chsdbacks Chapter 107 You're wrong, terribly wrong!
Chapter 107 You're wrong, terribly wrong!
As dusk deepened, the last rays of the setting sun, like blood, cast dappled, bizarre shadows on the ground through the intricate stained glass windows of the Rose House.
The air was filled with the smell of old wooden furniture and dust, creating a decadent atmosphere reminiscent of bygone days.
Lin Bei sat languidly in his chair, but his eyes were sharp as a hawk's, piercing through the dim light in the room and landing on the woman in front of him who was trying her best to use her seductive charm.
Jasmine, the former confidante of Lady Rose, is now displaying her "charm" in an almost deliberate manner.
She wore a boldly tailored dark red dress, deliberately imitating the captivating charm from her memory. Her waist swayed like a willow in the wind, and her deliberately elongated eyeliner outlined a charming curve. Her fingertips, painted with bright red cardamom, trembled slightly as they gently brushed against Lin Bei's shoulder and then slid almost imperceptibly towards his firm chest.
Her breath was sweet and fragrant, her voice deliberately low and seductive: "Mr. Lin... the nights in this Rose House are always long and lonely. Don't you think... we should find some fun?"
However, faced with Jasmine's deliberate and almost clumsy attempts at seduction, Lin Bei remained unmoved, even finding it somewhat comical.
He could calmly resist the natural, captivating charm of Lady Rose, so how could he be fooled by this deliberate imitation, this clumsy counterfeit? Every twist of Jasmine's waist, every glance, carried the traces of stiff imitation. In Lin Bei's eyes, her deliberate imitation of demeanor and movements was as laughable as a child learning to walk.
He immediately understood Jasmine's intention—she was deliberately imitating Madame Rose, trying to use this learned superficiality to seduce him.
A mischievous smile crept onto Lin Bei's lips.
He didn't avoid Jasmine's touch; instead, when a hint of smug satisfaction flashed in her eyes, he slowly raised his hand.
His movements seemed frivolous, yet his fingertips carried an undeniable strength, precisely and with a hint of mockery, gently lifting Jasmine's meticulously maintained, fair and smooth chin.
Jasmine's heart skipped a beat. She mistakenly thought that her "charm" had finally worked, and her heart was filled with joy: Sure enough! The trick she learned from Lady Rose really worked!
Dealing with Lin Bei, a seemingly mature but actually inexperienced young man, is a piece of cake!
If I had known it would be this easy, why did I lose so many companions at his hands before?
She even began to fantasize that once she used the power of the evil spirit to repair her terrifying appearance and regain her stunning beauty, she would definitely manipulate all the men in the world and enjoy the pleasure that comes with this supreme power.
As for Lady Rose... a sinister glint flashed in Jasmine's eyes. She would never kill her!
She wanted to imprison her, to make her watch herself grow old and wither day after day, year after year, beside her eternally beautiful face, to let the beauty that once drove her mad with jealousy slowly fade away in the dust of time, and to make Lady Rose relive the heart-wrenching pain and endless torment that Jasmine had suffered when her beauty was destroyed in every unbearable day and night!
However, Lin Bei did not do as she wished. With a slight twist of his wrist, he forcefully turned Jasmine's face toward the shadowy corner of the room—towards the mysterious woman who had been standing quietly, also veiled.
Lin Bei's voice was deep and clear, tinged with a knowing, playful tone: "Why don't you find out who she is first? And while you're at it... ask her opinion?"
Jasmine's charming smile froze instantly, like the first crack appearing on a fine piece of porcelain.
Why look at that woman? Why ask her? A strange unease suddenly gripped her heart.
Confused and slightly annoyed, she followed Lin Bei's finger and looked at the silent figure. It was just a casual glance at first, but when her gaze focused on the woman's unique silhouette, the profound elegance that even the veil couldn't conceal, and the calm yet penetrating eyes peering through the thin fabric—
"boom!"
