Chapter 232

Chapter 232

◎Your Turn◎

Just a day apart, on the second day of Jiang Cheng's impending death, both Guo Yuchen and Zhang Haoyu were admitted to the same hospital.

Zhang Haoyu initially looked down on this hospital because it lacked high-end VIP rooms and privileges for him to enjoy. Little did he know, this hospital was jointly invested in by the Bureau—likely the only one in the country equipped to handle abnormal cases.

As for what the Bureau was, he hadn’t known before, but now Zhang Haoyu understood. Even his mother treated the doctors here with deference, so he had no choice but to play the obedient son in front of her.

Previously, Jiang Cheng’s mother had dared to confront the hospital, accusing them of identifying the issue but lacking the means to cure it, even threatening to find better doctors.

But after Zhang Haoyu’s mother arrived, Jiang Cheng’s mother fell silent—especially after realizing that if this hospital couldn’t save her son, no other doctor in the world could. Her attitude shifted instantly, and she was now groveling before the doctors every day to think of another solution.

Yet every doctor who examined them shook their heads. Without locating the Mother Gu, the Heart-Eating Gu couldn’t be removed, condemning them to death.

Jiang Cheng burst into Zhang Haoyu’s room and demanded, “Have you found Chen Xi yet?”

Zhang Haoyu was just as agitated. Though the doctors said the Heart-Eating Gu inside him remained dormant for now, it obeyed someone’s will and could strike at any moment. Chen Xi’s intent was obvious—she wanted them all dead, one by one.

After Jiang Cheng, he suspected Guo Yuchen would be next, and only then would it be his turn.

Chen Xi wanted to torment him slowly, making him watch powerlessly as death approached—because he was the one most responsible for Tan Ling’s tragedy.

Zhang Haoyu couldn’t even fathom how that unremarkable, invisible girl who used to follow Tan Ling around had gained such power. How could someone so ordinary have access to something like Gu worms?

When Zhang Haoyu didn’t answer, Jiang Cheng shouted, “Have you found her or not?! If we don’t, I’m going to die!”

Zhang Haoyu, accustomed to having the world revolve around him, wouldn’t stand for anyone talking back—not even his longtime friends. “You think I’m not in danger too?! You think I don’t want to find her?! That bitch could be hiding anywhere! You think you’re the only one freaking out?!”

Guo Yuchen, who had just arrived at the door, warned, “Keep it down. There are people outside.”

Jiang Cheng glared at Guo Yuchen, who appeared completely unfazed. “You’re not the ones on a death sentence! The next to die isn’t you, so of course you don’t care!”

Guo Yuchen frowned. “The next death might not be ours, but do you think we’re safe? Every day we don’t find Chen Xi is another day in danger. She’s clearly targeting all of us. Freaking out won’t solve anything—we’re just as desperate!”

Jiang Cheng couldn’t sense their urgency. Zhang Haoyu’s family had immense influence, with connections and resources that could crack this in days.

But Jiang Cheng didn’t have those couple of days to spare. By the time they found a cure, he’d be nothing but ashes.

Zhang Haoyu still refused to believe a nobody like *her* could truly threaten him. His arrogance, born from privilege, convinced him that anything he couldn’t have, he could simply destroy. To him, Chen Xi was an ant—how long could she hide? Challenging someone like him was like an egg smashing against a rock.

So he stayed smug, certain his family wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

Guo Yuchen, on the other hand, was innately composed. Even in life-or-death situations, he refused to lose control. Losing control would leave him defenseless. Besides, it wasn’t even certain whether he or Zhang Haoyu would be next after Jiang Cheng.

Looking at them, Jiang Cheng gave a hollow laugh. “Fine, you don’t care? Well, I wasn’t the one who killed anyone. Chen Xi’s message is clear—she wants the truth! If that’s what she wants, I’ll give it to her!”

He wasn’t the mastermind, just an accomplice. He’d already consulted a lawyer—even if charged with severe crimes, cooperating and pleading guilty would likely mean no more than ten years. With bribes and good conduct, he might be out in a few. Compared to dying, a few years in prison meant nothing.

As Jiang Cheng turned to leave, Guo Yuchen seized his wrist, trying to calm him down—but then the door swung open.

