Falling into the Trap

Tao Ruoqing collapsed onto the floor, her arms so weak she could barely support herself.

She half-crouched, lifting her head slightly. Her gaze fell right on the hands tightly clasped together in front of her.

Earlier, amid the chaos, she hadn’t noticed. But from this angle, every detail was crystal clear.

Qin Jianhe’s well-defined hand held Ye Zhiqiu’s slender white palm, his thumb stroking the back of her hand in a soothing, unconscious motion.

It was such a simple gesture, but Tao Ruoqing saw the tenderness, care, and caution in it at once.

Jealousy and resentment gnawed at her like ten thousand ants, instantly destroying the small bit of reason fear had left her with.

She closed her eyes in pain, but she couldn’t shake the image of those tightly clasped hands.

They raged before her, mercilessly provoking her sensitive nerves.

Then those hands became Ye Zhiqiu’s car parked outside, became Yunkai in Ye Zhiqiu’s hand, became Nie Fengjun’s admiring gaze at Ye Zhiqiu during the press conference, and became Qin Jianhe’s handsome face along with the immense wealth controlled by Q.L and Ruiyi—wealth she couldn’t even imagine…

Tao Ruoqing’s heart ached. In an instant, a feeling of suffocation made her ears ring with a sharp screech.

Unconsciously, she raised her hands to cover her ears.

It shouldn’t be like this, she thought blankly, desperately trying to find the reason things had come to this.

Since Ye Zhiqiu was an infant, she had intentionally taught her wrong ideas to make her easier to control later.

Ye Zhiqiu was like a blank sheet of white paper, letting her fill it with whatever symbols she wanted and draw whatever tools she needed, leaving her no room to resist.

Her world was fragile, and Tao Ruoqing always occupied the center of it.

So even when Lan Hua moved to the capital for work, Tao Ruoqing could use her influence to keep Ye Zhiqiu away from her uncle.

Even though Ye Hongxian was her biological father, she could make Ye Zhiqiu stand up for her without hesitation during family conflicts.

She controlled her and made her dependent, using small psychological tricks to leave her extremely insecure.

She made Ye Zhiqiu rely on the family deep down while making sure she knew she was just an outsider.

As a precaution, she kept all her options open.

If the child ended up completely ruined in her hands, so be it. But if plans changed, she could still control her through marriage.

Everything had gone so smoothly.

Even earlier, when Ye Zhiqiu showed extraordinary talent in fashion, she never panicked.

After all, she just needed to push someone like Qi Xin, Wang Xin, or Zhang Xin in front of her.

If she didn’t like one or ten, what about a hundred? Sooner or later, one would catch her eye.

Besides, she held all of Ye Zhiqiu’s weaknesses, enough to make any ‘Xin’ succeed with half the effort.

She had planned for so many years; there was no way Ye Zhiqiu could escape the net she had cast.

She had already dug a grave for Ye Zhiqiu and paved a smooth, flower-covered road for her own child.

It should have been her child who got Yunkai, won Qin Jianhe, and earned the admiration of top figures like Nie Fengjun.

So why had it become Ye Zhiqiu?

It felt as if the world had twisted overnight, turning her years of effort into nothing.

Intense resentment filled her heart, and Tao Ruoqing’s breathing grew heavier.

No, it shouldn’t be like this.

If her plan had worked, Ye Zhiqiu would have already fallen in love with Qi Xin.

Maybe she would even be preparing their wedding right now.

A low voice came from above. Ye Zhiqiu said softly, “Let’s go.”

“Mm,” Qin Jianhe replied quietly.

It was almost inaudible, but to Tao Ruoqing’s ears, it sounded like thunder, snapping her back to reality.

She opened her eyes abruptly and saw those tightly clasped hands again.

They were already holding tightly, but as they spoke, they tightened their fingers even more.

So much so that Ye Zhiqiu’s pink nails turned slightly white from the pressure.

Why should Ye Zhiqiu be so happy while her own child went through hell, living like a ghost?

The malice she had tried to suppress surged like dark clouds. Tao Ruoqing called out, “Xiaoqiu!”

If her child suffered, Ye Zhiqiu shouldn’t have it easy either.

She didn’t believe Qin Jianhe could tolerate it if she revealed Ye Zhiqiu had been two-timing.

