Deadly Trap.

Chapter 41. Confession
In the darkness, Su Li sighed first. It wasn't easy for her to say all these words.

The sapphire swayed slightly with her sigh, its cold surface tapping against her neck. Turning back, she looked out the car window at the vibrant New Year's fireworks over Minhang. The dark car window reflected only her expressionless face.

Then, her expression changed as quickly as turning the pages of a book. When she spoke again, her gentle tone was filled with blatant mockery:

"Gu Mufeng, don't say stupid things like asking me to stay. I really can't keep up this act anymore. Do you know why?"

"...That's right. I'm not just materialistic, I just love money, I want lots and lots of money, and I want to use men and then discard them. You only live once. You people who were born with a silver spoon in your mouth wouldn't understand."

“From the very beginning, I initiated a one-night stand with you; to the point where I used you to kidnap you and lure you to stay with me…” Su Li’s voice trembled.

“Yes, it’s my script.” But she calmly finished it.

"Do you know how difficult it is for a woman like me, who is nothing, to stand on her own two feet in this world?"

Her voice was frighteningly steady, as if nothing mattered.

"What's wrong with wanting to play dumb and hitch a ride to a better life?"

With her arms crossed, she finished speaking with an air of haughty arrogance, as if performing a solo act. Then, in the blink of an eye, a sweet yet arrogant, cold smile appeared on her lips:
Want to know how I've spent the past twenty-four years?
“From the time I was fourteen, when that lewd teacher laid a hand on me,” she took a deep breath, “I knew my chance had come.”

"As long as I protect myself, gather evidence and exploit weaknesses, and am good at disguising myself, I can turn the tables and gradually come into contact with you hypocritical privileged classes. Young masters or princes, aren't you just ordinary men beneath your respectable clothes?"

"I'll pretend to be what you like and cater to your tastes, offering you all sorts of styles to choose from."

As she spoke, she shifted her posture, instantly displaying a series of familiar charms. Her captivating eyes were ever-changing; if she so desired, she could convey any emotion perfectly into his gaze. At this moment, Su Li had transformed back into the clever and bold alluring demeanor she displayed when they first met.

She did the same thing, tossing her long hair aside and turning to him instantly: "So, don't you like it?"

Immediately, his presence stung her eyes, and she lowered them instantly. Hastily, Su Li smoothed her disheveled hair. The sapphire earrings he had given her touched her fingertips; as she gently stroked them, the reflection shone on her face, and she froze.

Su Li lowered her head and gave a cold smile:
"Even I don't know what kind of person I really am. I just need to play hard to get, and wait for them to pursue me like crazy, becoming my 'boyfriends' like they're fighting over toys, at my beck and call..."

She paused suddenly, as if waiting for his reaction, but forced herself to continue speaking.

Su Li's voice was mournful:

“I’ll be ruthless and squeeze them dry; once I’m done, I’ll throw them away without hesitation. Don’t you understand? You…”

Her eyelashes trembled slightly.

"There's no difference."

When she raised her head again, Su Li's sorrowful lips were filled with a charming mockery, and her whole being exuded a captivating allure.

"...Are you always this honest before each breakup?"

Su Li noticed that in the short time they were talking, Gu Mufeng had silently withdrawn his arms from her, and his gaze was no longer on her. His voice was even lower and hoarseer.

Su Li knew that it was enough to say this much to a man as proud as him.

"Does it matter?" She lowered her eyes and spoke softly.

She had never been honest with anyone. But then, her tone shifted abruptly, forcing herself to be cold and hard, and she gave him a mocking smile:
"Oh, I forgot. You're still a dangerous person who can kill you. Anyway, we're just in a sugar daddy/sugar baby relationship. I think I'd better leave before you kill me to silence me?"

Her eyes were still mocking, but tears welled up uncontrollably in them.

Turning her head, Su Li pulled the car door shut:

"Mu Fei. Goodbye."

She finished speaking in a low voice, her hand already pushing the door open. The night wind from the river rushed in instantly. Suddenly, Gu Mufeng grabbed her hand against the wind: "I said you could leave?"

How could his hands be so cold?
"I wasn't close to your ex-boyfriend. But it's my business if I make you spend money now."

Surprisingly, his tone was completely calm. His gaze remained firm as he looked into her eyes, just as it always was:
"I thought you would feel more at ease: valuing money and valuing other qualities in a person are not fundamentally different. Why feel guilty just because of money?"

