26. Seeking the Truth

Tong Zhenzhen watched as Tong Qing approached her with a livid expression. Instinctively, she braced herself in a defensive posture.

"Zhenzhen..." Tong Qing let out a mournful cry, tears streaming down his aged face. "You... what did you say? Before she passed? Your... your mother... what... what happened to her?"

What a performance. To Tong Zhenzhen, these were nothing but crocodile tears. He was, after all, one of the people who had driven her mother to her death.

"My mother has gone to heaven." Tong Zhenzhen stared fixedly at Tong Qing, then suddenly lowered her voice to a sinister whisper, "But she will be watching you every single moment!"

Tong Qing stumbled back a few steps and sank dejectedly into a chair, his frame collapsing. He leaned against the backrest, struggling to support his tall body.

Tong Zhenzhen watched his sobbing and whimpering with cold eyes, feeling nothing but disgust. Once someone is dead, no amount of pity or longing can compare to treating them well while they are alive.

After waiting for a while and seeing no sign that Tong Qing intended to stop, she strode to the table and slammed her hand down on it. "Cry! You still have the nerve to cry?! If it weren't for your betrayal, would she have suffered from depression, fled her home, and jumped into the sea? Get out! Stop putting on a show in front of me!"

Tong Qing looked up, stunned, at the icy, furious Tong Zhenzhen. His lips trembled, but he could not find the words to speak.

Hmph, every word she spoke was the truth; he was left speechless, wasn't he? His appearance was an eyesore to her. She grabbed a box of tissues from the table and threw it at him. "Get back to your Jun family!"

"Zhenzhen..." Tong Qing caught the tissues, wiped his tears haphazardly, and stood up by gripping the back of the chair. He seemed to want to say something more.

"Miss, you cannot go in there."
"I am a friend of hers."
"Miss, Miss!"

Just then, the hospital room door was pushed open.

Tong Zhenzhen turned her head to see a woman wearing oversized dark sunglasses, with a nurse trying to block her path.

Long, wavy hair, exquisite lip makeup, a graceful figure, a Chanel suit, and a green Hermès Birkin bag—even with most of her face obscured, her overbearing attitude told Tong Zhenzhen clearly that the woman who had barged in was Michelle.

"It's alright, nurse. I know this person, thank you." Tong Zhenzhen knew that even if she blocked Michelle once, she wouldn't give up. When it came to being unscrupulous to achieve her goals, Michelle and Long Tianyu were truly cut from the same cloth.

The nurse cast an annoyed glance at Michelle, turned, and left, closing the door behind her.

Tong Qing noticed as well. He straightened his posture. "Zhenzhen, your friend is here to see you? I'll come back another day."

With that, Tong Qing hurried away.

What kind of curse had been cast on her these past two days? Why were people coming one after another to cause trouble? Tong Zhenzhen walked over to the bed and sat down, asking indifferently, "Michelle, we are not friends. Why are you here?"

Michelle took off her sunglasses. Though her face remained composed, her wringing hands betrayed her inner tension. "Tong Zhenzhen, whose child is it?"

Tong Zhenzhen was slightly surprised. How did Michelle even find out about her pregnancy?

Amidst her confusion, she noticed that Michelle looked significantly more haggard than she had half a month ago. Even the finest powder could not hide her sunken eye sockets and the faint dark circles emerging beneath them. Her eyes were filled with a frantic, restless anxiety, like a criminal awaiting sentencing.

A woman's delicate beauty may be innate, but the best anti-aging serum is a peaceful mind.

She hadn't expected that Michelle, who had always valued her appearance more than life itself, would show signs of aging in just a few short days. It seemed her state of mind had been far from well.

Falling in love with Long Tianyu was the fate of any woman, for he loved only himself.

"Don't worry, it's not Long Tianyu's." Tong Zhenzhen felt a sliver of pity for her and offered the reassurance.

According to media reports, in the four years since their marriage, Long Tianyu had never been without other women, and they had never had children. These things were likely weighing on Michelle like a mountain.

Hearing this, Michelle let out a long sigh of relief. Perhaps sensing Tong Zhenzhen's pity, her attitude suddenly became arrogant once more.

"Tong Zhenzhen, Long Tianyu only plays with women. For you, it's at most the regret of something he couldn't obtain. I advise you to stay far away from him." Michelle tossed her wavy hair, unable to hide her smugness. "Besides, you're carrying someone else's child."

Tong Zhenzhen realized that she and Michelle were truly from different planets. Since when was she the one trying to get close to Long Tianyu?

"Michelle, let's get one thing clear. From start to finish, it has been your husband harassing me. I suggest you keep him under control!" Receiving Michelle's scornful gaze, Tong Zhenzhen's tone hardened.

Michelle, who had been pampered since childhood, was so angry her face twitched. "You! Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."

"You have your answer, now please leave. I need to rest." Tong Zhenzhen issued the eviction order.

Tong Zhenzhen had guessed correctly: Michelle had truly been suffering lately.

Although Long Tianyu had had other women in private over the years, he had never threatened Michelle's position as his wife. Furthermore, he would occasionally buy her gifts and indulge in little romantic gestures.

Based on the experience of her social circle, men in the business world always had to play along with social expectations; none of it was meant to be taken seriously. A wife needed to maintain her composure and turn a blind eye to certain things.