“What?” Ye Zhiqiu stopped and looked at her coldly.

Tao Ruoqing’s clothes were a mess, her hair untidy. She was usually fastidious about cleanliness and beauty.

But now, her face was streaked with tears.

She should have looked pitiful, but the undeniable malice in her eyes made her face look vicious and hideous.

She looked as repulsive as possible.

“I just want to ask you,” Tao Ruoqing said, her lips trembling, “what is going on between you and Qi Xin? Weren’t you two about to get married?”

The moment those words fell, the room went dead silent.

Even Ye Zhixia, who had been dazed and pale, moved his eyes, coming slightly back to life.

Ye Hongxian had always been domineering, but today Ye Zhiqiu had trampled his authority. He hated her to the bone and naturally kept quiet.

However, Ye Zheng, who had gone pale the moment Qin Jianhe entered, hurriedly called out, “Mom!”

Things had reached this point; Ye Zhiqiu had bullied them enough, yet Ye Zheng was still protecting her.

Hearing this, Tao Ruoqing’s hatred for Ye Zhiqiu grew even fiercer.

Faced with her venomous gaze and malicious question, Ye Zhiqiu was completely unfazed.

“Qi Xin?” She smiled, one side of her lips curling up with a hint of playfulness and equal malice. “I was just playing with him because I was bored. What, did you take it seriously?”

She leaned in slightly, radiating heavy pressure.

“Instead of wasting your energy worrying about my business here, you’d better worry about yourself,” she whispered in Tao Ruoqing’s ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear. “Tang Le is still waiting for you.”

Hearing this, Tao Ruoqing shivered instinctively and glared at Ye Zhiqiu, her face filled with shock and suspicion.

At the same time, she finally realized where the real problem lay.

It was Tang Le.

The problem was Tang Le.

Earlier, she had planted Tang Le beside Ye Zhiqiu as a spy to feed her information.

Unfortunately, that fool Tang Le had been used by Ye Zhiqiu instead, passing along false information.

Otherwise, she would never have let Ye Zhiqiu slip through her fingers.

“Let’s go,” Ye Zhiqiu’s voice came from above again.

“Mm,” Qin Jianhe looked down at her, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Without lingering, the two walked out together, hands clasped.

Only after their figures disappeared beyond the door did Ye Zheng still stare blankly in the direction of their intertwined hands. Seeing this, Tao Ruoqing let out a cold laugh.

Her malice had failed again; Qin Jianhe was completely unaffected by her provocation.

He held Ye Zhiqiu’s hand firmly, without a moment of hesitation.

Despair flooded her like freezing water. If she didn’t vent now, she would drown.

Venomous words rained down on Ye Zheng like hail.

“Still looking?” she sneered. “Haven’t you been humiliated enough, or are you just naturally cheap?”

Ye Zheng didn’t answer. He pursed his lips and silently looked away.

He walked over to Tao Ruoqing’s side, exhausted, and bent down to help her up. Suddenly, Tao Ruoqing raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

A sharp smack echoed through the messy living room, adding to the embarrassment.

Yet Ye Zheng said nothing. He didn’t even ask why she hit him.

Silently, he helped her up, ignored the burning sting on his face, and went over to Ye Hongxian to reset his dislocated wrist.

The sound of a car starting came from the yard, slowly fading away until everything went completely quiet.

It was dead silent inside. No one spoke for a while, as if everyone’s attention was fixed on that fading noise.

When the phone rang suddenly, almost everyone jumped—especially Tao Ruoqing.

Her face was already pale, but when she saw the caller ID, it turned even whiter.

Even the distracted Ye Zhixia noticed something was wrong.

Instinctively, he thought of the words Ye Zhiqiu had whispered in Tao Ruoqing’s ear earlier.

Back then, Tao Ruoqing had worn that exact same terrified expression.

Tao Ruoqing didn’t answer the call; she hung up and went upstairs.

Ye Zhixia didn’t say anything either. He silently followed her, and mother and son returned to their respective rooms.

As the doors closed, both unlocked their phones and dialed out.

Tao Ruoqing returned Tang Le’s call.

As soon as it connected, she spoke coldly.

“The Ye family is finished. You’ve seen Xiaoxia and Gao Wenye’s situation. Everyone is struggling. No matter how much you pester us, no one has the power to help you.”

