Volume 1, Chapter 130: Regretting It Bitterly

"You must be mistaken. How could it be Ye Sheng?" Chu Yue was utterly astonished. "Two years ago... Ye Sheng wasn't even in the country, was she? Didn't she go abroad?"

Tan Yao, however, quickly recovered from the shock. He looked at Chu Yue and said, "Are you stupid? Going abroad doesn't mean she can't come back; we just didn't know about it. Besides, have you forgotten what Ye Sheng does for a living?"

"..." For a moment, Chu Yue’s mind went blank.

That was true. Ye Sheng was an expert in leukemia; both her research achievements and her medical skills were far superior to Qin Minshu's. Since Huo Cong's condition was critical, it would be only natural for her, as his mother, to return to the country to treat her son.

As for the bone marrow... they had all found it quite surprising that Qin Minshu's marrow was a match for Cong'er; it had seemed like such a coincidence. Now, suddenly learning that it was Ye Sheng who had donated the marrow, they were deeply shocked, yet they felt not a shred of doubt. Indeed, compared to Qin Minshu, the biological mother, Ye Sheng, was far more likely to have been a match.

Huo Mingting regained his composure, feeling a profound sense of absurdity. "She lied to me. She used this lie to deceive me for two whole years. Even today, she was still lying to me."

Huo Mingting’s voice was raspy as he looked toward the silent Chairman Qin and his wife. "And you—you were aware of everything Qin Minshu was doing, weren't you?"

A flicker of guilt crossed Chairman Qin’s face, but Mrs. Qin remained composed, speaking in a soft, persuasive tone: "Mingting, don't be angry yet. There must be a misunderstanding. Who told you this, and what were their motives? We need to verify all these questions..."

Huo Mingting wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes and gave a cold, mocking smile. "Indeed, I will get to the bottom of this. But you know my temper. Whoever has truly played me for a fool will pay the price they deserve."

At this moment, Qin Minshu’s brain was numbed by the fire of her lust; her body was scorching, and all reason had vanished. She could no longer hear the voices around her, lost in a space of pure desire, craving to be soothed, to be rubbed, to be entered... In her delirium, she called out the names of every man she knew. When she called out "Mingting" and received no response, she began calling for others.

When she uttered the name "Feynman," Mrs. Qin gave a start and hurriedly covered her daughter’s mouth.

Chu Yue and Tan Yao had both heard the name. Whether Huo Mingting heard it or not was unclear, as he walked away with a vacant, expressionless face.

"Impressive," Chu Yue couldn't help but give a thumbs-up. "Chairman Qin and his wife have raised their daughter well. We’ve certainly had our eyes opened today..."

Chairman Qin’s face flushed red and then paled. Tan Yao quickly dragged Chu Yue away, fearing that if he said anything more caustic, the situation would truly be beyond salvaging.

—

Huo Mingting had been too out of control tonight. Fearing he might do something reckless, Chu Yue and Tan Yao followed him all the way.

The three of them went to the Second Hospital, where Meng Juan was waiting for them at the entrance. Even though they had mentally prepared themselves, the three men were still struck with horror when Meng Juan produced the records and the evidence.

"It really was Ye Sheng." Chu Yue clicked his tongue. "But why didn't she say anything? Just quietly doing such a monumental thing?"

Tan Yao replied, "It was only about a year after their divorce back then. She probably didn't want to see anyone she knew." He looked at Huo Mingting. "Did you and Ye Sheng never discuss the bone marrow issue?"

Huo Mingting gave a bitter laugh. Of course they had discussed it—countless times. No wonder Ye Sheng’s reactions had always felt so strange to him... the reason lay right here.

"I told her," Huo Mingting said, "I told her that Qin Minshu donated the marrow for Cong'er, and that I would be grateful to her for the rest of my life."

Chu Yue: "..."
Tan Yao: "..."

They couldn't imagine how Ye Sheng must have felt hearing those words. It was obvious that Ye Sheng had never told him the truth; otherwise, he wouldn't be in such a state of madness now. He was likely regretting his actions so deeply he could die.

Huo Mingting looked at Meng Juan with bloodshot eyes, his gaze sharp. "Why did you investigate this?"