Despite this, Michelle had always hired private detectives to monitor Long Tianyu, which was how she discovered he had reconnected with Tong Zhenzhen.

However, after she had confidently exposed Tong Zhenzhen's existence to the media, Long Tianyu's private retaliation had terrified her.

Long Tianyu often locked himself in his study.
The marital intimacy that once occurred weekly had vanished.
Long Tianyu was rejecting her affection; even their morning farewell kisses had disappeared.
In the past, Long Tianyu had always accompanied her to station banquets as the perfect gentleman.
Yet, at the station's anniversary last week, where she won "Best Host of the Year," Long Tianyu had not even shown up.

Because Michelle had always presented herself to her colleagues as a woman with both a successful career and a happy marriage, often receiving their envious gazes, this incident was no less than an earthquake, overturning everything she had built.

Having grown up with everything going her way, how could she endure this?

Four years ago, she had leveraged her family's influence and promised to fund Long Tianyu’s bid for the leadership of the Longteng Group, successfully snatching the title of Mrs. Long from Tong Zhenzhen.

But why was Long Tianyu so determined to have Tong Zhenzhen this time?
Was it really for love?
Michelle did not believe for a second that Long Tianyu was someone who put love above all else. What, then, was his reason?

At noon today, unable to suppress her anxiety any longer, Michelle had gone to the Longteng Group headquarters.
Reaching the 36th-floor executive office, she arrived during lunch hour when the secretaries were absent.
As she approached the door to Long Tianyu’s office, just as she was about to push it open, she heard him roar: "What?! She is pregnant?!"

This news was like a bolt from the blue.
In four years of marriage, she and Long Tianyu had never had children.
Long Tianyu had never shown impatience regarding the lack of a child, telling her after every intimate moment that it didn't matter, as it allowed them more time for just the two of them.
However, her father-in-law, Long Shenghai, had hinted at it repeatedly during family dinners.
Her mother-in-law had chimed in, saying that although Long Tianyu's younger brother, Long Xianyang, already had a daughter, the house would be livelier with more children.

If Tong Zhenzhen's child was Long Tianyu's, what would happen?
She had also seen the advertisements for the newly opened "Yuezhen Garden."
That back of the man in the white shirt—if it wasn't Long Tianyu, who could it be?
Long Tianyu was already being so high-profile in his declaration of love for Tong Zhenzhen; if a child were added to the mix, wouldn't it be even more catastrophic?

Knowing Long Tianyu’s hatred for interference, she hadn't dared to go in and confront him, leaving instead in a state of utter despair.

Michelle did not want to continue suffering like a fish on a hot griddle, which was why she had come to find Tong Zhenzhen to get to the bottom of it.

Now, although Michelle had received an answer that should have satisfied her, in her heart, she wished more than ever for Tong Zhenzhen to disappear.

In recent days, this thought had haunted her like a demon.
Now, as Tong Zhenzhen dismissed her with the posture of a victor, the floodgates of her reason collapsed entirely.

Michelle reached into her handbag.

Tong Zhenzhen noticed the twitch at the corner of Michelle’s right eye and the fierce glare in her gaze, and she instinctively grew wary.

"Tong Zhenzhen, go to hell!" A voice filled with hatred erupted from Michelle's lips as she lunged forward, brandishing a silver paper cutter.

Good heavens, had Michelle gone mad? Was she going to kill her with a knife?

While thinking this, Tong Zhenzhen threw her pillow at the demon-like Michelle, who now looked like a terrifying ghost crawled up from hell.

Michelle slashed wildly at the flying pillow, a low roar emanating from her throat.

Seizing the moment while Michelle was busy ravaging the pillow, Tong Zhenzhen scrambled toward the door. She would not lower herself to fight with a lunatic.

"Michelle, have you lost your mind?!" As the door opened, a cold, sharp male voice rang out. Tong Zhenzhen looked up and saw Long Tianyu.

"You..." Before she could finish, Tong Zhenzhen was pulled into his arms. She heard him command: "A-Qiang, stop her!"

A pungent, metallic scent hit her. Tong Zhenzhen pushed Long Tianyu away and saw a long, deep gash on the back of his right hand, with blood flowing freely.

He must have been slashed by Michelle.

Tong Zhenzhen, who was hemophilic and faint at the sight of blood, felt her legs go weak and her head spin.

Knowing her weakness, Long Tianyu hurriedly took out a silk handkerchief to wrap his injured hand before stepping forward to support her.

"A-Qiang, don't you dare come closer! Or I will die right in front of you! Tianyu~" A resolute and shrill cry erupted from the chaotic Michelle.

The commotion was so great that it drew people from other rooms and the hallway. Many crowded around, necks craned, eager to see the spectacle and gather gossip for later.

"Oh, isn't that the TV host Michelle?"
"Yes, it is. Look closely, it really is her."
"What's going on?"
"Looks like she's clashing with a mistress."
"Really? Who's the mistress?"
...

The hallway became as noisy as a wet market, buzzing with the sound of thousands of flies.

Long Tianyu, who had always valued his privacy, frowned deeply. He turned to close the door.

Michelle, in her state of madness, saw Long Tianyu move away from Tong Zhenzhen and gave another low roar: "Tong Zhenzhen, I hope you die a miserable death!"