would have happened to me? What position are you in to criticize me? Is it simply because your plans failed, and now you’re blaming us for everything?”
“No matter what, I’m still your biological mother. Yet you’ve completely sided with Yi Wei. That’s what truly breaks my heart,” Xu Hua said, feigning sorrow as she looked at Gu Yueshan.
“You don’t need to remind me you’re my biological mother whenever something goes wrong. I’ve never forgotten that fact,” Gu Yueshan said. “Yi Wei never hid anything from me. I was aware of everything. I stayed out of it not because I didn’t care but because I was giving you a chance to stop. But you chose to go too far, and now you’ve completely disappointed me.”
Xu Hua closed her eyes and took a deep breath before saying, “I’ll take full responsibility. Blame me for everything. I’ll move out soon and will never interfere in your lives again. Nor will I target Yi Wei anymore. But please, for the sake of your late elder brother, give Gu Heng another chance. He’s still young, with a long road ahead.”
Her offer to step aside and renounce her position in the Gu family was a desperate bid to protect Gu Heng’s future.
“I’ve already given him chances before,” Gu Yueshan sighed. “But compared to Gu Chang, his mindset and abilities are far inferior. Let’s see how he performs in the future.”
Gu Yueshan made no promises, unwilling to take responsibility for Gu Heng’s future. After all, Gu Heng wasn’t his biological son, and he didn’t feel obligated to guide him.
After Xu Hua left, Yi Wei held Gu Yueshan’s hand, and they leaned against each other for comfort.
Xu Hua genuinely cared for Gu Heng, sacrificing almost everything she valued to secure his future. However, the Xu and Jiang families weren’t willing to concede defeat.
Back at the western villa, Xu Hua addressed the others: “I know how you’re thinking. But even if you’re unwilling, there’s no way to shake Yi Wei’s position in Yueshan’s heart—or in the Gu family. Yueshan was fully aware of everything and still sided with Yi Wei. If Yi Wei decides to retaliate against us, Yueshan will support him.”
“We didn’t harm him; we were the ones who were played. Now he wants revenge on us?” someone exclaimed.
“We attempted to harm him and even posed a threat to his child. Given his nature, do you think he’ll overlook this just because we failed? Look at what he did to the Yi family,” Xu Hua warned.
“Does this mean we have no choice but to give up?”
“Yi Wei’s cunning and strategy are extraordinary. Most importantly, he has Yueshan’s unwavering support. If we act rashly now, we’ll only give him more reasons to retaliate. Let’s wait for the future. Fate can change. When Yueshan was born, who would’ve thought he’d inherit the Gu family? Who knows what will happen down the line? For now, we must avoid any impulsive actions.”
The others could only sigh in frustration.
Even Xu Hua’s elder brother, Elder Xu, and Jiang Shuqin’s father, Elder Jiang, had to concede. Despite their extensive experience and wisdom, they had been outplayed by a young man like Yi Wei. They had no choice but to admit defeat and focus on dealing with Yi Bo’s leverage over them.
Gu Heng, meanwhile, was still unable to accept that Mi Wei was Yi Wei. Staring at Mi Wei’s photo, he drank heavily, hoping to wake up and find it had all been a nightmare. When he finally passed out, he still clung tightly to the photo.
Jiang Shuqin, caring for the drunk Gu Heng, wiped his face while silently weeping. No matter how bitter and reluctant she felt, she had to bury her emotions. She now only wished for Gu Heng to have a bright future.
After repeated scoldings from Xu Hua, Gu Heng finally stopped wallowing in self-pity and decided to move on with his life.
When Gu Heng attended class and encountered Yi Wei, he couldn’t help but stare at him, still grappling with the truth. He approached Yi Wei, determined to scrutinize his face.
“What do you want?” Yi Wei asked coldly as Gu Heng suddenly stood in front of him.
“Are you really Mi Wei?” Gu Heng asked, staring intently at Yi Wei.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Yi Wei replied, his expression cold and dismissive.
Gu Heng froze. In his mind, Mi Wei’s face overlapped with Yi Wei’s. He finally saw their similarities and confirmed the truth—Mi Wei was Yi Wei.
With a bitter smile, Gu Heng said, “You’ve won completely. You’ve dealt me a devastating blow.”
“You think all this was just to strike at you? You’re giving yourself far too much credit,” Yi Wei sneered, rolling his eyes. “Everything I did was to counter the forces behind you.”
“Regardless of your reasons, you succeeded,” Gu Heng admitted. He had once been infatuated with Yi Xuan but had been captivated by Mi Wei. If he had to choose between Yi Xuan and Mi Wei, he would have chosen Mi Wei. From every angle, Yi Wei had won thoroughly.
Yi Wei, seeing through Gu Heng’s thoughts, rolled his eyes again and walked away without another word.
Gu Heng watched Yi Wei’s retreating figure, feeling a deep sense of desolation. At barely twenty years old, he felt as though he had experienced a lifetime’s worth of grief.
Yi Xuan approached Gu Heng, staring at him seriously. “How does it feel to be toyed with?”
“What do you want to say?” Gu Heng asked, his expression blank.
Yi Xuan smirked. “This is the last time I’ll be at the Gu family’s academy. I didn’t come to attend class. I came to see what you’ve become.”
“You’ve seen me. Do you have anything else to say?”
“You seem to have truly fallen for Mi Wei,” Yi Xuan said. “Does that mean you also love Yi Wei?”
“I can’t answer that question,” Gu Heng admitted. He couldn’t distinguish whether he only loved Mi Wei or also loved Yi Wei, as they were the same person. His emotions were too tangled to sort out.
“I don’t care about the answer,” Yi Xuan said. “I just want to remind you that no matter what the answer is, you won’t get what you want. As for us, we’ll never meet again. This is my farewell to the past. Goodbye.”
With that, Yi Xuan turned and left.
Yi Xuan, too, had been shocked and incredulous upon learning that Mi Wei was Yi Wei. He hadn’t come to mock Gu Heng but to confirm the truth. Having done so, he left feeling deeply conflicted.
Laughing bitterly through tears, Yi Xuan thought about how ridiculous and pitiful both he and Gu Heng were. With no words left to say, he resolved to leave for another city and start anew, cutting all ties to this place.
Gu Heng watched Yi Xuan’s retreating figure, feeling even more desolate. But some things and some people can never go back to how they were. His relationship with Yi Xuan was truly over.
Keep me fueled with caffeine! Support me on Ko-fi! It helps a lot ! Thank you so much ♡(´･ω･)(･ω･`)♡
