Chapter 225 – Hope for Redemption through Guilt

Chapter 225 - Hope for Redemption through Guilt

He Baobao's tale was that of an extreme personality, devoid of empathy, self-centered, and neglected by others, whose impulsive actions ultimately led to the destruction of her own life.

Her friendship with Ye Xiaoqing began to feel betrayed when Ye Xiaoqing laughed and joked with others. When Ye Xiaoqing befriended her sister, He Baobao went into a frenzy behind closed doors. However, she didn't abandon this friend. Despite her growing resentment towards Ye Xiaoqing, she couldn't let go of their bond because Ye Xiaoqing was the only one willing to actively pay attention to her and understand her.

He Baobao acknowledged her misery, but she didn't attribute it to her own personality issues. Instead, she blamed everyone else for her tragedies.

Her parents didn't love her as much as they loved her sister. Even without concrete evidence, if her parents couldn't read her desires from her expressions, she believed they didn't love her.

Why could Ye Xiaoqing then?

Due to Ye Xiaoqing's presence, her understanding nature, and her attention to He Baobao, she became convinced that those who couldn't interpret her thoughts like Ye Xiaoqing were deliberately ignoring her.

This applied not just to her parents, but also classmates, neighbors, and the children of her parents' acquaintances.

They all paid more attention to her sister, He Zhu Zhu, who could easily connect with everyone. Yet, they never sought out He Baobao.

The world, in her eyes, owed her an apology.

No one in the world could compare to her, except for half of Ye Xiaoqing and one Tang Song.

Tang Song was someone He Baobao got to know in the university's Go club. The moment she laid eyes on such an attractive person, she instantly decided that this was the person she wanted to spend her life with.

However, she never explicitly or implicitly expressed her affection for Tang Song. She believed that once she had made up her mind, Tang Song should be able to perceive it and take the initiative to court her.

It was when Ye Xiaoqing came to the Go club looking for He Baobao that she encountered Tang Song.

Following that, He Baobao's frenzy erupted. She blamed heaven and earth, feeling betrayed twice. She did everything she could to uncover issues with Tang Song: his orphaned status, adoption, and dependence on others. She believed he couldn't provide Ye Xiaoqing with a stable future.

She must have been pursuing Ye Xiaoqing to rely on her family's influence in the capital, seeking a foothold there. He had Ye Xiaoqing's associates sabotage Tang Song's experiments, causing his research project to fail and preventing him from completing his graduation thesis.

She intentionally let Ye Xiaoqing discover her actions, believing that Xiaoqing would understand her feelings for Tang Song. Xiaoqing, being a friend, would step aside for her!

Unfortunately, the considerate Ye Xiaoqing didn't yield as expected.

"This was bound to happen to me. When I decided to spend my life with Tang Song, my family's disapproval was already predetermined, Baobao. Without you, it would only have been delayed by a few years; the outcome wouldn't change.

Thus, I don't hate you, but I can't continue being friends with you. It hurts me to see you unhappy, and it hurts me too, Baobao. Goodbye."

Upon learning this, Tang Song simply told her, "Xiaoqing will be leaving the capital with me to return to my hometown. You may prevent me from graduating, stop my mentor from choosing me, or even make it difficult for me to find a job, but none of that can stop me from being with Xiaoqing.

"I have no ambitions in my career; any job is a job. If I were to work part-time, Xiaoqing would still stand by my side. I appreciate your intentions, but we'll have no further ties from now on."

"Why didn't you choose me then? My parents don't care who I marry, and I can decide on my own love."

"You're far too mundane."

Tang Song left no room for sentimentality.

In an instant, He Baobao lost both the love and friendship she believed she had. In a fit of madness, she randomly chose the wealthiest suitor and married him.

She would marry well!

She would surely be happier than Ye Xiaoqing and Tang Song.

However, after marrying her, one of her suitors, out of nowhere, found out about He Baobao's admiration for Tang Song. In a drunken stupor, he resorted to domestic violence and interrogated He Baobao about who she truly loved.

The frenzied He Baobao never hesitated to be forceful; she delighted in striking at others' vulnerabilities.

Adore Tang Song!

With a swollen nose and bruised face, He Baobao frequently visited the hospital. Hence, her brief happiness lasted less than a month before it triggered the eruption of her inner darkness. During her marriage, when she became pregnant and was brutally assaulted by her husband who suspected the child wasn't his, causing her to miscarry and damaging her womb irreparably, preventing future pregnancies.

This pushed her already extreme personality further into darkness.

Maintaining a facade, He Baobao even stooped to submissiveness while secretly plotting. When her husband embarked on an illegal venture in international waters, she struck. Under the influence of alcohol, she sent him to his demise in the sea, just as he had drunkenly fallen in.

She gleefully inherited everything he left behind, seemingly ready to resume her normal life. However, her gaze shifted to Tang Song and Ye Xiaoqing. Upon learning about their loving family of four, the darkness that had festered within her after her first murder completely consumed her.

She decided to target Tang Song's child.

She wanted others to experience the pain of losing a child. Since she couldn't have one, neither could Tang Song and Ye Xiaoqing!

In the end, after multiple failed attempts exposed her actions, He Baobao was imprisoned and showed no remorse, spending the rest of her days without parole.

Among the three main characters in this story, He Baobao was the most wicked. Born into a privileged family, with access to quality education and the love of her parents and sister, her inherent nature took a sinister turn.

As long as she confronted the jealousy and darkness within herself that should never have existed, her life would surely be wonderful.

Her abusive husband was the consequence of her hasty marriage, but had she divorced him at the first sign of violence, relying on her own abilities and family support, it wouldn't have hindered her happiness or lifestyle.

But to maintain the appearance of happiness and avoid being a laughingstock, and to forcefully compare herself with Ye Xiaoqing and Tang Song, He Baobao endured, even preferring frequent visits to the hospital.

It wasn't until this tolerance harmed her child that she realized the consequences.

Perhaps He Baobao's tragedy stemmed from a lack of attention from her parents, but ultimately, it was her own doing. If she had made each choice with a cooler head and a broader perspective, everything would have been different.

Similarly, in other storylines, conflicts within family and parental love led to similar dilemmas. Some chose complete tolerance even when consumed by malice, resulting in escalating domestic violence, their own death, their husbands' imprisonment, and their children entering orphanages.

Others, upon recognizing their wicked thoughts, managed to restrain themselves, opting for divorce, separation from family and relatives, and starting anew away from their sorrows. They pushed strollers through crowds, hand in hand with their husbands, leading peaceful and happy lives.

Their past miseries became mere specks in their lives, no longer capable of influencing them.

In Sin, Tang Fei portrayed the least understood character, He Baobao, with striking realism. Despite the character's implausibility, her performance felt authentic, evoking empathy from the audience.

Her peculiar logic, radical personality, and sunny beauty once again showcased Tang Fei's transformative acting skills.

In her portrayal of He Baobao, Tang Fei exuded a gloomy and ominous presence, her gaze instilling fear in many viewers. After watching the film, people commented that Tang Fei's stare was haunting, causing nightmares even when they tried to sleep at home.

For the Red Flower Award, both "Mercury City" and "Sinful Heart" were nominated. However, the character of He Baobao in "Sinful Heart" was clearly more multifaceted, with numerous emotional outbursts. Tang Fei masterfully captured the essence of each moment, making it likely that she would triumph over "Mercury City" for the Best Leading Actress award with her portrayal of the sin-ridden character.

Many award judges, in their interviews, expressed their favoritism towards He Baobao in "Sinful Heart."