It Started With a Kiss: Leng Shao's Beloved Wife

The Cold Night of Betrayal

The night was deep, and the moonlight poured down like water, casting a cold silver glow over the room. Wu Xinyan's heart was colder than the moonlight itself.

On the computer screen, the "cooperation agreement" was like a venomous snake, biting at her heart, leaving her with a suffocating pain. The contents of the agreement were clear and brutal. Luo Yichen's name was prominently listed, alongside the signature of his family's opponent, Uncle Luo San. The densely packed clauses, every word like a sharp knife, severing Wu Xinyan's last remaining illusions of love and shattering Luo Yichen's sincerity.

It turned out that he had been deceiving himself all along! Those sweet words, those gentle and considerate things, were nothing but lies used to cover up his true intentions! Wu Xinyan closed her eyes in pain, and Luo Yichen's affectionate eyes and the promises he made to her emerged in her mind. Thinking about it now, it was so ironic and ridiculous.

Anger, like a volcanic eruption, burned in Wu Xinyan's chest. She opened her eyes abruptly, her eyes filled with the despair and anger of betrayal. Trembling, she picked up her phone, wanting to question Luo Yichen, wanting him to explain everything in person. However, her finger lingered on the dial button, unable to press it.

Can she still trust him?

Her heart ached as if it were being torn apart, tears blurring her vision. After a long moment, she powerlessly put her phone down, her body sliding down the cold wall before collapsing on the floor.

After an unknown amount of time, the door was gently pushed open and a familiar figure appeared at the door.

"Xinyan..." There was a hint of fatigue and worry in Luo Yichen's voice. He quickly walked to Wu Xinyan and wanted to help her up.

"Don't touch me!" Wu Xinyan violently waved his hand away, her eyes filled with disgust and hatred, "Luo Yichen, I really underestimated you!"

Luo Yichen was stunned. He had never seen Wu Xinyan's eyes so cold before, and a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in his heart. "Xinyan, what's wrong with you? What happened?"

Wu Xinyan didn't say anything, just looked at him coldly and threw the agreement in front of him. "Look for yourself!"

Luo Yichen's heart sank suddenly. He picked up the agreement with trembling hands, quickly glanced through it, and his face turned pale in an instant.

"Xinyan, please listen to my explanation..."

"Explain?" Wu Xinyan smiled sadly, her tone filled with despair. "How are you going to explain? Are you going to say that you and her were just having a casual affair, or that everything you did was for the family?!"

"No, Xinyan, please listen to my explanation..." Luo Yichen wanted to explain in a panic, but was interrupted by Wu Xinyan again.

"Enough!" Wu Xinyan stood up suddenly, her eyes firm and resolute, "Luo Yichen, between us... it's over!"

"It's over? What's over?" Luo Yichen's face turned pale and he grabbed Wu Xinyan's wrist. "Calm down and listen to my explanation! This agreement is not what you think. My third uncle and I..."

"It's not what I thought. So what is it?" Wu Xinyan shook off his hand, tears finally bursting out of her eyes. "Do you dare to say that your name is not on this agreement? Do you dare to say that you didn't cooperate with him behind my back?"

"I..." Luo Yichen was speechless. He opened his mouth, but found that any explanation seemed pale and powerless at this moment.

"That's enough, Luo Yichen." Wu Xinyan took a deep breath, trying to calm her trembling voice. "From the very beginning, you treated me as a pawn, using my feelings for you to achieve your own goals, right?"

"No, Xinyan, I never took advantage of you, I..." Luo Yichen wanted to explain, but was interrupted again.

"You don't have to say anymore!" Wu Xinyan turned around resolutely, "It's over between us."

Luo Yichen stared at Wu Xinyan's resolute back, his heart filled with bitterness and helplessness. He knew that no matter what he said, he couldn't win back Wu Xinyan's heart. He could only watch her leave, watching their love crumble overnight.

All of this was seen by Uncle Luo San, who was hiding in the dark. A triumphant smile appeared on the corner of his cold mouth, and he thought to himself: Luo Yichen, is this the result you wanted?

Uncle Luo knew that to completely defeat Luo Yichen, he had to first dismantle his spiritual support. And Wu Xinyan was his best breakthrough point.

So, Uncle Luo began to spread rumors about Wu Xinyan in the family, saying that she was scheming and had ulterior motives in approaching Luo Yichen. He even fabricated a lot of false "evidence" in an attempt to portray Wu Xinyan as a vain and untrustworthy woman.

Those in the family who already had grudges against Wu Xinyan began to point fingers at her and gossip about her. Luo Yichen's mother was even more resentful of Wu Xinyan, believing that she had destroyed the harmony between her son and the family.

Faced with all this, Wu Xinyan chose to remain silent. She knew that no matter how she explained, no one would believe her. Moreover, she had lost the energy to defend herself.

Late at night, Wu Xinyan sat alone in the room, looking at the cold moonlight outside the window, her heart filled with despair and helplessness.

She slowly opened the drawer, and inside was an exquisite men's cufflink, which was a token of love given to her by Luo Yichen.

Wu Xinyan picked up the cufflinks with trembling hands, and tears blurred her eyes again.

"Luo Yichen, I once thought that you were my salvation and my destiny, but..." She murmured to herself, her voice filled with pain and helplessness, "In the end, you still hurt me completely."

Wu Xinyan closed her eyes, a tear sliding down the corner of her eye and dripping onto the cold cufflinks, as if telling the story of the brokenness and helplessness of a love...