It was Zhang Haoyu’s mother.

Hua Zijun was nearly fifty but looked no older than thirty, thanks to elite maintenance. Whether due to Buddhist practice or not, her demeanor was gentle yet carried an authoritative weight.

The moment she entered, Guo Yuchen fell silent, and even Jiang Cheng swallowed his anger.

As they lowered their heads to leave, Hua Zijun spoke in a measured tone, “The Heart-Eating Gu crisis is dire for all of us. For my son’s sake, the Zhang family will not stand by.”

Hua Zijun turned slightly to look at Jiang Cheng, smiling faintly as she reached out to straighten his collar for him: "Auntie knows you're terrified, but we'll figure something out. Don't let fear make you reckless. If something happens to you, what will your parents do?"

After adjusting his clothes, Hua Zijun gently patted his shoulder with a kind smile: "Alright, go back to your room and rest. Get some good rest—only then will you have the strength to face what comes next."

Jiang Cheng didn’t dare say a word, returning deathly pale to his own ward.

Outside the ward, Ji Nanxing raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at Xiao Ye.

Xiao Ye found his look strange: "What? Why are you suddenly looking at me like that?"

Ji Nanxing: "I thought families like yours would raise their kids way stricter than ordinary folks."

The more distinguished the family, the more constraints they placed on their children. No matter what shady stuff happens behind closed doors, they keep up appearances—humble, polite, perfectly proper. Just like some wealthy businessmen—no matter how ruthless or unscrupulous their methods were in private, they always appeared measured in their interactions.

Xiao Ye: "My upbringing was very strict, but not all families are like that. There’s always a few bad apples—it’s actually pretty normal. Otherwise, why would there always be those troublemakers ruining the public’s impression of officials’ children? What’s going on, something happening inside?"

Ji Nanxing: "Jiang Cheng can’t hold on anymore. There’s been no progress with the Heart-Eating Gu, and he’s down to his last two days. Just now, he was about to go scorched-earth, but then Zhang Haoyu’s mother went in and, smiling, threatened him with the lives of his entire family."

Xiao Ye was shocked: "This isn’t just ‘a doting mother spoils the child’—this is downright ‘honeyed words with venom beneath.’ How do you know if you didn’t go in? Did you slip an eavesdropping charm?"

Ji Nanxing pointed to his ears: "My hearing and vision are naturally different from ordinary people’s. The door isn’t soundproof."

So in school, when everyone was eating together and Jiang Tangtang secretly shipped him with Xiao Ye, whispering to Lin Yi and Xiao Xiao, he always pretended not to hear.

Xiao Ye: "Should we go see Zhang Haoyu now?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "No need. Chen Xi chose her targets well—Jiang Cheng is the ideal pressure point."

Ji Nanxing didn’t enter the ward. He’d come to the hospital just to observe the auras of those three—all clouded and turbulent, but only one lifeline remained. All three were involved.

Threatened by Zhang Haoyu’s mother, Jiang Cheng returned to his ward, his face deathly pale. If the Heart-Eating Gu couldn’t be removed, he would die. But if he spoke up, he didn’t know if Chen Xi would spare him, but his family would certainly be ruined—there was no way they could stand against the Zhang family.

One word from their connections could shut down every business they own.

Both his and Guo Yuchen’s families had grown to where they were today largely thanks to Zhang Haoyu’s connections. His own family’s situation was better—they’d developed well in the early years, scratching each other's backs: one providing money, the other protection. But these past two years hadn’t been good, with the economy declining, and his family had leaned even more heavily on the Zhangs.

Guo Yuchen’s family, on the other hand, had been built up entirely by the Zhangs. Over a decade ago, new-energy cars were just an emerging concept, and many didn’t see potential in them. Without policy support, their family might not have lasted this long. Now, though the Guo family had grown, they were too deeply entangled with the Zhangs to break free.

So he couldn’t afford to go scorched-earth anymore.

Just as he was sinking into despair, his mother entered with a group of doctors: "Sweetheart, they’ve brought in a master who specializes in Gu worms. He’ll definitely have a way to remove it."

Among the white coats, a young man in casual clothes sat by the bed: "No guarantees. Whether the Gu can be removed depends on his fate. Let me see your hand."

