Let him?
What did Lu Yinchan let go of?
I was confused, but I could sense Lu Shiyan's expression growing worse by the second.
Not far away, Su Ning'an was surrounded by her family, her face full of pride. Her mother was praising her incessantly, "An'an is so amazing. Just a few paintings and they sold for billions."
"Unlike Su Wen, that dead girl. Her teacher said she had talent when she was younger, but I haven't seen any of her works. She's really nothing compared to even a finger of you."
Her brother chimed in, "By the way, has Su Wen contacted any of you? I can't get through to her. This girl is becoming more and more irresponsible, just worrying the family."
"I heard she went to Yun City."
"Mom, Dad, I've always said not to spoil her so much. She's caused so much trouble, and now she just leaves without a word. Such a reckless girl."
"Mom, brother, don't be mad. I think sister just needed some time to herself."
"Once she comes back, she'll have to kneel and apologize!"
"In my opinion, you should beat some sense into her so she'll learn."
Seeing Su Ning'an's hypocritical expression, I wanted nothing more than to rip her false mask off right then and there.
Yet, everyone bought into her act. Not only did they have no doubts, but they also obeyed her every word.
I could tolerate betrayal from my lover, but I couldn't accept the cold words from my own family.
I was born from my mother's womb, how could she treat me this way?
I loved painting so much. That day was my sister's birthday. Suddenly, my mother got angry and rushed into my studio, throwing paint on my works and tearing them up with her own hands.
She said Su Ning'an had died. How could I, a heartless person, continue to paint so calmly? I was nothing but a heartless, ungrateful little beast.
It turns out she had hated me long before. She thought it should have been me who disappeared, not Su Ning'an.
This time, it was Su Ning'an and Lu Shiyan's mess, but they didn't care about right or wrong and blamed everything on me. After I died, they didn't even rush to find me, but instead discussed how to punish me further.
I touched my face. I didn't have a single tear, so why did it still feel so painful?
I didn't know when the snow had started falling again, but the thick white snowflakes drifted down like the scene I had seen before my death.
When would they finally realize I was dead?
Soon, the news from the gallery broke. Both Su Ning'an and I were trending.
#ExposeSuWen#
#GeniusPainterIsActuallyAHeiress#
#SuWenIsDisgusting#
#PricelessArtwork#
#MissSuFiveIsBeautifulAndKindWithABillionDollarDonation#
Public opinion was completely one-sided.
Standing behind Lu Shiyan, I saw him scrolling through his phone, his frown deepening the more he read. Su Ning'an clung to his arm and said, "Brother, I didn't expect things to turn out like this. Should we get someone to suppress the trending topics?"
"Suppress? Why suppress?" The voice was my mother's.
She wore heavy makeup, dressed in extravagant clothes, but her words were ice-cold.
"The netizens aren't wrong. It's true that Su Wen stole credit, and now it's being exposed, she deserves it. If she had known, she wouldn't have done it in the first place. Everyone's praising our An'an for being beautiful and kind-hearted. Why not use the free publicity to help An'an's image?"
She then took Su Ning'an's hand. "An'an is going to become an internationally renowned artist, a figure who will be remembered in history."
"Mom's right. Su Wen got what she deserved. The more worthless she becomes, the more it highlights An'an's perfection. Controversy creates more buzz, and the more people know about An'an, the more successful she'll become."
I had died, my reputation tarnished, and my family was still trying to milk my last value to boost Su Ning'an's position.
When I painted, my mother would scold me for not being serious, for being selfish, for not caring about the Su family's future. She would say I was wasting time on something useless.
But now, she was full of pride, praising Su Ning'an endlessly and even willing to step over my corpse to elevate her position.
It turned out, she didn't hate painting. She just loved Su Ning'an. No matter what Su Ning'an did, it was right in her eyes.
I had endured the betrayal of my lover, but the stab in the back from my own family still cut deeper.
Su Ning'an turned to Lu Shiyan and said, "Shiyan, what do you think? Should we remove the trending topics? After all, sister is your wife. If she sees the news in Yun City, she'll be so upset."
At first, Lu Shiyan was a bit displeased. The thought of me leaving quietly for Yun City, the coldness in his black eyes flashing with a cold light. "Upset? I think she deserves it. Let it stay. If she's embarrassed, she should come back soon!"
Lu Shiyan coldly spoke, showing no sign of defending me.
After all these years of being childhood sweethearts, we had come to this—just a lesson that I deserved.
Both the Su and Lu families had the ability to suppress the trending topics. But for Su Ning'an's sake, they were willing to sacrifice my reputation.
Is this what family is?
I curled up in a corner, listening to their cold words, watching them be harmonious while I was the one who was meant to disappear.
I didn't know how much time passed, but when I finally looked up, I realized the scene had changed.
Lu Shiyan and the Su family were gone. I found myself in a place that looked like a basement.
It was dim and damp.
Where was this? I had never been here before.
I looked around. I was standing in a long corridor. The stone walls had aged, many of them cracked.
The flickering candlelight cast faint shadows, but there were no shadows on the walls.
There was no one here. It was so quiet it was terrifying.
At the end of the corridor, there seemed to be a stone room. I walked quickly toward it.
I saw a stone bed from afar, and there seemed to be a woman lying on it.
Who would lie in such a place? The closer I got, the faster my heart beat.
Until my vision cleared, I finally saw her.
She was lifeless, lying there with no movement in her stomach, her eyes tightly closed.
It was me.