She stood up, opened the wardrobe and began to pack her things.

"Goodbye..." Wu Xinyan clutched the cufflink tightly in her palm, her fingertips pale. Finally, she returned it to its original place, as if that would preserve a vestige of warmth. The empty room echoed with the heavy sound of her footsteps as she left, dragging her suitcase. Without a goodbye, without a trace of nostalgia, she vanished from the cold Luo family mansion, as if she had never been there.

When Luo Yichen returned home, he was greeted by a suffocating silence. In the empty living room, Wu Xinyan's favorite lilies still exuded a faint fragrance, but her usual busy figure was nowhere to be seen. An ominous premonition washed over him, and he quickly rushed to their room.

The room was empty, save for an unsealed letter on the bedside table. The beautiful handwriting stung his eyes. Tear marks stained the letter, and every word was written with tears, pouring out all of Wu Xinyan's grievances, disappointments, and despair.

"Yi Chen, when you see this letter, I'll have already left. I know you must be very angry, blaming me for taking the initiative and leaving without saying goodbye. But, I really can't stay any longer. I'm tired, my heart is tired..."

"Perhaps, from the very beginning, we belonged to two different worlds. You were high and mighty, accustomed to controlling everything, while I, humble as dust, could only look up to your light. I once naively believed that love could overcome all obstacles, but reality dealt me ​​a heavy blow..."

"You say you love me, but your love is too heavy, too oppressive, leaving me breathless. I'm like a bird imprisoned in a golden cage, having lost my freedom and myself..."

"Forget me, just pretend I never existed..."

The letter slipped from Luo Yichen's trembling fingers, and he slumped helplessly onto the cold floor, his mind replaying every moment he had spent with Wu Xinyan. Her smile, her tears, her gentleness, her stubbornness—everything flashed by like a scene from a movie, clear and piercing.

"Xinyan, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." He muttered to himself, regret and self-blame overwhelming him like a tide. He had always believed that Wu Xinyan loved him, so he recklessly squandered her love, ignoring her feelings and the hidden dangers. It was only after losing her that he realized what he had missed.

Luo Yichen suddenly stood up and rushed out of the room, desperately looking for Wu Xinyan. However, what awaited him was only endless emptiness and despair.

As Luo Yichen frantically searched, a conspiracy quietly unfolded within the study of the Luo family mansion. Under the dim light, Third Uncle Luo's face was sullen, his eyes gleaming with determination. He surveyed the assembled family members and spoke in a low, resolute voice: "Everyone, success or failure depends on this. The future of the Luo Group rests in our hands..." Night fell, and the lights in the Luo family mansion were bright, yet they couldn't mask the tension that permeated the air. As Third Uncle Luo finished speaking, the study erupted in chatter and discussion.

"Uncle San, what do you mean? Are you going to..." A young family member was stopped by Uncle Luo's sharp eyes before he could finish his words.

"I've made up my mind. No need to say more." Uncle Luo slammed the table and stood up, his cloudy eyes gleaming with ambition. "Yi Chen has been monopolizing power for years and doesn't even take us elders seriously! Now that the group is in trouble, it's the perfect time for us to take back control of the Luo family!"

"But, Yichen he..." Another family member tried to defend Luo Yichen, but was ruthlessly interrupted by Uncle Luo.

"Enough! Now is not the time to be soft-hearted!" Uncle Luo shouted sternly, "The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. After tonight, I will have the final say in the Luo Group!"

As the internal strife in the Luo family mansion escalated, Wu Xinyan dragged her heavy suitcase and walked aimlessly on the cold street. The biting wind blew mercilessly on her face, as if it was tearing her apart.

"Where should I go? Where is my home?" Wu Xinyan murmured to herself, her eyes blurred with tears.

Suddenly, a black car stopped silently beside her, the window slowly lowered, revealing a familiar face.

"Xinyan, why are you here alone? Get in the car!" The speaker was Luo Yichen's cousin, Luo Tingting.

Wu Xinyan hesitated for a moment, but finally got on the bus. The warmth inside was like spring, a stark contrast to the icy world outside. However, Wu Xinyan's heart felt even colder.

"Where is Yi Chen? Is he okay?" Wu Xinyan asked softly, suppressing the grief in her heart.

Luo Tingting sighed and hesitated to speak.

"What's wrong? Did something happen to the Luo family?" Wu Xinyan's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition came to her mind.

Luo Tingting bit her lip and finally told Wu Xinyan about the changes that had happened in the Luo family.

"What? Uncle Luo launched a coup? How is this possible?" Wu Xinyan was shocked. She couldn't believe that Uncle Luo, who had always taken good care of her, would do such a thing.

"Xinyan, you're the only one who can save Yichen now." Luo Tingting held Wu Xinyan's hand, her eyes full of pleading, "Only if you go back can you calm people's hearts and prevent this disaster!"

Wu Xinyan was in a dilemma. She didn't know whether she should believe Luo Tingting's words, nor did she know whether she could really change anything if she went back.

"Xinyan, please think about it carefully. I'll wait for your reply." After Luo Tingting said this, she signaled the driver to drive away.

The black car disappeared into the night, leaving Wu Xinyan standing there alone, confused and helpless. Just then, a white van suddenly stopped in front of her, the door opened, and several burly men got out, staring at her with ill intentions.

"Who are you? What do you want to do?" Wu Xinyan took a step back cautiously, but it was too late...