Liu Yi looked at the cold-eyed Cheng Yu, then at Fu Xiaotang, who was tightly protected in Song Li’s embrace, and glanced at Fang Junjie below the stage, who seemed to have everything under control. Since when had these three young, promising men, each a leader in their field, become so enchanted by this girl she had always despised? Liu Yi’s jealousy and resentment reached their peak, and she sneered coldly at Fang Junjie, “Master Junjie, have you seen how much they care for your little darling? You probably don’t know, but ever since Tang Xiaofeng was Song Li’s wife, they’ve been in a threesome. I can understand why you fell for her so quickly; a woman trained by both Song Li and Cheng Yu must have something special.”
Fang Junjie’s smile faded, his eyes turning icy cold, “Liu Yi, if you insist on walking down this path of destruction, no one can stop you.” His voice was not loud, but it sent a chill through Liu Yi’s heart. She looked around in panic, finding herself at a loss, with no way out. Only Liu Shiquan slowly raised his head, looking at her with a soft, compassionate gaze.
Liu Yi, as if discovering a new world, screamed, “It’s him! He did everything! When I was young, he told me who my real parents were. He made me recognize my godfather to revive Hengqing, he even orchestrated accidents and hired killers. It’s all his doing, I had nothing to do with it, I knew nothing! Nothing!”
Liu Shiquan watched Liu Yi, who was hysterical and eager to distance herself from him, and suddenly burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face, “Good, good, this is retribution!” He looked at Zhang Rong, muttering, “I killed Fang’er, I loved her so much, but she wouldn’t even look at me. I had her body but never her heart. I brought other women to torment her, which led to her death in childbirth. I didn’t mean to… He turned to look at Fu Xiaotang, “I always thought you were Fang’er’s ghost reborn, I’m not hateful towards you, I’m scared, terrified to face you, so I tried my hardest to get rid of you. Ha ha ha, I’ve hurt you, your mother, and the one Zhang Rong loved most. Now, it’s my turn to be punished by the one I love most. Heaven has eyes!”
Everyone listened to his laughter, which was hoarse, cracking, as if mourning, and their dislike for him lessened slightly. Song Li, frowning deeply, said to Liu Yi, “Liu Yi, must you isolate yourself from everyone? Even if he has done countless wrongs, he’s the only one who’s been good to you. You’ve pushed all the blame away, but I know these were your schemes, including this car accident. You knew she was your biological mother, yet you could still do this, you’re beyond redemption.”
Liu Yi stared blankly at him, her mind suddenly clear, “It was you, it was you all along! No wonder you came back to me so easily. You were plotting against me!”
“Yes,” Song Li replied calmly, “Why else would I agree to this engagement? I told you we were over. Did you think I was joking? I said there would only be one wife in my life, Tang Xiaofeng. Did you think I was lying? I just wanted to see what your plans were. Indeed, Liu Yi, although I thought I knew you well, you’re even more ruthless than I imagined. Let me tell you the truth,” Song Li pointed at the emcee, who smiled back at him, “He’s someone I brought in, we’ve staged this play. I’ve also asked Cheng Yu to keep a close watch on you and your father. I knew you’d want to eliminate any loose ends. Even the fifty thousand dollars supposedly from Liu Shiquan was my doing. It was just to draw the snake out of its hole. Without the money, he wouldn’t have rushed to flee, making it easier for us to find him.”
Liu Yi slowly came to her senses, processing Song Li’s words, “So, you’ve been plotting against me all along.” She let out a “hehe” chuckle, then raised her head and laughed softly before glaring at Song Li with bloodshot eyes, “I love you so much, yet you treat me like this. Song Li, I’ve loved you since I was a teenager, hoping to become your bride, but up until today, it still hasn’t happened.”
Song Li gazed deeply at her and said softly, “Liu Yi, you love me? That’s just an illusion you’ve created for yourself. What you love is yourself. If I were powerless, ugly, and poor, would you still claim to love me?”
“What more do you want?” Liu Yi gave a scornful smile, straightened up, and held her head high. “I’ve given you all my emotions except for self-love. Do you think I’m the kind of woman who would cry and wail without love, unable to live? Of course, I am the most important to myself! Let me tell you, you’re right. If you were powerless, ugly, and poor, I would have kicked you to the curb long ago! Hahaha!”
After laughing for a while, Liu Yi’s face suddenly turned cold. With a flash of silver light, she suddenly had a delicate miniature pistol in her hand, which she aimed squarely at Song Li, laughing, “I’m always the one who dumps others; no one has the right to dump me, especially not you. Since you’ve provoked me, you must pay the price.”
Seeing the gun in Liu Yi’s hand, the crowd screamed in panic and scattered like frightened birds. Song Li’s first reaction was to push Fu Xiaotang behind him. Fang Junjie and Cheng Yu both wanted to rush forward to seize the gun, but Liu Yi quickly stepped forward and pressed the gun against Song Li’s chest, shouting sharply, “Don’t come any closer, or I’ll shoot!”
Due to the close proximity, Fang Junjie and Cheng Yu had to stop. Song Li, with one hand behind his back holding Fu Xiaotang, actually grabbed the barrel of the gun with his other hand, calmly and quietly laughing, “Liu Yi, go ahead and shoot. I’d rather die than marry you. Let me tell you, I didn’t sign the divorce agreement.”
Liu Yi, unable to bear it any longer, screamed, “You actually deceived me, you bastard, go to hell!” Her finger pulled the trigger without thinking!
Fu Xiaotang only heard a bang, and the person in front of her swayed and slowly slid down.
Chapter 80: Severely Injured
Fu Xiaotang instinctively hugged Song Li, supporting him as they fell to the floor together. She held him dumbly, only realizing he was severely injured when she saw the blood gushing from his clothing. Song Li’s face was as pale as paper, yet he smiled, reaching out to touch Fu Xiaotang’s face, whispering like a mosquito, “Don’t cry.”
Fu Xiaotang then realized her face was already streaked with tears, her hands stained with the warm, sticky, and glaringly red blood. She trembled uncontrollably, her teeth chattering, “How… how are you?”
Seeing Song Li’s eyes filled with tender affection as if he wanted to say something, she leaned closer to hear. Song Li whispered intermittently, “I… I did it on purpose, I deliberately provoked her… Xiaotang, if I survive, will you forgive me? Can we… start over?”
Fu Xiaotang felt a pang of deep sorrow, “Don’t talk, the doctor is coming soon, you’ll be fine, you definitely will be!”
“You still… won’t forgive me?” Song Li’s face was filled with despair and grief, then he coughed up blood. Fu Xiaotang was terrified, looking around and shouting, “Doctor, where’s the doctor? Help, someone!”
She held Song Li tightly, as if trying to transfer her body’s warmth to his increasingly cold body, “You’ll be okay, you definitely will be okay.”
Song Li’s lips moved, seemingly smiling, “I… I always make you cry.”
Fu Xiaotang shook her head vigorously, “No.”
Song Li moved closer, with great effort, one word at a time, finally uttering, “Xiaotang, I… I love you!” After saying this, he seemed to have used up all his strength, his body went limp, his head tilted to the side, and there was no further response.
