Mrs. Fu, please be mindful of the appropriate boundaries.

There is a river called Yuanjiang in the western mountainous area of ​​Ancheng. Its waters are rapid and meander through the mountain roads.

In the early hours of the morning, a car lost control at a bend in the mountain road and plunged into the river.

When Xu Qingcheng arrived, the area was already cordoned off. The rugged mountain walls stood like monsters against the deep blue sky, and below them was the raging river.

The wind howled and raged in the mountain pass. Although it wasn't as biting as the wind in the dead of winter in the early spring morning, Xu Qingcheng was shivering with cold.

At 3:30 a.m., a mountain rain was imminent, and the air was filled with a damp smell.

The wind hit my face, taking all the warmth away.

Song Chang said that Fu Jingting's car had an accident here, and they have been searching for it for several hours, but they still haven't found him.

A large group of media outlets were gathered outside, but they were still unable to get inside.

The media learned of the news very late, two hours after the incident.

We still haven't found him, and everyone knows in their hearts that even if we did find him, it might be too late.

A reporter from one of the media outlets was explaining the situation to the camera.

"The car owner involved in the accident is Fu Jingting, who has recently been embroiled in controversy. He is reportedly under investigation for suspected economic crimes. Whether the accident was purely accidental or something else is still unknown. However, rescuers have been searching the scene for over three hours without any news, so the chances of survival are slim. We can see that the river's current is rapid, and this location is on a cliff, so there is probably no hope of survival. We will continue to monitor the situation—hey—what are you doing?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean there's no hope of survival? The rescue isn't over yet." Xu Qingcheng couldn't stand it anymore and pushed the host away.

"What's wrong with you? We're just making a prediction, not stating facts. Why are you pushing people like that!" The female reporter, who was almost pushed to the ground, continued to nag at Xu Qingcheng, and her staff also gathered around.

Xu Qingcheng's eyes were red and swollen. She couldn't believe it was true that Fu Jingting's car would overturn from here.

"Hey, I'm sorry, it's my friend, my friend..." Song Chang ran over, pulled Xu Qingcheng behind him, explained a few words, and then led Xu Qingcheng to the side.

"Nobody can get in. Reporters and media are all kept outside." Song Chang looked at Xu Qingcheng. "Fu Pingxiu is inside. Do you want to go in? You're a family member, so you should be able to go in. I'll go ask for you."

Xu Qingcheng's throat went dry; she didn't know if she was still worthy of being called a family member.

Song Chang went over to ask, but Xu Qingcheng stood still, while the other media people whispered among themselves.

"Who is that woman?"

"Fu Jingting's ex-wife or what? Didn't they cancel their wedding before? I don't know if they were ever legally married. Anyway, it's over now, so why pretend?"

"Xu Qingcheng? She's Xu Qingcheng? Fu Jingting has really been tricked badly. He's the boss of Jingshan Capital, and he used to control a fund worth tens of billions. I heard that Shengshi lured him into it, leaving him penniless. He was even interrogated recently. If this charge is proven, he'll be sentenced."

"Sentencing? Is it that serious? I only know that Jing Shan Capital is in trouble, but I don't know the specifics. Is this related to Xu Qingcheng?"

"The Fu family has such a tight grip on public opinion that practically no word has leaked out. I only managed to say a few words because a friend of mine in charge of the case spoke very little, but he was very tight-lipped and wouldn't say more. All I heard is that it was sabotaged by their own people. Didn't Xu Qingcheng get exposed a while ago for going to the hospital for an abortion with her ex-lover? Everything's a mess. Who knows what's going on?"

There were police officers and people sent by Fu Pingxiu blocking the way; in short, no unauthorized personnel were allowed to approach.

When Song Chang returned, she saw that Xu Qingcheng's face was very pale, so she picked up a small stone and threw it over there.

Remind them not to fucking talk nonsense.

They're all in the same circle and know each other well. When they're out covering the news, they inevitably have to help each other out and give each other face. After Song Chang's warning, everyone stopped saying anything more.

A sudden commotion broke out ahead, the police cordon was briefly pulled back, and nurses and police officers in white coats pushed a stretcher and quickly sent the patient to an ambulance.

Xu Qingcheng rushed over, but was pushed aside by the crowd and almost fell to the ground.

The crowd surrounded her, and the clicking of cameras was incessant. Xu Qingcheng felt weak and her legs went numb; she tried to squeeze in but was pushed out again.

There was a lot of noise all around.

The person pulled from the water was Fu Jingting's driver, who had already been pronounced dead by the doctor.

Xu Qingcheng suddenly couldn't stand up. She grabbed Song Chang's arm for support, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him. "Changchang, he's alright, isn't he?"

"..."

Xu Qingcheng desperately sought validation; she hoped this was a dream, not reality.

Song Chang hugged her.

Suddenly seeing Duan Heng standing to the side negotiating with the media, Xu Qingcheng stumbled over and called out, "Duan Heng."

