Chapter 84: I Want You Gone Forever

Qiao Xi held her breath and walked step by step toward the abandoned pavilion deep within the park.

The wind swept through the bare branches, making a wailing sound.

The silence around her was terrifying; only the thunderous pounding of her own heart echoed in her ears.

From the shadows of the pavilion, a figure slowly emerged.

Qiao Xi’s eyes widened in shock, her heart drumming wildly as she blurted out, “...Zou Xin?! How could it be you?”

The woman before her was no longer the elegant and refined Zou Xin of the past.

She was dressed in an inconspicuous black tracksuit, her hair carelessly tied back, her face unnaturally pale.

A look of near-mad obsession and fierce desperation burned in her eyes.

“Surprised, Mrs. Fu?” Zou Xin’s voice was hoarse, thick with mockery and hatred.

“Did you think I would have the sense to disappear, or that Fu Yancheng would grind me into the dirt, never to recover?”

Ever since that night at the Fu family’s annual gala, when Fu Yancheng had ruthlessly ordered her dragged out in front of everyone, Zou Xin’s life had collapsed in an instant.

By the very next morning, her agency had sent a termination letter, unilaterally severing all contracts and demanding an astronomical penalty for “seriously damaging the company’s image and violating artist clauses.”

Several luxury brands she represented simultaneously withdrew their endorsements, pulled all advertisements, and sent legal notices demanding compensation.

The film and variety show offers she had secured evaporated overnight; no one dared associate with her any longer.

In the blink of an eye, she went from a darling of the fashion world to a pariah everyone shunned.

The crushing compensation and penalties left Zou Xin at a complete loss.

Her bank accounts were frozen; her properties and luxury goods—kept up for appearances—were swiftly seized and auctioned, still unable to fill the gaping hole in her finances.

She had tumbled from a goddess who spent lavishly and lived in the spotlight to someone struggling to cover even the basics of daily life.

She was even forced to pawn off her treasured jewelry just to maintain a veneer of dignity.

Her former friends and admirers vanished without a trace, and her studio staff scattered. Some, unpaid, even turned against her, feeding the media stories of her diva antics, making her plight even worse.

Zou Xin became the laughingstock of high society, disgracing her family.

Madame Zou was so enraged she collapsed on the spot, rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, and now lingered in critical condition in the ICU, kept alive only by a ventilator.

Resentment ran high in the Zou family; they laid all blame at Zou Xin’s feet for her arrogance and folly.

Not one relative offered help. Instead, they condemned her harshly, all but casting her out.

Seeing Zou Xin now, Qiao Xi quickly suppressed her shock and forced herself to remain calm.

She watched Zou Xin warily. “My mother’s illness—was that your doing?”

“Me?” Zou Xin let out a low, bitter laugh, her eyes venomous. “I’m not that capable.”

“But I do know what’s going on, and I know who can keep her alive—or make her die in even greater agony.”

She stepped closer, locking eyes with Qiao Xi. “I called you here today for one reason only.”

“Leave Fu Yancheng.”

Her voice rose, shrill and sharp. “Right now. Disappear from his world forever!”

“If you promise, I guarantee your mother will remain safe.”

“But if you refuse...” Zou Xin’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “Then just wait and watch her suffer, watch her attacks get worse and worse, until she’s neither human nor ghost, and finally dies in utter torment!”

“No matter how powerful Fu Yancheng is, he’ll never uncover the truth or save her!”

Qiao Xi’s heart sank, her face draining of color.

She never imagined Zou Xin would descend into such madness, even threatening her with her mother’s life.

“Zou Xin, you’re insane!” Qiao Xi’s voice trembled with rage. “You think this will get you what you want? If Yancheng finds out—”

“He won’t find out!” Zou Xin cut her off, agitated. “As long as your mother wants to live, you’ll never dare tell him! Qiao Xi, you have no choice!”

“Either you leave willingly, or I destroy the person you love most! Even that bastard child you’re carrying won’t be spared!”

The venomous curse against her unborn child ignited Qiao Xi’s fury, burning away her fear.

She straightened her back, meeting Zou Xin’s gaze without flinching, her voice as cold as ice. “Zou Xin, listen carefully.”

“I will never bow to your threats, nor will I leave Yancheng. You and whoever’s behind you had better pray my mother comes to no harm.”

She spoke each word clearly and deliberately. “Because if Yancheng traces this back to you, you’ll regret everything you’ve done today.”

“You have no idea what happens to those who harm his people.”

Zou Xin listened to her warning, but instead of fear, her face twisted with derision as if she’d just heard the world’s greatest joke.

She began to laugh, the sound echoing through the desolate park, filled with despair and hatred, chilling to the bone.

Tears streamed from her eyes as she laughed. “Am I not miserable enough already? Huh?”

She stopped laughing, her bloodshot eyes boring into Qiao Xi, seething with boundless hatred.

“You did this to me!”

“You destroyed everything! My career, my reputation, my money... all gone!”

“Even my grandmother lies in the hospital, hovering between life and death, all because of you! The Zou family doesn’t want me anymore—I have nothing left!”

Zou Xin grew more agitated, her voice hysterical. “It’s all because of you, Qiao Xi!”

“If not for you, would Fu Yancheng have treated me like this? If not for you, I’d still be the glorious Zou Xin!”

“You stole everything that should have been mine! You drove me into this corner!”

Her breathing grew ragged, her chest heaving—she was clearly unhinged.

“I will never let this go!” Zou Xin howled, every word squeezed through gritted teeth. “Even if I go to hell, I’ll drag you with me!”

Suddenly, she whipped out a gleaming fruit knife from behind her back, gripping it tightly in both hands.

The blade pointed straight at Qiao Xi as Zou Xin lunged at her, wild with frenzy.

“Zou Xin! Don’t you dare!”

At that moment, a thunderous shout rang out.

It carried overwhelming rage and a terrifying authority.

Fu Yancheng had arrived, though no one knew when. He radiated a murderous aura, his gaze chilling and fierce.

His sudden appearance, along with the bodyguards fanning out behind him, made Zou Xin freeze in her tracks.

Her hand holding the knife trembled violently.

A flash of terror momentarily cleared the madness from her eyes.

But in the next instant, hatred and desperation took hold again.

Zou Xin seized Qiao Xi, twisting her arm so the knife pressed directly against Qiao Xi’s neck.

“Stay back, Fu Yancheng!”

“One more step and I’ll slash her face!” Zou Xin screamed.

Seeing this, Fu Yancheng abruptly stopped in his tracks, raising a hand to halt his bodyguards.

He fixed his gaze on the knife hovering just an inch from Qiao Xi’s throat, veins bulging at his temple, his eyes a storm on the verge of destruction.

Yet his voice, though forced into unnatural calm, was icy and steady.

“Zou Xin, put down the knife. Whatever you want, we can talk.”