CHAPTER 316: CHAPTER 316: THE BLOW OF BEING DEEMED DEAD

"When your mother’s body was taken out, nobody suspected it was fake. Do you know how much I did back then to pull off that trick? But unfortunately, it was all in vain after the explosion. Thankfully, I kept it, and now it can be of use," Wan Yufeng said, turning off the TV and continuing slowly.

"What do you mean?" Ye Ningwan asked.

She couldn’t understand at all what he meant.

Her mind was buzzing, and the hope she had was instantly extinguished.

"Want to know what it means? Watch this again."

Wan Yufeng instructed Ye Ningwan to look at the TV screen.

The TV turned on again.

This time, it was surveillance footage showing a familiar car driving up to the Zhan Family doorstep.

The car looked very familiar. Ye Ningwan thought for a moment: it was Bai Wenjing’s car.

The one meant to take her home.

The car stopped, and a woman got out, her figure exactly like Ye Ningwan’s.

Bai Wenjing got out too, speaking a few words to "her."

Soon, Bai Wenjing drove off, leaving "her" standing at the doorstep, reluctant to enter, glancing up at the surveillance camera.

With that glance, Ye Ningwan finally saw her face clearly, and even with her strong mind, she paled with fright.

Unbelievably... she looked exactly like her, no difference at all.

Soon, "she" turned around and walked away, not entering the Zhan Family home.

She walked for a long time, hailed a cab, and arrived at the riverside.

Standing by the river for a while, she took out her phone, sent a text, then leaped into the river.

Gradually, she sank.

"She" was dead.

From the surveillance footage, "she," Ye Ningwan, was dead, a suicide.

Wan Yufeng spoke slowly again: "In the past couple of days, you’ve been in a bad mood, impulsively jumping into the river. What reason could Zhan Hanjue have not to believe it?"

*********

"Miss Ye, dinner is ready."

Ye Ningwan sat silently on the sofa, unmoved.

This was the second day after learning of her "death."

After discovering her death, she neither ate nor drank, just sat there on the sofa.

Of course, she had no intention of starving herself to death. Even though deemed dead, she didn’t want to die.

It was just hard to accept for a while, her strong heart still found it difficult to accept such an effortless "death."

She needed time, even needed hunger to think about what to do next.

Still, her reaction made the servants at the Wan Family think she was on a hunger strike. Seeing she hadn’t touched any of the food delivered for a whole day, they reported it to the master.

Wan Yufeng frowned slightly after hearing this, but he didn’t go check on her.

He was very busy, lots of company matters, no time to linger with such a young girl.

So, he sent Li Qingqing to persuade her.

However, it was evidently the most inappropriate choice.

Li Qingqing came to the courtyard where Ye Ningwan was held, unable to enter, only at the door.

Yet, it didn’t stop her from mocking: "Ye Ningwan, I never thought you’d resort to a hunger strike. I’d hope you’d keep it up, starve yourself to death, so I can be at ease."

"Li Qingqing, do you know what kind of person Wan Yufeng is?" Ye Ningwan asked softly.

Li Qingqing was stunned, not expecting Ye Ningwan to respond.

"Of course, someone who covers the sky with one hand."

"No, he’s a devil, yet you’ve sold yourself to this devil. Have you thought about your future fate?"

"Ye Ningwan, don’t stand on a moral high ground judging me. I know exactly what I’m doing and with whom. What about the devil? As long as he helps me, what does it matter if he’s a devil?" Li Qingqing retorted angrily.

Ye Ningwan gave a bitter smile: "Yes, once in the devil’s clutches, what can you do? Only work with the devil. Seeing we’re desolate together, if you want to know the remaining half of the token, I’ll tell you. The other half is at the Xie Family in Tong City. Go there to find it."

"Why suddenly so kind to tell me? What’s your plan, Ye Ningwan?"

Li Qingqing wasn’t a fool, how could she believe such nonsense?

"I’m already a dead person, what’s the point of keeping this secret? Believe it or not, I’ve told you. What you do is up to you."

Ye Ningwan finished, got up, and returned to the bedroom.

It was her first time leaving the sofa in days, taking the meal brought by the servants with her.

Li Qingqing heard the door close, peered through the crack, and saw Ye Ningwan wasn’t in the living room.

Frowning, she had to leave.

Wondering, was Ye Ningwan really this kind, sharing the token’s clue?

To verify the truth of Ye Ningwan’s words, Li Qingqing went straight to see Shuixian after returning.

"Could the remaining half of the token be at the Xie Family?"

"The Xie Family? Which Xie Family?" Shuixian blinked innocently.

Her youthful appearance made her seem a maiden even in her thirties.

But those who knew her knew how she maintained such youth.

Li Qingqing felt both envy and aversion toward her, yet had to collaborate with her.

"The Xie Family in Tong City."

"That Xie Family? It’s possible. My master owed the Xie Family a favor before, so he always treated their little grandson’s illness. The child was inherently weak, ought to be one who couldn’t be raised. My master used all his knowledge to prolong his life. Even after dying, they have Ye Ningwan continue this task. Just for a favor, to such an extent, seems unreasonable. Perhaps, he gave the Xie Family the other half of the token, which is why they exert such effort."

"But how did you find out?" Shuixian asked.

Li Qingqing replied coldly: "Never mind how I know, just know I know this matter."

Shuixian chuckled disdainfully: "Did Ye Ningwan tell you?"

"Impossible, she’s already dead," Li Qingqing claimed.

Now, only she and Wan Yufeng, along with the servant taking care of Ye Ningwan, knew she was still alive. No one else was aware.

Even those in Traditional Chinese Medicine knew the person locked up was Bai Zhi, not Ye Ningwan.

"Hmph, do you think I’d believe such a lie?" Shuixian smirked: "Ye Ningwan was a clever girl since young, how could she die so easily, by suicide. Only those who don’t know her might believe such a lie. Forget it, you won’t tell, I won’t pry. I have a date with a handsome guy, no time to play riddles with you."

Shuixian turned to leave.

Li Qingqing frowned.

Suddenly realizing, if even Shuixian didn’t believe Ye Ningwan was dead, would Zhan Hanjue believe it?