Duan Heng turned around, his gaze passing over Xu Qingcheng's face with a cold look, but only for a second before he turned back to continue communicating with the various media outlets present.

They need to evacuate.

Even if they recorded a video of the scene, even if the video didn't contain any substantial content, they couldn't send it out.

The Fu family's stance is clear: they do not want any of today's events to be reported.

A comprehensive, all-encompassing information blockade.

After verifying the information from the rear, more than a dozen media outlets withdrew one after another.

Apart from the search and rescue personnel, the scene was so empty that no one could be seen, and the noise had disappeared, leaving only the whistling wind.

Duan Heng then looked at them and said only, "Miss Xu, this has nothing to do with you. Go back."

"How can it be no problem?" Song Chang jumped up angrily, but Xu Qingcheng grabbed her arm.

Duan Heng didn't speak again. The man's face was cold, hard, and distant, and he seemed like a complete stranger.

Xu Qingcheng felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on her chest, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. She watched Duan Heng turn and leave, her vision blurring.

It started raining.

The fine, dense rain fell from the sky, drop by drop, just like human tears.

Song Chang pulled her back, "You're no use staying here. It's raining, go wait in the car."

Xu Qingcheng didn't move, and Song Chang clicked his tongue, "Then wait for me for a while, I'll go get the umbrella."

Song Chang ran away, and Xu Qingcheng stood there blankly, tilting her head back and letting the rain wash over her face.

Duan Heng pushed Fu Pinxiu out of the car. Before getting in, Fu Pinxiu glanced in Xu Qingcheng's direction and said, "Duan Heng, grab an umbrella and push me over there."

A large black umbrella moved over her head. Xu Qingcheng opened her eyes and saw Duan Heng standing in front of her with the umbrella. He handed the umbrella to Xu Qingcheng before walking behind Fu Pingxiu.

Fu Pingxiu looked at Xu Qingcheng from his wheelchair. This man's expression was always so cold that it was impossible to read his mind.

But at this moment, obvious pain was etched on his cold face.

"Life and death are predestined. The Fu family has decided to abandon the rescue. Miss Xu, please return as well."

Fu Pingxiu's voice echoed in the vast expanse of the sky and earth, along with the sound of the river lapping against the shore, as if sentencing her, extinguishing all her hopes with those words.

The umbrella in my hand slipped and fell to the ground. Tears, worthless, flowed silently down my face, mingling with the rain.

Fu Pingxiu glanced at Song Chang, who was running up behind her, and turned to instruct Duan Heng, "Let's go."

The police had also left, but the cordon remained to remind everyone to be careful, and Fu Pingxiu's car drove away from view.

Xu Qingcheng was about to go to the scene of the accident when Song Chang grabbed her tightly, saying, "The guardrails over there are damaged. You can't go there; it's too dangerous."

Xu Qingcheng wouldn't listen; she insisted on going to check on her. Song Chang, fearing for her safety and unable to stop her, slapped Xu Qingcheng in anger. "Qingcheng, calm down and go home. If I had known you were like this, I wouldn't have told you this, and I wouldn't have let you come."

Song Chang put Xu Qingcheng in the car and drove her home. She didn't say a word on the way, as if she had been drained of all her energy.

After giving her a bath and some brown sugar ginger water, Song Chang forced Xu Qingcheng to go to sleep.

"Changchang, I can't sleep." Xu Qingcheng grabbed Song Chang's sleeve. "How could something have happened to him? Was it an accident or premeditated?"

"Don't think too much. Lie down and rest. Even if you can't sleep, you should still try."

"Is what they're saying true?" Xu Qingcheng pursed her lips. "Changchang, what do you know? Tell me."

"I don't know." Song Chang glared at her. "Go to sleep now. Once you're well, I'll take you to find my brother. You can ask him anything. But first, I need to make sure you're in good spirits. Otherwise, forget about it."

Xu Qingcheng lay in bed, unable to sleep; all she could see when she closed her eyes was him.

He hugged her tightly and said, "Try closing your eyes and see if you can fall asleep."

At that time, his heart was beating strongly, which was reassuring.

Tears flowed silently, sliding down the corners of her eyes and soaking the blanket.

But no matter how much you think about it, he's not there.

She was heartbroken and saddened by him, but she understood the cruelty of business competition. She pushed him away simply so that they could stand only at the source of business competition, without considering emotions, and without resentment whether they won or lost.

Victory and defeat are common occurrences in warfare.

She didn't want to resent or hate him; she just wanted to turn them into strangers, so that no matter what they did, it would just be business competition.

It's all just business competition.

His calculations regarding the prosperous era were simply normal business tactics.

Her withdrawal of funds from Shengshi was a normal business tactic.

There are no personal grudges, no love or hate involved. Even if I lose, I can only blame myself for not having enough chips.

But she never imagined this day would come.

Never.

Even if the two have no further connection, she hopes he is safe and sound in this corner of the world.

The Fu family has blocked all news, and no details of the incident have been released to the public.

Two days later, Fu Shiqing led all the Fu family members to the Fu family cemetery. Apart from that, no further information about Fu Jingting was released.

death.

