The White Lotus Falls

Wu Yuan watched her father humble himself and gave a cold laugh.

Yang Qi asked, "Wu Yuan, what are you laughing at?"

"Winners take all, losers get nothing. Yes, we deceived you. But if you hadn't tried to stop us back then, I wouldn't have argued with Yang Qi. I wouldn't have gotten drunk and run into Gong Yong, or mistaken him for Yang Qi in my confusion."

"I was devastated by what happened too. Why couldn't you have waited until after I left to wake up?"

Wu Yuan had lost control. She no longer wanted to hide anything. This was all their fault. As Yang Qi listened, he remembered what had happened that day.

Seeing that he remembered, Wu Yuan snorted. "When I woke up and realized you weren't there, you were the first person I thought of. I called you. Why didn't you answer? Why?"

"If you could be so heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Gong Yong gripped Wu Yuan's shoulders. "What about me? What did I do wrong? I said I'd take responsibility. When I asked your name, why did you tell me you were Wu Chan?"

When Gong Yong had woken from his drunken stupor and found he'd slept with his friend's girlfriend, he'd wanted to beat himself to death.

He had already worked out how he would go to Yang Qi, beg forgiveness, and make amends. Only when he heard her name had he breathed a sigh of relief.

After learning she was the Youngest Wu Daughter and seeing the blood on the sheets, Gong Yong had blushed and knelt on the bed, promising Wu Chan he would take responsibility.

From that moment on, Wu Chan was his girlfriend. He would take her home to meet his parents in a couple of days.

Gong Yong had wanted to take Wu Chan home that very day. But when he saw the marks on her body, he'd worried his parents would get the wrong idea about her, so he put it off for two days.

Wu Yuan looked at Gong Yong with a complicated expression. "Because I wanted revenge."

"So I was part of your revenge plan." Gong Yong took a step back.

"Blame yourself for ruining my innocence and my happiness! All of you pushed me toward the cliff, one step at a time!" Wu Yuan screamed, her voice raw.

The Yang and Gong families watched Wu Yuan as she stood on the brink.

"Then what did any of that have to do with pretending to be your little sister? She was innocent, wasn't she?" Fang Yao shook her head inwardly. They were falling for it already.

Just watch how I help you, then.

Yay!

Bo Hanmo watched the mischievous Fang Yao with an indulgent smile. The sight stung Wu Yuan's eyes.

"That's right, Wu Yuan. Weren't you afraid of ruining your little sister's reputation?" Yang Qi looked at the woman before him as though she were a stranger.

Wu Yuan had just begun to calm down, but Yang Qi's voice set her off again. "Why should I... You're trying to trick me into talking."

Seeing that Wu Yuan was about to reveal that matter, her father grabbed her arm.

[Even if you don't say it, I know. Wu Chan was gone, so you used her name to do whatever awful things you liked. I wonder how little Wu Chan would feel if she knew that after she died, her own family ruined her name and reputation. Would she be so angry she'd crawl out of her grave to settle the score before going on to her next life?]

[If it were me, I'd definitely crawl out and drag everyone who bullied me down with me.]

"Bo Zhe, our sister-in-law really holds a grudge."

"I've decided. I'm going to be her lackey too."

"Get lost. My sister-in-law is so much younger than you. How can you call her that?" Bo Zhe looked at his friends with disdain.

I haven't even become her lackey yet. What makes you think you get a turn?

Bo Hanmo looked at the string of lackeys lining up behind his little woman: What on earth?

"Even if you won't say why, I know. Wu Chan died when she was little. Isn't that right, Wu Yuan? Mr. Wu? Madam Wu?"

Elder Brother Yang finally arrived, and he entered with a bombshell.

Silence. An eerie hush fell over the room. Revelation after revelation had left everyone present with more than they could stomach.

Then, as one, they took a step back. Good heavens. Someone had died, and the family had hidden it for all these years without anyone finding out.

Then where was Miss Wu's body? Surely they hadn't kept it in the Wu Household?

[Bingo. You guessed it. Wu Chan's body is in a secret room in the Wu Household. She was never buried.] Fang Yao grinned.

Old Master Bo and the person beside him felt as though they were about to have heart attacks. They could have accepted anything else, but not this.

How could the three members of the Wu Household sleep at night?

"Hahahahaha..."

She's gone mad. Everyone watched Wu Yuan laugh.

Her parents hurried forward to support her. "Yuan, it's all right. It's all right."

"Shut up! Shut up! Are you trying to drive us to our deaths?"

Yang Father said, "We aren't. We just want the truth so we can call off the engagement."

As Yang Qi and Gong Yong watched Wu Yuan unravel, their feelings churned. They had both loved the woman before them deeply.

"The truth is that my little sister died just a few days after coming down from the mountain. My parents concealed her death so they could collect another bride price someday. From then on, I switched between being Wu Yuan and Wu Chan."

"I was the one who got engaged to you, Yang Qi. And I was the one dating you, Gong Yong."

Wu Yuan shoved her parents away. You want the truth? I'll give it to you. Let's see if you can bear it! Hahahaha...

Everyone drew a sharp breath.

What a bombshell.

Miss Wu had died so long ago.

"Impossible. No one could play two people at once." Yang Qi and Gong Yong still struggled to deny it.

"Is this what you mean?" Wu Yuan peeled a patch from beside her ear, revealing a birthmark.

Yang Qi and Gong Yong finally gave up hope. They stared blankly at the patch in Wu Yuan's hand.

"Modern products really are wonderful. One tiny patch and a little makeup, and the birthmark disappears."

"Oh, and the tattoo on my leg is fake too. Want me to take it off and show you?"

"No? Never mind, then. Those two little tricks were enough to make fools of you both. And not just you—your families too."

Wu Yuan lifted her gown, revealing the tattoo over the wound on her calf.

Yang Qi and Gong Yong were so shaken that they coughed up blood at the same time. Yang Father, Gong Father, and Elder Brother Yang rushed to steady them.

Fang Yao caught a flash of pain in Wu Yuan's eyes, and her appetite for the spectacle vanished.

[What a mess of bad luck and bad timing. If that drunken encounter hadn't happened, Wu Yuan wouldn't have gone this far. The moment she fell in love with Yang Qi and they became a couple, the Wu family planned to announce that Wu Chan's illness had worsened and that she had died soon after.]

[Her parents may have had selfish motives at first, but they genuinely loved their only daughter. Her suffering hurt them too, so when Wu Yuan wanted revenge, they went along with it. I can understand that.]

[Did you think that was what I'd say? As if. I do feel sorry for her, but she brought this on herself. Actions have consequences, and no one escapes them. I can't stand people like that.]

The Bo Family looked grim. Bo Zhe and Bo Miao, in particular, went weak at the knees under Bo Hanmo's stare.

Everyone turned to see Fang Yao munching on an apple. At a time like this? Their mouths fell open.

Fang Yao said, "There's more here. Want some?"

Everyone shook their heads in unison. Fang Yao shrugged. Suit yourselves.