The Breaking Storm

“You…” Mother Lin was so thoroughly consumed by rage that she couldn’t formulate a coherent sentence.

In that exact split second, Lin Wanzhao abruptly tore herself out of Yu Qingkong’s protective embrace. Reaching blindly toward the vanity, her fingers coiled around a decorative bouquet resting in a vase, and she hurled it directly at her mother. “Chen Yuyan, I hate you! Get the hell out of my apartment!”

The bouquet bounced off her clothing and rolled uselessly to the floor. Mother Lin’s eyes widened in absolute shock, and she instinctively took two staggering steps backward.

“If you don’t get out this instant, I am going to smash this vase over your head!” Lin Wanzhao threatened, her entire body shaking violently as she extended a trembling, rigid finger toward the ceramic vase.

The absolute second her fingertips brushed against the smooth ceramic, Yu Qingkong lunged forward, wrapping her arms securely around her waist to hold her back with everything she had. In the brief struggle, the vase wobbled precariously before crashing heavily onto the hardwood floor. The sharp, piercing sound of shattering ceramic echoed through the apartment, causing Yu Qingkong to let out a sharp gasp of alarm.

Yu Qingkong firmly pressed Lin Wanzhao’s head back against her chest, desperately murmering soothing words into her ear to calm her down. This was the absolute first time she had ever witnessed Lin Wanzhao completely lose control. Her eyes were entirely bloodshot, her fair skin was flushed a dangerous shade of crimson, her hair was completely disheveled, and she was thrashing with a raw, agonizing strength that felt nearly impossible to restrain.

When Lin Wanzhao had casually summarized her childhood trauma in past conversations, Yu Qingkong hadn’t fully grasped the sheer weight of it. Perhaps because she herself had been raised in a thoroughly warm, loving, and supportive environment, she lacked the personal framework to comprehend such abuse. She had naturally assumed the conflict was merely a typical family disagreement—a minor clash of personalities. She had never imagined the reality was this horrific.

“I am begging you, please leave,” Yu Qingkong directed, turning her head to stare at Chen Yuyan, pronouncing each syllable with absolute, freezing clarity.

Chen Yuyan swallowed hard, her manicured hands clenching into tight fists. Realizing she had completely lost control of the situation, she turned on her heel, walked swiftly to the foyer, stepped into her shoes, and slammed the front door shut behind her with a deafening thud.

As she stood alone in the hallway waiting for the elevator, Chen Yuyan stared blankly at the metal doors, a profound sense of bewilderment and confusion washing over her. She genuinely could not understand why the people she cared about the most—the ones she dedicated her entire life to protecting—always refused to appreciate her efforts.

It had been this way with her daughter, and it was the exact same way with her husband.

When Lin Wanzhao was a child, she had been entirely unable to balance her corporate responsibilities with daily childcare. To compensate, she had painstakingly selected the highest-tier private academies and hired elite, well-recommended nannies to monitor her development. She had exhausted herself earning a massive income to fund her daughter’s luxurious lifestyle. Even across vast geographical distances, she had consistently monitored her academic progress, stayed in constant communication with her instructors, and ruthlessly cut out any bad influences from her social circle. She had done all of this to engineer a perfect environment, ensuring her daughter would grow into a highly capable, successful adult who would never have to worry about financial survival.

Her current determination to orchestrate a high-society marriage for Lin Wanzhao stemmed from that exact same parental instinct. No matter how impressive Yu Qingkong appeared on paper, she was still a woman, and a relationship like that carried far too many unpredictable social risks. Why on earth would anyone choose an unstable, non-traditional path when they possessed the capability to secure a flawless, stable life from the very beginning? Was her logic fundamentally flawed? Furthermore, because she intuitively sensed that Lin Wanzhao despised her presence, she had consciously chosen to keep her distance over the years, only stepping in when major life decisions required her authority. Yet, instead of appreciating her maternal sacrifices and recognizing her good intentions, Lin Wanzhao bit the hand that fed her, claiming she was negligent during daily life yet overly controlling when it mattered.