You only realize how terrifying something is when it happens to someone you know personally.

He was not yet thirty years old.

Xu Qingcheng almost dug her palms raw with her fingers. She had no idea that the funds withdrawn by Shengshi would be used as part of the evidence chain for funds fleeing abroad.

Song Xingzhi looked at her reddened eyes, "Jingshan Capital has been drained dry. Fu Jingting withdrew from the Fu family a few years ago, otherwise it wouldn't just be him who was affected. His family was also severely impacted. Hundreds of billions of yuan, the hard work of so many investors, gone just like that. Who else would those investors target if not him? For his sake, Fu's grandfather sold all his antique collections. He hadn't been out of the public eye for a long time, but he had to swallow his pride and beg for help. It was only with great difficulty that things were settled."

Song Xingzhi scoffed, "We finally managed to settle things, and now the person is gone."

"Brother!" Song Chang was unhappy with his sarcastic tone.

"You hate him that much, you want him dead?" Song Xingzhi stubbed out his cigarette. "Why did you have to cooperate with Fu Hongxin? Fu Pinxiu almost died at his hands back then. It was either you or me. Qingcheng, it's not that he didn't want to stop and let Shengshi go, it's that he couldn't stop."

Tears streamed down her face. Xu Qingcheng wanted to say that she hadn't looked for Fu Hongxin, but the words stuck in her throat and she couldn't say them.

His heart was ripped open, and blood was gushing out.

"That's all I know." Song Xing stood up. "Regardless of right or wrong, things are as they are now. Those who are alive should still live well."

Song Chang quickly followed him out, kicking Song Xingzhi's leg. "What are you saying? Qingcheng is already in enough pain."

Song Xingzhi looked at her and said, "You're in pain, but you're still alive."

One sentence completely shut Song Chang down.

Xu Qingcheng cried so hard she could hardly breathe. Her chest felt empty, both hollow and painful, as if it were about to split her whole body apart.

She was desperate and tried anything.

is her.

Xu Qingcheng rushed to the Ye Group. Ye Chengnian's blood pressure rose as soon as he saw her, but Ye Tinghong stopped him.

He knew she had come to see him.

"Qingcheng, what do you want to say to us—"

In front of everyone, Xu Qingcheng slapped Ye Tinghong hard, almost with all her strength, cutting him off from her words.

"You used me." Xu Qingcheng's eyes burned with a fire, a cold flame filled with pain that seared Ye Tinghong.

Her voice was hoarse, filled with deep-seated hatred.

Four words, and it all says it all.

Ye Tinghong had no way to refute it.

Even if this wasn't his intention, the fact that he didn't stop or obstruct it is his problem.

Xu Qingcheng suddenly burst into laughter, a wild and unrestrained laugh that brought tears to her eyes. "Ye Tinghong, don't tell me you love me anymore. You don't love me. You only ever love yourself."

"Qingcheng." Ye Tinghong grabbed her hand.

Xu Qingcheng forcefully shook him off, her voice sharp and rising, "Don't touch me. Between you and me, there is no past, and there is no future."

The woman left resolutely, her tears like venom splattering onto his face.

If their previous separation was marked by anger and coldness, it reflected her disappointment and disapproval of her lover.

Now, however, he is utterly disappointed in Ye Tinghong.

Ye Tinghong took a deep breath and wiped his face hard with both hands. He knew that from now on, even without Fu Jingting, he would never be able to enter Xu Qingcheng's heart again.

In the air, in my ears, in my heart, there is still the girl calling out "Tinghong" again and again.

But he could never recapture those best times.

The people around them were dispersed. Ye Chengnian looked at him and said, "There are so many women in the world, why bother—"

"Brother," Ye Tinghong interrupted him, "This is the end. I will not be entering the Ye family. Whether you live or die is none of my business."

……

Fu Pinghui placed the two divorce certificates in front of Fu Shiqing.

The old man stared at the certificate, his voice hoarse. "Did that kid get it done?"

"Yes. He had a lawyer handle it before Jingshan Capital ran into trouble." Fu Pinghui paused for a moment, "Xu Qingcheng probably doesn't know yet. He's been dragging his feet, refusing to get a divorce no matter what."

She said fiercely that even in hell, Xu Qingcheng could only be Fu Jingting's wife.

But she never expected that she would secretly get a divorce in the end.

Fu Pinghui remembered that the two of them had not signed a prenuptial agreement before getting married.

With Jing Shan's scandal breaking, Xu Qingcheng cannot escape responsibility, given their continued marriage.

Fu Shiqing suddenly smiled, a smile full of vicissitudes, and the old man's eyes even became a little moist.

"He handled this like a man."

Fu Pinghui lowered his eyes. His two sons had both met with misfortune, and even his straight shoulders and back seemed to be bent under the weight.

Fu Shiqing tapped the table. "Have someone send it over to that girl. She has no connection with our Fu family or with Jingting. Tell the people below not to make things difficult for her."