Chapter 25: Was the Tearing Pain Merely a Prelude?

"What do you intend to do?"

Su Nian's emotions were tangled as she glanced at Gu Yichen, whose steps were erratic while he hurriedly made a phone call. For a moment, she couldn't decide whether to feel sympathy or schadenfreude. Shen Yuhuan suddenly lowered his head and blew gently beside Su Nian's ear, the rich scent of wine enveloping her.

"Little Nian-Nian, you should be asking what I intend to do to you."

His voice carried a hint of rosy tenderness.

"Don't be like this…"

Su Nian stiffened. The man's breath rushed into her ear, sending her heart pounding wildly. Awkwardly, she changed the subject.

"Let's deal with Gu Yichen first. Let's make him suffer."

"Very well. Let's make you happy first." Shen Yuhuan chuckled softly, gently pulling her into his embrace and resting his chin on her shoulder.

Su Nian didn't know what to feel. Down on the ground, Gu Yichen was going mad searching for her, while high above at that very moment, she was being held in another man's arms, their posture intimate.

"You're not planning to…" A thought flashed through Su Nian's mind, unbelievable.

"Send him photos of us being intimate, are you?"

If Gu Yichen truly loved her, that would undoubtedly be a heartbreaking blow.

"Do you think my schemes are that simple?"

Shen Yuhuan's smile blazed like fire.

"You underestimate me."

※ "Have you found Nian-Nian?" Xu Qing called, her tone anxious yet laced with reproach.

"After getting the divorce certificate, how could you abandon Nian-Nian, leaving her alone on the street?"

"No," Gu Yichen replied hastily, his brows tightly knitted.

With every word Xu Qing spoke, his regret deepened. Su Nian's disappointed and grief-stricken eyes kept flashing before him, twisting his heart in pain. Where exactly was Su Nian? Her phone showed out of service range. None of her contacts—friends or family—knew her whereabouts. Gu Yichen had never imagined that one day Su Nian would completely vanish from his world. He had always assumed she would forever follow him; even after their divorce, she would still appear before him whenever he wished. Could she be in danger? Had something bad happened to her? Gu Yichen's mind reeled. He forcefully suppressed those terrifying thoughts, trying to reassure himself.

"Nothing will happen! Mom, don't worry. I'll contact you again once I find Nian-Nian."

As soon as he ended the call with Xu Qing, he immediately phoned his subordinates, urging them to search harder. His relentless calls nearly overloaded his phone. Every second of delay intensified his torment. If he didn't find Su Nian soon, those horrifying notions swirling in his mind would drive him insane. During this time, Shen Wanrou called, but Gu Yichen hung up instantly and straightforwardly blocked her number. Settling accounts with Shen Wanrou would have to wait; finding Su Nian took priority.

Finally, his assistant Song Wenyao brought news about Su Nian: "Mr. Gu, Mrs. Gu boarded a flight to Country M. Flight ZC738. I checked the airline bureau and found her ticket information. The plane departs at eleven."

Abroad? Gu Yichen paused briefly, finally feeling some relief. No matter where Su Nian was, as long as there was a trace of her, he could find her.

"Book me a ticket immediately,"

Gu Yichen ordered.

"The earliest available flight!"

After such torment, he couldn't wait another moment. He needed to find Su Nian right away. There were so many things he wanted to tell her. He had misunderstood her. From now on, he would treat her well and never hurt her heart again! Gu Yichen took a deep breath, tore apart the freshly obtained divorce certificate, and threw it into the trash bin. Sunlight streamed through the glass walls of the airport terminal, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow. The waiting hall bustled with people coming and going, sketching a complex tableau of life's myriad forms. Standing amidst the crowd, Gu Yichen spoke on the phone. His handsome features and stern expression drew many glances. His breathing was slightly irregular, his brows furrowed; the usual composure he exuded was gone.

"Arrange a private jet!"

