Deadly Trap.

Chapter 62. All Beings Suffer
With a loud bang, Gu Mufei pinned Su Yan to the wall.

"I'm not crazy!" With her feet off the ground, Su Yan's blind eyes bulged, and she screamed at the top of her lungs:
"That's right, I was responsible for Fangran's death! But it was of her own free will! You think you understand me? You know absolutely nothing!"
“Your noble mother, her hair. I collected a small bundle and kept it under my mattress…”

Her whole body trembled, and spittle flew from her mouth. In Gu Mufeng's incredulous grip, she laughed wildly; but as she laughed, Su Yan suddenly burst into tears.

Her voice dropped abruptly, becoming as soft as a whisper:

"I merely exploited Fangran's weaknesses and her ideals. She was too weak and too obsessed. As for me, only my own destiny can defeat me."

"After Fang Ran died, I was the only one left among the two stars who returned from New York, so naturally I was the most popular. In the Minzhou music scene, no one could compare to me."

"Moreover, my heart has never been so calm; so calm, like a piano that can no longer play a wonderful melody."

"But soon..."

"In order to be far ahead of everyone else, I practiced the piano day and night by lamplight, and my eyes slowly went blind; countless doctors said there was no way to get better."

"To escape my family of origin, I climbed the social ladder, carefully selected my marriage partner, being extremely cautious among men I disliked, and pretended to be overjoyed before marrying into a highly educated family."

"But in the end, it was just a joke, leaving me with only a shameful burden."

"Now, I have cancer."

In Gu Mufeng's hand, which was gripping her throat, Su Yan sobbed and laughed softly.
"Is it pitiful? Is it tragic?"

"No. From the very beginning, I had already made up my mind not to undergo any treatment. This is my retribution. On the day I die in agony, what I owe Fangran will naturally be wiped clean."

"Come on, strangle me with your own hands. But don't even think about finding Tang Quan again."

“That old dog. Only I, this blind and sick old woman who never leaves the house, only I, his adopted sister whom he has severed ties with, know where he is hiding!”

Angrily, Su Yan spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm at Gu Mufei: "You and Tang Quan are no different!"

The cold, metallic scent of blood splattered on his face, leaving Gu Mufeng utterly shocked. Anger and contempt surged and roared through his veins. At that moment, he only wanted to silence the face before him forever.

Killing Su Yan was simple: with just a little more force in his hand, he could turn his mother's killer into a kneeling corpse, suffocating in agony.

but.

Feeling utterly disgusted, Gu Mufeng released his grip.

"What? Have you softened your heart?"

Back against the wall, she slid limply to the floor, rubbing her neck and breathing heavily. But then she smiled:

“I’d be happy to see you two, father and son, turn against each other. If you sit down obediently now, we can start talking about cooperation again. Maybe there’s still a chance.”

"No." Wiping the bloody phlegm from his face, Gu Mufeng suddenly felt a deep sense of weariness.

And just now, he had a new idea. At least, it would keep his hands cleaner.

He turned and strode towards the door, wanting nothing more than to leave this den that disgusted him as soon as possible.

"Wait a minute." Su Yan called out to Gu Mufeng, and continued to mock him in a cold voice: "Just now, didn't you just shamelessly threaten me with Su Li?"

"Give her my regards. Ask her how it feels to sell the body your mother gave you for money, and then give it back to your mother."
"That little good-for-nothing of hers doesn't deserve to be my daughter, Su Yan's daughter."

Suddenly, Gu Mufeng stopped.

A sudden shiver ran down his spine, but he was suddenly reminded of the loving silhouette of his mother, which remained etched deep in his memory and haunted him like a shadow.

Even though so much time has passed and their faces have long since become blurred.

"As her biological mother, why are you so cruel to Su Li?"

His emotions were indescribable; he didn't turn around, but his voice trembled heavily.

Su Yan sneered contemptuously, as if she were merely erasing a stain that had tarnished her entire life:

"When I was five years old, I already knew how to win over Tang Quan. I used his passion and enthusiasm to make him take the beatings for me and recognize me as his god-sister."

"Su Li is almost twenty-five years old. What has she ever managed? She even foolishly paid the medical bills that I deliberately used to trick her."

“She’s nothing like me. She’s never been like me! She doesn’t try, she has no talent, she doesn’t deserve it at all—”

"It's you who doesn't deserve to be her mother."

Gu Mufei's voice was colder than a glacier.

"The fine scars on her left wrist are invisible in every sense of the word."

On New Year's Eve, Su Li took care of him all night, wiping his feverish forehead with her soft hands. The fine knife marks lingered before his struggling eyes.

So that was the secret she would rather beg him than tell him.

Facing Su Yan, the secret was about to be revealed.

Gu Mufeng's voice was filled with sorrow as he uttered each word: "Su Li, she is far stronger than you. It's just a pity that she and I are already..."

He closed his eyes, and the pain spread from his heart throughout his body. As if punishing himself, he forcibly tore out a part of his soul.

"...cut in two with one stroke."

Su Yan jumped up from the ground: "You tricked me!"

