Translator: Helliot
Editor: P’Raikantopeni
He already felt very exhausted after the restaurant shift was over.
The moonlight was bleak.
Meng Fu could feel that Gu Ze’s hostility towards him had deepened over the past few days.
That man would tell him to kill himself from time to time, or mock him with his callous words.
Tired from overtime, he returned home. Drowsiness enveloped him. Even he himself didn’t expect himself to actually be able to fall asleep.
That man asked him why he was clinging onto his life even though he was worse off than a dog. He thought about it for a long time, and he realized that there were many reasons for him to die. But there was one single reason why he had to stay alive.
Meng Yi.
…
Some thoughts seem impossible, but once they sprout, they will begin to grow madly and uncontrollably.
At the entrance to the He family’s home, Mother He asked him, “Meng Fu, what’s the result?”
“Mr. Gu didn’t agree.”
“If he didn’t agree, then what did you come for?”
“I wanted to see if there’s anything else I can do to help.” He offered her a debit card with both hands. “These are all of my savings. I’m not sure if it’ll help or not.”
Mother He wanted to take it, but she was stopped by Father He. “You should just keep that pittance to yourself. That doesn’t do anything for us.”
“Why shouldn’t we take it?!” Mother He snatched it. “Even a beggar should have some money!”
Gu Ze was watching from his car in the distance, eyes filling with scorn. Turning around, he shot a glance at Secretary Wang, signaling for him to make the next move.
“Hello, Chairman He,” Secretary Wang said while bowing.
“Secretary Wang. Why are you here? What did Gu Ze ask you to come here for?” Mother He fumed.
“Nothing in particular. Chief Gu is a generous man, so he has decided to lend you a hand. Under one condition.”
Looking at Secretary Wang, Meng Fu had a feeling that the condition Gu Ze set must have something to do with him.
“What condition?” Father He asked, holding a faint thread of hope.
“It’s simple, actually. All you have to do is kneel down to Meng Fu, take a picture, and post it online.”
Meng Fu looked in shock at Secretary Wang. On the other hand, the faces of the He couple were as ugly as wrinkled eggplants.
What part of that was supposed to be simple? To the He couple, kneeling down for their enemy was a great humiliation; for Meng Fu, it definitely wasn’t something that he could bear.
What’s more, having to post it online was simply intolerable.
“Secretary Wang, can’t I kneel for them instead?” Meng Fu suggested.
“No.” Haven’t you already kneeled and apologized to them long ago? Chief Gu knows it too now. What would be the point of you kneeling again?
“I’ll go and talk to Mr. Gu.” When he saw Mother He’s hesitant hatred-filled eyes, he couldn’t bear it.
“Meng Fu, Chief Gu says that starting from now, you only have five minutes to decide. If you leave now, the aforementioned conditions will be null and void. Two minutes have already passed now. Are you sure you want to go?”
His feet, which had already stepped away, paused and came back again.
Whether to leave or stay, he was caught in a dilemma.
The hourglass of time was flowing rapidly. Looking down at his phone, Secretary Wang said, “You have one minute left. Chairman He, Madam, have you decided yet?”
With tears in her eyes, Mother He was clutching hard to Father He’s arm, hesitating, resenting. Her daughter was dead, and yet she still had to kneel down for her enemy.
But it was Meng Fu who suddenly ran away.
Mother He suddenly shrieked in panic as if she had gone mad. “No, don’t go! I’ll do it! I’ll kneel down for you!”
However, Meng Fu had already gone far away.
He ran to an inconspicuous black sedan not far away and knocked hard on the window. “Mr. Gu, Mr. Gu! I know it’s you inside!”
There were ten seconds left. He felt anxious as if his life was hanging on a thread.
“Mr. Gu!” Meng Fu began to panic. His knuckles that were beating against the glass were starting to sting.
“Please, Mr. Gu, I’m begging you!” He pleaded, a whimper of a cry already forming in his voice.
“What are you begging me for?” The window finally rolled down. The man’s voice was filled with amusement.
“Please don’t tell Uncle and Auntie to kneel down for me. Can’t I be the one to kneel for them?”
“No.”
“How could they kneel for me?”
“Why not? Isn’t that better? I can’t be happy unless all of you are suffering.”
“They’re your parents-in-law. Why are you doing this to them? Don’t you love He Manyu? How could you?” Some words, some questions, they were originally left at the back of his mind, slowly rotting away. Because he knows he couldn’t ask. That would just be asking for trouble.
And yet he blurted it all out in a moment of panic.
Sure enough, Gu Ze’s anger obviously increased. “Don’t mention her in front of me! And how I treat that old man and that old woman is my own business. It’s not up to you to be asking questions. Five minutes is up. Remember this, Meng Fu. You’re partly to blame for them being bankrupt.”
A cold smile suddenly curled up the corners of Gu Ze’s lips.
“I…I’m sorry.” His fingers clasped onto the window, eyes filled with pleading and sorrow.
The window slowly rolled up. Secretary Wang had already gotten back in the car. Gu Ze signaled for the driver to drive, but Meng Fu refused to let up.
The driver was troubled. “Chief Gu.”
“Leave him be,” Gu Ze said.
As the engine ignited, countless thoughts began pouring through his mind.
Gu Ze, didn’t you want to see him suffer?
The driver’s face turned red in an instant. Even an old veteran like Secretary Wang was blushing to his ears. After all, they didn’t know the relationship between Gu Ze and Meng Fu.
Secretary Wang thought that Gu Ze would definitely be angry, but he didn’t actually show much of a reaction. But when the driver kept going, he suddenly said, “Wait a moment.”
Rolling down the window, he looked at Meng Fu’s face which was completely red with shame. “You really have no shame, do you?”
“That’s right, I have no shame.”
After pausing for two seconds, Gu Ze suddenly reached out the window and clasped it around Meng Fu’s neck, fingers digging into Meng Fu’s long hair. Pressing his lips to his ear, he sneered. “Tonight.”
Meng Fu was stunned. His ears felt scalding hot, but his heart was cold as ice.
It was as if he’d lost his soul when he made his way back to the He family home. That man wanted nothing more than to see him miserable and to see his pride trampled on. But now, he had truly tossed his own pride away, allowing the man to crush and trample it at will.
Mother He was still crying and cursing in Father He’s arms, cursing from Meng Fu to Gu Ze, then back to Meng Fu again.
“Uncle, Auntie.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, Mother He swung a slap over his face. “You’re still thinking you can get us to kneel for you, don’t you?”
“No.”
“It’s all your fault! My daughter is gone, and now so is my family! Why won’t you just die?!?!” She rained punches down hard on Meng Fu. Father He appeared to be holding Mother He back, but he didn’t actually try hard at all.
“I’ll go and beg for Mr. Gu’s help.”
Once she was tired of the hammering, Mother He stopped. She gritted her teeth. “We’ll be waiting. I’ll see how you beg. You’re asking us to kneel this time, so what else is it going to be next time?!”