Marry by Relying on Favor: Chapter 74 - My Version of the Story
Chapter 74: My Version of the Story
On WeChat, He Qingchi hadn’t noticed the messages when she woke up. When she saw the dense blocks of text, her expression froze, and she carefully read every word Wen Shuchen had sent.
Her fingertip scrolled back to the very top, then began reading down—
First message from Wen Shuchen: [Last night I was wondering where I slipped up that made you suspicious. Later, I guessed… it must’ve been that time when Meng Qingchang hypnotized me for treatment, and Song Chao said you stayed alone in the office for over ten minutes. Perhaps you overheard something.]
Second message: [You spent a few days listening to stories at the Wen residence. Do you still want to keep listening?]
Third message: [Before I tell you my story, I need to confess something. When you were young, you once mistook Wen Yue for me. That’s how we first became connected—]
Fourth message: [You don’t remember this because you fell ill and forgot both me and Wen Yue. You were only five or six then. My mother had just passed away, and I was sent to live with my great-aunt for a time. Wen Yue was my childhood playmate, raised in the Wen family without a proper name or status. Wherever I went, he followed like a shadow. During my early days at the Wen residence in Yancheng, people often mixed us up. You were one of them.]
These words—He Qingchi had just forced out of him in the suite earlier.
Reading them again, her breath still caught.
The following messages were a long block. Beyond explaining the events, he ended with:
[You were the first girl I ever got to know. At the time, both Wen Yue and I liked you, our little sister, and tried to please you, make you laugh. But you always thought the two of us were the same person. Qingchi, here I owe you an apology—though late, an apology nonetheless. I shouldn’t have deceived you when you were still so young.]
At this, He Qingchi’s eyes stung red.
She had been so ill she forgot everything long ago. Even learning now that there was such a past, she couldn’t feel anger—how could she resent him for a childhood deception?
Wen Shuchen: [You probably don’t remember a little boy who loved giving you White Rabbit candies. Each time, though, you’d thank Wen Yue instead. I could only bring you more candies, hoping maybe the third time you’d thank me directly. But every time, Wen Yue beat me to it…]
A pause—then another message: [I never knew if you liked the person behind the name “Wen Shuchen,” or if it was Wen Yue himself. That’s why I didn’t have the courage to reveal the truth. Later, I never had the chance.]
—Why never had the chance?
With tears in her eyes, He Qingchi scrolled down.
Wen Shuchen’s words struck like thunder: [Back then, a senior Wen shareholder got hooked on gambling, lost everything, and even embezzled billions from the company. To cover the hole and avoid being ousted, he plotted a kidnapping of the Wen heir for ransom. The plan succeeded—and because of me, you were dragged in too.]
He Qingchi’s mind reeled. She reread the lines, numb.
Wen Shuchen’s meaning was painfully clear. The next messages pierced her heart.
[My father refused to pay the ransom—]
[Instead, he revealed Wen Yue’s illegitimate status to the family. The standoff lasted a full month. The kidnappers’ demands were too high. Your He family couldn’t afford it… In the end, only when the ransom was negotiated down to two hundred million did they rescue us.]
An entire month in the kidnappers’ hands.
And with the Wen family constantly bargaining down the ransom—one could only imagine how miserable the heir’s fate had been.
The fact Wen Shuchen came out of it with all his limbs intact was already a miracle.
He Qingchi had no memory of it at all. She lowered her lashes and kept reading.
Wen Shuchen: [After recovering, I once went to the He residence to see you but was turned away. The gifts I brought were sent back. Your father didn’t want me or Wen Yue disturbing your life anymore.]
The innocent fondness of youth was the purest kind of affection—untouched by worldly schemes.
It hadn’t been unforgettable, just abruptly cut off by adults’ decisions. With time, all feelings faded.
If not for that chance reunion in Jiangcheng, Wen Shuchen would’ve only remembered a little sister from Yancheng—without ever seeking her out again.
Now, He Qingchi fully understood.
No wonder her father had objected. Yet none of it had truly been Wen Shuchen’s fault. He too had been a victim.
Her emotions tangled, but disappointment was not among them.
Instead, she felt a breath of relief—finally everything made sense. She no longer had to live suspicious, wondering what he was hiding.
Her finger slid down the screen again.
Two unread messages remained: [Your father would rather marry you to me than to Wen Yue, because he knows—if one day something happened, the Wen family would sacrifice you without hesitation to protect Wen Yue. Just like back then: the kidnappers’ original target was him, but in the end, it was you.]
