Chapter 93: Epilogue
A’Sen was startled. He leaped forward and blocked Xiao Moyan.
“Master Xia, you can’t touch Miss. Miss Xia will hate you for life.”
When A’Sen first followed Xiao Nian, he had deep respect for Xia Ran. His act of risking his life to save his master earned Xia Ran’s admiration. Xia Ran even tried to recruit him with a high price, but A’Sen refused. Xia Ran respected him even more for that.
He never thought that after ten years, they would meet again like this. A’Sen once more risking his life for Xiao Nian’s descendant.
Xia Ran shook his head and looked at A’Sen.
“A’Sen, you know what kind of man Xiao Nian is. Is it worth it for you to do this for him?”
A’Sen stood firm in front of Xiao Moyan and shook his head.
“Master Xia, I’m not doing this for the Master. I’m doing this for Miss.”
“A’Sen, move aside.”
Xiao Moyan, who had been silent all along, spoke coldly. Her arms were still crossed, and she stared at Xia Ran with disdain and mockery.
A’Sen turned around, anxious.
“Miss, he—”
“I told you to move aside.”
Her voice rose, her face darkened.
A’Sen dared not say more. He clenched his fists, stepped back beside Xiao Moyan, and frowned at the men behind the scar-faced man.
The sharp dagger slowly lifted, pointed at Xiao Moyan. Xia Ran’s face turned vicious, but Xiao Moyan stayed calm, staring straight at him as she spoke slowly.
“Xia Ran, do you know who you’ve wronged the most in this life? It’s Xia Lingying.”
The hand holding the knife trembled slightly. Xia Ran said nothing, only glared at Xiao Moyan. Xiao Moyan looked at him coldly, her gaze sharp and piercing.
“Qiu Muying betrayed you. Xiao Nian became your enemy. You were forced to flee abroad and always thought you were the most miserable person in the world. But have you ever thought about Xia Lingying? You left without a word, leaving her alone to face her mother who betrayed her father, and the daughter of the man who destroyed her family. She endured it all. Do you know why?”
“If not for protecting you, Xia Lingying could’ve lived happily with the one she loved. Do you think you could’ve lived this peacefully without her?”
‘You have no right to lecture me!’ Xia Ran shouted harshly, waving the knife wildly.
“She knew you were Xiao Nian’s daughter, knew you were using her for revenge, yet she still loved you, still sank deeper and deeper! She brought it on herself!”
He suddenly stabbed at Xiao Moyan. Xiao Moyan swiftly tilted her head, dodging the sharp blade. A’Sen couldn’t hold back any longer and rushed forward, but Xiao Moyan raised her hand to stop him.
She stared at Xia Ran and shook her head.
“Xia Ran, you said Xiao Nian is old. But aren’t you the same?”
Xiao Moyan let out a cold laugh.
Hearing her words, Xia Ran instantly stepped back, warily scanning the surroundings.
The scar-faced man beside him had already raised his gun again, keeping a sharp eye on Xiao Moyan.
Xiao Moyan glanced at him with contempt, then slowly walked toward Qiu Muying under everyone’s gaze, as if no one else existed.
Crouching down, she looked at Qiu Muying’s blood-covered face, at the scar that split half her cheek.
Looking at the woman she had hated for ten years, a shadow rose in her eyes.
She gritted her teeth and spoke, word by word.
“I didn’t want Xia Lingying to be sad. All this time, I never touched you. But I didn’t expect you’d be treated this way by the man you trusted most. Just like how Xiao Nian treated my mother back then. Karma, this is karma...”
Her laugh was desolate, her voice filled with pain.
Slowly, Xiao Moyan stood up.
Revenge, vengeance, humiliation, and shame, words that once tore her heart apart, were finally erased.
Yet, why did it still hurt so much inside?
She had done so much, schemed so hard, and hurt countless people.
But what did her hatred bring her?
Her mother would never come back, never smile at her again...
Everything should end now.
Xiao Moyan turned, her gaze sweeping over Xiao Nian and Xia Ran, and sighed.
Looking at A’Sen, she said quietly,
“Let’s end this.”
“Yes.”
A’Sen bowed respectfully.
Xiao Moyan no longer had the strength to watch.
She turned around, pushed open the door, and left under everyone’s eyes.
Xia Ran stared hard at her, turned around, and slapped the scar-faced man across the face.
“What are you doing?!”
Holding his face, the scar-faced man turned around in panic and shouted at the people behind him,
“What are you standing there for? Catch her!”
Unexpectedly, the subordinates who had been following his orders just moments ago now stood there expressionless, hands clasped behind their backs, saying nothing.
“That’s enough.”
A’Sen’s low, serious voice came from behind. The scar-faced man froze and turned to look at him.
“Master Xia—”
A’Sen’s gaze shifted to Xia Ran. Xia Ran looked at him, then at the people behind the scar-faced man. Her tightly clenched right hand slowly loosened. The sharp dagger fell to the ground, making a crisp sound.
A’Sen glanced at the dagger on the ground and shook his head.
“Master Xia, Miss already gave me all the evidence you had at Lan Chen’s place.”