"Is this the only thing you care about?" "You!" Su Yan cursed, "You're despicable! Scum! Vulgar! Shameless! And your dead mother and your worthless father!"

"Likewise." Gu Mufeng said indifferently as he pushed open the door and left. "Thank you for your consideration."

Behind him, curses continued unabated. Only after Gu Mufei walked out of the building did Quenxus, who was still waiting as ordered, pretend he hadn't heard anything and follow closely behind with firm steps.

Gu Mufeng stood there, stunned, looking up: Lanzhou Mountain stretched out in the distance, a pale blue hue against the western horizon. It wasn't far from Su Li's school. Contrails streaked across the city, bathed in the bright, intoxicating glow of the setting sun. Dusk had already fallen over Minzhou, the air filled with the cawing of crows.

“Quenxus,” Gu Mufeng thought, his heart sinking, without turning his head. “Send X back. Mission accomplished. Tell him to be careful. Notify the Slayer sniper team to come and keep a close watch, fully armed.”

At this moment, apart from the killing intent, his heart was desolate, with nothing left: "Report to me directly if there is any disturbance."

"Yes, Boss."

>>>>>
It was past midnight. Even after a pleasant day, the Cloud Lounge had finally closed for the day. As usual, the proprietress, Lulu, was conducting a final safety inspection before closing.

In the corridor, she wasn't surprised to see a sliver of light still shining through the crack in the office door.

Lulu stepped forward gently and carefully pushed open the door.

The office was dimly lit. Outside the curtain wall, the night view of the Minhang River was magnificent, like a painting, but only a lonely, cold light penetrated into the room.

At the far end of the room, Gu Mufei sat alone in his office chair, his back to the wall. The moonlight stained his back dark, casting a long, pale shadow on the black carpet.

Hearing Lulu push the door open and enter, Gu Mufeng did not move this time.

"She...is gone?" After a long silence, he managed to squeeze out this half-sentence, as if forcing it out.

His words were casual, his voice feigned calmness, but when they came out, a bitterness lingered, something he hadn't said in a long time, something that couldn't be dispelled.

"Aren't you just asking the obvious?" Leaning against the doorframe, Lulu crossed her arms. "I'm closing the door. Aren't you going back?"

"You can go back now. I still have documents to review."

Outside the window, the pale moonlight faintly illuminated the white edges of the paper peeking out from behind the chair; the colorful photograph on the paper vanished into darkness in Lulu's eyes in an instant.

Lulu clicked her tongue. The office was dimly lit; couldn't she just go home to look at the documents?

There are countless ways to end it. But let me ask you—

Hesitantly, although it was a private matter, Lulu couldn't help but ask:
"Why did you have to tell her the cruel truth? Why did you have to deliberately drive her away? Couldn't you have continued with your original plan of revenge if she were still here?"

silence.

"Never mind, if I asked you something..." Lulu gave a complicated, dry laugh, "I'll pretend I didn't ask."

After a moment, Gu Mufei simply said, "...One should see things through to the end."

These words were spoken in a businesslike manner, devoid of any emotion.

Lulu pursed her lips, spread her hands, sighed, and looked helpless. She was about to give up and turn to leave. Unexpectedly, in that brief pause, behind Lulu, Gu Mufeng's voice suddenly burst forth like a floodgate opening:

"...The original plan? Do you really want me to use her to blackmail you?"

He recalled the cruel threats he had made: to leave her and her mother blind and trapped to death in that nest.

His voice trembled with coldness: "Indeed. Before I met her in person, based solely on X's report, I never imagined she was such a good woman."

"She is intelligent, strong, and independent, with a passionate yet tender heart burning within her. No matter what, she still holds gratitude and expectation for life. However, she lacks self-confidence. She has only learned to protect herself with money and acting skills."

"Lulu. I, who am devoid of emotion, am unworthy of her, who is full of affection. I have made one mistake after another."

"If you're going to cut ties, cut them off completely."

His heart turned cold:
"In this way, even if I am gone one day, to her, I will just be a fleeting passerby in her life."

"She will never remember me."

Lulu was surprised.

Her boss, who is usually frighteningly shrewd and rarely talks about himself, why is he suddenly willing to open up to her tonight?

She recalled her past: How ridiculous it was to have such wishful thinking and to pave the way for the other person.

"You," Lulu clearly didn't intend to give Gu Mufeng any face at all:
"Still so hypocritical."

"If you were in her presence, you wouldn't be able to say a single one of these seemingly heartless words."

With that, she left the room, closing the door to the dimly lit office behind her. "Goodnight. See you tomorrow, Boss."

>>>>>
Next chapter: The Promise
[Author's Note | Chapter Sixty-Two]

Su Yan laments that "the bright moon does not shine solely on me," while Gu Mufeng laments that "the bright moon shines sadly on the ditch."

Can our readers understand the deeper meaning behind the scars on Su Li's hands?
What do you think of a mother like Su Yan?
Gu Mufeng likened himself to a ditch, becoming increasingly humble the more he loved. What do you have to say about his sacrifice?

Next chapter: Escaping with his sister under the cover of night. The first vow Gu Mufeng failed to keep…

Let's discuss in the comments section!

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(End of this chapter)