Water and Fire~Chapter 146.2: The Finale

 

Chapter 146.2: The Finale 

A crushing fear enveloped her, her heart pounding uncontrollably and her breathing becoming erratic and unsteady.

For the rest of the journey, she kept repeating two things: begging the driver to go faster, faster; and trying to calm herself down and think about what she would do if something really happened to Ren Yan.

The car seemed to take centuries to reach its destination. Chu Qian Miao stumbled as she got out.

As she slammed the taxi door shut, a heavy decision came to her mind: As long as he was still breathing, even if he became a vegetable, it didn't matter; she would support him for the rest of his life.

If he truly died, she would go and fight Tan Shen.

After making this tragic decision, she calmed down. Although still terrified and grief-stricken, she knew now was not the time to collapse to her knees. She had to be strong, to stand tall and straight. If even she collapsed, who would take care of Ren Yan?

She ran forward, feeling a chill on her face. She reached up and touched it, finding tears streaming down her cheeks. She wiped them away fiercely. Now was not the time to cry; she had to stay calm and stay strong.

She rushed into the hospital and headed straight for the emergency room.

The doctors and nurses were all running, and her heart sank.

She finally stopped a nurse and asked how the patient was doing.

The nurse's words made her heart leap.

"He's lost a lot of blood in the car accident. He needs surgery right away."

"Are you a family member? We've been waiting for you for ages. Hurry and sign the consent form for the surgery. Any more delays will be too late."

Amidst the chaos, she trotted after the nurse, preparing to sign.

Before writing, the nurse asked, "Are you the patient's wife?"

Chu Qianmiao replied, "I'm his girlfriend."

The nurse's face immediately paled in surprise. "Girlfriends aren't allowed," she asked anxiously. "Where are the immediate family members? Didn't they say they'd be here soon?"

Chu Qianmiao pleaded, "Let me sign. Let me sign. His immediate family members can't come. I can take responsibility."

The nurse still stopped her, "Madam, if you have time, why don't you get the patient's family here? Don't waste time here."

Chu Qianmiao's eyes were red with anxiety. She grasped the nurse's hand and pleaded in a trembling voice, "Nurse, please, let me sign. Please operate on him quickly. I'm really, really like his wife. We're getting married soon. Please, please, let me sign. Please operate on him quickly."

As Chu Qianmiao spoke, she tasted something salty in her mouth. She realized she was crying, sobbing with grief, unable to speak.

She had never hated herself so much as she did at that moment for not accepting Ren Yan's proposal, for not being his wife.

If, if she had another chance, she would agree to him without hesitation. Marrying him would give her the right to sign a life-saving document in a life-or-death situation.

The nurse sympathized with her, comforting her as she trembled with sobs.

Someone suddenly hugged her from behind.

She froze in place. A familiar scent, a familiar embrace.

But she didn't dare look back, fearing she was hallucinating from the grief.

Until a familiar voice echoed in her ears, "Silly girl, it's not me who needs surgery."

It took her several seconds to finally confirm that it wasn't an auditory hallucination.

She spun around and raised her eyes.

Through her tearful eyes, it was him, unmistakably him.

She smiled, then burst into tears again.

She examined him from head to toe. There was a slight scrape on his cheek, a patch of tape on his forehead, his suit wrinkled, and dust on his trousers. He looked a little more disheveled than usual, but fortunately, his arms and legs were still there, his breathing and heartbeat were still there, he was still there.

She hugged him fiercely, burying her face in his chest.

She sobbed, "Ren Yan, let's get married," crying as she spoke. "I don't want to be in a situation like this again. I was blocked out of the operating room. I want to save you. I think I'm qualified to sign to save you."

Ren Yan hugged her, stroking her back, comforting her.

He thought the beating was worth it.

But

He held her shoulders, looked at her tear-stained face, raised his lips and smiled, saying, "Okay, let's get married. But let me propose, okay?"

He reached into his suit pocket, pulled out the diamond ring, and asked, "Marry me?"

She nodded vigorously, tears streaming down her face, and snatched the ring and slipped it on her ring finger. Ren Yan smiled as she shook her head. The occasion wasn't right, the atmosphere wasn't right; all his careful preparations had gone to waste. But at that moment, he felt nothing but happiness.

The real patient's family members appeared, and the nurse took them to the surgery. Chu Qianmiao and Ren Yan stepped aside, standing against the wall.

Chu Qianmiao held Ren Yan's hand tightly, as if afraid he would fly away at any moment.

She held his hand, looking at the wounds on his face and the bandage on his forehead, and asked through gritted teeth, "Where's Tan Shen? Did he get himself killed?"

Ren Yan looked at her, knowing she was furious.

He soothed her with his eyes, telling her, "We all fainted, but he's fine. Only his hand was slightly injured. The worst-hit among us was Lei Zhenzi's car." After a pause, he said, "Tan Shen was just taken away by the economic investigation."