She treated Lin Tao with that exact same meticulous devotion. Every single day, she made sure their sprawling estate was maintained to an absolute, pristine standard. If he misplaced a single item, she would instantly return it to its designated location before he could even utter a complaint, ensuring their environment remained entirely spotless. Upon returning home from a grueling day at the office, she actively structured all of her personal leisure time around his rigid corporate schedule. Whenever Lin Tao traveled solo for business, her anxiety for his safety would cause her to call his phone continuously—yet he rarely answered immediately. Did he have absolutely no conception of how much she worried about his well-being? When Lin Tao casually mentioned that he enjoyed Western cuisine, she went out of her way to prepare Western meals for him every single day, and exclusively booked Western restaurants whenever they dined out. When he expressed a desire to elevate his personal refinement and avoid appearing uncultured, she meticulously curated an upper-class lifestyle for him down to the finest detail. She had consistently placed Lin Tao above everything else in her life. Yet, despite her unwavering loyalty, he refused to appreciate it, even going so far as to claim during their last argument that living with her for so long left him feeling utterly suffocated and exhausted.

She was the one exhausting herself for this family! Why on earth did they claim they were the tired ones?

The moment Chen Yuyan unlocked the front door of her own estate and stepped inside, she caught sight of her husband, Lin Tao, frantically shoving a collection of items out of view.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Chen Yuyan demanded suspicious, stepping out of her luxury shoes as she fixed him with a critical glare.

“Nothing,” Lin Tao replied evasively, clearing his throat as he quickly wiped his mouth.

“It’s incredibly late, why aren’t you in bed yet? Go upstairs and get some rest, otherwise you’ll struggle to wake up tomorrow, and that will cause an absolute mess…” As she spoke, Chen Yuyan pulled open the shoe cabinet to inspect the contents, her brows knitting together in a sharp frown. “You didn’t wear the new shoes I purchased for you today? There isn’t a single speck of dust on them.”

Lin Tao stared at her for a long moment before answering flatly, “I realized I don’t particularly care for that style.”

Chen Yuyan’s frown deepened instantly. “That style is a timeless classic. How could you possibly dislike it?”

Sensing an oncoming lecture, Lin Tao quickly deflected. “I’ll wear them tomorrow.”

Chen Yuyan shot him a disapproving look, snapped the shoe cabinet shut, and walked over to the living room sofa. Catching sight of a plastic bag tucked beneath the coffee table, she pulled it out, her face contorting in disgust as she inspected the street food snacks inside. “It’s the middle of the night, why on earth are you eating this kind of cheap garbage?”

Lin Tao froze for a second. “I ate that over two hours ago. I simply forgot to throw the bag away.”

“Two hours ago? That means it was past nine o’clock! Haven’t I explicitly told you a thousand times that eating after nine o’clock is strictly forbidden for your health?” Chen Yuyan nagged relentlessly, tossing the bag back down onto the table.

Lin Tao merely nodded in passive resignation. “I’m planning to head over and visit Wanzhao tomorrow. The child has done remarkably well. I never expected her to manage the local branch office so efficiently… She’s truly grown into a mature, capable adult.”

Hearing her daughter’s name, the explosive rage Chen Yuyan had suppressed during her car ride flared back to life. She turned her head toward the coffee table, remaining completely silent as her face hardened into ice.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Tao asked, noticing the sudden shift in her demeanor.

“Don’t bother visiting her tomorrow. She literally smashed a ceramic vase right in front of my face tonight,” Chen Yuyan revealed, her tone dripping with venom.

Lin Tao’s brows knitted together instantly. “You weren’t out socializing with your friends tonight? You went to her apartment? A vase? Exactly what happened between you two?”

“The informant I placed in Wanzhao’s social circle notified me that she has been spending an inappropriate amount of time with a woman named Yu Qingkong lately. I launched a background investigation, went over to confront them, and caught them completely red-handed. Your daughter certainly possesses an impressive amount of nerve. Not only is she engaging in a disgusting homosexual relationship, but she actually turned on her own flesh and blood, fighting me tooth and nail for the sake of a penniless nobody,” Chen Yuyan sneered.

“Exactly what did you say to her?!” Lin Tao’s expression shifted from confusion to severe, unadulterated anger.

“What did I say? I merely demanded that they terminate their relationship immediately,” Chen Yuyan stated defensively, her eyes fixed on the coffee table. “But she reacted like a complete psychopath. You should have seen the sheer hatred in her eyes tonight; it felt as though she wanted to tear me apart and swallow me alive.”

“You…” Lin Tao stared at her, his throat constricting in disbelief for several long moments before he completely lost his temper, slamming his open palm against the table. “She is an adult, and she chose her own path! Why must you constantly stick your nose into her business?!”

“I’m sticking my nose into her business?!” Chen Yuyan pressed a hand against her chest, turning her head to stare at him in absolute disbelief. “You think my maternal protection is uncalled for?! Furthermore, you clearly already knew your daughter was a homosexual, so why on earth are you acting completely unfazed?! She is engaging in a degenerate relationship with another woman!”

