CHAPTER 654: CHAPTER 438: EVERYONE HAS FRIENDS

Night fell.

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When Ye Meiru heard that Chuxia was alright, her expression instantly faded. She had enough problems of her own, where was she to find the energy to care about Rao Ying’s life or death? She lazily leaned back into the chair and sighed, "Do you see if I am even capable of helping you now?"

Rao Ying was startled and quickly slid off the chair, crouching in front of Ye Meiru, gripping her hands tightly, and looking up at her imploringly, "Meiru, if you don’t help me, who else can?"

Ye Meiru sighed heavily, "Little Ying, just before you came, Zhou Mikang had just visited. He came to see my grandfather. He told me himself that he never loved me.

My relationship with him isn’t even better than that with a stranger. If I don’t intercede for you, or if he could let you off, if I truly spoke up, your situation would be even more disastrous.

Of course, if you insist that I plead on your behalf, I will do as you suggest, but are you sure that’s the outcome you really want?"

"You... You’re serious?" Rao Ying looked at her incredulously, "You’re going through so much, and he still said those things? I remember back then he wouldn’t marry anyone but you, how could he change like this now?"

"Back then?" Ye Meiru snorted derisively, "We were young back then, not understanding what love really was. That’s why we shouldn’t pay heed to the promises made then; that’s what he said."

"Meiru..." Rao Ying held Ye Meiru’s hands, her face mournful, "I always thought Zhou Mikang married Lin Chuxia out of spite for your past betrayal, but now it seems, men are fucking visual creatures, what love? Bullshit! All they want is someone younger, prettier, and all their explanations are just cover-ups for their disgraceful actions!"

"Am I not as beautiful as Lin Chuxia?" Ye Meiru touched her cheek, "Little Ying, am I really not as beautiful as Lin Chuxia?"

"In my eyes, of course, you are more beautiful than her, but in the eyes of men, it’s not necessarily the same. Men all like those ’Fox Spirit’ types, don’t they? They don’t care about your depth!"

"Right, I admit that," Ye Meiru patted Rao Ying’s hand, "Both of us are doomed, with Qiao Gang treating you that way and Zhou Mikang treating me this way, we really are sisters in suffering."

Rao Ying snorted coldly, "I accept my fate since my family situation makes me choose Qiao Gang mostly for benefits, but you and Zhou Mikang grew up together as childhood sweethearts. How could he also be so heartless?"

"It’s all the same," Ye Meiru smiled bitterly, "Zhou Mikang said that I should reflect on whether I deserve Huang Xinlong. I wanted to ask him, if Huang Xinlong hadn’t been disfigured, would he really have loved me so devotedly?

Everyone says Huang Xinlong’s death was my fault. Bullshit! He simply couldn’t find a direction in life, had no courage to live on, and I, coincidentally, served as his excuse for self-destruction.

He did it on purpose, all to portray himself as loyal, making me live in humiliation my whole life. He was simply taking revenge on me!"

Toward the end, Ye Meiru became somewhat hysterical.

These days, she had repeatedly reflected on her relationship with Huang Xinlong, and eventually, she concluded that Huang Xinlong’s death was actually about using her to fulfill his own needs.

That was what she thought, but she didn’t have the courage to discuss it with anyone, including her mother. Now, in front of Rao Ying, she finally let her true feelings out.

After a long pause, Rao Ying looked at her unconvinced, "Meiru, it’s okay to say this in front of me, but never say this in front of others.

As an outsider, I clearly saw how infatuated Huang Xinlong was with you, otherwise, he wouldn’t have done so much for you knowing his marginal status within the Huang Family.

You should know, if it were just about marrying a beautiful woman, the Huang Family had plenty of options, yet why did he stay single all these years?

Meiru, I know it’s because you never loved him that you felt indifferent toward his actions, but you really can’t deny his devotion to you."

Rao Ying’s words initially angered Ye Meiru, but as she listened, she had to admit Rao Ying had a point. But if that were the case, why would he commit suicide?

He must have understood that his suicide would doom her to a hopeless plight. No decent man in their circles would ever marry her, condemning her to a solitary life, something she couldn’t bear, either emotionally or physically. But the thought of marrying an ordinary man was equally unbearable to her.