One and Only

Chapter 34: The Roles People Play (1)

Doctors kept coming in and out, and Zhou Shengchen also entered the ward.

She grew even more anxious.

Her eyes kept darting to the blazing sun outside, the dappled shadows of the trees, and the few Interpol officers and Zhou family members downstairs. After a while, restless, she reached for her milk tea. The string of her eighteen-bead prayer bracelet swayed, the pink tourmaline pendant beneath it lightly tapping against the glass, producing a faint sound.

For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

She searched for the source of her discomfort—it was Zhou Wenchuan.

But by the time she noticed him, he had already averted his gaze, gently reaching out to touch Wang Man’s belly.

Wang Man looked down at him, pressing her hand over his, both resting where their child lay. The Wang family wasn’t as vast and powerful as the Zhou family, but they had always lived steadily. She had compromised again and again for Zhou Wenchuan, yet she couldn’t understand why things had only grown more complicated… The officials downstairs were gradually narrowing their investigation to focus solely on him.

The Zhou family was enormous—how could he be the only one involved in shady dealings? Yet he alone was sinking deeper into the mire…

Suddenly, the ward door swung open.

A middle-aged doctor rushed out, urgently instructing nurses to call for more doctors, his expression grave. Everyone waiting outside the ward stood up nervously, watching the flurry of activity.

Since this morning, there had already been three critical emergencies—this was the fourth…

Over ten minutes later, Zhou Shengchen abruptly stepped out of the ward and glanced toward Mei Hang and Shi Yi.

Shi Yi and Mei Hang approached. She gently took Zhou Shengchen’s hand, and he clasped hers in return. “Wen Xing wants to see you both one last time,” he said.

Her throat tightened, tears threatening to spill.

It should have been a sterile ward, but clearly, those entering now weren’t required to wear protective suits. They passed through two automatic doors and stepped inside. Zhou Shengchen’s mother could no longer stand, sitting to one side, continuously dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. Wen Xing lay on the hospital bed, her eyes open, fixed on Shi Yi and Mei Hang.

The two of them walked over.

Wen Xing took Shi Yi’s hand first, painstakingly tracing a few characters into her palm: Phone, recording, listen.

Shi Yi nodded, turning to Zhou Shengchen. “Give me Wen Xing’s phone.”

Zhou Shengchen immediately left, returning shortly with a bag. He retrieved the phone and handed it to Shi Yi. Seeing the phone in Shi Yi’s hands, Wen Xing slowly shifted her gaze to Mei Hang.

She no longer had the strength to speak. Behind the oxygen mask, faint white mist formed with each labored breath.

So faint—even breathing was a struggle.

She simply stared at Mei Hang, unblinking.

Mei Hang crouched down, meeting her gaze to make it easier for her.

Shi Yi couldn’t bear to watch any longer. She lowered her head and opened the phone, putting on the earbuds.

In the recording files, there was one labeled 11 .

She knew it had to be the right one. When she played it, Wen Xing’s voice came through:

“Sister-in-law, I’m sorry.

I’m a selfish person. If I’m going to die, I’ll spend every last moment with Mei Hang. I need to remember him, so I can find him in my next life. That’s why I prepared this recording long ago—to give to you.

This recording… I don’t even know where to begin.”I grew up abroad and wasn't very close to my family. The only ones who were kind to me were my two older brothers. Of course, the one who treated me best was definitely my eldest brother. But even as a child, I could sense that my mother didn't like him.

Later, as I grew older, I discovered a secret."

There was Wen Xing's laughter in the recording. After a brief pause, she continued, "But this secret—I can't tell you. I feel that everyone who knows about it will have bad luck, like me, like Second Brother."

Shi Yi listened, confused.

But her intuition told her that Wen Xing's main point was yet to come.

"I think I've said a lot of useless things again, wasting time.

Shi Yi, actually... I want to say to you, I'm so, so sorry.

During those days you stayed in Wuzhen, my second brother wanted to do something bad to you... I think my eldest brother must not have told you about this. If he hadn't been prepared beforehand, you might have been hurt. After this happened, many people knew about it immediately, but they all chose to remain silent.

Including me. I admit, everyone in our family is selfish, always protecting our own.

Later, only Xiao Ren went to Wuzhen before my eldest brother returned... You know, Xiao Ren is special in the Zhou family. With him there to accompany you, no one else would dare approach you... I admit, I'm not as good as Xiao Ren.

Later, when you came to stay with us...

I returned for medical treatment... Then... your fall into the water, your poisoning and coma—none of these were accidents.

I don't know how much you've guessed, but what was the purpose of arranging all this by those who could get close to you? Shi Yi, I wish you could guess, so my guilt would be a little less...

The only people my eldest brother trusts unconditionally are me and Mei Hang, right?

Actually, maybe not. Even Mei Hang... my eldest brother has doubted him before...

Shi Yi, you're so smart. By now, you must have guessed who it is, haven't you?"

Shi Yi looked up at Wen Xing.