Hearing that, Xia Ran suddenly looked up at A’Sen.
A’Sen sighed and waved his hand. The man beside him handed over a bundle wrapped in black plastic.
Passing the bundle in his hand to Xia Ran, A’Sen looked at her and said in a low voice,
“Miss has already found Miss Xia’s whereabouts, found Lan Chen, and learned everything. She came here today only to see what kind of scheme you’ve set.”
Xia Ran, already weak, went limp upon hearing A’Sen’s words and slowly knelt to the ground. Fear filled her heart. Could it be that Xiao Moyan had already handed the evidence to the police?
A’Sen looked at the defeated Xia Ran and slowly repeated Xiao Moyan’s words.
“Miss said, in this world, the ones Miss Xia loves the most are you and Madam Xia. She’s returning all the evidence to you.”
Lifting her head, Xia Ran looked at A’Sen.
“Would she be that kind?”
Without looking at her, A’Sen turned toward Qiu Muying, who was sitting on the couch in a daze, and then glanced at the silent Xiao Nian. He shook his head.
“Sir, Miss said if you still have a conscience, go kneel and repent before Madam’s grave. As for what you did secretly for Tianhuang, she won’t pursue it anymore.”
With a wave of his hand, the men beside the scar-faced man gathered behind A’Sen.
“Clean up this place.”
A’Sen gave calm orders to his men, looked at the bodies lying in pools of blood on the floor, sighed, and raised his head again, his gaze falling once more on Xia Ran.
“Master Xia, Miss doesn’t want you or Madam Xia to appear before her ever again.”
Leaving those words behind, A’Sen turned and left with his people.
Only Xia Ran remained, clutching that bundle of evidence soaked with blood. Only Qiu Muying remained, her tears long dried. Only Xiao Nian remained, smoking in silence.
****
Sitting in the car, with the cold wind blowing, Xiao Moyan leaned weakly on the leather seat and slowly closed her eyes.
The driver looked at her and asked carefully,
“Are we going to see Madam?”
She nodded a little without opening her eyes. Her body leaned on the cushion like all strength had left her.
Old memories rose like smoke in her heart. The love from Xiao Nian and her mother when she was young. The hatred when her mother held her hand and left. The fight that lasted ten years between her and Xiao Nian. And Xia Lingying, the one who opened her sealed heart layer by layer. But now, she was not by her side.
The car ran fast on the highway. The driver looked now and then at Xiao Moyan, who seemed asleep. He dared not make a sound, so he only drove faster.
Half an hour later, they reached the cemetery. When the car stopped, Xiao Moyan slowly opened her eyes. She looked outside, opened the door, and got out.
The driver had already taken a bunch of white carnations from the trunk and handed them to her. She nodded.
“I’ll go in alone.”
The driver nodded and stepped back to make way.
It was cold in the evening. A light wind made her body tremble. Her once red lips turned pale blue. Holding the flowers, she walked slowly toward the grave.
Kneeling down, she placed the flowers properly. Her hand slowly touched the cold tombstone and the name of her mother.
“Mom, Mom, unfilial Xiao has come to see you...”
The tears she had held back burst out at that moment. Gently touching the tombstone, Xiao Moyan cried loudly,
“Mom, it’s been ten years. I’ve avenged you, I did it...”
She held the cold tombstone tight as endless tears kept falling.
In ten years, she had changed from an innocent young girl to a ruthless businesswoman.
In ten years, she had gone from being a girl everyone envied to the CEO everyone feared.
Why is it so sad in the story, yet so bright in real life?
Who can tell her, who can...
Her thin figure trembled with pain. No matter how hard she tried, the cold tombstone in her arms could never bring warmth. Instead, she was covered in chill and curled up into a ball.
Her tears wet her whole body. Powerless, she lay on the grass, crying quietly. In front of her mother, she did not need to hide anything.
Far from the grave, a white figure slowly came closer. She looked sadly at Xiao Moyan, at the woman lying on the ground with tears all over her face.
“Xiao, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...”
A warm touch brushed her face. Xiao Moyan did not open her eyes. She only moved her face softly against that warmth by instinct, as more tears filled her eyes. She did not ask why she left, nor if she still loved her. She only whispered with closed eyes,
“Xiaxia, I’m so tired, what should I do, what should I do...”
Kneeling before the grave, Xia Lingying held Xiao Moyan tightly, lifting her up into her arms. She wanted to warm her with her own body heat. When that cold, icy skin touched her chest, Xia Lingying’s tears fell at once. They mixed with Xiao Moyan’s tears and dropped one by one on the cold tombstone.
“No more, Xiao, never again, I’ll never leave you again...”
Author's Note:
I put a lot of effort into writing this chapter. The story is in its final stages, and I'll save my thanks for the last chapter. But looking back at everyone's comments today, I still felt so touched.
Thank you all, thank you for always being there for Yezi.
PS: This should be finished tomorrow... Yezi has been updating daily, is there a reward? Forget about the rocket launcher I mentioned before, how about everyone buy Yezi some chicken legs and have them shipped over?