Chu Qianmiao was startled, a little surprised by Tan Shen's abruptness, but then she thought it all made sense.

After digesting the information, she changed her mind and asked, "Oh, Lei Zhenzi said he's on his way to the hospital too. He's worried about you. Your phone's off, so use mine to let him know you're safe."

Chu Qianmiao handed her phone to Ren Yan as she spoke.

Ren Yan told her his phone was broken. "Lei Zhenzi arrived before you, and he's seen I'm okay."

Chu Qianmiao casually asked, "Where's he? Has he left?"

A strange expression crossed Ren Yan's face. He said nothing and walked to the side with Chu Qianmiao.

In a small, unfrequented corner of the corridor, Lei Zhenzi was squatting on the ground, sobbing.

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

"He thought you were in trouble and was overwhelmed with grief," Chu Qianmiao asked, turning around.

"Well, that's half the reason," Ren Yan replied.

"That's half the reason..."

"He's crying about his car."

"..."

Chu Qianmiao looked up and took a closer look, finally understanding why Lei Zhenzi was crying while squatting on the ground instead of standing.

Across from him stood a little girl, dressed in a white dress. She looked like a little angel, delicate and delicate, her voice filled with sweet, childish sounds.

She reached out her tender, white hands to wipe Lei Zhenzi's tears, and in a childish voice, told him to stop crying.

Lei Zhenzi grew more and more excited as he was persuaded. He sobbed, holding the little girl's hand, and babbled about how Daddy thought he was dead, and how fortunately he wasn't, but Daddy's car was.

Chu Qianmiao wanted to go over and scold him, blaming him for exaggerating, misleading her, and nearly killing her with grief.

But seeing Lei Zhenzi squatting on the ground, sobbing, she felt she couldn't.

He was genuinely worried about Ren Yan.

She couldn't help but look at the little girl again. She was as pretty and adorable as a dough ball. She reached out her soft, white hands to wipe Lei Zhenzi's eyes again, soothing him with a helpless, babyish voice, "Please don't cry. You look so ugly when you cry! Okay, okay, I'll call you Daddy, so please don't cry."

Chu Qianmiao saw Lei Zhenzi stunned for a moment, then hugged the little girl, nearly dying of joy. "An'an, what did you say you wanted to call me?"

The little dough ball said in a babyish voice, "I'll call you Daddy. Okay, don't cry, Daddy."

Lei Zhenzi hugged An'an with such emotion that even more tears streamed down his face. An'an's tiny hands clasped his shoulders and gently patted them.

Chu Qianmiao watched little An'an from the side, her heart melting.

She thought Ren Yan was right. To have such a lovely daughter, marriage was worth considering and putting on the agenda.

Chu Qianmiao and Ren Yan took a taxi back to his home. After a night of shock, neither of them had much appetite, so Chu Qianmiao cooked some noodles to fill them.

The noodles tasted like delicacies from the land and the sea.

After finishing the noodles, she touched her mouth. Her stomach was full, but she still felt a little hungry.

The noodles were just ordinary noodles, and she had cooked them the way she always did. So, the feeling of being so delicious and wanting more couldn't be attributed to the flavor.

Chu Qianmiao pondered the source of the happiness in this simple meal and realized it might be the taste of "home." After enduring a storm outside, returning home, sitting around with her family, and simply eating noodles, she felt a sense of peace and contentment. She thought, this was happiness.

After clearing the bowls and chopsticks, Chu Qianmiao returned to the table. Neither she nor Ren Yan rushed back to their room. They sat face to face, digesting their food and chatting.

Chu Qianmiao asked Ren Yan what exactly happened after he met Tan Shen.

Ren Yan said, "You already know everything that happened at the beginning. It was basically what Lei Zhenzi told you. Tan Shen tricked me onto the highway." He paused, then continued, "Tan Shen is very particular about ritual. He feels that his current situation is my fault. I ruined him. Without me, he would have lived a bright and wonderful life. So, he hates me. He wants to die with me the way my parents died. He knows I still feel guilty about their death, and he thinks this kind of mutual destruction is the greatest punishment for me."

Chu Qianmiao's heart was filled with ups and downs. "Thank goodness you were lucky you didn't die on the highway."

She still felt scared when she said this.

"But we didn't die, not because of luck," Ren Yan said, looking at her. "It's because when he came to grab the steering wheel, I told him why Lawyer Lu had come to see me that day."

Ren Yan told Chu Qianmiao that Lawyer Lu had come to him that day and given him two documents. One was his uncle's second will, which dealt with the family trust. It stated that after Tan Shen turned thirty, the family trust could be cancelled. After the cancellation, the assets would be divided into two parts, one for Ren Yan and one for Tan Shen, and their grandmother would be jointly cared for by Ren Yan and Tan Shen.

The other document was a paternity test.