The recording played in her ears, but in her eyes now, there was only Mei Hang.

Or perhaps only at this moment could she so brazenly keep Mei Hang by her side in this way.

"I... never meant to hurt you, but I really have hurt you many times.

I made you fall into the water, then went to save you.

I poisoned you, then put myself through emergency treatment too.

I wanted to use this method—hurting the two people my eldest brother cares about most—to make him afraid of losing you, afraid of implicating me, to make him give up... this family, to leave this place. Shi Yi, I'm a very selfish person. At the most critical moments, I could only think of my own family. I didn't want to see them truly fight to the death.

So, all the consequences I face now are of my own making.

You believe in Buddhism, don't you? Karma, reincarnation, retribution in this life.

Shi Yi, I'm sorry. If there's a next life, I'll make it up to you."

The recording ended there.

Shi Yi clutched her phone, unable to describe what she was feeling.

Many things she hadn't known about had now surfaced, and behind them lay intricate webs of cause and effect. Perhaps because the pain of drowning and the abdominal cramps were already in the past, or because she knew that after death there would surely be another journey of life, she didn't feel such intense resentment.

Her mind felt somewhat empty, unsure of what to think, only that she was deeply sad.In the oppressive silence, tears began to fall without warning, unstoppable.

Wen Xing's eyes blinked lightly once.

She had been staring for too long—she was tired.

Her eyes ached, longing to close and rest for just a moment...

She seemed to want to smile at Mei Hang, though she didn’t know if, after more than ten hours of emergency treatment, she had become unrecognizable—disheveled, haggard, or perhaps even ghastly...

Her hand moved faintly.

Mei Hang seemed to understand what she wanted and pressed his cheek against hers.

He remembered how, as a child sitting on his lap, she loved to do just this—press her face to his, then blink and smile. If he tried to set her down, she would immediately clutch her chest and say, "Don’t put me down, don’t! I’ll be upset. And when I’m upset, my heart hurts... oh, it hurts..."

Whether real or feigned, the whims of a young girl had grown into something so profound.

Wen Xing watched him until exhaustion overtook her, and without warning, her eyes closed... In the suffocating silence, Mei Hang slowly lowered his forehead, pressing it into the palm of her hand.

Shi Yi wept uncontrollably, biting down hard on the back of her hand to stifle her sobs...

The monitoring equipment in the room silently declared her departure.

She had truly kept her word—selfishly reserving the last of her strength for Mei Hang.

Zhou Wenchuan, who had been barred from entering the room, stood outside, watching the reactions of everyone inside. He understood the worst had come to pass... His fists clenched tightly, his eyes reddening in an instant as he shoved past those blocking him.

He passed through the first automatic door.

But the second remained firmly shut. He pounded on the glass, yet no one inside seemed to hear. Finally, with one last furious strike, Zhou Shengchen finally turned to look at him.

His gaze was colder than ever before.

For a moment, Zhou Wenchuan felt genuine fear. Before he could react, Zhou Shengchen had the door opened, strode out, seized him by the collar, and dragged him into the room, delivering a brutal kick to his legs.

Zhou Wenchuan collapsed to his knees. Seconds later, the cold muzzle of a gun pressed against the back of his head.

The one holding the gun was Zhou Shengchen.

He said nothing, his eyes lowered, devoid of any emotion as he regarded Zhou Wenchuan.

His eyes, red with anguish, were terrifying to behold.

"Zhou Shengchen..." His mother gasped, rising unsteadily from her chair. "Zhou Shengchen... put the gun down. I’ve spoken to the doctors... the medication wasn’t that harmful. Your brother didn’t mean to—"

Wang Man threw herself at Zhou Shengchen’s feet, sobbing so violently she nearly fainted, kowtowing and pleading, "Young Master, please..."

Zhou Shengchen showed no reaction, his finger resting on the trigger.

Suddenly, Wang Man’s cries ceased. She clutched at his trousers, curling into herself as blood seeped through her long skirt. "Young Master... I beg you..." Her face twisted in agony—the sudden miscarriage was something no one had anticipated.

Zhou Wenchuan abruptly turned and gathered her into his arms, lifting her.

He stood, the gun still pressed to his head.

The two brothers locked eyes, both sets burning with fury.

"Xiao Chen..." Zhou Shengchen’s mother clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face. "I’m begging you this once. You can’t let me lose a daughter and then a son..."Zhou Shengchen glanced at the hospital bed, then shifted his gaze to Shi Yi.

She met his eyes, her heart pounding wildly. She knew exactly what he was feeling—everything Zhou Wenchuan had done to her, everything Wen Xing had done to her—he must have inflicted it all back on Zhou Wenchuan.

Shi Yi struggled to breathe, her eyes locked on him without blinking.

"Xiao Chen..." Zhou Shengchen's mother called out to him, her face pale, barely able to stand. "Mom is begging you, put the gun down, please... Xiao Chen..."

No one dared to speak.

