Chapter 266: I’m Sorry, Xiao Sheng
Unable to figure it out, Fang Mu decided not to think about it.
The judge asked him again, “So you admit you’re guilty?”
Fang Mu smiled and accepted his fate. “I admit that I’m guilty.”
For the three crimes he had committed, Fang Mu was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Fifty years…
He was already 27 years old and had to serve his sentence for 50 years. By the time his sentence would end, he would be in his seventies. Fang Mu’s eyes, which belonged to a young man, dimmed in an instant. He was still young, but his eyes had aged.
Upon hearing this number, Qiao Jiusheng closed her eyes.
When Fang Mu was taken away, he was still handcuffed. He stared at the handcuffs, lowered his head, and cooperatively followed the judge out of the court. When he walked out of the court, what awaited him was a hopeless fifty-year prison sentence.
Fang Yusheng looked calm as he watched Fang Mu being taken away. He couldn’t help but victoriously smile.
After so many years, he had finally avenged himself.
When Fang Mu reached the entrance of the courtroom, he, who had been quiet all this while, suddenly turned around. Almost instantly, his gaze met Qiao Jiusheng’s.
When Qiao Jiusheng saw Fang Mu looking at her, her eyes seemed to be filled with thousands of words. Her womanly intuition told her that what Fang Mu was about to say was probably something she did not want to hear and could not accept.
She hardened her heart and turned to leave.
Just as she turned around, Fang Mu suddenly let out a hoa.r.s.e roar—
“Qiao Jiusheng.
“You promised to marry me as soon as you graduated!”
Qiao Jiusheng stopped in her tracks.
Behind her, two pairs of eyes stared at her.
One belonged to Fang Mu and the other Fang Yusheng.
Due to Fang Mu’s shout, the court instantly quietened down. Some of the observers who were preparing to leave also stopped and watched this scene.
Qiao Jiusheng did not turn around, but she did not leave either.
Seeing that Qiao Jiusheng was determined not to turn back, Fang Mu felt his heart ache. His muscles tensed up, and the flesh on his face twitched due to his emotions. He roared again.
“Qiao Jiusheng, don’t even dream about me forgetting you!
“I won’t forget you, not for the rest of my life!
“Don’t even think about it!
“Even if I die, I will never forget you! Don’t easily spend the rest of your life with Fang Yusheng! Remember, I love you! Fang Mu has always loved you!”
She will be happily spending the rest of her life with Fang Yusheng. Just thinking about it made her heart ache.
He wanted Qiao Jiusheng to remember him forever!
Fang Mu’s throat was hoa.r.s.e, and his eyes were red.
When Qiao Jiusheng heard this, her heart started to ache a little.
The police officer pulled Fang Mu along and was about to leave when Fang Mu realized that this might be the last time he would see Qiao Jiusheng. The indignation and anger in his heart instantly turned into fear and reluctance.
He loved her so much, but he would never see her again.
He was indignant!
“Qiao Jiusheng, have you ever loved me?”
He suddenly burst into tears. “Have you ever loved me?”
The police dragged Fang Mu out of the court.
His voice was getting further and further away. Qiao Jiusheng heard Fang Mu’s hoa.r.s.e voice coming from the corridor outside the courtyard. It was repeated again and again.
“Have you ever loved me?”
Did I love him?
Fang Yuqing tugged at Qiao Jiusheng’s wrist. “Sister-in-law…” She could not cry in front of so many people.
Qiao Jiusheng’s feelings were bitter.
All of a sudden, the warm memories of being together with Fang Mu popped up in her mind.
His indulgent smile and the grimness in his frown, his every hug and every time he gave in to her, when he sternly and seriously told her that he would marry her when she grows up and graduates…
The memories of the past were so beautiful. As the memories swept over her, Qiao Jiusheng felt terrible.
Now that Qiao Jiusheng was already a married woman and was about to become a mother, Fang Mu had forced himself to a dead end. The more beautiful the memories were, the crueler the reality was.
What went wrong?
Qiao Jiusheng’s nose had a sour feeling, and her eyes became hot. The moment her tears were about to fall from her eyes, a pair of strong arms hugged her. Fang Yusheng tightly hugged her and whispered in her ear in a domineering tone, “You’re not allowed to cry for him.”
He used his overbearingness to hide the fear and jealousy in his heart.
