Chapter 14: I Must Kill Zhou Hao!
Chen Xue Wen sat on the ground, his heart weighed down by pain and regret.
[If I hadn’t confessed to the School Beauty that day, none of this would have happened. My parents would still be alive.]
But the world never offered remedies for regret.
After a long while, Chen Xue Wen took a deep breath and lifted his head once more.
“What’s your relationship with Zhou Hao?” he asked through gritted teeth.
Wu Li Hong let out a sneer. “Me? I’m just a servant at Zhou Hao’s place.”
“He thinks I have some charm and a bit of wit, so he takes me along when entertaining guests, making me liven up the atmosphere.”
“To put it bluntly, I’m just a stray dog. When he’s in a good mood, he throws me a bone. When he’s not, I have to fend for myself, working the tables to survive.”
Chen Xue Wen frowned. “Then why were you the one bribing the witnesses?”
Wu Li Hong smirked. “I was there that night.”
“Zhou Hao gave me a sum of money and told me to bribe the witnesses.”
“I had no choice. If I refused, I wouldn’t be alive now.”
Chen Xue Wen let out a cold laugh. “So, you think you’re innocent?”
Wu Li Hong’s smile was bitter. “I have no excuses.”
“I took the money and did something despicable. Sooner or later, karma will come for me.”
Chen Xue Wen studied her. He had expected Wu Li Hong to beg for mercy like Zhao Dong had, but from beginning to end, she never pleaded.
[This woman… she really is different.]
Chen Xue Wen asked, “And my parents? What happened to them?”
At these words, Wu Li Hong’s body trembled slightly. For some reason, Chen Xue Wen noticed her eyes redden.
She was silent for a long while before whispering, “They obtained the first Autopsy Report and planned to appeal your case in the Provincial City.”
“Zhou Hao… Zhou Hao feared exposure, so he sent people to stage a car accident and had them killed.”
Though he had long suspected that his parents had been murdered, hearing the confirmation hit like a hammer to his chest. His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, but he felt nothing—his mind was filled with memories of his parents’ smiles.
Wu Li Hong watched his anguish and muttered, “Chen Xue Wen, I… I’m sorry.”
Chen Xue Wen looked up at her, then, without hesitation, struck her across the face. The slap was so fierce that blood trickled from the corner of her lips.
“Sorry?”
“You think an apology is enough?” he snarled.
Wu Li Hong met his gaze, opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, saying nothing.
Chen Xue Wen took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. “What about the first Autopsy Report?”
Wu Li Hong hesitated before responding. “After the School Beauty died, her body was examined first.”
“The first Autopsy Report showed that there were bodily fluids from three different men inside her.”
“And none of them were yours.”
Chen Xue Wen’s eyes widened. Now he understood why Zhou Hao had been in such a hurry.
[That report… it was the key to overturning my conviction!]
“If that report existed, then how… how did I end up in prison?” he demanded.
Wu Li Hong sighed. “Zhou Hao spent a fortune to transfer the original coroner elsewhere and had a second Autopsy Report forged.”
“The second report claimed that the only bodily fluid found belonged to you.”
Chen Xue Wen’s face turned ice cold. Zhou Hao truly was despicable.
Wu Li Hong continued, “Your parents got their hands on the first report, so Zhou Hao had them killed.”
“Not only that, he bribed the media and officials to spread the story that your parents had stolen the report, confusing the public.”
Chen Xue Wen punched the stone wall beside him, his body trembling with fury.
“Zhou Hao, I will never forgive you!”
Wu Li Hong whispered, “Chen Xue Wen, we were classmates. Let me give you some advice.”
“Zhou Hao isn’t easy to deal with. You should leave Peaceful City.”
Chen Xue Wen clenched his jaw. “I don’t even care if I die. You think I’d be afraid of him?”
Wu Li Hong sighed. “I know you’re not afraid of death.”
“But do you know how many bodyguards Zhou Hao has now?”
Chen Xue Wen frowned. “Bodyguards?”
Wu Li Hong nodded. “Yes.”
“Since news of your prison escape spread, his father assigned eight bodyguards to protect him.”
“Half of them are graduates from martial arts academies. The other half are retired soldiers.”
“These men are all highly skilled. Even if you risk your life, you may never even get close to him.”
Chen Xue Wen took a deep breath. If Zhou Hao really had that kind of protection, getting revenge wouldn’t be easy.
He didn’t fear death. The problem was—if he died without even wounding Zhou Hao, it would all be for nothing.
[No, I can’t be reckless. This will take careful planning.]
Wu Li Hong said, “Chen Xue Wen, why not just leave Peaceful City?”
“If your parents were still alive, they’d want you to live.”
“If you’re willing to leave, I have 100,000 yuan. Take it and go somewhere no one knows you. Start over.”
Chen Xue Wen studied Wu Li Hong’s expression. She seemed sincere—there was no sign of deception.
He sneered. “You’re being awfully generous to an old classmate.”
“100,000 yuan? Must’ve made a fortune working the tables, huh?”
Wu Li Hong’s face darkened, but she eventually sighed. “A woman willing to spread her legs can make money fast.”
“This is all I have.”
“Consider it compensation, or just a gesture of old friendship.”
“As long as you leave, the money is yours.”
Chen Xue Wen stood tall, his voice cold. “I don’t need it.”
“If I can’t get revenge, then my life has no meaning.”
“Zhou Hao—I must kill him.”
“Tell me everything about him—his hideouts, his routines.”
“If you comply, I might spare your life.”
Wu Li Hong sighed in resignation and told him everything she knew.
Chen Xue Wen committed every detail to memory. Then, just as he had done with Zhao Dong, he bound Wu Li Hong tightly and threw her into the same sweet potato cellar where Zhao Dong was held.
“Wu Li Hong, I’m going after Zhou Hao now.”
“You’d better pray I survive.”
“Otherwise, you and Zhao Dong will starve to death here.”
With that, he shut the cellar lid and walked away without looking back.
Inside the sweet potato cellar, Wu Li Hong leaned against the cold walls. At last, her silent tears began to fall.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation