"Your sister?"
Su Yin Wan's expression changed abruptly, but her mind was a jumble. She couldn't understand what this had to do with Situ Jing.
But then, a flash of inspiration struck her, and past memories of Situ Jing surfaced.
She remembered Situ Jing confiding in her once, saying she had a childhood sweetheart whom she had adored since she was little.
However, it was a long time ago, during the tender age of adolescence, when they were barely teenagers.
Although Situ Jing had mentioned it, she hadn't elaborated much.
Su Yin Wan didn't even know who this person was, nor whether he reciprocated Situ Jing's feelings.
To the point that she had forgotten about it later.
As they grew older and got busy with studies and work, their contact gradually dwindled.
Situ Jun looked at Su Yin Wan with immense pain, his voice choked with emotion.
"My sister's love was unrequited. Her entire life was spent chasing Ling Yu Chen..."
From his earliest memories, his sister had loved Ling Yu Chen.
She had always loved him, always thinking of him.
Su Yin Wan's face was grim. She asked, "What happened? Did he wrong your sister?"
Situ Jun covered his face, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"No, no, no..."
His emotions suddenly surged, and he roared, "Why the infatuation? Why the mistakes? Why suicide... why..."
He just couldn't understand. Were his family, who loved her, not as important as Ling Yu Chen?
Su Yin Wan's face turned ashen.
She had always believed that Situ Jing had died young due to an accident or illness, never imagining she had committed suicide.
Why suicide?
Unrequited love? Infatuation?
She couldn't help but recall the charming way Situ Jing had confided in her back then.
How could that girlish demeanor be a sign of infatuation?
If she hadn't gone abroad, if their contact hadn't gradually faded.
If she hadn't shut herself away after her parents' death, would Situ Jing have ended up like this?
Su Yin Wan's heart ached violently, so much so that her breathing felt like knives stabbing her chest.
Her mind went blank. She slumped to the ground, falling heavily, yet she felt no pain.
Her best friend had lost her life due to unrequited love.
And she had shut herself away, isolating herself from the world as if she were world-weary.
She remembered receiving numerous messages from Situ Jing, all of which she had ignored or failed to reply to promptly.
But Situ Jing had said nothing, only that she was feeling down.
It was because Su Yin Wan had told her about her parents' deaths.
She thought that Situ Jing hadn't told her this fact precisely to spare her further grief.
As Situ Jing had always known Su Yin Wan's struggles abroad, she had only shared happy news.
The more Su Yin Wan thought about it, the more distressed she became. Why did everything she cherished keep slipping away?
First, her beloved grandmother passed away.
She had to leave her homeland and go to a foreign country where she knew no one.
Her parents had always been indifferent to her, and she felt both love and hate for them.
But living together, albeit with friction, had inevitably fostered some affection. She had tried to understand their hardships.
Yet, just as their relationship had begun to thaw, they both died in an accident.
She spent a long time recovering and only then accepted the reality.
Upon returning to her homeland, which she had longed for, her dearest friend had committed suicide.
Just as her emotions hit rock bottom and she was on the verge of collapse, she suddenly fell into an embrace filled with the scent of alcohol.
Though Situ Jun was groggy from drink, his subconscious still pulled Su Yin Wan into his arms.
"My darling, your husband loves you."
Su Yin Wan's despondent heart suddenly felt like it had received a shot of adrenaline, instantly bringing her back to clarity.
She felt Situ Jun's warmth and the sense of security he provided.
His embrace was like the only safe harbor in this chaotic world. She wasn't entirely alone; she still had Situ Jun.
Su Yin Wan hugged him back, her whole body trembling.
Situ Jun, sensing the unease of the person in his arms, seemed to sober up slightly.
He held her gently, patting her back to comfort her.
"It's okay, I'm here. It's okay, it's okay..."
Su Yin Wan couldn't hold back her tears and cried, clutching the fabric of Situ Jun's chest. Her voice hoarse, she asked, "How did your sister really die?"
Hearing the question, Situ Jun instantly sobered up. His hazy eyes cleared, and a cold sweat broke out across his back.
Su Yin Wan was still trembling and crying in his arms.
He loosened his grip on her, and realizing what he had said, his face turned extremely grim.
Su Yin Wan suddenly grabbed his clothes, pressing her question. "Tell me! Tell me how she died."
Situ Jun's brow furrowed. He wished he could slap himself. Why had he drunk so much and talked such nonsense?
"Was it because of Ling Yu Chen? Or Gong Zhi Jing?"
Su Yin Wan continued to press, determined not to back down until she knew the truth.
Situ Jun quickly explained.
"It's a long story, but it wasn't their fault."
However, in this situation, he couldn't conceal the truth from Su Yin Wan. Some things needed to be clarified to avoid misunderstandings.
Su Yin Wan's emotions gradually calmed. Until she knew the whole truth, she couldn't make wild guesses.
But subconsciously, she developed animosity towards Ling Yu Chen and Gong Zhi Jing.
Yet, she also knew that if it were truly Ling Yu Chen and Gong Zhi Jing's fault, Situ Jun wouldn't be on friendly terms with them.
Situ Jun let out a heavy sigh, his eyes exceptionally dim.
This was the first time he was recounting his sister's tragedy to anyone since it happened. It was also because he trusted Su Yin Wan implicitly that he spoke without reservation.
As Su Yin Wan listened to Situ Jun's account, tears fell relentlessly.
She bit her lower lip, trying to suppress her sobs, but only she knew the pain in her heart.
While she had endured difficult times, Situ Jing had also suffered immensely.
She had pulled through, but Situ Jing had paid with her life.
Her emotions affected Situ Jun, his eyes turning bloodshot, the pain on his face no less than Su Yin Wan's.
After learning everything.
Su Yin Wan gritted her teeth, a mix of anger and heartache. "She was foolish! How could she have done such a thing!"
Understanding the cause and effect, she realized that Ling Yu Chen and Gong Zhi Jing were indeed not to blame.
It was all Situ Jing's self-inflicted suffering. Thinking of her suicide, Su Yin Wan felt immense sorrow and heartache.
But did she have any other choice besides death?