"...The court hereby pronounces that the accused, Shi Yinglang, is found guilty of the crime of embezzlement. Due to the substantial amount involved in the case, he is hereby sentenced to fifteen years of imprisonment and all his properties are to be confiscated..."
Shi Yuexi looked at her father, Shi Yinglang, with his hands handcuffed and anklets shackled, being escorted away from the courtroom by the bailiffs. Her heart felt as though it was being stabbed repeatedly.
If she hadn't misjudged people, would her father be in jail now?
She returned to the Shi family's villa.
Seeing the eviction tape with black text on white, Shi Yuexi's pain deepened. She stepped forward, tore off the tape, and stormed in.
The once bustling home now lacked any sign of life.
Leaning against the wall, she let her body slide to the floor. As the cold hit her, Shi Yuexi could no longer control her emotions and broke down in tears.
Hang Shunan, Hang Shunan--
How could you be so cruel? How could you?
She wanted to confront him, but she also understood that the truth was clear. Any more questions would be redundant.
Only when the darkness of the night fell did she lift her swollen eyes.
The court has issued its verdict. People from there will soon come to seize this villa. She needs to pack up and leave before they arrive.
She filled a large suitcase with her clothes and some of her parents' important items.
The rest, items she couldn't take but couldn't bear to leave behind, were all piled up in the living room. She doused them with cooking oil and struck a match...
Flames quickly sprouted, and a smell of scorching filled the air.
For a moment, the entire villa was shrouded in smoke.
The glow of the fire reflected in Shi Yue Xi's sorrowful eyes, casting an unyielding and resolved light. Through the smoke, she seemed to see a man's face.
The next second, a tall figure emerged from the smoke, grabbing Shi Yue Xi's wrist and running out.
Shi Yue Xi had not expected such a change, and by the time she came to her senses, she was already outside the villa.
"Do you want to die?" The first words out of the man's mouth were these, sounding somewhat exasperated.
Realizing it was Hang Shu Nan, Shi Yue Xi quickly pulled away his hand: "Hang Shu Nan, you have the nerve to show up!"
Looking up at him, it was impossible to deny that Hang Shu Nan had a face that could make women scream, handsome and elegant. Even when expressionless, he looked as gentle as flowing water.
But it was this man, whom she thought gentler than anyone else in the world, who destroyed everything she had.
"So you want to commit suicide?" Hang Shu Nan's eyes were sharp, his gaze complex.
A cold arc appeared at the corner of Shi Yue Xi's lips. "Commit suicide? How could I die before a thankless wretch like you?"
Upon hearing this, Hang Shu Nan realized that he had misunderstood. A hint of uncommon emotion flashed through his deep eyes: "Since that's the case, let me go all the way with being a thankless wretch!"
"What do you mean?"
Shi Yue Xi once thought that she knew Hang Shu Nan very well. Yet it was not until recent events that she discovered she knew nothing about him!
Beneath the facade of a soft-spoken man lay a wolf.
He had been lurking by her side, spending a full five years to win her love and earn her father's trust.
She thought that they would be a couple envied by all after their wedding, but he broke the beautiful dream himself.
And now, the man standing before her, Hang Shu Nan, still wore an expressionless face, his black eyes as deep as obsidian were staring at her unwaveringly: "Shi Yue Xi, don't forget, we are already engaged."
"Engaged? Ha…" Shi Yue Xi could hardly believe her ears. Her eyes fixed on him were as sharp as a poisoned dagger.
He had the audacity to mention it!
