When the Villain Falls Madly in Love with Me - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Death of Jiang Congyue

Towards the end of her senior year, Jiang Le successfully secured investment from Lin Zhen, and the game they were developing gradually got on track. When the group sat down for a casual chat, they discussed their future plans.

Gu Li had a family business to inherit, so naturally, she couldn’t continue working on the project hands-on forever. She laughed and said, “Hey, as long as ‘Zhuoran’ exists, I’ll never give up. Sister has plenty of money!”

Hearing her passionate words, Mi Lin’s heart settled down. Unlike the other three, her family situation wasn’t as good, so she was determined to hold the fort. Moreover, she believed she had invested the most effort and wanted to see the game she made reach a wider audience.

Jiang Le and Wen Qiqi both planned to continue their studies for a master’s degree, but Jiang Le decided to study abroad.

Friendships from university might fade, but they were allies bound by shared interests and hard work. They stood up and raised a toast, symbolizing their eternal friendship.

Jiang Le usually drank a lot during business dinners, but she always had hangover remedies ready. This time, however, she drank purely for emotional reasons.

She was helped back to the apartment Jiang Congyue had bought. Jiang Le was lying face down on the bed, already half-asleep, but a slight obsession with cleanliness forced her to crawl to the bathroom.

The cool water dispersed some of the alcohol fumes.

But her mind was really on the verge of losing consciousness, so she just quickly scrubbed herself twice, came out, and flung herself onto the bed. Her eyelids seemed to be glued shut, refusing to open again…

“Ding-a-ling—”

A sharp, clear ringing sounded. Jiang Le forced herself to open her eyes from her exhaustion. Worried it might be work-related, she didn’t dare to delay and immediately answered the phone.

However, the voice she heard was Lin Qingyu’s.

Jiang Le, who had been in a daze, instantly sobered up. She swallowed hard and quickly asked, “What did you say? Say it again, I… didn’t quite hear you just now, say it again!”

So, Lin Qingyu calmly repeated, “Miss Jiang, please come back quickly. Chairman Jiang is failing.”

Jiang Le felt a dizzy spell, her vision went black, and she collapsed onto the bed, her hands so numb she nearly dropped the phone. “Okay…”

How could it be so sudden?

Jiang Le scrambled out of bed, putting on her shoes backward in her panic. She trembled as she looked at the nearest flights, but her vision was blurring. She squeezed her eyes shut hard.

Looking at her extremely disheveled self in the mirror, Jiang Le retreated a few steps in horror. The sourness in her heart left her helpless.

She dropped heavily to her knees, scratching her hands, forcing herself to calm down.

Don’t panic, don’t panic.

Jiang Le bit her tongue hard, stood up again, quickly got everything together, and headed to the airport.

She clasped her hands together, agonizingly checking the flight information repeatedly, only to receive a message of flight delay.

Jiang Le’s world came crashing down. She desperately wished she could kneel and beg for it to come quickly, quickly. Someone was waiting for her…

It was an hour later when she finally boarded the plane.

The tears she had been suppressing burst forth the moment she saw Jiang Congyue in the sickbed. She leaned over Jiang Congyue’s emaciated body, crying with the profound sorrow of a child.

Jiang Congyue’s trembling hand gently touched her head. Her voice, thin as a thread, spoke slowly: “Lele…”

“I’m here, I’m here…” Jiang Le held her hand tightly, sobbing so hard she could barely speak.

Jiang Congyue smiled weakly, “I’m also someone who loves beauty, you know…”

“You are very beautiful right now, very beautiful…” Jiang Le’s lips twitched violently. She forced a smile, one uglier than a cry, and replied to her.

Jiang Congyue wanted to laugh but truly had no strength left. She continued, “So, I was thinking, could you put a beautiful dress on me? The burial shroud is too ugly. I don’t really like it.”

Jiang Le leaned over the bed, weeping uncontrollably. “Okay…”

“Lastly, could you show me Jiang Le’s prettiest smile?” Jiang Congyue’s voice carried a hint of teasing, as if demanding something difficult.

Jiang Le, who had been burying her face and afraid to look at her, slowly raised her head and forced a smile. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her face was contorted with grief. No matter how she smiled, it was ultimately not a pretty sight.

Jiang Congyue raised her hand to wipe away her tears, saying against her better judgment, “It’s very beautiful…”

Her hand fell heavily onto the stark white sheet. Jiang Le wiped the lingering warmth from her face and suddenly stopped crying.

A truth she couldn’t face was seared into her mind like a hot iron.

Jiang Congyue was dead…

Jiang Le stared blankly into the distance, unable to snap back to reality for a long time.

Jiang Le’s world had completely lost its color at that moment.

The smell of disinfectant in the ward, mixed with the scent of magnolia wafting from the window, formed a bizarre aroma.

The monitor emitted a monotonous, long beep, like a dull knife repeatedly slicing her nerves. She stared blankly at the eyes that would never open again—those eyes that were always smiling, capable of seeing through all her little thoughts.

Time seemed to freeze.

It wasn’t until the nurse gently entered, cautiously asking if they needed assistance with preparing the body, that Jiang Le snapped back.

“Please wait.” Her voice was so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable. “I need… to change her clothes.”

Lin Qingyu timely handed over a delicate paper bag. Inside was Jiang Congyue’s favorite lake-blue silk dress—the one Jiang Le had bought for her as a birthday gift with the profits from her first project. Jiang Congyue had laughed and said she was saving it for a special occasion.

