Last Love chapter 128

Han Zhan sat silently in the car, watching everything unfold until the police, with Zhuo Yuan, gradually disappeared with the sirens. He then turned to Wen Ke and said, “It seems you were right. Someone indeed wanted to take down Zhuo Yuan.”

“What matters most is who that person is,” Wen Ke, sitting in the Bentley, responded. After a pause, he finally said calmly, “Actually… Dad, you should be able to guess, right?”

Han Zhan’s face immediately darkened.

Wen Ke lowered his eyes, and his long eyelashes looked somewhat melancholy in the dimly lit car. He knew Han Zhan’s current attitude indicated clear resistance, and it wasn’t wise to provoke this older Alpha at this moment. However, after a while, he lifted his head and steadfastly met Han Zhan’s gaze, “Dad, it’s Han Zhaoyu.”

As Han Zhan looked at Wen Ke, a hint of obvious anger and fierceness flashed in his eyes, “Be careful with your words.”

However, Wen Ke did not back down, speaking each word deliberately, “Han Jiangque was attacked in a remote parking lot on his way to H City. If Zhuo Yuan didn’t receive precise information about his departure, it would have been impossible for him to arrive in time. And this kind of travel information, even within the Han family, only a few people might know. IM Group’s main shares are in the hands of Han Jiangque and Han Zhaoyu. Originally, Han family’s shares were temporarily held by Fu Xiaoyu, but after Fu Xiaoyu was temporarily dismissed by Han Jiangque, the shares would naturally return to Han Jiangque. Han Zhaoyu’s shares are only one-third of Han Jiangque’s. The value of IM is well-known to you. Once the Donglin Group collapses, IM Group will be the most powerful real estate group in B City. Han Zhaoyu has the most direct interest in all of this. And the most important evidence is right in front of you. If you want to investigate today’s arrested individuals who tried to kill Zhuo Yuan, you should be able to find out their origins quickly. It all depends on whether you’re willing or not—”

The pregnant Omega spoke urgently.

“Shut up!” Han Zhan suddenly roared in anger. His gaze became extremely dark. After a long time, he took a deep breath, then turned to look out the window and said slowly, “Wen Ke, you did well in capturing Zhuo Yuan. The Han family will continue to support you in prosecuting Zhuo Yuan. But I don’t want you to get involved in other matters, especially regarding Zhaoyu…”

“He’s still my son.”

As he said these words, Han Zhan’s voice became slightly hoarse.

Wen Ke understood Han Zhan’s meaning. His hand rested on the car handle, but he still stared stubbornly at the Alpha’s back.

Before getting off the car, he couldn’t help but bite his lip gently and say, “Han Jiangque… he is also your son.”

Han Zhan still did not speak, just staring at the misty car window.

At that moment, although his back was straight, he felt terribly old.

Wen Ke’s gaze gradually dimmed.

…

Zhuo Yuan, handcuffed, descending from the police car, became the headline news not only in B City but also across the country.

Reaching the peak of exposure alongside Zhuo Yuan was the dating app “Last Love.”

From the audio, it sounded like Zhuo Yuan’s persecution by Han Jiangque was motivated by the malicious intent to suppress the launch of Last Love. Ironically, it was the time capsule feature within Last Love that nailed the evidence against him.

This “slow-moving net” plot seemed like divine intervention, especially considering Zhuo Yuan’s apprehension about the app’s launch. Public interest was not only focused on Zhuo Tuan’s fate, but people also began to pay attention to the app itself.

Widespread curiosity and concern created the ideal conditions for explosive event marketing.

On the day of Zhuo Yuan’s arrest, Last Love’s first-day download count reached nearly 800,000, making it the top-ranking app in the local app store. It was destined to become a phenomenal app, and the splendid future outlined by Xia Xingzhi was within reach. For Blue Rain and LITE, this data showed an absolute victory.

However, everyone knew that this victory was propped up by a tragic and fierce tragedy.

When Wen Ke played the audio, he had hesitated, but eventually chose to retain the rambling monologue of Han Jiangque. Although unrelated to the later violent incident, this foolish monologue inadvertently brought people closer to the Alpha’s heart—

He was a 26-year-old Alpha who simply wanted to be a gentle father.

Netizens found Han Jiangque’s photos, surprised at how young and handsome he was.

Because of the existence of that genuine emotion, it vividly portrayed a living person.

When the process of this hopeful life being brutally beaten was recorded, and the sounds of heavy blows and screams were played, the emotions and pain it triggered in the public were unimaginable.

It was no longer just about a violent assault case involving Zhuo Yuan. People not only wanted Zhuo Yuan to be sentenced to death, but numerous media outlets and the public were also fervently and indignantly questioning—

Is this a criminal gang?

