As the gap in living standards between herself and Kong Qintong gradually widened, the seed of jealousy in Wei Zhen’s heart grew into a towering tree. This led her to discard Yi Lingfan and replace him with Su Baiye, and eventually, she even conspired with Su Baiye and Tan Shengjun to kill Kong Qintong, Su Jun, and Su Baixiao, all in a bid to seize control of the Su family.
Wei Zhen believed she was on par with Kong Qintong, yet Kong Qintong had married the outstanding Su Jun, receiving his wholehearted love and respect, and even bore him an exceptional son. Meanwhile, Wei Zhen was reduced to being a plaything and a tool for others, not even knowing the identity of her own son’s father.
But was everything truly as Wei Zhen imagined?
Take Su Baiye, for example. If Wei Zhen hadn’t willingly indulged in a life of debauchery, would she have ended up with a son whose father was unknown? No one forced her into that lifestyle. In fact, Kong Qintong, unwilling to see her friend deteriorate, repeatedly tried to dissuade her, exhausting every possible argument—both kind and harsh. Yet Wei Zhen never listened, even complaining multiple times that Kong Qintong was meddling too much.
Later, when Wei Zhen discovered she was pregnant, she began blaming Kong Qintong for neglecting their long-standing friendship, accusing her of standing by idly while she spiraled into self-destruction. She even convinced herself that Kong Qintong was jealous of her superiority and had deliberately lured her into ruin.
Claims like “Wei Zhen and Kong Qintong were equally outstanding” or “Wei Zhen was even more exceptional than Kong Qintong” were nothing but Wei Zhen’s delusions. In reality, Kong Qintong far surpassed Wei Zhen in every aspect—appearance, temperament, intellect, character, and resilience.
For instance, Kong Qintong was a woman of unwavering determination, surpassing even many men in perseverance. During a university club outing, when they encountered a landslide and a violent storm, many male classmates were on the verge of breaking down. Yet despite her own disheveled state, Kong Qintong remained steadfast, becoming the emotional anchor for everyone. She guided them through self-rescue and held on until help arrived.
It was during this ordeal that Kong Qintong met Su Jun, who had been caught in the same landslide while on a nearby inspection trip. Su Jun, suffering from a severe cold and in a pitiable state, was deeply moved by Kong Qintong’s care and her unyielding spirit in the face of adversity.
Wei Zhen, on the other hand, was nothing like Kong Qintong. Kong Qintong was never petty toward those close to her, and she extended considerable care and support to Wei Zhen, her former friend. Had Wei Zhen shown even a modicum of effort or ambition, she could have thrived under Kong Qintong’s guidance instead of languishing in dependency.
If Wei Zhen had simply chosen a life of idleness without malice, it might not have been an issue. Kong Qintong was more than capable of supporting her, especially given Wei Zhen’s past assistance. Kong Qintong was no ingrate, and this arrangement wouldn’t have been problematic. But Wei Zhen was petty, envious, and resentful. The more Kong Qintong helped her, the more Wei Zhen despised her.
To Wei Zhen, Kong Qintong had once been a mere backdrop to her own brilliance. But now, the roles had reversed—Kong Qintong was the radiant flower, and Wei Zhen the overshadowed weed. The psychological toll of this reversal was unbearable for Wei Zhen.
Trapped between her inability to accept this reality and her reliance on Kong Qintong for survival, Wei Zhen’s fragile ego suffered. The more she depended on Kong Qintong, the more her resentment festered, fueling her hatred and jealousy.
Su Jun’s deep affection for Kong Qintong only intensified Wei Zhen’s envy. She fantasized about Su Jun merely using and deceiving Kong Qintong, wishing her friend would suffer the same fate as herself—betrayed by powerful, unscrupulous men rather than cherished like a treasure.
This mirrored Su Baiye’s mindset. Su Baiye was acutely aware of the manipulation in Tan Shengjun’s feelings for her, doubting the sincerity behind his actions. She couldn’t fathom Pei Zhaohe having genuine affection for Yi Lingfan and secretly hoped Yi Lingfan would suffer even more than she had. Only then would Su Baiye feel a semblance of balance.