Lin Tao’s hands clenched into tight fists as he glared at her.

“Don’t tell me you’ve known about this all along?” Chen Yuyan’s eyes widened in realization.

After a heavy, suffocating silence, Lin Tao erupted. “What difference does it make whether I knew or not?!”

“She told you directly?” Chen Yuyan demanded.

“Yes,” Lin Tao nodded firmly. “She did.”

“You…” Chen Yuyan’s emotions instantly spiraled out of control, her voice screeching in betrayal. “Why would she hide it from me?! Why did you hide it from me?! Why is it that you two get to share a relationship while I am completely excluded?!”

“Look at the absolute state of you right now! Do you honestly believe anyone would ever dare to tell you the truth?!” Lin Tao roared, his chest heaving as he delivered another heavy strike to the coffee table. “It is always this exact same dynamic with you! Always! I am asking you right now—can you please just let me go, and let her go?!”

“What…” Chen Yuyan choked on her words, completely stunned.

“We are both entirely exhausted! Because of your suffocating control, we are both on the absolute brink of insanity, do you understand that?! You micro-manage every single detail of our lives, demanding that everything conform perfectly to your exact desires before you can experience a shred of satisfaction! But you seem to have forgotten one crucial fact—we are not your personal property! She and I are independent, living, breathing human beings!” Lin Tao turned his head to glare at her, taking a deep, ragged breath to steady himself. “Go check yourself into a hospital. Schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist.”

“What on earth do you mean by that?! Are you claiming I am mentally ill?!” Chen Yuyan surged to her feet, her voice trembling with rage.

“Whether you are mentally ill or not is beyond my knowledge, but you are rapidly driving the rest of us into a psychological breakdown! Do you have any idea why I flatly refuse to ever take the two of you on a family vacation together? Because your suffocating behavior is completely…” Lin Tao cut himself off, unable to find words to articulate his absolute frustration. He turned away sharply, walking toward the grand staircase.

“Explain yourself clearly!” Chen Yuyan screamed, taking several hurried steps after him.

Lin Tao stopped in his tracks, turning around to point a stern, warning finger directly at her face. “I am warning you right now—you had better never show up at her apartment to interfere in her life or antagonize her ever again!”

With that final warning, Lin Tao dropped his hand to his side, turned around, and walked upstairs without looking back.

Chen Yuyan stood frozen in the center of the massive living room for a long, agonizing moment. Her body suddenly stumbled, her balance faltering. Steeling herself, she pulled out her phone to call her personal driver and walked out through the front doors.

Walking with unstable, floating steps through the garage, she approached her luxury vehicle. The driver offered a polite, practiced smile as he hurried forward to open the door, and she slipped into the back seat in a complete daze.

As the car smoothly pulled out of the estate, Chen Yuyan spoke in a quiet, fragile voice. “Lao Li.”

Hearing her voice, the driver offered a warm, respectful response. “Yes, Madam?”

Following a long, heavy silence, Chen Yuyan murmured, “Why is it that in this world, people always choose to completely misinterpret a person’s pure intentions…?”

“Why does Madam sound so profoundly melancholic all of a sudden?” The driver asked gently, casting a brief glance at the rearview mirror.

“I merely encountered a situation that defies all logic.” Chen Yuyan lowered her head, staring down at her lap.

“In my humble opinion, every individual is fundamentally different. It’s entirely possible that while your intentions are genuinely pure and good, what the other person actually requires is something else entirely. In a scenario like that, even though your actions stem from a place of love, they can easily transform into a suffocating source of pressure for the recipient. It’s much like how Madam strictly prefers a light, clean diet because you believe it is healthiest; however, for someone living in a thoroughly damp, humid climate, consuming hot, spicy food is actually what their body requires to stay balanced. What is inherently ‘good’ or ‘bad’ depends entirely on the specific circumstances, and every individual’s circumstances are completely unique,” the driver noted, letting out a polite chuckle. “Of course, this is merely a simple perspective from an uneducated man. Please don’t take my rambling to heart, Madam.”

Chen Yuyan stared at the back of his head for a long, quiet moment. Slowly, her hands climbed up to tightly clutch her own arms, and she bit her lower lip as her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably in the dark backseat.

Meanwhile, back at Lin Wanzhao’s apartment.

