Wildflowers

As Lin Qiong raced through the corridor at high speed, he paid no attention to the luxurious extravagance that surrounded him. Despite the opulence and splendor, he had no interest in taking in the surroundings. His mind was solely focused on escaping and finding a way out.

With a sense of urgency driving him, Lin Qiong sprinted through the corridor at a pace reminiscent of his high school days during the 1000-meter run. However, no matter how fast he ran, the corridor seemed to stretch endlessly, without a visible end in sight.

Breathing slightly heavily from the intense sprint, Lin Qiong couldn't help but curse under his breath at the endless length of the corridor.

He felt his heart pounding, as if there were ten thousand groundhogs frantically running around inside it. The corridor was lined with several rooms, and if he didn't run faster, there was a chance someone would come out, and he would lose his opportunity to escape.

Soon, Lin Qiong caught sight of a European-style door at the end of the corridor, with a glass window above it emitting a faint glow.

No! It wasn't just a glow. It was the divine light of Jesus!

If he could just run out and reach it, he would regain his freedom and embrace a new life. A smile appeared on Lin Qiong's face as he exclaimed, "Thank God!"

"Enough! I've been brothers with Xingyun for so many years, and just because he was framed and brought down, am I supposed to distance myself from him?" Li Hanyang impatiently dealt with his parents on the phone.

Before the incident involving Fu Xingyun, he had been in charge of the Fu family. However, since the accident six months ago that left him paralyzed, his own father, along with his half-brother from another mother, joined forces as shareholders and began exploiting and taking away everything Fu Xingyun had.

With the burden of severe injuries and the realization that he may never be able to stand up again, Fu Xingyun found it difficult to accept his sudden downfall and his temperament became unpredictable and moody.

Using Fu Xingyun's mental state as an excuse, Fu Changjing let his younger son, Fu Jinghong, take over Fu Xingyun's responsibilities. In addition, some old shareholders in the company had already held a grudge against Fu Xingyun, who had been suppressing them with his youthful arrogance.

Taking advantage of Fu Changjing's support, Fu Xingyun's power was quickly marginalized. Although he still held a position in the company, it was merely a nominal title. The industry insiders were experienced and could see that Fu Xingyun was no longer as influential as before, and they wisely distanced themselves from him.

Indeed, even though Fu Xingyun's wedding invitations were sent to various families, there were very few people who would actually attend.

"If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up," Li Hanyang impatiently ended the call and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself down. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion for his brother, and he should try to be happy.

Li Hanyang walked towards the door and just as he opened it, a flash of white figure passed by, accompanied by maniacal laughter.

Li Hanyang: ...

Li Hanyang was momentarily taken aback, thinking he had seen things. Then, he heard a loud "bang" sound, and at the entrance of the corridor, only the swinging double doors remained, fluttering back and forth like butterfly wings due to the inertia.

Lin Qiong flew through the door and leaped in exhilaration. He was free now and no one can restrain him except the law.

However, as soon as he ran a few steps he was blocked by a towering white wall in front of him.

Lin Qiong: ?

This is a little different from what he expected.

Lin Qiong stared at the wall in front of him for a moment, then turned his head and his body trembled suddenly. His eyes widened in surprise.

In front of him stood an immensely grand church, majestic and inviolable. Lin Qiong had never seen such a magnificent building before, and for a moment, he was left speechless and in awe. In his previous life, he was nothing more than an ordinary person, a commoner among the multitude. Even if he glimpsed at such things, it was only a fleeting glance on television.

Lin Qiong gazed at the church before him, unable to look away for a moment.

It was simply... mind-blowing!

Like a humble dog, he tilted his head back, taking in the sight of the massive and majestic structure in front of him. However, he quickly shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts.

Now was not the time to admire the scenery. He needed to find a way out.

Lin Qiong walked around the high walls, hoping to find an exit. However, he had always had a poor sense of direction, and after walking in a big circle, he somehow ended up back where he started.

Lin Qiong: ... It was amazing.

Lin Qiong furrowed his delicate eyebrows slightly. The terrain outside the church was complex, and it was impossible for him, a mere "stray dog," to find a way out. He turned his head to look at the door he had rushed out of earlier, realizing that it seemed to be the only path he could take.

Feeling tired, Lin Qiong leaned against the wall, his brows and eyes slightly lowered. His meticulously groomed hair, once perfectly arranged, now had a few strands disheveled, falling onto his forehead. Suddenly, a thought seemed to strike him, causing his body to tremble.

The fear of the antagonist had clouded his mind earlier, Lin Qiong now calmed down and realized something. Running away was also a dead end for him. In the book, the first major death of the cannon fodder in front of the antagonist was when they fled from the wedding, leaving Fu Xingyun to be ridiculed and humiliated, losing all dignity.

Lin Qiong stood there, even though it was the height of summer, his heart felt as cold as a chilly September day.

Then, he raised a pale middle finger to the sky.

Nothing significant, just wanting to fuck the world.

Lin Qiong stood there feeling helpless, unsure of what to do next. Outside the church, the grass was adorned with many flowers of various kinds, though he couldn't identify their specific names. Let's just call them wildflowers.

He reached out and plucked one, contemplating his options. He plucked the petals one by one, "Go back...,don't go back...,go back...". The petals fell before his eyes.

Looking at the last petal on the flower stem he had just picked, Lin Qiong breathed, "Go back."

Li Qiong was at a loss for a while.

As his mind raced, a thought struck him. If he ran now, he would be heading towards a dead end, unable to escape. But if he went back and changed the original plot of the book, perhaps he could survive a little longer.

