Chapter 272 - 251: Past, memory.

Words : 675 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 272: 251: Past, memory. "Those paintings, I did indeed paint them specifically for him." Yu Zhi did not deny it—this was simply a fact. She noticed the strong hands around her waist tightening for quite some time, as if he wanted to crush her into his very bones and blood. Gently, she patted the back of his hand. "Do you like him?" A few days later, Shi Wei asked the same question again, and this time he added, "I want the truth." Yu Zhi exhaled silently, "No, I don’t." Knowing his state wasn’t good, she refrained from saying anything that would lead to an argument—it could quickly spiral out of control. Pointing to the sofa, Yu Zhi coaxed and persuaded him for a while before Shi Wei begrudgingly agreed to let go. Leaning against his shoulder, she said, "Those paintings, to be precise, were meant to curry favor with Ah-Che’s father." Wen Renche’s father was notorious in Australia, feared by many—his ruthlessness was simply too horrifying. Moreover, he recognized no familial ties. Even though Wen Renche was his biological son, if he angered his father, he would be subjected to cruel punishment. Like a deranged sadist, he delighted in seeing others alive but suffering, begging on their knees for mercy. Wen Renche had fought countless battles with Mr. Wen, both openly and covertly, but his father was relentless and crammed with devious methods—out of ten confrontations, Wen Renche lost eight. When Yu Zhi first arrived in Australia and got acquainted with Wen Renche, she had always wanted to extend a helping hand to him. Unfortunately, she had no influence or power in Australia. The two deliberated and decided to play the long game, pretending to be harmless while systematically undermining Mr. Wen, until they could completely destroy everything he held in his grasp. Mr. Wen’s greatest passion was collecting and appreciating paintings. The items Yu Zhi had stolen over the years were mostly crafted into paintings and gifted to him, all to ensure Wen Renche could live with a bit less torment. Later, Mr. Wen was outsmarted by Wen Renche and finally taken down, and only then did she gradually cease this activity. "I stole the ’Thousand Mountains and Hundred Tales’ and the ’plum blossom’ because Ah-Che had a partner who liked them," Yu Zhi briefly explained the process to him. After pausing for a moment, she promised, "I won’t do it anymore." Shi Wei remained silent for a while, though the jealousy burning in his heart showed no sign of dying down. If anything, it seemed to be on the verge of erupting. He viciously bit her cheek, leaving a neat row of teeth marks on the soft, rosy skin. "Why are you so good to him?" Putting herself in danger, willing to bear the stigma of being a thief—everything, just so that man wouldn’t have to suffer even the tiniest injustice. The depth of such feelings was something Shi Wei dared not dwell on. Fortunately, his sanity still lingered; this time, he refrained from acting as recklessly as he had before. Otherwise... the golden cage might already be on the agenda. Yu Zhi didn’t catch the fleeting darkness that flashed in his eyes. She glared at him resentfully, rubbing her cheek. "Ah-Che is my brother." "Brother?" Shi Wei muttered the word several times in low whispers before realization dawned upon him. He had always thought this young woman to be a wandering soul without connections—who would have thought... "A biological brother?" Yu Zhi shook her head. "No." Her mind involuntarily brought up the last time she’d met Ah-Che while they were still in the starfields. The suffocatingly wretched sight made her fall into a whirlpool of guilt all over again. "Ah-Che died because of me—it’s all my fault." Yu Zhi’s eyes suddenly turned crimson, and her gaze grew icy, devoid of even the slightest warmth. In the instant those words left her mouth, her entire demeanor changed drastically. "Zhizhi?" Shi Wei noticed her trembling body and immediately forgot about his jealousy.

Chapter 272 - 251: Past, memory.

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