Her face was hidden by her hair, and Su Li turned her head away, remaining silent. Yes. Sure enough, she felt guilty towards him.

“If I have something that you need, I don’t see why you would leave.”

In the darkness, her hair, which had been tied up in a bun, lay limp and tangled with diamonds. Lost in thought, Su Li sat with her head bowed.

Gu Mufeng's reaction was completely unexpected.

Her mouth opened and closed in vain. Finally, she stammered out a single sentence, her voice so soft it was barely audible:
"Perhaps, no matter what it is, as long as money is involved, then..."

She paused for a long time.

"It all seems like a complete mess now." In the end, she fell silent. A moment of silence followed. Fireworks exploded along the riverbank with a series of "bangs." The dazzling fireworks briefly illuminated her lips. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she hesitated.

She stared at a point in the darkness.

"Don't you want to..." Her eyelashes were wet with tears, and she trembled slightly.

Finally, she murmured:

"Mu Fei. Is it you... the person who has captured my heart?"

Gu Mufeng was stunned. His heart suddenly felt like it had disappeared.

But then, as his heartbeat quickened again, he abruptly turned his gaze away from Su Li, his pale face completely shrouded in shadow.

It would be a lie to say that he wasn't waiting.

But when he heard it with his own ears...

After a long pause, Gu Mufeng spoke again with unusual calm:
"...May I ask why you need so much money? You're working part-time in addition to your studies. I'm afraid it's not just for a better life."

Looking down, Su Li gave a series of bitter smiles. Where should she even begin when he asked her that?
So many years, so many she couldn't remember. She earned money, saved money, carefully planned for herself, knowing she couldn't rely on anyone. She was adept at navigating relationships with men of any significant wealth or power, cautiously protecting herself, carefully considering every move she could make.

This has almost become a habit for her to live.

"If I said that from the beginning, I was simply saving money so that I could fly far away and never look back, would that be too ungrateful?"

Her smile was faint and thin. She never imagined that she would be the one to tell a tragic story in the end.

Gazing into the deepest darkness, her eyes held an unspeakable bitterness:
"Back then, my parents' divorce was very messy."

She took a deep breath and made up her mind:
“My father cut ties with us; he only paid for my tuition because he was afraid that if I didn’t go to school, he would lose face as a doctoral supervisor. My mother is blind and proud, and she couldn’t work for a long time.”

"How do you think we can survive on my part-time jobs after junior and senior high school, and my mother's monthly disability allowance?"

At this moment, her red lips were vibrant, yet she expressed her suffering in a soft and understated way.

"Ultimately, I just want to plan for my future. I can't stay stuck in that situation forever."

"Actually, I had already saved quite a bit, 80,000 yuan, all of which I earned myself. But my mother was suddenly diagnosed with cancer: mid-stage breast cancer, which can still be treated. After all, she is my mother, she gave me life. I can't just abandon her."

"You have no idea how much it costs to treat cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted drugs—in just one month, my savings were gone."

"Someone as privileged as you, who was born into privilege, would probably only say, 'Why don't they eat meat porridge?'"

After Su Li finished speaking, silence fell over the car. Across the dark, receding Parrot River, the decadent Pear Island lay just across the water. Suddenly, fireworks burst into bloom in succession, the cheers of the crowd mingling with the night breeze.

Can you drive?

Suddenly, Gu Mufeng spoke. His voice was very muffled, and the unexpected question left Su Li completely bewildered:

"Huh? Yes, I do. But I don't have a driver's license. Why suddenly...?"

Lost in thought about the past in silence, Su Li hadn't dared to look at him. Now, responding to his voice, she turned her head and saw that Gu Mufei's face was frighteningly pale: "Mufei?"

"It's nothing. My stomach just hurts terribly."

Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Gu Mufeng gritted his teeth and forced a gasp in the shadows: "Can you drive?"

Su Li then suddenly realized that the veins in his hand were bulging and he was trembling.

>>>>>
Next chapter: Night

[Author's Note | Chapter 41]

Su Li's confession took a sharp turn for the worse... She finally revealed her true self, finally tearing away her most authentic self.

But did the readers hear her heartfelt confession?

Gu Mufeng had obviously heard it... but he didn't seem as pleased or smug as he had expected.

Perhaps it's because of a stomachache.

What will their New Year's Eve be like next?

Tell me your thoughts in the comments!
Please add this to your favorites, follow the story, and vote to give the author continued motivation!

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(End of this chapter)