Meng Juan had known he would ask this and had long prepared her answer. "Because I know exactly what kind of person Qin Minshu is. She is vain, overbearing, and selfish; she only ever knows how to take. To get ten from her, even getting back one would be a miracle."

Meng Juan’s usually timid face flashed with a hint of resolve. "Ye Sheng helped me; I have to pay her back."

Chu Yue, who was perceptive, saw through her immediately. "You are jealous of Qin Minshu." It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact.

A flash of embarrassment and awkwardness crossed Meng Juan's face. In front of these wealthy young masters, she knew they were from different worlds, and she no longer needed to maintain any facade. Holding her head high, she gritted her teeth and said, "I admit it. I am jealous of Qin Minshu, and I hate her!"

She recounted the oppression she had suffered under Qin Minshu during their school days. People said she was sucking up to Qin Minshu, but in reality, because of her rural background and timid nature, Qin Minshu had targeted her from the start, forcing her to become a little sidekick—a maid who served her without pay, and who was expected to be tearfully grateful for the occasional scrap of "kindness" tossed her way.

Her roommates lamented her misfortune and felt frustrated by her lack of backbone, but they didn't understand that she simply couldn't afford to offend Qin Minshu. If she displeased Qin Minshu, she could be crushed in a heartbeat—she had seen with her own eyes how Qin Minshu made others "crush" people.

Meng Juan looked at Huo Mingting. "You probably don't even know that back then, a girl in the neighboring college liked you. Many people knew it. You and Qin Minshu weren't even dating yet, but Qin Minshu went right up to her and cursed her, saying she wasn't worthy. That girl had a tough spirit and said she wouldn't back down. Qin Minshu, having lost face, was displeased and hired a group of thugs to beat the girl up."

Huo Mingting’s gaze turned icy.

Meng Juan sneered, "Not only that, photos of the girl being beaten were posted on the campus network. Everyone knew it was Qin Minshu, but no one dared to say a word. After that, no one dared to pursue you or have any thoughts about you. The result was... soon, news of Qin Minshu dating you spread across campus. The girl’s parents initially went to the school to cause a scene, but they stopped after receiving a sum of money from the Qin family. The girl developed depression, dropped out, and didn't even graduate. If I had offended Qin Minshu, my fate would only have been worse than hers."

Chu Yue and Tan Yao listened with faces full of rage. This was pure school bullying! They had handled many such cases before, but they never imagined that Qin Minshu had been a bully herself!

Meng Juan looked up at Huo Mingting. "Do you know? Qin Minshu once wanted to hire someone to beat up Ye Sheng, too."

Huo Mingting’s expression shifted instantly. "What?"

"She couldn't stand Ye Sheng. You say I'm jealous of Qin Minshu, and I admit I am, but Qin Minshu had someone she was jealous of, too—Ye Sheng." Meng Juan shook her head. "She didn't dare to touch Ye Sheng, not just because Ye Sheng was a top student, but because at the time, none of us knew Ye Sheng’s family background, but we all suspected she had someone powerful behind her. Qin Minshu didn't dare act rashly; she is the best at bullying the weak and fearing the strong, always avoiding risk. I couldn't stand seeing Qin Minshu do well; how could someone with such a vile character have such a good life? But Ye Sheng..."

A look of mixed laughter and tears appeared on Meng Juan's face. "I envy her, too... but she is too good. So good that even if I envy her, I cannot feel jealousy. She helped me a lot, and I have no way to repay her. Let this be my way of settling the score."

After leaving the hospital, the three of them were filled with complicated emotions. Chu Yue and Tan Yao stayed a few paces away from Huo Mingting. While they were brothers, the woman he had been with was too "low," truly bringing down their class. Just thinking about the fact that Huo Mingting had dated someone like Qin Minshu, and had been entangled with her for half the night, they looked at him with nothing but disdain.

Huo Mingting clutched his phone for a long time, gathering his courage, before finally making the call to Ye Sheng.

The phone rang a few times and connected. But it was Huo Lindong who answered.

"... Ninth Uncle? Where is Ye Sheng?"

Huo Lindong replied, "She's asleep."

Huo Mingting’s heart trembled, and he tightened his grip on the phone. "Then... why are you by her side?"

There was silence on the other end for a long moment, before Huo Lindong’s deep voice came through:

"What do you think?"