Lin Qiong's eyes lit up with realization. Yes!

If he didn't follow the same self-destructive path as the original character, there was a chance he could survive under the antagonist's control. After all, once Fu Xingyun regained his power, he would seek revenge against those who had betrayed him during his paralysis.

Lin Qiong rallied himself, realizing that even though he had no clear direction in this messed-up life of his, every day he managed to stay alive was a small victory. He straightened his white suit, determined to make a good impression in front of the antagonist.

However, his enthusiasm quickly deflated, like a newly sprouted seedling whose leaves had already been plucked. The first impression he had made on the antagonist was formed when he had just arrived and had no control over his body yet.

A man shouldn't say that another man can't do it!

Although there was no change in expression on Fu Xingyun's face, the scheming and vengeful thoughts were surely already brewing in his heart, as he played the role of a tiger disguised as a pig.

Lin Qiong couldn't quite understand why, since he had already starved to death before, he was now being made to come back to life only to face death again. Perhaps it was the twisted sense of humor of the higher powers, he thought wryly.

He lowered his head and looked at the white suit he was wearing. The fabric and craftsmanship were exquisite and meticulous.

As Lin Qiong looked at his clothes, it seemed like numerous zeros were dancing before his eyes—single digits, tens, hundreds, thousands, millions... He took a deep breath and thought, "It's worth it!"

Feeling rejuvenated, like a frost-stricken eggplant coming back to life, Lin Qiong was about to enter the door when he noticed something was amiss.

Why isn't he wearing a flower on his chest for the wedding?

Lin Qiong wasn't familiar with the customs of wealthy people's weddings. But during banquet receptions, the groom would typically wear a flower on his chest. Although he was primarily there to enjoy the feast, he still paid some attention to certain details.

Lin Qiong recalled that even Fu Xingyun didn't have a flower on his chest. He then turned to look at the wildflowers by the wall.

Random wildflower: ...

"Xiao Qiong!" Fu Jinghong searched inside and outside the church, looking for Lin Qiong everywhere, and finally found him near a white wall.

Lin Qiong was crouched down, holding a bunch of wildflowers in his hands, and muttered something with his small mouth opening and closing...

Fu Jinghong stepped forward.

"Should I pick yellow wildflowers? No, if I don't pick white..."

Fu Jinghong: ...

Fu Jinghong forced himself to regain composure. His current task was to elope with Lin Qiong and make his elder brother suffer humiliation and mockery at the wedding.

When they were young and before he was recognized as a member of the Fu family, he coincidentally attended the same kindergarten as Lin Qiong. Later, when he learned that Fu Xingyun was going to marry Lin Qiong, he found an opportunity to meet him in person.

Lin Qiong didn't remember who he was at all, but Fu Jinghong falsely claimed that Lin Qiong had saved him when they were young. He claimed that he had always kept that memory in his heart and it had developed into admiration and affection. He showered Lin Qiong with sweet words and lavished expensive gifts upon him.

Fortunately, Lin Qiong wasn't very sharp-minded, and he was easily swayed by the valuable items presented before him.

One week before the wedding, Fu Jinghong went all out to treat Lin Qiong well, all with the purpose of embarrassing Fu Xingyun today.

"Xiao Qiong!"

Lin Qiong, who was still picking wildflowers on the ground, was pulled up by Fu Jinghong. Lin Qiong looked at the man in front of him in a daze.

Who are you?

Before he could gather his thoughts, the man's mouth started speaking rapidly, like a machine gun. "Xiao Qiong, I finally found you! I know you don't want to marry my elder brother. It's all my fault for not being able to stop all of this." He raised his hand and angrily punched the wall.

Lin Qiong: ...He seemed to have figured out who this idiot was...

Fu Jinghong, the domineering CEO in the world of online novels, the half-brother of the antagonist, and the adulterer who cuckolds the antagonist!

Lin Qiong glanced at him and quickly distanced himself from the man.

Don't play those sister-in-law games with me. It's not my thing.

But to his surprise, the man didn't seem to notice the disdain on Lin Qiong's face. He stepped forward and grabbed Lin Qiong's wrist.

"Xiao Qiong, let me take you away. Let's go to a place where it's just the two of us. Only death can separate us."

There it is again...

"Actually, I..."

"Trust me, I will take you away from here."

"Um..."

Fu Jinghong continued talking to himself, without giving Lin Qiong a chance to interject.

Then, Fu Jinghong pulled Lin Qiong and effortlessly climbed over the wall in just a few steps.

"Lin Qiong, look, the world outside is so vast, there will always be a place for us."

Lin Qiong: ...

"But actually, I want to go back and marry your brother."

"You're lying!"

Lin Qiong: ...

"Lin Qiong, I won't allow you to deceive yourself of your feelings."

This person seems to have a serious illness...

"I'm not deceiving anyone."

"Alright," Fu Jinghong reached out and placed his finger on Lin Qiong's lips. "I understand everything, I understand it all."

You understand nothing!

"The wedding is about to start, if we don't leave now, we'll be discovered." Lin Qiong also knew that the wedding is about to start, if Fu Jinghong doesn't let go he won't make it in time!

Lin Qiong didn't have time to waste with him here. He turned around and tried to jump back, but was pulled back by Fu Jinghong.

He started playing the sentimental card, saying, "Do you remember when we were in kindergarten and no other kids would play with me except you? You used to sing me a song. I still remember that song. 'Little Swallow in a flowered dress, comes here every spring. I asked the swallow, why do you come..ah!!"

Lin Qiong couldn't take it anymore and kicked him off the wall.

"The swallow said, 'Mind your own fucking business.'"