Thinking of this, Dai Chengfeng's eyes flickered. He suddenly reached out and, with an extremely natural motion, gently pulled Liu Erlong into his arms.
"You... what are you doing..."
Liu Erlong felt Dai Chengfeng's movement and immediately stiffened, instinctively trying to pull away with force.
"Don't hold back..."
At this moment, Dai Chengfeng's voice sounded above her head, low and gentle.
His other hand lightly patted Liu Erlong's back, as if soothing a wounded child.
"If you want to cry, cry your heart out. With me, you don't have to pretend or put on a brave face."
"Just let it all out—your grievances, your sadness."
Liu Erlong stopped struggling. At this moment, she felt the warmth of Dai Chengfeng's embrace, which gave her an inexplicable sense of comfort.
And Dai Chengfeng's perfectly timed words and soothing gestures completely shattered Liu Erlong's last bit of hesitation.
The blow of shattered hopes and the overwhelming sense of unspoken grievances now surged forth like a broken dam, completely engulfing her.
Liu Erlong no longer resisted. Her body went limp, and she buried her face deep into Dai Chengfeng's chest, unconsciously gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly with both hands, sobbing softly. Her tears soaked his chest.
Meanwhile, at the slightly ajar gate of the secondary residence—
Yu Xiaogang, supported by Yu Tianheng, finally stumbled to the entrance.
His face was as pale as paper, and a trace of dried blood still lingered at the corner of his mouth. However, just as he opened his mouth to call out Liu Erlong's name and explain himself…
The next second, all sound choked in his throat, his pupils contracting to their limit.
What did he see?
Deep in the courtyard, beside the white jade pavilion—
The woman he had desperately sought, the one he believed would always be waiting for him—Liu Erlong—was now being held protectively, tenderly, in the arms of the man he considered his lifelong shame: Dai Chengfeng!
Dai Chengfeng tilted his head slightly, his chin resting lightly on top of Liu Erlong's head. His handsome face radiated gentleness and compassion.
And Liu Erlong—her entire body leaned into Dai Chengfeng's embrace, her figure trembling slightly.
Although Liu Erlong's back was turned to the gate, preventing Yu Xiaogang from seeing her expression, this intimate scene, filled with dependence and comfort, spoke louder than words.
It pierced Yu Xiaogang's heart like the sharpest icicle.
Was there even a need to ask?
For a moment, Yu Xiaogang felt as if struck by lightning, frozen in place. The last flicker of hope within him was extinguished like a candle doused in cold water—"puff"—and vanished completely from his utterly defeated eyes.
"… Erlong?"
Yu Xiaogang's cracked lips quivered, producing a barely audible, hoarse whisper.
"Has she really… truly gone to him?"
Yu Tianheng could clearly feel the violent trembling of Yu Xiaogang's body beside him.
"Uncle…"
Yu Tianheng's voice was low. At this moment, he was practically holding up the swaying Yu Xiaogang.
"Now that you've seen it with your own eyes, you must believe it, right? Aunt Erlong is really with Dai Chengfeng… together."
"Let's go."
"Go?"
Yu Xiaogang abruptly turned his head, his eyes bloodshot. Beyond the shock of disbelief, his gaze was consumed by a raging fury at Liu Erlong's betrayal.
The earlier weak and pale appearance was replaced by a fierce, vengeful hatred. "You're telling me to just leave like this?!"
"Look! Look at them!"
Yu Xiaogang pointed at Dai Chengfeng and Liu Erlong in the courtyard. His voice was hoarse and broken from agitation and exhaustion.
"Liu Erlong! How could she… how dare she throw herself into Dai Chengfeng's arms like this!"
"Wretch! She should have waited for me! She should have listened to my explanation! But here she is… with that bastard Dai Chengfeng!"
"How dare he?!"
Yu Tianheng watched his uncle Yu Xiaogang's mental state, his brows deeply furrowed.
"Ah… Uncle is just like I was before, unwilling to accept the truth."
With that thought, Yu Tianheng applied more strength, almost forcibly dragging Yu Xiaogang away from the gate, blocking the heartbreaking scene within the courtyard. He hoped to spare Yu Xiaogang further torment.
At the same time, he consoled him: "Uncle! It's over. Staying here will only bring more humiliation!"
"More humiliation… is it?"
Yu Xiaogang's final gaze was fixed on the gap in the gate, on the silhouette of Dai Chengfeng gently embracing Liu Erlong. The flames of anger in his eyes almost became tangible, yet deep inside, they shattered into endless pain and despair.
"Liu Erlong… Dai Chengfeng…"
After a long while, he forced out these two names through gritted teeth, filled with bitter resentment and unwillingness.
But in the end, all his strength seemed drained. He stopped resisting, allowing Yu Tianheng to lead him away from this place where his dreams had been utterly shattered. Yet the shadow of anger and despair in his eyes grew darker and heavier, impossible to dispel.
"You two wretches will regret this, I swear it! Anyone who betrays me, Yu Xiaogang, will suffer a terrible fate!"
"I vow it!!!"
Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists tightly, blood staining his palms. His eyes burned with malice as he silently muttered.
---
Inside the secondary residence.
Feeling Yu Xiaogang and Yu Tianheng gradually disappear into the distance, Dai Chengfeng's lips curled into a cold smile. "How's that, Yu Xiaogang? Am I not the epitome of helping others?!"
Only when Yu Xiaogang's figure had completely vanished did Dai Chengfeng finally suppress his smile. He lowered his head slightly, looking at Liu Erlong, who was still trembling faintly and sobbing softly in his arms. He loosened his grip slightly, no longer fully embracing her, but instead gently supporting her arms and pulling her slightly away from his chest.
Through tear-blurred eyes, Liu Erlong felt the distance growing between them and instinctively raised her face.
Her once spirited and radiant face was now streaked with tears, her eyes red and swollen, looking fragile and lost.
"Feeling better?"
Dai Chengfeng's voice remained low and gentle. He helped her sit down on the nearby white jade bench, then crouched in front of her.
Liu Erlong nodded, attempting to calm her turbulent emotions.
After a long while, she finally spoke in a heavy, nasal tone: "Thank you, Dai Chengfeng… I… I lost control."
"It's alright."
Dai Chengfeng shook his head slightly, his tone forgiving. "Crying it out is far better than bottling it all up."
The courtyard fell silent for a moment, with only the rustling of leaves stirred by the breeze and Liu Erlong's occasional uncontrollable sobs breaking the quiet.
Dai Chengfeng waited quietly for a while, observing her calming mood, before casually opening his mouth: "That Soul-Forming Pill… you were so desperate to find it, sparing no expense. Was it… for him?"
Liu Erlong's body trembled almost imperceptibly again.
She remained silent for a long while before slowly nodding, acknowledging it.
There was no point hiding it now.
"Did you give it to him?"
Dai Chengfeng continued, his tone neutral, betraying no emotion.
"I did."
Liu Erlong's voice was soft, but carried a sense of relief mixed with finality. "Just a short while ago, I gave it to him."
"From now on… we are even. No debts between us."
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