“What about Ye Zhiqiu?” Tang Le asked, his voice gloomy. “Isn’t she doing well now? As her elder, can’t you persuade her?”

Hearing this, Tao Ruoqing’s heart tightened, and she took a deep breath.

After a long silence, she suddenly laughed.

“You still dare to bring her up?” she asked venomously. “If you hadn’t slipped up, how could our family end up in this mess?”

With his hopes shattered, Tang Le had given up on himself. He hadn’t attended classes for a long time, focusing entirely on bugging Tao Ruoqing.

He hated and envied Ye Zhiqiu, but he hated Tao Ruoqing just as much.

If she hadn’t approached him, he wouldn’t have fallen to such a pathetic state.

His future felt hopeless and painful, yet today Ye Zhiqiu was all over the hot search topics again.

So bright, so brilliant…

That was the life he had longed for.

She was already so successful, yet she kept climbing higher, making Tang Le feel like complete garbage by comparison.

Tang Le was furious.

He didn’t know how long it took him to suppress his emotions before calling Tao Ruoqing.

Since Ye Zhiqiu was so capable now, he decided he would stick to her like superglue.

Ye Zhiqiu would ignore him, but she would surely care about Tao Ruoqing, right?

He hadn’t expected to hear such news from Tao Ruoqing.

He expected even less that Ye Zhiqiu already knew about him and Tao Ruoqing.

Suddenly, he remembered the plagiarism scandal he had been mysteriously dragged into, and he clenched his fists.

On the other end, Tao Ruoqing kept talking, her tone dripping with hatred.

Both of them were full of venom, like two mad dogs tearing at each other without logic or reason.

“That ungrateful wretch nearly killed us today,” Tao Ruoqing said coldly. “She’s got power now and Qin Jianhe backing her up. Do you think I can still convince her?”

Hearing this, Tang Le’s mind finally cleared a bit.

“Who?” His voice suddenly rose. “Who did you say is backing Ye Zhiqiu?”

“You still don’t know?” Tao Ruoqing laughed maliciously. “She got together with Qin Jianhe.”

Tang Le’s fingers gripping the phone tightened, and his eyes flew wide open. “Impossible! She was obviously with Qi Xin…”

Midway through his sentence, he remembered that Tao Ruoqing had just told him she had been exposed in front of Ye Zhiqiu long ago.

His heart felt as if it had been pierced by something heavy. Pain made his face go pale, and he bent over slightly.

The phone slipped from his hand and fell to the floor. He could no longer hear what Tao Ruoqing was saying.

He only felt a metallic taste rise in his throat, as if his heart had been crushed into blood, slowly flowing out.

There was a empty void left in his chest.

At a red light, Qin Jianhe loosely held the steering wheel with one hand while his other hand tightly held Ye Zhiqiu’s palm.

They were on their way to the cemetery.

Ye Zhiqiu was on the phone with Lan Hua. Feeling his gesture, she turned to look at him, a smile spreading in her eyes.

“So clingy?” she mouthed silently.

Seeing this, Qin Jianhe’s lips curved up slightly.

Earlier, before things were clear, Ye Zhiqiu hadn’t told Lan Hua anything.

Now that everything was settled, she gently explained to Lan Hua what had happened to Lan Yue back then.

After all, those siblings had relied on each other, making them each other’s only remaining family in the world.

It would bring grief, but Ye Zhiqiu felt Lan Hua had the right to know the truth.

As if by telepathy, Lan Hua had also visited the cemetery earlier that morning.

When Ye Zhiqiu called, he had just returned to the primary school where he taught.

Now that the sad emotions between uncle and nephew had settled down a bit, Ye Zhiqiu promised Lan Hua she would visit him in a couple of days when she was free.

While talking, she squeezed Qin Jianhe’s hand back, her thumb gently turning the silver ring on his pinky finger.

“I’m hanging up now, Uncle,” Ye Zhiqiu said.

The moment the call ended, her phone rang again.

It was Ye Zhixia.

Seeing the name, a cold smile flickered in Ye Zhiqiu’s eyes.

The fish had taken the bait.

“Hello,” she answered. “Didn’t we just meet?”

She added, “Is something up?”

“What did you just say to my mom?” Ye Zhixia asked gloomily from the other end.