Gu Yichen commanded coldly. Even the earliest commercial flight wouldn't depart for another hour. He couldn't wait that long.Just then, an alarm blared through the airport. A female announcer's calm voice echoed: "Dear passengers, we regret to inform you that flight ZC738 has encountered a malfunction mid-air. All flights heading south are delayed. Boarding times will be sent to your mobile phones. We apologize for any inconvenience caused!"

She repeated the announcement in both Chinese and English. Gu Yichen's mind buzzed; his entire body went rigid, his face turning pale. His lips trembled slightly as he struggled to ask, "Which flight was Su Nian on?"

Song Wenyao froze, his breathing noticeably quickening. After confirming twice, he replied frantically, "It's ZC738. Mrs. Gu's flight is ZC738!"

Gu Yichen staggered, his lips moving silently. Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a harsh white glow on his face, making him appear even paler.

"Mr. Gu, please don't panic yet. It's only a mid-air malfunction; there might not be any casualties!"

Song Wenyao hurriedly comforted him. Such incidents had happened before; thanks to the captain's skilled emergency landing, all passengers had survived unharmed. A flicker of hope suddenly ignited within Gu Yichen. Clenching his fists tightly, he commanded gravely, "Contact Fenghang Airlines' executives immediately. I need firsthand information!"

The wait was excruciating, every moment filled with torment. And what about Su Nian? During their year of marriage, she had waited daily for him to come home. Yet whenever he returned, he offered nothing but cold indifference. There had hardly been a single beautiful moment between them.

Suddenly, Gu Yichen hated his past self with every fiber of his being. Minute by minute passed. Sitting alone in the VIP lounge, Gu Yichen grew increasingly agitated. Call after call yielded only disappointing results. Xu Qing also phoned several times to inquire, but he deflected each question, unable to bring himself to tell her about Su Nian's flight malfunction. Never one to believe in gods or ghosts, Gu Yichen now found himself praying desperately to heaven for the first time. Only now did he feel regret; only now had he learned the truth; only now did he wish to make amends with all his strength. Heaven couldn't be so cruel—it wouldn't deny him this chance; it wouldn't let him lose Su Nian forever!

"Mr. Gu,"

Song Wenyao's voice came through the phone, heavy and hesitant, as if struggling to find the words, "Flight ZC738 exploded mid-air and disintegrated, crashing into the Pacific Ocean. Mrs. Gu…"

An airplane explosion, plunging into the abyssal depths of the ocean—there was no possibility of survival. Gu Yichen felt his blood freeze. His face turned deathly pale, devoid of any color.

"Impossible!" he whispered, three low words piercing through the sharp ringing in his ears, making his temples throb violently.

The world around him seemed to lose all color. An unreal sense of disorientation surged within Gu Yichen's heart. It must be a dream! Once he woke, Su Nian would still be standing before him, her eyes bright and sparkling, obediently and playfully calling out, "Husband, I learned to cook a new dish today. Can I make it for you tomorrow?"

"I went shopping today and picked out a tie for you…"

"Husband, can you kiss me?"

"Can you hold me while we sleep tonight?"

Throughout their year of marriage, Su Nian had revolved entirely around him, pouring all her tenderness in an attempt to melt his coldness, hoping to build a beautiful life together. Yet the time he had given her was far too little. — "You chose to believe her instead of me, didn't you?"

— "Let's divorce!"

Why had he misunderstood her? Why had he treated her with such cold neglect? Why did regret only come after losing her? — "Goodbye, Mr. Gu."

原来那句再见，是再也不见。 ( "Goodbye"

had truly meant "never seeing each other again."

) Gu Yichen covered his face, his eyes growing moist. Pain spread from his heart; suppressed emotions burst forth like a flooded dam, violently shattering all reason.

"Mr. Gu, please accept our condolences…"

Song Wenyao didn't know how else to console him.

"Su Nian isn't dead!" Gu Yichen abruptly interrupted, his voice stripped of its usual coldness, replaced only by a撕裂般的 hoarseness.

