However, his eyes seemed to be looking at another person even though he was currently facing the one before him. 'Substitute... Who was the substitute?'Once, he imagined what the little girl would look like when she grew up. The women he found more or less had traces of the figure he imagined.After seeing Ling Yiran, he felt as if he had seen the little girl.However, Ling Yiran was not the one he had been looking for. It was this woman, Hua Lifang, who saved his life.He had also seen photographs of Hua Lifang growing up, and indeed, when she was eight or nine years old, she looked exactly like the little girl he remembered.However, the adult Hua Lifang did not look like what he thought she would look like when she grew up. She looked somewhat similar to Ling Yiran, with similar eyebrows, eyes, and jaws, but when they were together, you could not mistake them.Their auras were quite different."Lichen?" Hua Lifang's voice rang, interrupting Gu Lichen's trance.Gu Lichen imm
Perhaps when that happened, she would end up miserably.Hua Lifang's heart trembled, but now that she had embarked on this path, there was no turning back.She would hold on to Gu Lichen no matter what. As long as Gu Lichen did not know the truth, he would be her biggest backup!...Yi Jinli took Ling Yiran to the detention center where they met Wan Yuming.He was a middle-aged man in his 40s with a slightly chubby figure and an unfamiliar face. He was just a stranger to her.However, this stranger had done her such a disservice!'Without this person, I wouldn't have gone to prison for three years. I wouldn't have had to suffer so much. I’d still be a promising female lawyer, doing what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!'At first, Ling Yiran thought she would not be able to see Wan Yuming before the court hearing. After all, he had already fled abroad.However, she did not expect to see this man in the detention center so soon.Fear appeared on the man's face when he ca
Yi Jinli's eyes glistened as he lowered his eyelashes gently. "Maybe he's having a hard time after framing you. He’s been abroad, and if he didn't want to come back, we wouldn't have been able to catch him so soon. He voluntarily returned and surrendered himself when he knew that they’re investigating the case again."Of course, what he did not say was that Wan Yuming was willing to surrender himself because he had used a lot of means to force the man to do so."A hard time?" Ling Yiran snorted. "Can he be forgiven just because he had a hard time? It's like murdering someone and asking forgiveness from the victim. Don't you find it ridiculous? I just didn't die in prison. If I had died in prison, there's no way I could stand in front of him!"Every word she said was like a whip, whipping his heart and making it harder for him to breathe."So... You won't forgive him, right?" asked Yi Jinli in a mutter."Yes, I can never forgive a man who has done me so much harm!" replied Ling Yir
"Mr. Yi, I... I've done as you said. Please, let me live!" Wan Yuming said hastily.Yi Jinli's eyes were dark. The man in front of him was one of the main culprits in making Yiran bear the crime. "As long as you never say what you shouldn't, you can keep your life."Wan Yuming was relieved.If he could, he would never even think about turning himself in. He was only forced by Yi Jinli.Even abroad, when someone like Yi Jinli wanted to go after someone, there was no getting away from it."Then, my family..." Wan Yuming said nervously."I won't touch your family since they don't know what you've done. However..." Yi Jinli's voice paused. Wan Yuming had just felt the slightest bit of relief when he was suddenly nervous again. "What you made Yiran suffer and what you made her pay back then, you must now pay back twice as much." Wan Yuming was eager to defend himself, but Yi Jinli had already stood up as if he was too impatient to hear more from him. "Wan Yuming, I'll let you keep y
"Why’d you want to come here?" Yi Jinli asked with subtle hoarseness in his voice."When I was a child, I used to play on this hill. Even though we weren’t allowed to play here because the adults said it was dangerous, I’d still sneak up the hill. I felt like an explorer on the hill," said Ling Yiran.On the other hand, Hua Lifang was not a big fan of coming here."All children do that," he said."Back then, I always thought I’d find some secret on this hill. For example, treasures, alien spacecraft, or maybe I’d discover some time passage. Wasn't I silly?" said Ling Yiran.Perhaps in the eyes of an adult, this hillside was not that big even if it was connected to the mountain behind it. However, in the eyes of children, it was like a new world."No, it's adorable. However, you've grown up now. This is just a hill, after all. Come on, it's getting late. I'm worried it'll be quite late when we get back to Shen City," said Yi Jinli.Ling Yiran nodded, but she looked back at the hi
"Even if they were going to reverse the case, it shouldn’t have happened so soon! Following the normal procedures..."However, before Hao Yimeng could finish, she was interrupted by Hao Qirong. "Don't forget who has her back now!"Hao Yimeng fell silent. 'It's Yi Jinli!'The so-called normal procedure's timeline was only applicable to ordinary people."All right. Whatever it is, once the news is reported, the Hao family still needs to put on a show. We can't offend the Yi family over this, got it?" Hao Qirong repeatedly warned his daughter.Hao Yimeng's delicately manicured nails almost crushed her phone.She had stepped on Ling Yiran in front of a lot of media and made a big splash about the fact that Ling Yiran killed her sister.Now, what her father said was equivalent to asking her to apologize to Ling Yiran publicly. Was that not slapping herself in the face in public?"Yimeng, do you hear me?" Hao Qirong's voice was serious. "Don't drag the Hao family through the mud. I w
