Rose Hotel 15

It was only after Su Man had disappeared into the room that Lin Hui and Bei Jia finally regained their senses.

"What did she say?" Bei Jia asked, her voice dull and vacant.

"She said she was going to kill Kang Fu," Lin Hui replied.

The two women exchanged a look, sharing a rare moment of complete agreement: "No, absolutely not!"

They rushed out in a panic, only to catch a glimpse of Su Man’s retreating figure. Su Man, having long since noticed the two tag-alongs behind her, ignored them and made her way with practiced ease to the rooftop, where Kang Fu was already waiting.

"Are you ready?" Su Man unsheathed a dagger and asked Kang Fu, "Do you need a moment for some psychological preparation? This is hardly a simple or easy matter, after all."

"I can give you one more chance to back out. I truly dislike killing, especially when it comes to someone like you—it’s such a hassle."

Kang Fu, however, wore an expression of solemn resolve. "I’ve already made up my mind. Don’t say another word, or we might end up arguing just like yesterday. I’ve finally gathered the courage for this; don’t make me waver."

Su Man scratched her head. "I always say, there are truly strange people in this world with strange requests... fine, whatever. I’m doing it."

Hearing footsteps approaching from behind, Su Man’s eyes sharpened. With a swift, precise, and ruthless motion, she stepped forward and plunged the dagger into Kang Fu’s abdomen.

Blood bloomed instantly, staining his clothes.

Kang Fu instinctively grabbed the blade, his eyes widening as he looked at her, a flicker of shock passing through his gaze. The plan yesterday was supposed to be a ruse, wasn't it? But now, he was in agony.

To his horror, Su Man looked exactly like a psychopathic killer, flashing him an innocent, harmless smile. Kang Fu expected an explanation, but in the next second, she smiled and yanked the dagger out with brutal efficiency.

Kang Fu could only gasp, "..."

His legs buckled uncontrollably, and he collapsed to the ground. A chilling cold washed over him, as if he had been dropped into an ice cellar, making him shiver violently. He tried to speak, but he was too weak to utter a single word.

When Bei Jia and Lin Hui rushed over, they were met with this scene: Kang Fu lay in a pool of blood, his eyes filled with disbelief, while Su Man stood there, holding the blood-stained dagger and smiling at them all. "I’ve taken care of Kang Fu for you. You don’t have to worry about that toxic oath anymore. By the way, say whatever you need to say quickly; Kang Fu doesn't have much time left."

She didn't need to say more. Bei Jia and Lin Hui had already rushed to Kang Fu’s side, sobbing.

"Kang Fu, Kang Fu, are you alright? Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I’ll go get a doctor!" Bei Jia cried. As she spoke, she saw the deathly pallor on Kang Fu’s face and broke down completely. She couldn't even think about revenge or scolding Su Man; her only thought was that she had to find a doctor immediately.

But her hand was gripped tightly by Kang Fu.

"Bei Jia... cough, cough... I don't have much time left... cough, cough." Kang Fu could feel his life slipping away. Fearing he wouldn't see Bei Jia one last time, he didn't want her to leave. He caught a glimpse of Su Man standing motionless behind them and gave a bitter smile. "Bei Jia... I intended to set a trap with her, just so you would speak the truth without reservation... cough, cough... I didn't expect Su Man to actually do it for real." Kang Fu’s eyes reddened. "It seems I really can’t stay with you any longer. I conspired with a madwoman... Bei Jia... I think I’ve gone mad, too."

Perhaps because he was at his final hour, Kang Fu began to ramble. All the words he had bottled up inside now seemed impossible to voice.

Lin Hui stood to the side, her face drained of color. She had initially wanted to follow Bei Jia to find a doctor, but Kang Fu had stopped Bei Jia, yet had not called for her. She pulled back her step, and an evil thought surfaced in her mind: perhaps it would be for the best if Kang Fu just died like this. If no one could have him, she could accept that.

"Kang Fu, no... no... don't die. What will I do if you die?" Bei Jia was frantic now. Watching the signs of life fade from Kang Fu, her mind went blank. She didn't know what to do, only how to cry. "Didn't you want to know why I canceled the wedding? Didn't you want to know what poisonous oath Lin Hui and I made? I’ll tell you everything, really, I’ll tell you everything. I won't keep anything from you anymore, Kang Fu, please don't die!!"

Kang Fu wanted to say something, but his vision was turning black, his head buzzing, and he lacked the strength to utter a single word. Clinging to his arm, Bei Jia sobbed uncontrollably, pouring out the entire truth.

It turned out that Bei Jia’s illness back then had been far from simple. She had been severely ill, unable to care for herself, lying in bed like a broken person.

Kang Fu had only known she was sick, but at the time, his family was forcing him to study abroad. He couldn't leave the house, and his electronic devices had been confiscated, so he had no idea how critical her condition was. Desperate to contact her, he found a servant willing to help him send letters.

Bei Jia knew how grave her illness was and didn't want to drag Kang Fu down, yet she couldn't suppress her longing. Eventually, she entrusted the delivery of her letters to the young nursing assistant—Lin Hui.

Later, however, she discovered that Lin Hui often failed to deliver her letters, instead secretly exchanging correspondence with Kang Fu. Being a woman of keen intuition, she realized that Lin Hui had likely fallen for Kang Fu as well.

After she recovered, she confronted Lin Hui directly. Lin Hui produced the stack of letters and told her that for years, she had not sent them according to Bei Jia’s instructions. Kang Fu’s tone in the letters had remained intimate; he had fallen in love with the affection conveyed in the writing.

Lin Hui had told Bei Jia that he loved her, Lin Hui—he loved her thoughts. If he truly loved Bei Jia, he should have recognized the difference when she wrote in her own style.

Bei Jia was devastated, but she was young and refused to swallow such humiliation. She forced Lin Hui to swear a toxic oath: if she ever revealed their correspondence, Kang Fu would die. For two rivals in love, using Kang Fu’s life as the subject of an oath was the most vicious constraint, one that neither dared to break.

Lin Hui hadn't wanted to swear, but she was insecure about her status. Hearing Bei Jia say that Kang Fu would despise her if he knew her background, she hesitated only briefly before agreeing. She had thought that in the future, she would work to change her status and appear before Kang Fu as a better version of herself; as long as she remained who she was, Kang Fu would surely fall for her again.

Her plans were perfect, but she never imagined that as soon as Kang Fu returned to the country, he would begin a high-profile relationship with the recovered Bei Jia.