After a long time of contemplation and building some courage in her heart, Chyou gathered the strength in her feet to move. It was dim and lethargic as if she was walking against the force of heavy chains binding her immobile. Yet she faced Yin with eyes that were too exhausted to shed tears. Millions of questions and thoughts in her mind seemed to make no sense.
"Why...?"
The one syllable question that escaped her trembling lips was Why?
Yin panicked. "Chyou there is a misunderstanding! P-please don't believe any of them. They just don't want us to be together! I never had any relationship with this shameless woman!"
Qiu stared at him, stunned, her eyes aching and her heart stinging to hear the crushing words.
"Qiao Kang is lying too! This bastard Gu Yating has snatched him to his side too to go against me! You...you cannot fall for it Chyou!"
Chyou still asked, "Why?"
Yin blinked, bewildered, his chest thudding with max speed. "I-I am telling you Chyou y-you cannot trust anything that they say!"
She tiredly gazed at him. "But you...believed those pictures. You didn't trust me. Everything..." her eyelashes lethargically blinked, "showed to you was a lie. But you didn't trust me. Everything shown to me right now is the truth.
So why should I trust you?"
He froze.
"Yin...I just want to know why. That's all."
"Ch-Chyou that's not..."
It were her soulless eyes that finally made it register to Yin that no amount of blaming others would now help him. There was no space left to manipulate her.
"I...I am sorry Chyou! P-please forgive me. I-I didn't know what took over me," he pleaded and begged with tears sliding down his cheeks, "I was doing everything I can to fight my addiction b-but it was very hard...The rebound was hitting me too badly a-and the withdrawal symptoms were just too...It was around that that Qiu approached me one day showing those pictures! I know!
His danger-leaking low voice brought a chill to his neck. But then he angrily laughed. "That's the only thing you rich people know to do! Abuse your power against people like us who don't match your status-"
"Abuse?" Yating tilted his head. "You haven't seen what abuse of power actually looks like otherwise you wouldn't speak such ignorance. But you will get to see it now."
He grabbed the collar of his shirt and squeezed it against his neck as if strangling him. Yin gasped with breathlessness but more than anything, Yating's demonic pressure almost made him piss his pants.
"You have done more than enough to warrant it. So just lie in wait now till your end comes to you."
With a harsh push, Yin fell on the floor once more. He looked up at Chyou who remained silent and motionless. He tried to hold her hand but Xiang pulled her back, kicking him away. "Don't you fucking touch my sister anymore! The nerve of you to ask for forgiveness after cheating on her and even calling her shameless!"
Yin paled. "Th-That...I didn't mean any of it! I was just angry. I really regret it-"
"Enough!" Caihong roared in disgust. She called the guards and ordered them to throw the three of them out of the villa.
Chyou stared at Yin's pitiful state who continued to chant for another chance and then at Qiu. Qiu felt her gaze and stiffened. She immediately averted her gaze, guilt flashing in her eyes.
"Let me go!" Yin resisted the guards but to no avail. "I have to talk to Chyou. She has to forgive me. It was just a mistake. I-I won't do it again!"
Xiang sneered. "Yeah this is the proof right here that you never worked on those rehabilitation appointments. Clearly, you are still sniffing the bad stuff and living in delusions. Take these disgusting people away. They have already polluted the air enough!"
"Chyou! Chyou! Please stop them. I beg you. I will listen to anything you say now!"
Silence returned to the villa as the three were finally taken away. Chyou remained glued to the floor for a long moment before slowly turning upstairs.
Yating balled his fist, tears threatening to escape his eyes. He wanted to follow her. He wanted to stop her from leaving and talk to her.
But he also knew that at this moment, what Chyou needed the most wasn't anybody's company but to be left alone.
All alone and all by herself.