Chapter 68 The Tip of the Secret Iceberg
Do not fall in love by mistake because of loneliness, and do not let a mistaken love condemn you to a lifetime of solitude.
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The excessive calm in the woman’s eyes sent a chill down He Min’s spine, but it also deepened his confusion. “A video? And emails? When did I ever send you any emails?”
“Since you came prepared, there’s no need to feign ignorance. You might as well be direct,” Xue Zuining set down her coffee, catching sight of the man opposite her as he suddenly rose, anger flashing in his eyes.
“Xue Zuining, I have never claimed to be a good man, but I won’t let others throw every bit of filth on my head!” He Min’s voice rose sharply, the black buttons of his shirt rising and falling with his breath as he met her gaze openly. “I did indeed find a surveillance video, but they’re all damn well still with me!”
With anger, a yellow envelope was thrown onto the polished marble table. Xue Zuining’s gaze swept over the man as he vented his frustration by kicking the sofa chair. Suspicion flickered in her eyes—if he hadn’t sent the email, then who could it be?
She broke the seal. Inside was only a USB drive containing a video and an audio file. Holding the small piece of metal, her voice was cold. “Why should I believe you?”
“You haven’t looked at anything yet; it’s best not to jump to conclusions. Besides, I don’t need you to believe me. Just believe in the ugly truth.” He Min snapped his fingers lightly and instructed the waiter, “Bring this lady a laptop.”
The efficient waiter quickly brought what she needed. She put on headphones but started with the audio file.
He Min watched her movements, his curiosity deepening. Clearly, this woman had already seen the video. But who else would have the motive and means to manipulate everything from the shadows?
The twelve-minute recording played. The man’s voice, at times muffled and at others clear, made Xue Zuining’s expression grow heavier, her fingers entwining unconsciously with growing tension. After listening to it all, she sat stunned for a long while before removing the headphones. Pinching her own fingers to steady her voice, she asked, “Can you tell me who the man in the recording is?”
“Of course. Just an assistant to a private investigator—nothing to hide,” He Min sipped his black coffee. “Don’t doubt it; the investigator is the one Lu Huaining hired to investigate your mother.”
“Impossible!” Xue Zuining spoke each word clearly. “My mother would never have crossed their path, let alone…”
“What? Become someone’s mistress?” He Min finished the words she couldn’t bring herself to say, watching as she nearly crushed the coffee cup in her hand.
“Aren’t you curious why Lu Huaining, who treats women as mere clothing, insists on clinging to you? Is it possible he’s fallen for you?” He smiled ambiguously.
“The people in that video… Are they really Lu Zhengxun and his wife?” Xue Zuining didn’t need to recall; every unclear shadow, every act captured in those few minutes of video, was already etched into her mind. Seeing the man’s unspoken confirmation, her voice trembled. “But how could my mother possibly destroy someone else’s family?”
“As a daughter, of course you want to defend your family. But did you know that your mother met the then-young and prominent Lu Zhengxun over twenty years ago? If we’re talking about mistresses, perhaps it was Lu Huaining’s high-born mother who was the real interloper. Your mother, at most, sought revenge on another’s marriage.”
His words struck like thunder on a clear day. How could she accept such a truth?
“As far as I know, in all his life, the only woman Lu Zhengxun ever truly loved was your mother, Zhong Yilan. Even after marrying into the Zhuang family, he couldn’t forget her. Do you know why the only rehabilitation center in China equipped with that high-tech polymer separation machine is funded by the Lu family? Because Lu Zhengxun spent a fortune importing it from abroad for your mother! In this tangled relationship, the most pitiful is perhaps Zhuang Qing, who spent her life mimicking another woman, never even qualifying as a substitute, trapped in a hollow marriage for twenty-eight years, only to die a tragic death.” He Min smiled faintly, as if all the pieces had finally fallen into place. “No wonder Lu Huaining chose to take revenge on you.”
“Revenge on me?” Xue Zuining murmured. So that man had approached her, tormented her, all because of this old entanglement—using his own methods to seek justice for his mother, destroying all her happiness to avenge his mother.
The last trace of color drained from her cheeks as sharp pain twisted in her abdomen. He Min watched her clutch a corner of the cushion in agony. He had just risen to help when she shrank away, fixing him with a cold stare. “What’s your aim in investigating me like this?”
“I…” He Min hadn’t expected to be at a loss for words before this woman. His curiosity about her had only stemmed from Lu Huaining’s actions; he wanted to know what secrets the man was hiding. He hadn’t intended to shatter an innocent person’s peace. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he said, “Rest assured, I never meant to take revenge on you. In the business world, of course, one needs to find the enemy’s weak points.”
Xue Zuining avoided his gaze and, bracing herself on the couch, stood up. “If you’re looking for Lu Huaining’s weakness, I’m afraid you’ve picked the wrong person. I hope today’s events never reach a third party. And let me give you one last piece of advice: in the end, good and evil will be repaid in kind. Those who walk the path of injustice will ultimately meet their own ruin.”
With these final words, Xue Zuining forced herself, despite the pain, to the restroom. She stared at the dark crimson stain, no larger than a fingernail, on her underwear, a wave of anguish surging through her.
She turned on the tap and splashed cold water onto her face, forcing herself to calm down. It was just a little bleeding. Heaven couldn’t be so cruel.