The absolute second the front door slammed shut, the tense strength keeping Lin Wanzhao upright vanished entirely. Like a delicate marionette whose strings had been cleanly severed, she lost all physical power and began to collapse backward.

“Wanzhao…” Yu Qingkong caught her instantly, sliding her arms around her waist to anchor her securely against her body as she pressed a soft kiss into her hair. “She’s gone. It’s completely over. You’re safe now.”

“She’s gone…?” Lin Wanzhao whispered after a long moment, her head tilting slightly as her eyes remained trained on the floor, her voice so incredibly soft it was barely audible.

“Yes, she’s gone,” Yu Qingkong confirmed gently, reaching up to rest a hand against her flushed cheek.

“Oh,” Lin Wanzhao nodded blankly.

A second later, her fingers tightened convulsively around Yu Qingkong’s arms, and a heavy, agonizing sob tore from her throat.

“Wanzhao…”

Losing all remaining strength, Lin Wanzhao sank onto her knees on the floor, wrapping her arms tightly around her legs as she buried her face into her knees, her entire body racking with violent, breathless sobs.

Witnessing her complete breakdown, Yu Qingkong felt as though an immense, suffocating weight had been placed upon her own heart, making it entirely impossible to breathe. Exhaling a ragged breath, she dropped down onto her knees beside her, wrapping her arms completely around her trembling form. She gently smoothed down her disheveled hair, offering a steady, repetitive pat against her back. “No matter what happens in the future, I promise I will always remain right here by your side. You will never have to face this alone.”

“I’m so sorry,” Lin Wanzhao choked out through her tears, the three words heavy with profound guilt.

“What on earth are you apologizing for? You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for,” Yu Qingkong murmured, gently brushing a wet lock of hair away from her tear-stained cheek and tucking it securely behind her ear.

“Forcing you to witness me in this horrific state,” Lin Wanzhao sobbed, a violent hiccup interrupting her words as large, heavy tears poured down her face and splattered onto the hardwood floor. “It’s absolutely terrifying… I look completely unlovable and devoid of any elegance right now.”

“It doesn’t matter at all. Human beings are inherently complex creatures. My love for you is anchored to the living, breathing reality of who you are—I don’t just love a single, flawless version of you,” Yu Qingkong reassured her, keeping up the steady, grounding rhythm against her back.

“I never wanted to lose control like this in front of you… But I was simply entirely consumed by fury. What right does she have to control my life?! What right does she have to demean you like that?! Who gave her that disgusting arrogance?! I was so terrified that you would feel humiliated, so terrified that you would be unhappy, so terrified that you would get hurt…” Lin Wanzhao’s voice shook violently as she wept, her sobs becoming completely uninhibited as a fresh torrent of tears leaked from her eyes.

“I know. I know exactly how much you care,” Yu Qingkong whispered, tightening her embrace. At this exact moment, she wished she could physically merge their bodies together, to completely shield and embrace her wounded soul from the cruelties of the world.

After a few minutes, Lin Wanzhao lifted her tear-blurred eyes to glance at the shattered remnants of the ceramic vase scattered across the floor before looking back up at Yu Qingkong. “I promise I will never hurt you… I don’t lose control like this normally, and I have never reacted this way toward anyone else, I swear… Please don’t be afraid of me, okay…?”

“I am not afraid of you at all,” Yu Qingkong breathed a sigh of relief, reaching out to gently wipe the hot tears from her face. “My heart simply aches for the immense pain you’ve carried.”

She desperately wanted to pour an abundance of stability and warmth into her life, to make her realize with absolute certainty that she was no longer isolated in this world.

“I am actually quite adorable most of the time, I swear,” Lin Wanzhao murmured, her fingers clutching tightly at her own arms as she withdrew into herself like a wounded little hedgehog.

“I know you are, of course you are,” Yu Qingkong smiled gently, pulling out a soft tissue to carefully dab at her damp face. “There is absolutely no one in this world more adorable than you.”

“Mmh…” Lin Wanzhao nodded, though another fresh wave of tears instantly welled up in her eyes. “I love you so much.”

Yu Qingkong let out a long, emotional sigh, pulling her back into a fierce embrace as she buried her face deep into Lin Wanzhao’s shoulder.

“Finally… I have one absolute request…” Lin Wanzhao whispered, a fragile hiccup interrupting her voice.

“What is it?”

Lin Wanzhao bit her trembling lower lip, the deep pools of her tear-filled eyes reflecting a faint, shimmering starlight. “I promise I will work backward to protect you with everything I have. Therefore… please promise you will never abandon me, okay?”