Side Story
A flashback scene to the day Cheng Yi shot Zheng Jia Ju’s arm.
‘Why didn’t you shoot my head?’ Zheng Jia Ju’s asked.
Cheng Yi didn’t know why he didn’t want to kill Zheng Jia Ju. He regretted shooting her arm, and wanted to take her to the hospital. She refused, because she didn’t want him to be arrested. He offered to take her home, but she didn’t want her parents to know he shot her.
Cheng Yi took out the bullet from Zheng Jia Ju’s arm, and he bandaged her arm. She couldn’t use her arms for days. He bonded with their son, changing nappies, hold their son during breast feeding times and bought food for her.
After Zheng Jia Ju recovered, she left Cheng Yi and took their son home.
Fei Yan Niao found out Cheng Yi didn’t kill Zheng Jia Ju, and schemed to kill two birds with one stone. Fei Yan Niao wanted to take revenge on Gu Jiao Wu for forcing him to shoot Cheng Yi, and also trigger Cheng Yi’s memories.
Fei Yan Niao ordered an a.s.sa.s.sin to kidnap Zheng Jia Ju. Fei Yuan Niao told Cheng Yi, because Cheng Yi didn’t fulfil the contract killing, he kidnapped Zheng Jia Ju. Fei Yuan Niao agreed to give Cheng Yi a second chance, he’d spare Zheng Jia Ju’s life in exchange for Qiao Tan Yuan’s life.
Cheng Yi misunderstood Zheng Jia Ju was Gu Jiao Wu’s mistress, and Qiao Tan Yuan was Gu Jiao Wu’s wife. He didn’t hesitate to kidnap Qiao Tan Yuan, because he hated Gu Jiao Wu for abandoning Zheng Jia Ju’s son.
End of Chapters 107 to 109.
Mistaken Ident.i.ty.
Cheng Yi hated women putting the blame on their husbands’ mistresses for their husband’s betrayal. He believed an unfaithful husband would always be an unfaithful husband. It didn’t matter how many mistresses were eliminated, unfaithful husbands would find another mistress.
Qiao Tan Yuan was usually a fierce woman. But in the face of death, her heart turned numb and her body sweated. The man in front of the bed looked like he was preparing to kill her. She wiggled pointlessly on the bed, because the rope around her hands and ankles were bound tight.
Cheng Yi pointed a gun at Qiao Tan Yuan’s head. She couldn’t talk or escape. Her only hope was rolling off the bed to postpone her death. She used all her strength to roll over twice, she fell onto the floor and hit her head. She didn’t register her head pain, and wiggled toward the door.
Cheng Yi didn’t know why when he looked into Zheng Jia Ju’s eyes, he couldn’t kill her. But when he looked into Qiao Tan Yuan’s eyes, he had no hesitation to pull the trigger.
Suddenly a gun shot was heard. Cheng Yi used Qiao Tan Yuan’s body to shield his body, and he pointed the gun at the door. The door opened, and Gu Jiao Wu stepped into the bedroom.
Qiao Tan Yuan knew she wasn’t hallucinating. It was Gu Jiao Wu who came to save her. She recognised the coat on him. She bought it for him as a birthday gift many years ago. It was the first time she saw him wear the coat she gave him. She cried happy tears to see Gu Jiao Wu.
Gu Jiao Wu thought Qiao Tan Yuan cried because she was scared. He fisted his hands, and stepped toward Qiao Tan Yuan.
Cheng Yi pulled Qiao Tan Yuan up to stand in front of him. He saw Gu Jiao Wu stepped toward them, and he moved himself and Qiao Tan Yuan back away from Gu Jiao Wu.
Qiao Tan Yuan recognised the two men behind Gu Jiao Wu, they were his a.s.sistants who carried their suitcases and pilot the helicopter on the island. She suspected his a.s.sistants weren’t cops because they weren’t wearing police protective gear. They pointed their guns at Cheng Yi, and Cheng Yi pointed a gun at her head.
Gu Jiao Wu saw the fear in Qiao Tan Yuan eyes, and he took more steps toward her.
‘Cheng Yi, you’ll regret it if you don’t put your gun down,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t know why Gu Jiao Wu knew her kidnapper’s name.
Cheng Yi pressed the gun into Qiao Tan Yuan’s head.
‘Cheng Yi, you hate killing people,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘Don’t do something you’ll regret.’
Cheng Yi scoffed coldly. He hated opportunistic men like Gu Jiao Wu. He remembered Gu Jiao Wu tried to pa.s.s off Zheng Jia Ju’s son as his son, because Gu Jiao Wu didn’t want his wife to find out. He lost his memories, not his eyesight.
Gu Jiao Wu didn’t know why Cheng Yi looked at him with contempt. Why Cheng Yi wasn’t in the U.S., and why Cheng Yi kidnapped Qiao Tan Yuan. But what mattered most to him was Qiao Tan Yuan’s life.
‘Cheng Yi, let her go,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
Gu Jiao Wu owed Cheng Yi many things, and he didn’t want to hurt Cheng Yi.
Cheng Yi remembered Fei Yan Niao’s threat, if he didn’t kill Qiao Tan Yuan then Fei Yan Niao would kill Zheng Jia Ju.
‘Cheng Yi, we’ve known each other since you were seventeen,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘The Cheng Yi I know hates killing people. Put your gun down. I promise nothing will happen to you if you let her go.’
Cheng Yi and Qiao Tan Yuan were shocked Gu Jiao Wu was close friends with Cheng Yi.