Is Donglin Group involved in organized crime?

What role did Zhuo Li, a government official in the Industrial and Commercial Bureau behind the Zhuo family, play?

Questions formed a huge outcry that swept through public opinion in a single day. In the internet age, even before the relevant departments officially responded, various rumors about Zhuo Li and Zhuo Ning flooded the internet. Some were true, some false, but there were indeed quite shocking revelations.

In fact, toppling Zhuo Li within the internal system was an extremely difficult task.

However, Zhuo Yuan’s case, combined with Wen Ke’s sudden move to publish the audio, although not following the rules, was like a general directly storming the enemy camp, directly nailing Zhuo Li. Moreover, at this critical moment, the support from the Han family in the background was deadly. With the Zhuo family’s entire network collapsing at such a time, they all scattered like birds and beasts.

When the building collapsed, it only accompanied a thunderous roar and a cloud of dust covering the ground.

On the evening Zhuo Yuan was arrested, the government announced the establishment of an investigation team for Donglin Group and Zhuo Li, freezing all assets and temporarily dismissing Zhuo Li from office.

At two in the morning, Zhuo Ning, who had initially planned to escape overseas, turned himself in. He claimed to the police that he personally orchestrated the violent attack on Han Jiangque and provided conclusive evidence of his connections with the criminal underworld.

With this, the Zhuo family officially embarked on the path of destruction.

In that winter, the year finally came to a quiet end.

…

On the day of the beginning of spring, B City experienced a continuous drizzle, with mist everywhere and the air carrying the earthy scent of wet soil.

Wen Ke’s car stopped at the entrance of the Linqing Detention Center. He wore a beige sweater, and as his brown boots touched the muddy ground, he heard a sharp female voice, “Xiao Ke—! It’s me!”

Wen Ke certainly remembered that voice. He frowned slightly but still looked towards the source not far away.

He saw Zhuo’s mother, wearing a light gray suit, struggling to approach with an umbrella in one hand.

She seemed to be making an effort to maintain some dignity. Her hair, as usual, was arrogantly tied up, but upon closer inspection, one could see that she had hastily applied powder to her face, forgetting even to wear lipstick. Her face appeared pale as a ghost.

“Xiao Ke, you’ve finally come. Are you here to see Xiao Yuan? Listen to Mom; he knows he was wrong. He really knows he was wrong. Can you forgive him this time? Please?”

Wen Ke paused his steps, turned to look.

Perhaps this gesture gave Zhuo’s mother a glimpse of hope. She shouted in a hoarse voice, “Xiao Ke, please, I am begging you. Whatever you want me to do—kneel, kowtow—anything is fine. As long as you can calm down and spare Xiao Yuan.”

Wen Ke’s light brown eyes looked at Zhuo’s mother for a long time.

His gaze was so indifferent that Zhuo’s mother gradually felt a chilling sensation. Perhaps because it was too faint, it revealed more meaning from the calmness, such as mockery, observation, and a hint of amusement.

“Aunt.”

Wen Ke finally spoke, his tone very polite. This made Zhuo’s mother involuntarily feel a bit hopeful and eagerly looked at him.

Wen Ke gently stroked his protruding belly, stepped on the muddy puddles, took two steps towards Zhuo’s mother, and stared into her eyes.

“I will never spare Zhuo Yuan.”

He said calmly, “Don’t be too sad either.”

After saying this, he turned around indifferently.

Surrounded by bodyguards, he walked step by step into the Linqing Detention Center, leaving Zhuo’s mother’s wailing behind.

…

When Zhuo Yuan was brought out, he still wore handcuffs, and the gunshot wound on his leg hadn’t healed yet. He limped and needed someone’s support.

He sat behind the glass window, staring blankly at Wen Ke, who was dressed neatly, for several seconds. The first thing he said was in a hoarse voice, “Can you give me a cigarette?”

Wen Ke raised his eyes and gestured to the bodyguard nearby, who handed a cigarette to Zhuo Yuan, and a police officer lit it for him.

Zhuo Yuan lowered his head, took a puff after another.

People in the detention center had a unique posture. Even if they had only been in the detention center for a few days, they already hunched their bodies, leaning slightly when smoking, giving off an appearance of both being huddled and insolent.

“I heard the police say you want to see me.”

Wen Ke finally spoke slowly.

“Yes.”

Zhuo Yuan nodded. He didn’t continue speaking, and Wen Ke didn’t urge him.

The rain outside continued to fall gently, and Zhuo Yuan, in a daze, looked at the small ventilation window.

Perhaps both of them faintly felt that this might be the last time they would sit face to face like this in their lives.

“Xiao Ke, have you been doing well lately?”