“Ha,” Ye Zhiqiu laughed lightly. “Don’t tell me you still don’t know?”

“Know what?” Ye Zhixia pressed coldly.

“About Tang Le wanting to kill Tao Ruoqing, of course,” Ye Zhiqiu said plainly, letting out another laugh. “Looks like Tao Ruoqing really loves you. She didn’t tell you a single word about something so important.”

“What did you say?” Ye Zhixia asked in disbelief.

“Go ask your mom,” Ye Zhiqiu said. “Don’t contact me about your family affairs again.”

With that, she hung up directly.

On the other end, Ye Zhixia was frozen in shock.

He sat quietly for a moment, slowly recalling what had happened since he returned, and finally realized something was off with Tao Ruoqing.

It seemed that since being discharged from the hospital, Tao Ruoqing hadn’t left the house once.

He had thought it was because of the family troubles and that she was too embarrassed to go out.

But thinking back, Ye Zheng had mentioned abroad that Tao Ruoqing would take him to her old company to see if she could beg for an opportunity for him.

Yet since returning, she hadn’t mentioned a word about it.

Considering how frightened she looked during that call today, Ye Zhixia was certain Ye Zhiqiu hadn’t lied to him.

He let out a cold laugh, a ruthless glint flashing across his face.

Even if he was ruined and the Ye family had fallen, it didn’t mean any random nobody could bully them!

He lowered his eyes, opened Tang Le’s chat window, and sent a message.

[Ye Zhixia: Tang Le, my mom already told me about your situation. I still have some influential friends in the circle. Let me introduce you to them sometime.]

Fearing Tang Le wouldn’t believe him, he added another message.

[Ye Zhixia: Our family went through a lot recently, and my mom took a huge blow. She doesn’t have the energy to keep squabbling with you. Once this matter is settled, we’ll go our separate ways and have nothing to do with each other ever again.]

Meanwhile, Ye Zhiqiu sent out a message as well.

[Yi Ye Zhiqiu: The fish has taken the bait. Start the operation.]

The moment she sent the message, the car came to a steady stop at the foot of the cemetery hill.

They got out, retrieved the paper money and flowers, and walked up the hill side by side.

Lan Yue’s tombstone was clean and free of weeds.

A bundle of white lilies lay in front of it, identical to the ones in Ye Zhiqiu’s arms.

Ye Zhiqiu squatted down, placing her flowers next to the bundle Lan Hua had left earlier that morning.

“Mom,” she said, “I came to visit you again.”

“Everything at home is about to be settled. Don’t worry.”

Beside her, Qin Jianhe bent down and lit the paper money. As the fire reflected in his eyes, Ye Zhiqiu felt her eyes grow warm.

Only this time, she was smiling.

She had come to bring good news to her mother.

Her mother’s name was finally cleared. She hadn’t suffered in vain to bring her into this world.

After the paper money burned to ashes, Ye Zhiqiu suppressed the warmth in her eyes and spoke again, “I will live well, too. Don’t worry.”

“Auntie,” Qin Jianhe put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a warm embrace. His deep voice sounded unusually firm. “In the future, Xiaoqiu and I will visit you often. Rest assured.”

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu nodded, then turned to Qin Jianhe. “I still have a few private words to say to Mom.”

Qin Jianhe smiled slightly, his eyes bright under the sunlight.

“Wait for me a moment,” he said, pouring water over the freshly burned ashes to extinguish any remaining sparks.

He was dressed in a fitted black outfit with clean, sharp lines that highlighted his tall figure.

Watching his careful actions, Ye Zhiqiu felt a warmth spread deep within her heart.

Her blood had gone cold long ago, but at this moment, it began to boil once again.

“Alright,” Qin Jianhe straightened up, dark eyes holding a smile as he gently patted Ye Zhiqiu’s head twice. “I’ll wait over there.”

“Mm,” Ye Zhiqiu nodded. Watching him stand under a willow tree ten meters away, she squatted back down before the tombstone.

“Mom,” she said, looking at the beautiful eyes on the tombstone that were identical to her own, letting out a gentle smile. “Today, I’m going to confess my feelings to Qin Jianhe.”

“What do you think of him?” she asked, before laughing softly a second later. “I think he’s extremely, extremely wonderful.”