Unaware of the schemes against him, Yi Lingfan suddenly sneezed several times. Pei Zhaohe leaned in with concern, “Fanfan, are you feeling unwell? Is something wrong?”
Since learning about Yi Lingfan’s fragile health—a lingering consequence of childhood illness that left him vulnerable to cold weather—Pei Zhaohe had treated him like a delicate crystal doll, reacting anxiously to the slightest sign of discomfort.
While Yi Lingfan found this attention sweet, it could also be overwhelming. Fortunately, after the initial days of hyper-vigilance, Pei Zhaohe learned to temper his protectiveness, allowing Yi Lingfan some breathing room.
Now, although Yi Lingfan vaguely suspected Su Baiye’s scheming, he lacked solid evidence and decided not to burden Pei Zhaohe with his suspicions. Instead, he planted a kiss on Pei Zhaohe’s cheek and attempted a somewhat awkward act of coquetry. “Brother Pei, my health has improved quite a bit…”
Though Yi Lingfan left the sentence hanging, Pei Zhaohe understood his unspoken desire perfectly. With an amused smirk, he teased, “What, Fanfan? Tired of me already?”
Yi Lingfan quickly shook his head, flashing an appeasing smile. “Of course not! How could I ever tire of you? It’s just… I’ve been idle for so long. I miss working.” Having returned to this world after so long, Yi Lingfan—a research enthusiast at heart—ached to return to the lab. The countless worlds he’d experienced had only sharpened his skills, and now he was eager to apply them.
Yet, he was torn. His work involved high-security projects, often requiring extended periods of isolation. The thought of being separated from Pei Zhaohe during their blissful honeymoon phase pained him. The dilemma weighed heavily on his mind.
Pei Zhaohe noticed his inner conflict. Though reluctant to part, he couldn’t bear to see Yi Lingfan sacrifice his passion for their relationship. He wanted Yi Lingfan to shine in his career, reaching new heights while Pei Zhaohe stood by as his unwavering protector.
After a night of tender farewells, Pei Zhaohe personally escorted Yi Lingfan to work. Though protocol prevented him from entering the facility, he insisted on seeing him off, needing the reassurance of his safety.
Back at the research institute, Yi Lingfan reunited with his colleagues and immersed himself in his work. The experiences from multiple worlds had honed his abilities, and now he was ready to unleash his full potential.
To outsiders, it seemed as though Yi Lingfan, having faced life and death and found love, was now brimming with inspiration, pushing boundaries and elevating his entire team to new heights.
Yi Lingfan also remembered how his colleagues had suffered after his death, speaking up for him and incurring Su Baiye’s wrath. Determined to repay their loyalty, he now extended his support wherever possible, ensuring their lives were better this time around.
Meanwhile, Pei Zhaohe reviewed the investigation files in his hands, tapping the desk thoughtfully. “Su Baiye… I wonder if the Su family knows about this.” His expression was inscrutable.
Since Yi Lingfan’s accident, Pei Zhaohe had been investigating the incident. Su Baiye, still inexperienced and fearful of involving the Su family or Tan Shengjun, had left behind traces despite her efforts to cover her tracks. Now, Pei Zhaohe had uncovered them.
Su Baiye’s paranoia stemmed from her fear of the Su family discovering Yi Lingfan’s identity and Tan Shengjun’s potential attraction to him. Trusting no one, she had acted alone.
After careful consideration, Pei Zhaohe decided to contact Su Jun. Though the Pei and Su families had always maintained good relations, and Pei Zhaohe held the Su family in high regard, matters concerning his beloved were non-negotiable.
Still, Pei Zhaohe didn’t believe Su Jun capable of such malice. Rather than acting rashly, he chose to clarify the situation with the Su family first.
On the other end, the Su family’s overnight investigation had finally yielded results—they had identified Yi Lingfan.
Su Baiye’s influence was limited. Though she had managed to obstruct any chance encounters between Yi Lingfan and the Su family, she couldn’t erase his records. As an orphan working within the system, Yi Lingfan’s background was easily traceable. The Su family’s inquiry quickly led them to him. This was precisely why Su Baiye had been so desperate to eliminate him—his existence was a ticking time bomb for her.
Unfortunately for her, the plan had failed.
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