Qiao Jiusheng was his wife. He had met her earlier than Fang Mu. He loved her more than anyone else. He did not allow her to cry for Fang Mu.
Not even a single tear.
Qiao Jiusheng choked and tried hard to hold back her tears.
“Let’s go,” she said, her voice sounding quite calm as she hid her sobs.
Fang Yusheng immediately nodded.
He led her out of the courtroom.
The sun was scorching, but Qiao Jiusheng’s hand was cold.
Qiao Jiusheng’s gaze was suddenly attracted by the escort car parked outside the court. Fang Mu was being escorted by the police and was walking toward the escort car step by step. Fang Mu seemed to have sensed something and suddenly turned his head to meet Qiao Jiusheng’s eyes on the stairs of the court.
He seemed to understand her feelings from those eyes.
She couldn’t bear it.
Fang Mu’s heart ached. He had made Xiao Sheng sad.
I deserve to die.
At this moment, Fang Mu suddenly regretted everything.
He suddenly realized that power, money, and other people’s opinions could not compare to one person.
Qiao Jiusheng.
His Xiao Sheng.
Fang Yusheng narrowed his eyes and looked over. He suppressed his anger and did not stop him.
“Well, take a look. You don’t have any chance together anyway.”
He could be more magnanimous.
Fang Yusheng turned around and saw Cheng Ke in the crowd.
Qiao Jiusheng saw that Fang Mu was about to get into the car and was about to look away when she saw a thin figure.
It was a frail man. He did not have any flesh on his face and looked malnourished. That man stood by the empty road with his hands behind his back. He stared at Fang Mu, who was about to get into the car, with a gaze full of ruthlessness. His gaze shocked Qiao Jiu.
The man’s hands, which were behind his back, suddenly moved in front of him. Under the sunlight, something in the man’s hands seemed to flash with a cold light.
Qiao Jiusheng’s pupils constricted, and her instinctive reaction was quick.
“Fang Mu!”
She uttered these two words with an earth-shattering force.
Fang Mu’s eyes lit up, and his eyes widened. Before he could see the fear in Qiao Jiusheng’s eyes, something entered his chest.
For a moment, there was complete silence.
The next second, someone screamed, “Ah!”
“Gunfire!”
A policeman ran to subdue the man who had fired the gun. The man turned and ran. He could only run a few steps before the police caught him.
Fang Mu looked down and saw blood flowing out from the small bullet hole. When he was in court, he had been wearing a black T-s.h.i.+rt, so the blood that had soaked his clothes was not obvious.
Fang Mu stared at the b.l.o.o.d.y hole and blinked.
“Second Brother!”
“Fang Mu!”
Xu Pingfei, Fang Yuqing, and Fang Yu’an staggered toward the escort vehicle.
Fang Mu weakly raised his head. His gaze pa.s.sed by everyone and landed on Qiao Jiusheng’s face.
He glanced at her. It was a deep and meaningful look that was filled with emotions and longing.
Qiao Jiusheng took a step forward, wanting to look at Fang Mu. However, just as she took a step forward, a strong force grabbed her wrist. Qiao Jiusheng turned around in shock and looked at Fang Yusheng’s eyes, which were filled with pain. Fang Yusheng saw the worry in her eyes clearly.
“Ah Sheng, do you feel bad for him?” His tone was no longer calm as if he were trembling.
Qiao Jiusheng opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but she was at a loss for words.
She remained silent for a moment. When she saw Fang Mu’s straight body fall into the police officer’s arms, she could not bear to see him like this. So she reached out to take Fang Yusheng’s hand.
Fang Yusheng held her tightly.
His muscles were tense as well, and his entire body seemed abnormal.
“If you want to see him…” Fang Yusheng pursed his lips very straight. His green eyes, which always looked gentle and beautiful, suddenly had a hint of determination and coldness. Qiao Jiusheng found this Fang Yusheng unfamiliar. She heard him say, “If you go, don’t come back.”
Qiao Jiusheng was stunned.
“Qiao Jiusheng, I’m human too. My heart hurts too.” Fang Yusheng saw that Qiao Jiusheng’s expression was obviously one of pain, and her eyes were red. He knew that he was forcing her to make a choice.
Logic told him that at this time, he should be magnanimous and let her go. He might even be able to obtain grat.i.tude from Qiao Jiusheng and let her have a good impression of him. However, he was a man. All his rationality was lost. He was very possessive of his woman. He really could not watch her meet Fang Mu.