He lowered his head, his eyes falling on her. She was leaning on his shoulder. 'If she knows the truth, would she still think... It’s great to have met me?'Probably not.'Once Ling Yiran was sound asleep, Yi Jinli gently moved and gingerly picked up Ling Yiran. He went back to the bedroom and put her down on the soft bed. Then, he gently stroked her hair with his fingers. "Yiran, everything ends here, all right?"The truth of her case ended here, and so did her past with Gu Lichen.'Let's not pursue either of these matters any further!''It's for the best!...A reporter spread the news of Ling Yiran's case reversal on the internet.For a moment, there was a great deal of discussion about it.Of course, Ling Yiran was just a promising rookie lawyer who had been cleared of a wrongful conviction. It was Ling Yiran's ex-boyfriend, Xiao Ziqi, and Hao Yimeng, a celebrity, who were the topic of discussion.Although the reporter who broke the story said that he had interviewed Hao
"You're regarding me as an outsider if you say that. Yiran, we said we'd be friends forever. You mustn't keep such things from me in the future. I don't want to learn about what happened to my friends from the news," said Qin Lianyi."Got it." Ling Yiran found her nose a little sore.That was how Lianyi behaved. If she regarded someone as a friend, she would treat them wholeheartedly.The next day, Qin Lianyi met with Ling Yiran and learned the details of the case, including how Wan Yuming was the mastermind behind it."I can't believe he’d frame someone else just because he was afraid of being involved. However, now that you've proved your innocence, what are you going to do next?" Qin Lianyi said emotionally."I have no idea," said Ling Yiran. She had some expectations but also some hesitation for her future."Are you going to become a lawyer again?" asked Qin Lianyi.Ling Yiran chuckled bitterly. "I haven't been in the business for four years. I don't know if I can do it yet.
He clenched his jaw and felt his teeth ache. 'Yeah, she’s broken up with me. She has every right to find a new boyfriend, but... the thought of her smiling at another man, and kissing and hugging him makes me uncomfortable.’ Gu Lichen could not help feeling irritated."You can't find one! Do you think you can find another man like me to love when you love me so much?" he said.Zhong Keke retorted with a slightly red face, "You... You're too confident. Who are you to say I can't find one? I love you now, but I can slowly get over you. Besides, I don't need to find a man like you in the future. I just need to find an ordinary man with a good personality who treats me well! I’ll give him all my heart, and he’ll do the same!"It was more like she was telling herself that.'Yes, I can move on from him. I can do it!'However, her words seemed to have provoked him as he turned the steering wheel sharply, slammed on the brakes, and pulled over at the roadside.She was thrown forward and
The fact Zhong Keke accepted was that she feared she would love him more and more!When Yi Jinli and Gu Lichen returned to the ward, Ling Yiran was still chatting with Zhong Keke about the children, not only the new baby but also the triplets."Alright, Lichen and I are going home first. Yiran, have a good rest. I'll visit you and the baby again next time," Zhong Keke said and got up after seeing the exhaustion on Ling Yiran's face.Ling Yiran replied, "Okay. I'll let you meet my triplets next time.""Sure."After Zhong Keke and Gu Lichen left, Yi Jinli lay on Ling Yiran's bed and said, "If you're sleepy, sleep first. The doctor said you need more rest."Ling Yiran said, "I'm a little sleepy, but I had a nice chat with Keke today. Jin, you know what? I think it's great that Lichen has fallen in love with Keke. Keke's a wonderful woman, and Lichen has finally found his happily ever after."She said as she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.Looking at his wife's sleeping fac
"Thank you! It's a good painting, and I like it very much. I didn't expect you to draw my daughter like that.""I saw the baby when I came to the hospital that day, so I remembered," said Zhong Keke."I heard from Jin that you and Lichen both came to the hospital that day. I didn't scare you, did I?" said Ling Yiran.Zhong Keke smiled softly, "All that matters is that you're safe. Being alive is better than anything."The two women chatted while the two men looked at each other. Then, Yi Jinli said, "Lichen, let's go get some air."The two men got up and walked out of the ward.Zhong Keke looked uneasily at the ward door.Ling Yiran said, "They’ll be back soon. Don't worry. My Jin won't kidnap Lichen."Zhong Keke smiled, knowing that Yi Jinli probably had not told Ling Yiran about what happened that day."By the way, how are you and Lichen's relationship? Does he treat you well?" Ling Yiran asked."He treats me well." It was true. He treated her well. He would give her everyt