The process of dressing the body was exceptionally difficult.

Jiang Le’s fingers trembled so much that she could barely manage the buttons at the back. In the end, Lin Qingyu quietly stepped forward to help.

When she saw Jiang Congyue lying peacefully in that blue dress, Jiang Le suddenly felt a sharp, agonizing pain pierce her chest.

She gripped Jiang Congyue’s hand dumbly and sat alone for a very long time…

Jiang Le handled all the funeral arrangements with a nearly cold composure.

She received the condolences of people from all walks of life with an expressionless face, returning their greetings in a tone devoid of any noticeable emotion. When confirming the details of the will with the lawyer, her logic was clear and her organization precise.

Selecting the burial site, confirming the procedures, and arranging the reception—everything was meticulously arranged under her direction. Her dry eyes showed no trace of the profound shock she had just endured, as if she were merely managing a critically important project that allowed no mistakes.

Gu Li, Mi Lin, and Wen Qiqi also rushed over to be with her. Looking at the concerned eyes of her three friends, Jiang Le could only manage a forced smile, unable to utter a single word.

It wasn’t until everyone had left and only she and Aunt He, who had been silently helping, remained in the house.

Aunt He came over with a small bowl, gently placing it in front of her. Her voice was careful, tinged with suppressed heartache: “Lele, you haven’t eaten much all day. Have some of this.”

Jiang Le mechanically lowered her head and looked into the bowl.

In the clear broth, chunks of white, peeled water chestnuts rested at the bottom, interspersed with a few goji berries, giving off a familiar, sweet fragrance.

This scent used to fill the kitchen and countless afternoon hours of her winter vacations. It brought back every moment when Jiang Congyue smiled as she watched her finish the entire bowl, then reached out to wipe the sugar from the corner of her mouth.

The tightly stretched string that had held her together for three whole days suddenly snapped in front of this bowl of rock candy water chestnut soup, which carried all the warmth and sweetness of the past.

She abruptly reached out and fiercely gripped the warm porcelain bowl, her knuckles turning white from the force.

The next second, the composure and steadiness she had maintained completely collapsed.

It was as if all her strength was instantly drained. She could no longer hold herself up, abruptly bending forward, her forehead almost hitting the cold tabletop, letting out the first suppressed, extreme sob that seemed torn from the deepest part of her lungs.

Following that was an uncontrollable, agonizing wail.

The crying held immense bewilderment and helplessness, the despair of never seeing that person again, the fear of never hearing the name “Lele” again. It was the moment all the suppressed grief finally found an outlet.

Hot, heavy tears rained down into the bowl of rock candy water chestnut soup, spreading circle after bitter circle of ripples.

Aunt He didn’t try to console her. Her eyes red, she simply walked forward, and, as she had countless times in the past, gently pulled her trembling shoulders into an embrace, silently patting her back.

Here, in front of the sweet soup she knew best, she could finally stop being the composed, self-controlled heir and simply be Lele, who had forever lost Jiang Congyue.

If she could, she would willingly share half of her longevity lock with Jiang Congyue again.

The next morning, Jiang Le appeared at the group’s headquarters building. She wore a perfectly tailored black suit, her long hair neatly tied back. Although her eyes were still slightly swollen, her gaze was different.

The board members regarded her with various looks: concern, suspicion, and undisguised disdain. A senior director directly challenged her: “Miss Jiang, we understand you have just suffered a loss, but please allow me to consider the group. The group cannot be led by an inexperienced university student.”

Lin Qingyu, standing behind Jiang Le, let out a soft scoff and waved her hand backward.

“According to Chairman Jiang’s will, 75% of her shares and primary assets are inherited by her,” the lawyer calmly read the document. “At the same time, she will assume the position of Group Chairman.”

Lin Qingyu said flatly, “These matters were all negotiated with you by Chairman Jiang before her death, weren’t they? Now that you see Miss Jiang is young and think she’s easy to manipulate, you want to go back on your word? I’m not dead yet.”

Jiang Le calmly surveyed the room and slowly spoke: “I know everyone here has doubts about my ability. But I am not here to ask for approval.”

Her voice was clear and resolute. “I am here to announce that, starting today, I will officially take over the Chairman position. Furthermore, I have decided to temporarily suspend my overseas study plan and dedicate myself fully to the group’s work.”

The crowd realized that this young heir was not someone to be trifled with, and seeing that they wouldn’t gain anything, they stopped wasting time.

After the meeting, Jiang Le stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of what used to be Jiang Congyue’s office, looking down at the city’s prosperity.

—

“To Lele:

I see that people always write something before they die, leaving something for others to remember.

My precious Lele should have what others have too, so I’m writing something for Lele.

You used to ask me if everyone would die, and I always told you calmly and frankly that everyone would die.

But when this day really comes, I’m also very afraid.

What am I afraid of? I’m afraid I won’t look pretty when I die, afraid I’ll die in a lot of pain, afraid Lele will be sad, afraid Lele won’t eat well when she’s hungry, afraid Lele won’t dress warmly when it’s cold, afraid Lele won’t take good care of herself. What I’m most, most afraid of is Lele not loving herself properly.

See how scary that is? I really wanted to keep growing up with Lele forever and ever.

Oh, I’m so tired. I can barely write anymore.

Lele, remember, fear and sadness are only temporary, and you are much stronger than you think. Believe in yourself!

Looking forward to when we meet again.”