Chapter 14: Luo Yun

Luo Yun walked out of the hospital like a zombie.

She didn’t know what to do with her life from now on—whether to continue as usual or…

No, after such a disaster, it was probably impossible to return to the peaceful days before.

“I feel so sad… so painful… so painful… so painful… AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”

Her heart ached as if someone had dug it out and squeezed it.

An inexplicable immense pressure made her keep hitting her own head.

Huff… huff…

Her head hurt so much she couldn’t take it, and all her strength was gone.

But the pressure still hadn’t dissipated.

Meow~ At that moment, a stray cat that often wandered around came over.

Its fur was white and clean—it didn’t look like an abandoned wild cat.

There was no collar around its neck, but its coat was glossy and its belly wasn’t sunken; clearly, someone was feeding it regularly.

The white cat tilted its head to look at her, its tail held high, and meowed again.

Luo Yun squatted down and looked at it.

The white cat walked over and rubbed its head against her ankle.

Luo Yun reached out her hand, pausing in midair for a moment, then placed it on top of the cat’s head.

The cat didn’t flinch. It squinted its eyes and purred deep in its throat.

So soft. So warm.

Luo Yun’s fingers sank into the cat’s fur, and the cat kept rubbing against her hand, completely unaware of what the person in front of it was thinking.

Then, her fingers tightened.

The cat let out a short cry—not from pain, but confusion.

It began to struggle, its four claws scraping against the ground as it tried to pull away from her grip.

Luo Yun didn’t let go.

She grabbed the cat by the neck and lifted it up.

The cat’s hind legs dangled in the air, its front paws clawing at her wrist, leaving white scratches.

Its meow changed—no longer a coaxing tone, but sharp and piercing.

Luo Yun watched it.

Watched it writhe and struggle in her hands, its cries growing louder.

This cat was very cute, and it reminded her of He Rou.

She was just as cute, and even her traits were the same as this cat’s.

Weak, helpless, coming when Luo Yun beckoned and leaving when she waved her hand.

“Her life was bought with Mom’s.”

Luo Yun muttered to herself as her grip gradually tightened.

“That’s right… her life is mine… her whole life can only belong to me. Why should I be the only one suffering? She should suffer just like me. Yes… only I can give her pain…”

Luo Yun looked down.

Her fingers sank into the skin.

The cat’s eyes were wide, its pupils contracted to slits, its limbs flailing in the air.

Finally, she let go.

The cat hit the ground, rolled over, and tried to run.

Luo Yun stepped on its tail.

She crouched down and placed her hand back on it.

The cat’s cry went from sharp to hoarse, from hoarse to intermittent.

Luo Yun watched it.

Watched its struggles grow smaller and slower.

Watched its eyes change from terror to emptiness—the same emptiness as the eyes she saw in the hospital room mirror.

Finally, the cat stopped moving.

White fur stained with dirt and blood.

Its neck hung at an unnatural angle.

Luo Yun withdrew her hand.

Scratches from the cat marked her fingers—a few red streaks oozing tiny beads of blood.

She looked at that hand, then stood up.

The pressure that felt like it would explode in her chest seemed to lighten just a little—just a little.

But at least it lightened.

Luo Yun looked down at the white lump on the ground for a long time.

Then she turned and walked away.

She didn’t look back.

The blood scratches on the back of her hand dried in the wind, pulling taut against her skin—a little tight.

She needed something to release pressure.

And there happened to be a suitable person for that.

Finally, instead of going back into the hospital, she walked in another direction.

At the hospital entrance, a car that had been waiting for someone for a long time was still parked there.

The driver inside, upon seeing the target he was supposed to pick up, immediately got out and opened the door for her.

Her mother’s funeral would be held the day after tomorrow.

As for He Rou, in the moment she got into the car, she had already planned everything from now on.

Everything—the project of atonement she needed.

The duration of this project would be forever, until one of the two of them died.

After returning to her own home, Luo Yun did not go to see her father, nor did she go to see her mother.

She didn’t dare to; she was afraid of herself, afraid that she would have another emotional breakdown and do something unexpected unconsciously.

She rushed into her room and locked the door.

She lay down on the bed.

This poor little girl started crying again.

Every tear she shed was both her longing for her mother and her growing anticipation of taking it out on He Rou.

She felt like she must be sick, but she couldn’t pinpoint where the problem was.

Two days passed quickly.

During those two days, Luo Yun stayed in her room the whole time.

Even though her father tried many times to knock on her door, every attempt failed.

But on the day of her mother’s funeral, no matter how difficult she was, he had to get her to attend.

So he came to the door of Luo Yun’s room again, took a deep breath, and knocked.

Tap— He only knocked once, and the door opened a crack.

“Xiao Yun?”

Father called softly, and the door opened fully.

“Dad… let’s go.”

Inside the room, Luo Yun sat quietly at her desk, wearing a deep black dress, radiating grief.

“Xiao Yun…”

Seeing his daughter like this, the pain in his heart resurfaced.

After the fire, he hadn’t been physically injured, but when he learned that his wife, who had shared his bed, had been burned alive in the flames, he—a middle-aged man and a father—couldn’t help but collapse to his knees, powerless, and weep bitterly.

His hair turned white overnight, but after a few days of self-consolation, he recovered some vitality.

After all, he still had a daughter.

In his life, he had deeply loved two girls.

One was a girl he had known since her birth, but she was dead—just a few days ago.

The other was a girl born fourteen years ago on a night to whom he had devoted all his love.

At least for this girl, he absolutely could not live in the past.

He still had property, a company, and supreme power and money.

He couldn’t just collapse.

He had to live for his daughter…

For his daughter, he had to return to the way he used to live.

“Dad…”

Luo Yun stood up, turned around, and walked toward her father unsteadily.

She hadn’t eaten anything for two days.

The energy left in her body was barely enough for her to walk.

Seeing his daughter like this, the father’s heart ached even more.

So he rushed forward, half-kneeling, and hugged her.

At that moment, the man who had been strong for many days could no longer control the tears streaming down his face.