After the divorce, I was adorned in a phoenix robe, while my ex-husband's entire family dug up

Songnian? Songnian?

Lu Ze felt that the name was somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before, with a vague feeling, but he just couldn't remember where he had heard it before.

Seeing that Lu Ze had stopped talking and gradually stopped moving, Bai Yunxiao also slowly stopped what he was doing.

He gasped for breath, looking at the man before him, whose face was unrecognizable. Far from relieving his anger, his fear only deepened.

Why hasn't Songnian woken up yet after so long? Has something gone wrong? What should he do if Songnian really doesn't want him anymore?!

Lu Ze was delirious, but he still murmured, "Song Nian...who is Song Nian? Song Nian...Song Nian Residence?"

He himself didn't know why he blurted out "Songnianju". The sentence just came out naturally out of nowhere. Before that, Lu Ze had no other thoughts in his mind.

Songnianju!

Lu Ze's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt something explode in his mind!

Songnianju...Songnianju...

Bai Yunxiao's residence is called Songnian Residence. Lu Ze had been to the Bai family home with him before, and at that time he teased Bai Yunxiao, saying that he really loved to be pretentious, even choosing such an artistic name for his residence.

It's like a loose thread on a piece of fabric; if you gently pull it in, you can pull out more material, and eventually the fabric will fall apart.

Lu Ze had already found some clues, and more things he had never suspected before began to emerge, invading his mind and making his scalp tingle.

For example, the painting hanging in Bai Yunxiao's bedroom depicts a handsome man, resembling a crane, by a lake, revealing a perfect and serene profile, gentle yet alluring. In the lower right corner of the painting, instead of the artist's name, there are two exquisitely written characters—Song Nian.

For example, the faint fragrance he smelled when he first approached Xiao He was one he had smelled countless times in Bai Yunxiao's residence.

There were also those letters that Bai Yunxiao forbade to touch, letters that had never been sent, all addressed to Song Nian.

Such signs were numerous, and Lu Ze felt as if his scalp was about to explode. His brain was throbbing with intense pain, making the physical pain seem insignificant in comparison.

It turns out that Songnian was Xiao He's childhood name.

It turns out that so long ago, Bai Yunxiao's life was already filled with so many traces of Xiao He.

them.....

Lu Ze looked at Bai Yunxiao in disbelief. "So, the person you liked from the beginning was Xiao He, Xiao Songnian?"

Bai Yunxiao was exhausted by now. He stopped hitting Lu Ze and slumped to the side, anxiously waiting for news from Xiao He. He had no mind to pay attention to Lu Ze and only said coldly, "You'd better pray that he's alright."

He didn't deny it, and rightly so, since things are already so clear, what else do the parties involved need to admit?

Lu Ze sneered, wiping the blood from his face. His heart ached; it truly ached. "You're so hypocritical."

"Since you like someone else, why did you play around with one woman after another and betray him while Xiao He was away from the capital? Now that he's about to die, you're here pretending to be sentimental? Bai Yunxiao, am I right? You have no heart at all."

He didn't know that Bai Yunxiao was a philanderer until a long time ago, but the reputation of Xiao He, the eldest son of the Xiao family, was well-known throughout the capital and the world.

I've never heard of any close relationship between these two. At most, they know each other but aren't close. After finishing his imperial examination, Young Master Xiao went to a remote area to do charity work, while Young Master Bai was still indulging in brothels in the capital, having intimate moments with countless lovers. Who would have thought that these two were related?

unless.....

Lu Ze suddenly burst into loud laughter, "You weren't even dating her before, were you? You had a crush on her for so long, and only recently caught up with her? Young Master Bai, I have to say, this is fate. You finally won over the person you liked, only to find out she's dying. You two were destined to miss each other. Isn't this karma? You, Young Master Bai, have been through countless romances, but when it comes to the person you truly want to cherish, you can't even hold onto her! Hahahaha!"

Seeing Bai Yunxiao's expression, Lu Ze was certain that what he thought was true.

He felt a surge of hatred, hating the cruel twist of fate. At the same time, seeing the person who had hurt him now vulnerable and so badly wounded filled him with a sudden sense of satisfaction. He felt so pleased, so vindicated! Bai Yunxiao, you've finally met your match!

Bai Yunxiao seemed to have been touched on a sore spot, and the murderous intent that had just been extinguished rose again. He could not tolerate anyone reminding him of this matter or talking about this thing that he never wanted to face in front of him!

He slapped Lu Ze again, this time with a loud thud, harder than any of the previous slaps.

"Shut up!"

Lu Ze became even more excited after being hit. "Young Master Bai, I was right! Look at you, you look like a stray dog! You've finally met your match, you can finally understand the feeling of unrequited love! Hahahaha, heaven is indeed fair!"

Lu Ze remembered many things, such as his cousin Wei Ling, who was with Wei Zhaoning, and that unlucky male prostitute. They all had one thing in common: they had some resemblance to Xiao He on their faces or bodies. Although they were not as similar to Xiao He himself, they were still somewhat alike.

Bai Yunxiao has been so promiscuous all these years, is it because he's been searching for Xiao He's shadow, using them, these cannon fodder, as substitutes for Xiao He?

No wonder, whenever he got deeply emotional, Bai Yunxiao would inexplicably say "Songnian". At that time, he didn't know who Songnian was, and he just listened to Bai Yunxiao's nonsense, so he didn't suspect anything.

Looking at it now, Lu Ze finds it somewhat unacceptable. He would rather Bai Yunxiao be a complete scumbag, someone who just likes novelty, excitement, fickleness, and simple fun. He wouldn't want Bai Yunxiao to be like this because he loves someone too much and can't have them, so he frantically seeks a substitute, incorporating that person's habits into every aspect of his life, humble and dirty, yet still full of love.

Bai Yunxiao clenched his fists. "This is my business. It's not like you can just say we missed each other. If you want to die, keep talking and see what happens."

Please recognize your place. You're right, if it weren't for the slight resemblance you have to him when you're quiet, I wouldn't even glance at you. I was truly blind back then; now, you're not even worth a finger of his! You don't deserve him!

I know you've fallen for me, but so what? We've truly missed our chance. I used to treat you as a substitute, but now I feel you don't even deserve to be a substitute.