The test showed that Tan Shen was not his uncle's biological son.

Chu Qianmiao was stunned, unsure how to react.

He asked his uncle when he knew Tan Shen was not his biological son.

Ren Yan told her, "After Tan Shen's mother was expelled from the house."

Lawyer Lu was the only person who knew the whole story.

That day, he told Ren Yan everything he knew.

That year, because Ren Yan's aunt had an affair, his uncle divorced her and kicked her out of the house.

After his aunt left, his uncle hesitated about getting a paternity test. But after raising his son for so many years, every ounce of his love was genuine. He was apprehensive. What if the result wasn't what he wanted? How would he face Tan Shen in the future, how would he treat him, and how would he get along with him?

So, despite his hesitation, his uncle kept putting off the paternity test.

It wasn't until Ren Yan started high school that his uncle could clearly feel his health deteriorating, and he felt increasingly unable to cope. He began to plan for his own funeral. He contacted Lawyer Lu and set up his assets in a family trust. Then he thought, since he didn't know when he would die, and since he only lived once and died once, it would be better to die with clarity than to live in obscurity. So, he steeled himself and secretly got a paternity test.

The results were heartbreaking. Tan Shen truly wasn't his biological son. Besides the pain, an even more difficult question loomed: Could his mother accept this?

Probably not.

So, he couldn't say anything.

But how would he face the child next?

He tormented for a long time, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to give up the son he had raised for so many years. Every bit of love he had for Tan Shen was a genuine father-son bond, and that love couldn't be erased simply by a medical report.

Later, he thought, no matter what, Tan Shen's mother's betrayal had nothing to do with him. Tan Shen's love for him, his father, was genuine. Ultimately, the hateful person was Tan Shen's mother, and Tan Shen himself was innocent.

By then, Tan Shen's mother had already passed away from illness. As long as he kept silent, no one in the world would know that Tan Shen was not his biological son.

So, he decided to suppress the matter and raise Tan Shen as his own son, hoping that he would carry on his family name. He planned to wait until Tan Shen turned thirty to tell him about the incident.

At thirty, Tan Shen would be a true adult, mature enough to accept all the unexpected events in life.

The possibility of change was slim.

After making this decision, he made a will, leaving it with the paternity test with Lawyer Lu. He stipulated that, regardless of his lifespan, he would remain in the care of Lawyer Lu until Tan Shen turned thirty. On that day, Lawyer Lu would reveal the answer.

It turned out that he truly knew himself: he hadn't made it to Tan Shen's thirty-year-old age.

On the highway, Tan Shen declared that Ren Yan had robbed him of everything in his life: his father's love, his grandmother's, his career, his women. He could never repay him, and he wanted nothing more than to perish with Ren Yan. He then frantically tried to grab Ren Yan's steering wheel.

Ren Yan, dodging his rage, threw the paternity test he had prepared in advance in Tan Shen's face, demanding he read it.

Tan Shen remained motionless for a long time after reading it, as if he were stunted.

Then he hysterically declared that the test was fake, absolutely fake.

Ren Yan urged him to sober up and to call Lawyer Lu to find out whether the test was real.

Tan Shen immediately called Lawyer Lu to confirm.

After hanging up, he sat quietly, a bit like a lunatic.

Ren Yan turned around at the next highway exit and drove back.

Shortly after driving out, Tan Shen started to act crazy again. But this time, he didn't try to grab the steering wheel; this time, he wanted to jump out of the car himself.

"I was driving to avoid other cars while trying to stop him from going crazy. In the end, the car crashed into the road barrier, and we both fainted."

Chu Qianmiao was shocked and sighed.

So, this was how the whole story unfolded.

She thought everything made sense, everything made sense. Why did her uncle treat Ren Yan so well later, even better than his own son?

Guilt was a factor, but the main reason was probably that her uncle already knew Tan Shen was not his biological son. His feelings towards Tan Shen must have been very conflicted. He loved this son, yet he also hated that he was not his biological son.

So, he poured his love into his own nephew, a person he felt less conflicted about. And so, his love for his nephew caused his son's extreme resentment and psychological distortion.

What a logical, yet tragic, chain of relationships! It seemed as if everyone in it was innocent.

Chu Qianmiao looked back at the family and felt the saying, "Life is a play," ring true.

It was truly ironic. Tan Shen had always believed that something that belonged to him had been taken away by Ren Yan, so he sought to plunder everything from Ren Yan. But in the end, the truth was, whatever he didn't have, or what he had taken, didn't actually belong to him.

This outcome was truly subversive. She had once wondered what kind of punishment she would inflict on Tan Shen to satisfy him, to appease him.

For Tan Shen, this punishment wasn't just satisfying; it was practically life-threatening. There was nothing more tragic than being told that what he had been obsessed with, what he had always wanted to take, had never been his. It turned out he'd just been an outsider in the wrong place all along.