Zhuo Yuan finally spoke, but rather than saying he was talking to Wen Ke, it was as if his eyes were wandering towards another strange world, murmuring softly, “You may not believe it, but when I’m here, the world suddenly becomes quiet, and my heart… becomes very peaceful.”

“The place I stay in is very small. It only takes five steps from left to right and another five steps from front to back. Time passes very slowly, as if one day has suddenly become as long as three days. But suddenly, I have a lot of free time to think. I often think of you, Xiao Ke. I think of you during the day and dream of you at night.”

Wen Ke just looked at Zhuo Yuan expressionlessly, not saying a word.

“Xiao Ke, I’ve been thinking about us—all of this between us.”

Zhuo Yuan murmured, “Actually, many things shouldn’t have reached such an extreme. Along this road, I actually don’t understand myself. Sometimes I think of you, sometimes I love you, and sometimes I hate you to the point of grinding my teeth. It’s amazing how a person can hold so many emotions at the same time. Sometimes, even I can’t understand it. I thought about it for a long time before gradually figuring it out.”

“One thing is actually very important, but I have never admitted it to you. Later, I thought you might already know, and Han Jiangque should have found out, but no matter what, I think I should tell you face-to-face—

“When you were expelled from Beisan High School, it wasn’t because you were caught cheating… It was because my dad pressured from behind. From start to finish, I knew and tacitly agreed. So, I’ve always known that your life was ruined by my family, but I never dared to admit it.”

Zhuo Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, gently exhaling a smoke ring.

Perhaps it was because of the passage of years, or perhaps these words had hovered near his lips before, but when they were finally spoken, there was not the overwhelming pressure he had imagined. Instead, there was a faint melancholy.

A thin mist rose between them.

“I know.”

Wen Ke finally spoke slowly.

These two words didn’t surprise Zhuo Yuan, but after a pause, Wen Ke continued, “Actually, I knew even before we got married.”

Zhuo Yuan’s hand, holding the cigarette, suddenly trembled violently. “What?”

His shock was dull and deep, with a kind of inexplicable and lingering pain.

He could only raise his head and look at Wen Ke through the dirty glass window.

“I said I knew a long time ago. At that time, I overheard your dad telling you to leave me directly, that I was no longer valuable. You said: you still wanted to marry me. So, at that time, I thought—forget it, let it be.”

Forget it, let it be.

This certainly couldn’t be described as a touching narrative.

But Zhuo Yuan couldn’t help but suddenly inhale sharply. His nose was running, and he had to use the back of his hand to wipe it. After wiping away the mucus, his nose and eyes were red.

An adult Alpha at this moment looked like an ugly, oversized doll.

Zhuo Yuan choked up. “Xiao Ke, do you know? You are my first love. When I got you, I was so happy. But as soon as we got married, I knew we were wrong.”

“I originally thought that if I felt guilty towards you, I would force myself to treat you better, but after actually starting to live, I found out that it was wrong. People’s temperament is not that kind. On the contrary, the more guilty I felt towards you, the more I hated you, even hated you to the point of wanting to stay away from you. The closer I got to you, the more painful it became. This torment almost drove me crazy, even making me think that I no longer loved you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Why didn’t you tell me that you already knew? Wen Ke, why? We could have been different.”

Zhuo Yuan suddenly stood up, unable to control himself from hitting the glass with his palm. The police had to step forward, using a baton to hit the glass hard, making Zhuo Yuan quiet down.

Zhuo Yuan was, of course, selfish from start to finish, but at this moment, the pain on his face was genuinely tearing.

Even demons have their deformed sorrows.

In his relatively rare moments of true happiness, he only had such complex feelings towards Wen Ke: desire, guilt, reluctance, greed, and pathological obsession.

It was already difficult to classify it as love. It was more like an airtight prison, filled with unreleased malice and malice that continued to breed.

“Zhuo Yuan, Han Jiangque is innocent.”

Wen Ke raised his head, silently watching the frenzied Zhuo Yuan, and said word by word, “Any change along this road wouldn’t have changed the outcome. I don’t love you, never loved you. The mistake was between you and me. Between us—actually, it shouldn’t have started at all.”

Zhuo Yuan’s face pressed against the glass. He carefully listened to Wen Ke’s words, and when he heard Wen Ke say, “It shouldn’t have started at all,” his expression suddenly changed from madness to gradually calm.

His breathing gradually stabilized, and he gazed at Wen Ke for a long, long time.

“Xiao Ke, didn’t I say that I occasionally dream of you these days?”