Zhou Shengchen stood motionless, the gun in his hand like an extension of himself, instantly plunging the room into suffocating tension. Behind his thin glasses, his eyes betrayed no emotion.

Zhou Wenchuan held Wang Man in his arms, his own pants soaked with blood. "Zhou Shengchen, are you pointing that gun at me for Wen Xing? Or for your wife? Now that Wen Xing is gone, you finally get to settle the score with me, huh?"

Zhou Wenchuan let out a bitter laugh, tears streaming down his face.

Wang Man bit her lip hard, her features twisted in agony as she lay in his arms.

Clutching her tightly, he finally gritted his teeth and pleaded, word by word, "Let me go save Wang Man. I'll come back and give you my life." As he spoke, he suddenly dropped to his knees, hatred burning in his chest, yet he knelt before Zhou Shengchen. "Eldest Brother, I'm begging you... let me go..."

"Xiao Chen..." His mother sobbed uncontrollably but didn’t dare take a step forward, terrified of what Zhou Shengchen might do. "Xiao Chen... the medicine your brother gave Wen Xing wasn’t what killed her. And Shi Yi—what happened to Shi Yi had nothing to do with him either... Listen to me, apart from what happened in Wuzhen, everything else was arranged by me. Your brother had nothing to do with any of it..."

Desperate pleas choked with tears. Wang Man’s pained moans.

In Shi Yi’s mind, Wen Xing’s recorded words played on repeat.

The truth of everything would eventually come to light—but not like this, not to Zhou Shengchen, who had loved Wen Xing so deeply.

In that life-and-death moment, only an unshakable silence lingered.

After an agonizing standoff, Zhou Shengchen finally lowered the gun, slowly.

Without hesitation, Zhou Wenchuan scooped Wang Man up and strode out of the room.

Both he and Wang Man were under surveillance, but under the watchful eyes of the police, he carried her to a gurney. Doctors rushed over immediately, wheeling her into the elevator and away from the floor.

Once the elevator doors closed, Zhou Wenchuan’s arms trembled with exhaustion. He bent over Wang Man, tears falling onto her body. "Manman, thank you. If we get through this, we still have a chance..."

As he spoke, he buried his face in her arm.

Wang Man, pale and trembling from the pain, still clung to him tightly. The abortion pills—he had handed them to her himself. She had bet her life and their child’s on Zhou Shengchen’s mercy, gambling that even her insignificant existence could tip the scales in their favor. Now that Tong Jiaren had filed for divorce, Zhou Wenchuan had no one left by his side but her.

Wang Man gripped his arm tightly, trying to ease the pain, before gradually slipping into unconsciousness.

Zhou Shengchen’s mother collapsed back into her seat, murmuring softly to Wen Xing on the bed.The hospital room was suffocating. The overwhelming shock after profound grief made it hard for her to bear. Shi Yi deleted Wen Xing's recording and placed her phone by the windowsill. She walked over and quietly leaned against Zhou Shengchen.

Uncle Lin was outside the ward, methodically arranging Wen Xing's funeral arrangements.

Time ticked by—both swiftly and agonizingly slow.

When everything was settled, Wen Xing was taken away from the hospital to be buried in Zhenjiang. By the time all arrangements were finalized and everyone left the hospital, it was already 4:30 in the morning.

The darkest hour before dawn.

Zhou Shengchen's mother stayed behind at the hospital with Zhou Wenchuan and Wang Man. As they stepped out of the hospital building, the waiting police officers began their routine procedure, questioning and recording each person's departure destination. Mei Hang remained silent the entire time but suddenly clashed with them at this moment. Du Feng pushed through his own men and stepped forward, saying, "Apologies, Mr. Zhou Sheng, Mr. Mei. We just need to know everyone's whereabouts. Routine procedure, that's all."

Zhou Shengchen glanced at Du Feng, and Uncle Lin immediately stepped up to negotiate in a low voice.

Their group and Zhou Shengchen's party were separated only by Uncle Lin, yet no words were exchanged in the oppressive silence. Amid this tension, chaos suddenly erupted behind Du Feng.

Shi Yi heard a very familiar voice—Hong Xiaoyu?

The moment she heard it, so did Du Feng, who immediately turned and pushed through the crowd. While signaling his colleagues to release Hong Xiaoyu, he muttered to those beside him, "Every Zhou family member leaving must have a team tailing them—"

A loud slap shattered Du Feng's words.

Hong Xiaoyu shoved aside Du Feng's colleague and struck him hard across the face.

Everyone froze.

"Hong Xiaoyu, don't cause trouble here—" Du Feng suppressed his emotions, taking a deep breath.

The next second, Hong Xiaoyu hurled her camera at him: "Go to hell, Du Feng!"

It happened too fast—Du Feng couldn't dodge in time. The camera struck his forehead, and blood instantly trickled down.

Hong Xiaoyu was stunned too.

Tears welled up in her eyes. After staring at him for three seconds in shock, she rushed toward Shi Yi.

(End of Chapter)