So instead of saying Wen Shuchen dragged her into that kidnapping—
It could also be said He Qingchi had been Wen Yue’s scapegoat.
No wonder her family held such bitterness toward Wen Yue.
The final message read: [Your father probably never told you what happened back then. Qingchi, I won’t tell you what took place before and after the kidnapping either. If you don’t remember, then let it stay that way. I only hope you’ll live a safe and happy life. This marriage—I tricked you into it with ulterior motives. If you regret it, it’s not too late. At dawn, I’ll return to Jiangcheng, and leave you some days at the He residence…]
Reading that last line, He Qingchi suddenly looked up, staring blankly toward the elevator doors.
But the man who came down was a stranger— There was no sign of Wen Shuchen.
She rose to her feet without thinking, heels clicking as she headed straight for the elevator—but just as she was about to step in, she hesitated and stopped.
Right now, He Qingchi’s mind was in chaos. At first, she had only sensed something was off and grown curious about what kind of shameful secret Wen Shuchen was hiding—even from his own newlywed wife.
But the more she peeled back the layers…
The more she realized everything was tied to herself. And it was beyond what she could handle.
She stood outside the elevator, watching the doors close right in front of her, without stepping inside.
Noon, He family villa.
The moment He Qingchi stepped through the front door, the butler had already tipped off Mr. He in his study.
Hearing that his precious daughter was home, Father He rushed excitedly to the window to look down, but couldn’t see anything. He kept asking in a hurry: “She didn’t go back to Jiangcheng? Don’t tell me she quarreled with Wen Shuchen last night?”
The butler reported dutifully, “Miss came back alone.”
At that, Father He’s expression lit up—there might be hope!
He said, excitement barely contained: “Looks like the divorce talk fell through!”
Then a cold voice suddenly came from outside the study: “He Qingqing! You really wish I’d end up like Qu Bixin, cast off as a rich man’s abandoned wife?”
Startled, Father He’s face twitched so hard his muscles nearly trembled. He turned around, stunned, to see his daughter standing at the doorway.
“You walk so fast in those heels…”
And of all times, she caught him gossiping behind her back.
He Qingchi had come straight to the study upon returning, so of course she was quick.
She sat down on the sofa, hugging her knees, lost in thought.
Father He signaled to the butler with his eyes, and the butler wisely excused himself.
Once they were alone, Father He sat down beside her. Seeing the faint confusion in her eyes beneath her lashes, he lowered his voice gently: “Baby, if something’s weighing on your mind, you can tell your dad.”
He Qingchi rested her chin lightly on her knees, then turned her face toward him.
“The things I want to know… none of you will tell me.”
Last night, Father He had been firm—he would take the secret of the kidnapping case to his grave rather than reveal a word.
Though he had treated her mother badly in love, he had always cherished his daughter with all his heart.
Hearing that Wen Shuchen had already confessed part of it, Father He sighed deeply: “After that kidnapping and ransom case, Daddy nearly lost you. I watched as you started having nightmares as a child—whether it was bumping into a thief on the street, watching a cop movie in the cinema, or seeing a brawl in the road. That night, you’d always wake screaming, burning with fever that wouldn’t break… Later, you developed severe insomnia and a reliance on medicine. It only gradually improved when you grew older…”
At this point, he looked at his daughter’s face so much like her mother’s, and guilt cut deeper: “Then your grandma came and insisted on taking you to the countryside. No TV, no cinemas—completely isolated in a quiet, peaceful world. Only then did your health slowly recover. Daughter… your father and grandma are old now. We can’t bear to watch you go through all that again.”
He Qingchi’s fingers pressed tight into her palm. Hearing this hurt her too.
She parted her lips but could only choke, unable to say anything.
Father He spoke sorrowfully, even trying to squeeze out a tear or two, but when his eyes ached with the effort and nothing came, he gave up.
Instead, he wiped at the corners of his eyes with his sleeve and muttered angrily: “If it weren’t for the fact that you like Wen Shuchen… Daddy would never have approved of him as a son-in-law!”
Just saying it left him upset—the treasure of his palm had been snatched away.
Qingchi let out a small laugh, though her expression looked more painful than tears: “If you had just told me everything from the start, I probably wouldn’t have married him months ago.”
She might have chosen to face her bond with Wen Shuchen differently then…
But now it was no longer the same.
Feelings had grown between them. And He Qingchi wasn’t nearly as free and unburdened as she once imagined.
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