Zhuo Yuan’s voice was very light, as if it carried a layer of mist. A faint smile appeared on his face, and he murmured, “Xiao Ke. I dreamt… it’s like I’ve lived again. This time, we didn’t get together, didn’t get married, of course, we didn’t divorce either. I was just quietly, silently in love with you during high school. I dreamt of myself at this age now, attending the Beisan High School reunion, and seeing you holding hands with Han Jiangque, him holding your twins… you looked very happy. So I sat among a group of classmates, looking at you. Everyone was laughing, and I smiled too. In my dream… I seemed to be very happy as an observer.”

The golden sunlight, through the small ventilation window, fell on Zhuo Yuan’s face.

At that moment, his expression seemed to freeze eternally.

He closed his eyes and stopped looking at Wen Ke, whispering, “The wind is very strong, and my hands and feet are cold, but my heart is warm. But I don’t understand why my heart is so soft for some reason. I want to get close to you, so I won’t be so sad.”

— In the dream, I just secretly and quietly loved you during high school, and it ended without a trace.

Before leaving, Wen Ke finally asked the question he wanted to understand, and Zhuo Yuan’s response was straightforward. Perhaps he really didn’t care anymore: yes, the news came from Han Zhaoyu.

………….

Half a month later, Zhuo Yuan, in the Linqiang Detention Center, used a sharpened toothbrush handle to pierce his throat. His body was only discovered the next morning, blood completely drained, damp in the bedding.

Before dying, he wrote a very short confession, admitting to all his crimes.

Actually, at that time, everyone knew that the death penalty was basically impossible. After all, Han Jiangque did not die, and Zhuo Ning took the blame for the crimes.

Except for Wen Ke, no one could understand why Zhuo Yuan sought death at this time. He was clearly a person who would use any means to stay alive, even wetting his pants when being chased.

Wen Ke still remembered that day, in the afternoon of Linqiang Detention Center, the spring rain had just stopped, raindrops falling on the branches of willow trees and under the concrete eaves.

The sunlight gently poured down, refracting dazzling golden rays through the translucent raindrops, as if there were sparkling gold dust floating in the moist air.

He looked up at the sky, standing there for a long time.

When he left, he didn’t look back, but at a certain moment, he just knew—

This was the last time he would see Zhuo Yuan.

…

The Zhuo family’s affairs gradually settled, and Wen Ke also moved to H City because Han Zhaoyu was brought back to the Han family.

Wen Ke handed all the evidence about Han Zhaoyu to Han Zhan, but he was still ordered not to intervene. Unlike Zhuo Yuan, Han Zhaoyu’s involvement had almost no clear evidence. It was only when Han Zhan was willing to take action that there was a possibility of threatening him.

Wen Ke had already exhausted himself in bringing down the Zhuo family and couldn’t afford to confront the Han family. During that time, although Han Zhan’s bodyguards followed him, the relationship between the two sides was not really good.

Han Jiangque never woke up, and Wen Ke had actually come back to see him a few times while dealing with Zhuo Yuan’s affairs. He would sit quietly in the chair beside the sickbed, silently watching the Alpha on the bed, and then leave hastily after daybreak.

The restrained performance of this Omega even made many people from the Han family have complaints.

They saw Wen Ke busy attacking the Zhuo family in B City and even accepting interviews courageously, but they didn’t see the expected grief and weeping Omega beside Han Jiangque’s bed. This somewhat displeased them—

…

Wen Ke calmly underwent the artificial marking surgery.

Before the surgery, he didn’t inform anyone from the Han family, just had Xu Jiale sign a document, and coldly accepted the operation.

During the surgery, he lay on the operating table with his face turned sideways, looking at the face of Han Jiangque, who was sleeping quietly beside him.

Although he was anesthetized, he could still feel the sharp surgical knife cutting the skin at the back of his neck. The sensation was somewhat similar to the surgery of mark removal, but then he felt a large syringe inserted into the gland at the back of his neck, and then… something was slowly injected.

Artificial marking was cold, without the passionate kisses and desires, without the gentle whispers between lovers.

But when the anesthesia wore off, Wen Ke felt—

He felt Han Jiangque as never before.

When he closed his eyes, he seemed to smell the faint scent of Han Jiangque lingering around him.

When he placed his hand on his chest, it felt like Han Jiangque’s soul was in his own heartbeat.

He couldn’t remember feeling so closely connected when Zhuo Yuan marked him.

In the first week after being marked, Wen Ke curiously experienced this kind of breath. Han Jiangque seemed to be everywhere, and this long-lost intimacy made him almost optimistic.

His belly grew bigger and bigger, and the babies often kicked him. When his stomach hurt, he would sit down gently, touching his belly and talking to the babies:

My babies, do you miss Daddy Han?

I miss him too.

Do you think he’ll wake up soon?

But Han Jiangque never woke up.

…