Chapter 101: You Still Love Him, Don’t You?

Tang Ling had become quite diligent since taking refuge in Fan Xiaoyou and Feng Youru's home. For the past several mornings, she had been the one to arrange breakfast.

During the day, while Fan Xiaoyou and Feng Youru were at work, Tang Ling stayed home to clean the house. When she had nothing to do, she would read a little and try not to think about those vexing troubles. Life, in fact, had settled into a quiet, agreeable rhythm.

She had thought it would go on like that, neither bitter nor sweet, but a call from Yu Xiaoyang shattered her peace.

"What, you can't even tell it's my voice?" Yu Xiaoyang asked in a muffled tone over the phone.

Three days earlier, Fan Xiaoyou and Yang Ye had accompanied Tang Ling to hand over Yu Xiaoyang's evidence to He Lu.

By the time He Lu went to Yu Xiaoyang's company, two days ago, Yu Xiaoyang had already vanished without a trace; no one at Kingyi knew where he had gone.

His disappearance left Tang Ling uneasy. She kept feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

She had never expected Yu Xiaoyang to call her of his own accord. She glanced at the person beside her, made a quick gesture, and rapidly searched Yu Xiaoyang's location on the keyboard.

At that moment, Yu Xiaoyang was far less composed than he sounded on the phone, because he had been seized by Brother Scar.

Brother Scar stood nearby, threatening him. "Get Tang Ling to come out and meet you!"

Yu Xiaoyang swallowed hard, his legs already trembling. Against his will, he spoke into the phone to Tang Ling.

"Could you come out and see me? I have some things I want to say to you in person. I'm leaving here, so I... I wanted to see you once before I go. I know I owe you an apology."

What Yu Xiaoyang said afterward was half true and half false. The truth was, the moment Brother Scar had come looking for him, Yu Xiaoyang knew he had offended someone he should never have crossed.

And when Brother Scar had been driven to the brink by him, Yu Xiaoyang knew the man before him would never let him off.

What he had feared came to pass. A few days earlier, as he was trying to run, he had been abducted by Brother Scar on the way.

Tang Ling had long since grown numb to Yu Xiaoyang's lies. What she wanted now was only an ordinary life. She thought that once everything was over, she would take refuge in the Buddhist path and repent for her sins.

"Tang Ling, I don't have much time. Are you listening? I want to see you once. Same old place, you know where."

As soon as Yu Xiaoyang finished speaking, Brother Scar cut the call, not allowing him the slightest chance to say anything else.

He yanked the SIM card out of the phone and flung it into the Fu River beside him.

Then, with a vicious look on his face, he stamped his leather shoe onto Yu Xiaoyang's head. "You little bastard, I never thought I'd end up being the one you took down. You think you can bring me down? That's nothing but a fool's dream. If that girl dares come to the Fu River, I'll make next year her year of death."

Yu Xiaoyang crawled on the ground, begging miserably. "Brother Scar, please, give me a little mercy. I... I beg you!"

Brother Scar grabbed Yu Xiaoyang by the hair and wrenched hard. "When you make a deal with me, you should know it's easy to get on board and hard to get off. And now you want to beg me? What were you doing before? Yu Xiaoyang, just wait and regret it. In Kang City, anyone who offends me won't live three days."

With that, he kicked Yu Xiaoyang again. No one would have imagined that Yu Xiaoyang, usually so refined and polished, could look so utterly pathetic.

Shaking all over, Yu Xiaoyang wiped at his nose. "Brother Scar, please... I'm really about to die. You can't just stand by and watch!"

Brother Scar gave a contemptuous snort and kicked him once more. "Exactly. I want you to suffer worse than death. I want you to know the price of crossing me. But I won't let you die too easily. You'll taste a pain that goes straight to the heart."

Yu Xiaoyang curled up on the ground in agony, still pleading weakly. "Brother Scar, please... please..."

Not a trace of pity crossed Brother Scar's face. Instead, he grew even more irritated and disgusted.

"You little bastard, if the girl doesn't come, then you'll just have to feed the fish in the Fu River."

He lifted his foot and stamped down on Yu Xiaoyang several more times. Before long, Yu Xiaoyang was covered in wounds.

When he finally raised the sole of his shoe, he let out a cold snort, and only then did Yu Xiaoyang notice the rows upon rows of blades embedded in the bottom of Brother Scar's shoe.

By the time He Lu arrived with his men, Brother Scar was just about to throw Yu Xiaoyang into the river.

It was the hunter stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Brother Scar had never imagined he would run into He Lu here.

When Brother Scar saw Tang Ling enter together with He Lu, his expression turned ugly. "You little bitch, you set me up. Just wait until I get out. I'll settle accounts with you then!"

Tang Ling had long hated Brother Scar to the bone. She glared at him with gritted teeth and shouted at him in a near hysterical voice, stalling for time.

"You've done so many wicked, conscience-shaking things. Did you really think you'd walk away from this? Heaven's eyes are not blind. I've already handed your evidence to He Lu. The net of heaven is wide; though it lets nothing through, who has ever escaped the wheel of karma?"

Brother Scar was still trying to say something to Tang Ling when the men He Lu had brought dragged him away.

Seeing Yu Xiaoyang covered in injuries, He Lu hurried forward and lifted him from the ground, striding anxiously toward the ambulance parked by the entrance.

Tang Ling looked at Yu Xiaoyang, barely alive in He Lu's arms, and a clear tear slid down her cheek. She let her tears fall as they pleased.

She had never imagined Yu Xiaoyang would end up like this... If this was not self-inflicted, then what was it?

He Lu asked her quietly, "You still love him, don't you?"

Tang Ling covered her face with both hands and broke into muffled sobs. At that moment, her feelings were complicated. For Yu Xiaoyang, it seemed she no longer held any hatred at all.

He Lu gently patted her shoulder. "It's all right. He's only had a relapse. As long as he cooperates with treatment afterward, he'll be fine. Don't be too upset. Something like this wasn't something you could have predicted."

Still worried about Yu Xiaoyang, Tang Ling followed He Lu onto the ambulance anyway.

She watched Yu Xiaoyang sleeping fitfully, the tears on her face drying and wetting again and again.

She had never imagined that she and Yu Xiaoyang would come to this. In this matter, she did not know whether she should blame him, or blame herself.

She asked He Lu, "Have you told the people at his company that he's gone missing?"

He Lu shrugged. "I went there earlier. It seemed the people at the company weren't very concerned about Yu Xiaoyang's disappearance."

"Of course they wouldn't be concerned. What company would care about a traitor?" Tang Ling replied with self-mockery.

"If anyone is to blame, it's him. He couldn't see people for what they were. Those who betray their masters for glory never come to a good end. Now that something's happened to him, of course everyone keeps away from him like from a viper. Truly tragic."

He Lu patted Tang Ling's shoulder. "It can be seen that you still care about him. When we get to the hospital, stay with him. His injuries look serious, and he doesn't have any family nearby. It may be more appropriate for you to remain and take care of him."