Chapter 278: 278 Not So Simple (Second Update)

But the good times did not last long. One evening after a class reunion, on their way back to school, it was already past midnight. Because their senior had something to do that day, he did not come to pick them up, so the two had to walk together. To save time, they chose a usually deserted alleyway.

Unexpectedly, out of the blue, five or six hooligans sprang out of the alley.

Not only did they rob both of all their money, but they also took turns assaulting them.

They were also photographed naked and threatened not to report to the police.

Speaking of this, Wen Ziyao’s face was streaked with tears, "I really didn’t know things would turn out this way, I didn’t know those people would not keep their word and would actually go through with it! I am a victim too, I originally just wanted those people to scare Little Man, and then I would sacrifice myself to save her... I didn’t expect, those people would actually..."

Wen Ziyao had a beautiful plan: have a few thugs rob them, and then have one hold a knife to Lin Xiaoman, at which point she would step forward and take the knife for Lin Xiaoman—after that, Lin Xiaoman would surely be grateful and give the senior to her. Who knew those people would take the fake play for real.

And, and they violated both women, Wen Ziyao would never forget the scene that night.

She and Lin Xiaoman cried their hearts out, but no one came to their rescue.

Four or five men pounced on her and Lin Xiaoman at the same time, ranging in age.

With their corpulent bodies, ugly faces, they kept rolling over and over on their bodies.

Looking back now, it’s still nauseating, that experience, it tore her apart.

The absurd behavior lasted for more than two hours.

During those two hours, it felt like an eternity, an unbearable torment.

Afterwards, they were also photographed in various indecent poses by these men.

Both came from wealthy and influential families.

Reputation was more valuable than life, and with naked photos in those people’s possession, neither dared to speak out about what had happened.

They could only swallow their anger as if nothing had happened.

Neither they nor their parents could afford to lose face.

A stain on the family honor!

Hearing this, Shen Suhua’s face was full of shock, heartache, and anger!

She never knew her daughter had experienced such a thing!

In her eyes, Wen Ziyao had always been the obedient and adorable, kind girl.

If she hadn’t heard it with her own ears, she would never have believed that her once innocent and kind daughter could have done such a terrible thing.

With a slap, a heavy slap landed on Wen Ziyao’s face.

It turned her head sharply aside.

On her extremely pale face now were five bright red finger marks, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Already in an utterly pathetic state, Wen Ziyao now appeared even more disheveled.

"You wicked girl! How could you commit such foolish acts? Have all the manners you were taught gone to the dogs?"

After hitting her, Shen Suhua shivered all over, really wanting to give Wen Ziyao another slap.

But seeing her in such a feeble state now, she pinched her own palm and ultimately didn’t have the heart to go through with it.

For a long while, only then did she deeply sigh, "Our family’s misfortune! How could I have given birth to such a heartless wretch like you!"

Li Mi didn’t expect the truth behind the matter to be like this either.

She silently sighed; Wen Ziyao was too foolish, actually plotting against her best friend over a guy.

Alas, her scheming not only failed miserably but also backfired, entangling her as well.

Wen Ziyao was too naive, actually believing the words of some thugs; besides, love is supposed to be mutual.

Even if her plan had worked, and Lin Xiaoman, out of gratitude for saving her life, had given up the senior to her,

it’s not like the senior would necessarily have followed Lin Xiaoman’s arrangement, right?

In the end, Wen Ziyao was too inexperienced and overly naïve.

How can one force matters of the heart?

However, the matter did not end there.

After this incident, both of them developed severe depression, crying all day, and Lin Xiaoman felt that she had been desecrated and was unworthy of such a wonderful senior, so she took the initiative to break up with him.

A month later, both of their bodies began to exhibit some abnormalities; they were experiencing nausea and vomiting.

As expected, after a trip to the hospital, both of them were pregnant.

For the two of them, who had just started their second year of university, this news was like a bolt from the blue.

It felt like life had already come to an end.

Both already suffered from depression, and this event undoubtedly became the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

That very night, each left behind a tear-stained suicide note, sorted out some affairs, and then agreed to jump into the lake and drown themselves.

They had a pact, not necessarily to have been born on the same day, but to die on the same day, and to remain best friends in the afterlife.

The suicide notes didn’t mention the events of that night, because even in death, they wanted to protect their families’ honor.

They couldn’t let their families suffer because of them.

Those who had passed away were gone, and those who were alive had to go on.

Two young figures fell into the icy cold waters of the lake.

The freezing water kept pouring into their ears, mouths, and noses as they struggled on the surface, their hands desperately slapping at the water.

Both were bent on dying, so it didn’t take long before they stopped moving.

Lin Xiaoman sank straight to the bottom, destined to rest there with the lakebed.

Wen Ziyao, on the other hand, was luckier. She didn’t sink immediately but drifted with the flowing water to the shore, and when she woke up, she was already lying in a hospital.

The two close friends were thus forever parted, and a young life just faded away like this.

By the time Wen Ziyao woke up, Lin Xiaoman’s funeral was already over.

It was said that the lake’s currents were too strong that day, and her family couldn’t retrieve her body, so they erected a cenotaph for her.

As for Wen Ziyao, she went on to live a normal life, but, for some reason, she had forgotten the memory of her attempted suicide.

She forgot about her pact with Lin Xiaoman and the existence of the suicide note.

It seemed as if everything had simply vanished without a trace.

Even though she had forgotten about her past attempt to end her life, she always felt guilty towards Lin Xiaoman. If it weren’t for her, Lin Xiaoman wouldn’t have met with such a fate.

Therefore, she didn’t even have the courage to visit Lin Xiaoman’s grave.

And so, a year passed, and just when Wen Ziyao was about to forget that part of her past, the supposedly dead Lin Xiaoman came back.

At first, she only appeared in Wen Ziyao’s dreams. Later, Lin Xiaoman’s shadow seemed to be everywhere.

Day and night, she haunted Wen Ziyao, demanding a life for a life. Wen Ziyao lived each day in terror, and every night she was plagued by nightmares.

She could only live in an endless state of fear, guilt, and self-reproach.

Wen Ziyao slowly raised her head, one side of her face pale while the other was swollen and red with streaks of tears, creating a pitiful sight, "She haunts me every day, every day, and I had no other choice but to come up with this plan. I’ve paid the price for what happened, I’ve suffered the same pain as she did. If I could choose again, I would never let that happen. Why won’t she let me go?"

Having heard the entire story, Shen Suhua also broke down in tears. It turned out that the incident from that year was so complicated.

It seemed that Wen Ziyao could indeed be considered a victim of the incident.

But at the same time, she was also a participant and had to bear half the responsibility for the events. If it weren’t for her extreme jealousy, things would never have escalated to that point.

They say ghosts are frightening, but in fact, the human heart is the most terrifying of all.

The heart that beats beneath flesh and skin, you can never truly know whether it’s red or black.

The ways of the world are cold, human hearts colder still.

Even a ghost knows the distinction between just and unjust claims, but what about humans?

Once the heart turns cruel, it can be ten times more frightening than ghosts!

At that moment, Li Mi felt indignant for Lin Xiaoman, whom she had never met.

If it weren’t for befriending the wrong person, she wouldn’t have ... fallen like this.

Four years ago, she was just a girl in her twenties, right?

Sigh ... such a pity.

Chu Jin remained as indifferent as ever, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, covering the emotions in her eyes, her lips slightly pursed as she looked at Wen Ziyao and spoke.

"The situation is probably not that simple, is it? Haven’t you left out something?"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read