He and Song Qingyao were not even friends."You don't have to explain this to me," said Zhong Keke. They had broken up, and she did not need these explanations.Besides, she knew better than anyone that he had always been in love with Yiran.Thinking of Yiran, Zhong Keke said, "I want to go to the hospital to see Yiran. Can I?" The last time she visited Yiran, Yiran was still unconscious, so she wanted to check on her.Hesitation flashed across Gu Lichen's face."Don't worry. I won't say anything to trigger Yiran. I’ll still pretend to be your girlfriend in front of Yiran. If Yiran asks you, you can say we're doing quite well. When Yiran has recovered, I can make an excuse to say we've broken up. Of course, I can take all the blame. For example, I thought being with you attracted too much attention, or I couldn’t get used to being with you, or I had fallen for someone else—"Before she could finish speaking, she was suddenly pulled into a wide embrace.His hands held her tightly
Zhou Xinmian: [I said you were living with Gu Lichen now. Then they said nothing and left readily.]"..."Zhou Xinmian: [Did you block their phone numbers? They said you're not answering your phone.]Zhong Keke: [Yeah.]She should have blocked her uncle's family's phone numbers long ago. Even blocking them now was considered late!Zhou Xinmian: [Well done! But didn’t they try calling you using another phone number?]Zhong Keke: [They did. But as soon as they spoke and I heard their voices, I hung up and blocked their phone numbers.]In other words, she did not give them a chance to talk.She did not want to listen to what they had to say anyway. They had worn out the last of her affection.Zhou Xinmian: [Have you made up your mind this time?]Zhong Keke: [I’ll just consider that my grandparents only gave birth to my father!]In other words, she no longer considered her uncle and his family her family!Zhou Xinmian: [You should have done that long ago! They told me Gu Lichen
It was why he had said such things at the time to keep the woman from leaving!"Maybe I've liked you since then." It probably started earlier than he thought.Zhong Keke's eyes watered as tears were about to pour out. She raised her hands and covered her eyes, "Gu Lichen, stop telling me such things!"Such things would only make her waver when her resolution was hard-won. Did he know how much determination and perseverance it took her to ask for a break-up and keep her distance from him to stop loving him when she loved him so much?Though her hands shielded her eyes, they could not stop the tears.His fingers pulled her hands away. "Alright, I'll stop. I'll stop talking. Don't cry."Her tears had always left him flustered.He hugged her and coaxed her. The indifference in his phoenix eyes had become affection.Zhong Keke finally stopped crying, but she still sniffled occasionally.Holding a tissue, Gu Lichen carefully wiped the tears from her face. After a moment, he said,
"Do you care about me?" She smiled bitterly. "That word isn’t only something you say but..." She did not continue speaking after a pause.However, he already knew what she was going to say.Gu Lichen turned pale. He knew that the incident at the comic fiesta was something that bothered her.He was the one who caused it!"Also, I think we'd better talk about the possibility of me getting pregnant!" she said."Okay, go ahead," he said as he asked the others in the living room to leave."Will you insist that I have the baby if I get pregnant?" she asked, looking at him."If you’re pregnant, I don't want to lose the baby," he said. He had never longed for children even though his parents had always wanted grandchildren, even if it was out of wedlock.However, such ideas had never occurred to him.Now, he wanted to have the baby because they would be... his baby with Keke!"Even if I don't want the baby, are you still going to stop me from having an abortion?" she asked.He was s
Even though he did not love her, she still thought she was a better candidate than Zhong Keke.However, to her disappointment, the way Gu Lichen looked at her was still icy."I'm not interested in you. The Song family you're so proud of will no longer exist in Shen City a year later. Perhaps the Song family can keep some things if you start planning now. Otherwise, you'll have nothing left."With that said, Gu Lichen left the ward, leaving Song Qingyao standing where she was in a daze.Other than reluctance, resentment, and jealousy, there was more shock and fear on her face.'Does Lichen intend to eradicate the Song family within a year? Is... Is he going that far for Zhong Keke? He doesn't love Zhong Keke, right? Why is he doing it? Why?' Unfortunately, no one could give her the answer.Gu Lichen walked out of the hospital and got into the car. He slowly closed his eyes as Song Qingyao's last words flashed through his mind.'It doesn't matter... even if I don't love her?'Kek
Song Qingyao's heart sank. Sure enough, he could find out anything he wanted to."Why did you do it?" Gu Lichen said coldly.Song Qingyao suddenly laughed. "You're asking me why? Gu Lichen, I’ve loved you for so many years. What do you think?""I wouldn't love you even if Zhong Keke didn't exist. If I wanted to fall for you, I would have done so from the beginning," said Gu Lichen.Song Qingyao's mouth was full of bitterness. She knew that!However, knowing was one thing. Her being reluctant and unwilling to accept it was a different matter!She shouted, "Why did you choose Zhong Keke? You love Ling Yiran because Ling Yiran saved your life when you were a child. What about Zhong Keke? Why her?"She accepted losing to Ling Yiran because she had never saved Lichen's life.However, how could she accept losing to Zhong Keke? "Because she's the one who saved me from the messy relationship," replied Gu Lichen."What do you mean?" Song Qingyao was puzzled.Instead of explaining, he