“Ah Sheng, don’t go.” Fang Yusheng’s tone was no longer threatening and cold. Instead, it was pleading.
Qiao Jiusheng was silent for a long time.
“Okay.”
Fang Yusheng was relieved to hear that.
He pulled Qiao Jiusheng down the stairs step by step and brushed past Fang Mu. The moment they pa.s.sed by each other, Qiao Jiusheng glanced at Fang Mu. Fang Mu looked back at her, his eyes filled with pain and tears.
As she followed Fang Yusheng to the car, Qiao Jiusheng’s heart felt like it was being p.r.i.c.ked by needles.
Their car was parked by the side of the road. Fang Yusheng asked Qiao Jiusheng to get into the car first. Qiao Jiusheng stepped into the car, but then, suddenly turned back to look at Fang Yusheng with an apologetic look in her eyes.
Fang Yusheng’s heart ached.
“You..”
“Yusheng, I’m just going to take a look.”
Fang Yusheng did not agree, but he moved his body to the side and gave way, leaving the choice to Qiao Jiusheng.
Qiao Jiusheng stared at Fang Yusheng before getting out of the car. She turned around and walked to the escort car. Behind her, Fang Yusheng watched as she walked further and further away. His hands were clenched.
Qi Bufan squinted at this scene, feeling some sympathy for Fang Yusheng.
Fang Mu, who was lying in Fang Yu’an’s arms, tried to gather some light in his eyes when he saw Qiao Jiusheng.
“Xiao Sheng…” It took him all his strength to call her name.
Qiao Jiusheng squatted beside Fang Mu and nodded.
Fang Mu had a lot to say to her, but he didn’t have much time left.
He wanted to say that he loved her, wanted to apologize, and wanted to tell her not to be sad, but the energy in his body was draining faster and faster. Fang Mu could feel his breathing becoming heavier. He knew that he could not get better this time. He knew who the person who shot him was.
Cheng Ke!
From the day Fang Yusheng had someone take Cheng Ke from that dungeon, Fang Mu had predicted that Cheng Ke would seek revenge on him.
This day had finally arrived.
Qiao Jiusheng saw that Fang Mu’s face had turned pale and he could only breathe heavily. She could not bear it and said to him, “Fang Mu, don’t speak. Maintain your strength and wait for the ambulance.” Actually, Qiao Jiusheng knew that Fang Mu could not be treated.
That bullet had probably hit his heart.
“Second Brother, don’t say anything. Please don’t say anything.” Fang Yuqing held Fang Mu’s hand. Seeing that he was clearly in pain and still wanted to talk to Qiao Jiusheng for a while, she could not bear to let him do so. Fang Yu’an and Xu Pingfei also turned their heads and could not bear to watch.
Fang Mu suddenly coughed until his face turned pale.
Fang Mu looked at Qiao Jiusheng and insisted. In an inaudible voice, he said something to Qiao Jiusheng.
The last sentence that Fang Mu left in this world was for Qiao Jiusheng.
He said, “Xiao Sheng, I’m sorry that Brother Mu did not protect you well.”
Qiao Jiusheng blankly stared at Fang Mu, who had stopped breathing. She wanted to cry, but she could not. She felt terrible. A life had pa.s.sed away just like that. The lover that she once loved and swore an oath to be with forever would never be seen again.
After Fang Mu’s body was taken away, Qiao Jiusheng stood up slowly and blankly looked around. After a while, she mechanically walked toward the place where Fang Yusheng had parked the car. When she reached that place, she realized that Fang Yusheng’s car had driven away and he had left.
Qiao Jiusheng stood rooted to the ground, feeling lost.
Fang Mu was dead.
Does Fang Yusheng not want her anymore?
“Mr. Fang, are you really not going to fetch Madam?”
Fang Yusheng didn’t go far. He was just angry, so he had asked Qi Bufan to drive to a secluded place.
How could he really leave Qiao Jiusheng behind?
Seeing Qiao Jiusheng standing at the same spot with a confused expression, Qi Bufan felt rather upset. He then saw Fang Yusheng did not speak for a long time and said, “It’s not good to let a pregnant woman stand under the sun like this.” He wanted to say that Fang Yusheng was not human, but he did not dare to.
Fang Yusheng snorted. “Let her realize her mistake.”