He violently smashed his phone onto the ground, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying, nearly losing control as he rushed out of the VIP area.Su Nian cannot be dead! Perhaps she never boarded the plane; perhaps she miraculously survived. We must see her alive or find her body! Gu Yichen stumbled forward, weaving desperately through the crowd, even colliding with several people—an unprecedented state of disarray for him. After the female announcer reported that flight ZC738 had crashed, he suddenly froze, staring blankly out the glass window, utterly devastated. He had lost Su Nian forever. He had believed there was still a long road ahead, still a chance to start over, yet it all crumbled before this abrupt separation of life and death. Passersby noticed his stricken expression and cast him strange, curious glances. Until Tang Shi rushed over in a hurry. The moment she saw him, her brows knitted fiercely, and she unleashed a torrent of scolding: "Gu Yichen, you bastard! Are you satisfied now?"

Breathless, she continued without pause, "Nian-Nian loved you so deeply, yet every day you only revolved around Shen Wanrou, that mistress. What are you regretting now? What right do you have to feel regret? Well, it's done now—Nian-Nian is gone, she will never return. Go ahead, embrace your Wanrou and exchange sweet nothings!"

Tang Shi's voice carried loudly; people around them turned to look, pointing and whispering.

"Are you grieving?"

Her tone was razor-sharp, each word like a knife stabbing straight into Gu Yichen's heart, drawing blood.

"When you and Shen Wanrou were immersed in your tender affection, did you ever consider how Nian-Nian felt waiting for you at home? You misunderstood her, you refused to trust her, you drove her to such despair that she divorced you. Are you satisfied now? Are you happy?"

Gu Yichen's lips trembled slightly; he could not utter a single word of rebuttal. It was all true! Regret gnawed at his bones and scorched his heart, stirring up a desolate, crushing despair. He would never have another chance to make amends.

"Let me tell you—it was you who killed Nian-Nian!"

Tang Shi grew angrier with every word, pouring out her fury.

"If you hadn't been so heartless, how could Nian-Nian have divorced you, traveled abroad, and boarded that flight? You killed her! You!"

Gu Yichen swayed, his gaze trembling, and silently began to laugh. Sunlight from outside streamed onto his face, casting it in a ghastly pallor. As Tang Shi continued her tirade, she gradually fell silent, her expression turning peculiar. The Gu Yichen before her now resembled fragile glass; the slightest provocation could shatter him completely. She had never seen him like this. Su Nian pressed her lips together, her emotions turbulent, her fingers clenched tightly. After all, she had loved him for eight years; she could not remain indifferent so quickly.

"Little Nian-Nian~"

Shen Yuhuan smiled, gently tilting her chin to make her face him.

"I helped you take revenge on Mr. Gu not so you would soften your heart and rekindle old feelings for him."

His fingers slowly slid downward, resting over her heart.

"I need it spotless, bearing only my mark."

Though Shen Yuhuan wore a smile, it sent a chill through Su Nian. She blinked obediently and nodded, only to hear him add, as if troubled, "But what about Xi? Since childhood we've shared everything, always possessing things together…"

Su Nian panicked, fearing he might say something shocking, and hastily changed the subject: "I want to contact Tang-Tang and tell her I'm not dead, so she won't grieve."

"Don't worry; I never harm the innocent."

Shen Yuhuan's eyes curved with amusement, his slender fingers caressing her cheek.

"She already knows."

Thus, Tang Shi had not grieved at all throughout; unfortunately, Gu Yichen, submerged in sorrow, failed to notice this detail. Su Nian's lashes fluttered; she instinctively leaned back slightly, but in the next instant, Shen Yuhuan pulled her back into his embrace. He asked with a light laugh, "While Mr. Gu is heartbroken, shall we record our own tender moments and sweet exchanges, edit them into a side-by-side comparison video, and send it to your ex-husband? How does that sound?"

Su Nian stared in stunned disbelief, her complexion changing dramatically. This man was a devil!

"Little Nian-Nian,"

Shen Yuhuan leaned closer, his smile laden with ambiguous intent, "it's time you fulfilled your promise to give yourself to me."