‘Cheng Yi, when you were seventeen we met in Washington in the U.S.,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘You were chased by gangsters, and I saved you. Do you remember?’
Gu Jiao Wu noticed Cheng Yi was distracted trying to remember their first meeting, and he took a step closer to Qiao Tan Yuan.
‘You didn’t thank me for saving you,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘That year, your parents died, and you didn’t have any relatives in the U.S. I asked if you wanted to come back here with me, but you wanted to stay in the U.S. Do you remember?’
Cheng Yi couldn’t remember anything.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Cheng Yi said. ‘I only know I want this woman to die.’
‘Cheng Yi, don’t kill her,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘She’s my woman. If she dies, I’ll grieve for the rest of my life. Do you remember, you promised you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me?’
‘Enough!’ Cheng Yi said. ‘Whether you’re hurting or not, has nothing to do with me.’
Qiao Tan Yuan wasn’t scared of Cheng Yi’s gun pointed at her head anymore. She only cared about Gu Jiao Wu’s words, he would grieve for her if she died. The love she suppressed in her heart ignited, and she cried.
Gu Jiao Wu’s heart broke to see Qiao Tan Yuan cry. He looked at her, and his eyes asked her to believe him. He took another step forward.
‘Cheng Yi, if you let her go, I’ll give you anything you want,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
Gu Jiao Wu suspected Fei Yan Niao gave Cheng Yi a mission to kill Qiao Tan Yuan to take revenge on him.
‘Cheng Yi, Fei Yan Niao is messing with you,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘His purpose isn’t for you to kill her.’
Cheng Yi let go of the trigger after he heard Gu Jiao Wu mentioned Fei Yan Niao.
‘If you don’t believe me, I can call him,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. He took out his phone. ‘Believe me, his purpose isn’t for you to kill her.’
Cheng Yi pressed his back against a wall, and didn’t let Qiao Tan Yuan go.
Qiao Tan Yuan wondered why Gu Jiao Wu didn’t tell her about Fei Yan Niao and Cheng Yi when they were married.
‘Mr Gu, why are you free to call me?’ Fei Yan Niao asked sarcastically. ‘I’m scared to have the privilege to talk to you.’
‘Fei Yan Niao, have you played enough?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.
‘Playing what?’ Fei Yan Niao asked and laughed. ‘I only wanted to give you a taste of your own medicine.’
‘What do you mean?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.
‘You forced me to shoot my friends,’ Fei Yan Niao said. ‘Now I’m letting you have the same experience. The last several months, were you and your wife happy? If you don’t want your wife to die then you need to make Cheng Yi regain his memories. If you can’t make him remember, I look forward to seeing you regret it for the rest of your life.’
‘Fei Yan Niao!’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘Take back your order!’
‘Are you giving me an order?’ Fei Yan Niao asked and laughed. ‘Gu Jiao Wu, if you beg me, I’ll order Cheng Yi to release your wife.’
‘Fei Yan Niao!’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
It was the first time Gu Jiao Wu felt powerless when confronting Fei Yan Niao. Last time he lost financially to get Fei Yan Niao to release Tan Pan Ting. But it was different when Qiao Tan Yuan’s life was at risk.
‘Open your mouth and beg me if you want Cheng Yi to release your wife,’ Fei Yan Niao said.
Fei Yan Niao thought hearing Gu Jiao Wu lose his pride was more valuable than monetary gains.
Gu Jiao Wu looked at Cheng Yi, but Cheng Yi didn’t recognise him.
‘Beg me,’ Fei Yan Niao said.
Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t understand what Gu Jiao Wu and Fei Yan Niao were discussing. But she could see how conflicted Gu Jiao Wu looked. If she wasn’t going to die, she didn’t want Gu Jiao Wu to suffer. She was wrong. Gu Jiao Wu didn’t only care about her because of Xiao Bao, he cared about her because there was a place in his heart for her. It was enough, she didn’t need to cry anymore. She didn’t waste years loving Gu Jiao Wu, because he finally reciprocated a bit of her love. When Gu Jiao Wu was about to open his mouth, she slammed her back against Cheng Yi’s chest and hit her head on Cheng Yi’s chin.
Cheng Yi was focused on Gu Jiao Wu and Fei Yan Niao’s conversation. He didn’t expect Qiao Tan Yuan to attack him, and escape him. The moment Qiao Tan Yuan fell onto the ground, he aimed his gun at her head.
‘No…’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
Gu Jiao Wu leapt onto Qiao Tan Yuan’s body, the bullet released from Cheng Yi’s gun lodged into Gu Jiao Wu’s back and blood oozed out of Gu Jiao Wu’s back.
Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t expect Gu Jiao Wu would protect her, and take a bullet for her. She looked at the blood on Gu Jiao Wu’s back, and she sobbed uncontrollably.
Gu Jiao Wu’s a.s.sistants shot bullets, and a bullet hit Cheng Yi’s arm.
Cheng Yi didn’t give up, he needed to kill Qiao Tan Yuan. Suddenly his head ached, and he remembered Gu Jiao Wu.
‘Big brother Jiao Wu…’ Cheng Yi called.
Gu Jiao Wu’s a.s.sistants turned Gu Jiao Wu’s body over.
‘Don’t kill him,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
‘We understand,’ an a.s.sistant said.
‘Untie her,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
‘Big brother Jiao Wu…’ Cheng Yi called.
After Qiao Tan Yuan was untied, and the tape was removed from her mouth, her arms and legs were numb but she only cared about Gu Jiao Wu.
‘Gu Jiao Wu, are you OK?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked. ‘Jiao Wu, are you OK?’
End of Chapter 110