Jiang Cheng quickly extended his hand. The young man pricked his fingertip, squeezing a few drops of blood into a container. Whatever had been placed inside beforehand, the blood visibly separated into red blood cells and a watery, pale-yellow liquid.

To everyone else, it simply looked like the blood had been divided—red on one side, watery and pale yellow on the other, like water.

Closing the container’s lid, the young man shook his head at the Jiang family: "This is indeed a Heart-Eating Gu, but the other party clearly doesn’t intend for you to survive."

Jiang’s mother looked bewildered: "What do you mean?"

The young man: "This Heart-Eating Gu was nourished by the blood of a human heart—the strongest kind. Initially, I thought if the Gu worm wasn’t too powerful, we could introduce a stronger one to devour it. But that’s no longer feasible. If another worm enters his body now, the existing Gu’s territorial aggression will immediately take a bite out of his heart. The new worm wouldn’t even reach his heart before he dies."

Jiang Cheng’s mother understood—this man had just told her son would die. But how could she accept it? She grabbed the young man's sleeves in a death grip, as if ready to kneel: "Please, think of another way. Name your price—I only have this one son. If he’s gone, I might as well die too. I beg you, please think of something else!"

The young man extricated himself: "I’m sorry, but this Gu has no cure. And judging by the size of the worm in his body, it’s about to enter its feeding phase."

Jiang Cheng had a bad feeling: "What feeding phase?"

The young man simply said, "The person who put the Gu on you didn’t kill you right away but gave you enough time. You’d better think carefully about what to do."

After speaking, the young man ignored Jiang Cheng’s mother’s pleas and left the ward. As he walked down the corridor, he nodded toward Ji Nanxing, who was standing in the corner.

Xiao Ye, seeing this, was pleasantly surprised: "Did it work?"

Ji Nanxing replied, "When it comes to handling Gu worms, though he’s young, his skills are definitely among the top three in the field. He started playing with bugs before he could even walk. Getting him to put a Gu on Jiang Cheng was easy."

This was part of their earlier plan at the management bureau. Chen Xi’s goal was to force them to confess the truth. He had persuaded Chen Xi to stop—as long as the Mother Gu didn’t act, the Heart-Eating Gu would stay dormant in the victim’s heart.

To make Jiang Cheng talk, the threat of a ticking clock clearly wasn’t enough. Without making him truly experience the pain, he wouldn’t speak.

During the day, Jiang Cheng didn’t really understand what the "active phase" of the Gu worm meant. But by nightfall, when his heart felt like something was chewing on it, twisting in agony, he understood.

The worst part was that this wasn’t an ordinary heart attack—no medication could relieve it.

Jiang Cheng writhed in agony on the bed, begging for a shot, anything.

But there was no way. Anesthesia could knock him out, but it couldn’t stop the Gu worm’s damage to his heart. If they put him under now, he might not wake up.

His mother sobbed, unsure what to do, while his father rushed over from the company. They only had one son, and seeing him suffer like this was unbearable: "What did you do to piss someone off like this? A-Cheng, just tell them what you did. Your mother and I will stand by you and face it together."

Jiang Cheng could no longer hear anything outside. All he could hear was his own heart hammering wildly. The pain was unbearable—his heart felt as if it were being squeezed and chewed on. He never thought something so small could hurt this bad.

Gripping his shirt over his heart, he looked at his parents and sobbed, "Mom, it hurts so bad."

His mother also begged the doctors for any solution—painkillers, sedatives, anything. If nothing worked, she begged them to just knock him out, anything to spare him this torment.

Zhang Haoyu and Guo Yuchen, hearing the news, rushed over as well. Seeing Jiang Cheng in such agony frightened them—was this what they had coming next?

Just as they were shuddering at the thought, Jiang Cheng broke free from the doctors and nurses restraining him and launched himself off the bed, ramming his head into the wall as hard as he could.

Luckily, his father was nearby and managed to grab him in time. The medical staff quickly pulled him back, preventing him from bashing his own brains out.

But the way he was acting said it all—so bad he’d rather bash his own brains out.

Fortunately, the attacks came and went—they stopped for about ten minutes, then resumed after an hour or an hour and a half, each time more painful than the last.

Jiang Cheng didn’t know how he made it through the night. By dawn, the countdown on Chen Xi’s Weibo had entered its final day. Looking at his exhausted parents, who had stayed up with him, he wept, "I don’t want to live anymore. I really don’t. It hurts too much, Mom and Dad. It hurts too much."

His mother couldn’t bear to see her son like this. She held him, crying too hard to speak.

His father asked, "What does the person who put the Gu on you want you to do?"

Jiang Cheng, utterly drained, leaned against his mother and whispered, "She wants me to confess to the murder. Me, Qin Lang, who’s already dead, Guo Yuchen, and Zhang Haoyu—the four of us killed Tan Ling."

His father had no idea, but his mother did—though she knew only fragments. Back then, she knew her son had been trailing after Zhang Haoyu like some errand boy. When Zhang’s advances were rejected, he killed someone, and her son had been an accomplice. But the Zhang family had swept the whole thing under the rug, and she had put it out of her mind.

The mastermind was Zhang’s son—if the sky fell, they’d be the ones to take the blame. What did it have to do with her son?

Who could have guessed that when revenge came, it would target her son first?

His father had long known his son was useless—good only for indulging in pleasures. He had already set up a trust fund, hoping his son would at least live comfortably after they were gone.

But he never imagined his teenage son had been capable of murder. How old had he been then? Not even eighteen!

His mother looked at her husband. "What do we do? Should he really confess?"

His father snapped, "What choice do we have? You wanna see him die?!"

There's no cure for the Gu worm, and the given deadline has reached its final day. Are we really just going to wait to die without confessing?

Jiang Cheng shook his head weakly, saying, "No, we can’t confess. Dad, we can’t."

His father stared at him, eyes full of disappointment. "Do you really want to die?! You made a mistake and should pay the price for it. It’s all my fault—I brought you into this world but failed to raise you right, focusing only on my career and letting you stray down the wrong path. It’s all my fault."

Jiang Cheng clutched his mother’s hand tightly. "Mom, no. If I talk, the Zhang family won’t let us go. His mom straight-up threatened me yesterday not to say anything reckless."

He feared death, but he didn’t want to drag his entire family into hell either. Qin Lang was dead, but the Qins came out unscathed. If he spoke up, he didn’t even know if he’d survive, and offending the Zhang family would only make things worse for his own.

Looking at this son who frustrated him yet whom he couldn’t abandon, Jiang’s father sighed heavily. "If you’re gone, what’s all my struggle even for? Chengcheng, you're all we've got. As long as you’re alive, any hardship can be overcome."

Otherwise, what use was all the money they’d earned if they lost their only child in middle age?

Jiang Cheng completely lost it, sobbing at his father’s words, overwhelmed with regret for everything he’d done. But it was too late—you can't bring back the dead, and time couldn’t be reversed.

When the words "final day of the countdown" blew up almost instantly on social media, a post titled "I’m Sorry" quickly went viral.

The poster wrote a lengthy confession detailing how Zhang Haoyu had bullied and harassed someone after being rejected, how he'd rather destroy than let go, and how the four of them—himself, the now-deceased Qin Lang, Guo Yuchen, and Zhang Haoyu—had committed murder on that dark night by the seaside.

"I was wrong. I’m afraid of death, so I confess and admit my guilt. I’ve already turned myself in. The truth about Tan Ling’s death will be reinvestigated. Chen Xi, you’ve won. I’ve gotten my retribution. Please, spare my life."

Many were shocked after reading the post. They had been following the mysterious death countdown by the metaphysical streamer, thinking it was all just drama and hype. Who knew it concealed a murder?

To bully someone out of spite after being rejected, to destroy what one couldn’t possess—what kind of family background did this Zhang Haoyu have to treat human life so carelessly?

When the Zhang family saw the trending topic, they were completely blindsided. Hua Zijun rushed to the hospital only to find Jiang Cheng had already been taken away—after posting his confession, he had turned himself in. Strangely, his previously weak body seemed fine the moment he publicly apologized and surrendered.

After the apology post climbed to the top of the trending list, Chen Xi’s account, set to auto-post, released a new update:

"Zhang Haoyu, Guo Yuchen, you're next."