Jasmine felt a chill run from her feet to the top of her head, her whole body trembling violently! Those eyes! The depth and composure in those eyes, something she could never imitate in her entire life… It was her! It was actually her!
The immense shock was like ice water poured over her head, instantly sobering her up. What followed was an indescribable shame and a deep-seated panic, like being caught in the act of adultery!
She was as if struck by an invisible electric current, suddenly sprang up from Lin Bei's leg, staggered back two steps, knocked over a low table behind her, and the vase on it crashed to the ground with a loud bang, shards flying everywhere, sounding particularly jarring in the deathly silent room.
"Rose... Rose..."
Jasmine's throat felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand; her voice was dry and hoarse, filled with unbelievable fear.
"Madame Rose!"
The exclamation was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.
The other five people who had been sitting or standing in various parts of the room, seemingly nonchalant but actually closely watching the situation—the old woman, the scarred man, the tall and thin man, the short and fat merchant, and the always silent guard—suddenly changed their expressions!
Their astonished gazes shot out like arrows at the shadow behind Lin Bei, focusing on the woman who was slowly removing her veil.
"Madame Rose!"
"It really is Lady Rose!"
"My God! She...she's been right in front of us the whole time?!"
After a brief silence, the five people's faces instantly erupted with wild joy!
It was the ecstatic joy of finding something you've been searching for everywhere without any effort!
They went to great lengths, even making deals with evil spirits, all to force Lin Bei to reveal the whereabouts of Lady Rose.
Who would have thought that the target they had been so desperately pursuing was like a ghost, hiding right under their noses, quietly watching them perform like clowns jumping around!
With her identity exposed, Lady Rose no longer concealed it.
Or perhaps, she came here masked precisely to see how many treacherous souls were hidden beneath those ten familiar faces.
Especially Jasmine, the woman she once regarded as her own sister and poured countless trust and love into; and Grandma, the elder who gave her meticulous care during her most difficult years.
Deep down, a faint hope remained that Lin Bei would show leniency to the two of them when cleaning up Rose House, sparing them from being implicated. However, harsh reality dealt her a heavy blow.
Her icy gaze slowly swept across every face present, from initial shock and ecstasy to deliberate attempts to conceal panic, finally settling on Jasmine's deathly pale face and the old woman's evasive and cloudy eyes.
Her heart sank completely. All ten people, without exception, including the two she least wanted to believe, had utterly betrayed their former kindness and loyalty. A deep sorrow flashed in her eyes, quickly replaced by a cold, resolute expression.
She raised her hand and decisively ripped off the blue veil covering her face. That once breathtakingly beautiful face, which had captivated countless hearts but now bore the marks of time and coldness, was laid bare before the betrayers. In the dim light, her skin remained as smooth as porcelain, but her eyes were sharp as knives, seemingly capable of piercing their hypocritical facades and reaching the depths of their sordid souls.
"It really is you..." Jasmine murmured, her voice trembling uncontrollably.
When Jasmine confirmed that the person before her was indeed Lady Rose, her face showed no joy whatsoever. Instead, all color drained from her, leaving her as pale as a ghost just risen from her grave. A complex mix of emotions flashed in her eyes: shock, fear, shame, and a hint of panic that she herself couldn't comprehend…?
Suddenly, as if stabbed by something, Jasmine took a step forward and shouted almost hoarsely at Lady Rose, "What are you doing back here?!"
Her voice was shrill and piercing, echoing in the empty hall, "The Rose House doesn't need you anymore! Don't you understand?!"
As she shouted, her eyes involuntarily and rapidly glanced out the window at the blood-red setting sun about to sink below the horizon, as if confirming some kind of countdown.
As the sun set, her voice grew increasingly urgent, tinged with a morbid anxiety: "Now that you're gone, never come back! Do you know how much trouble and danger you'll cause us if you return?!"
She practically roared the last sentence, her body lunging forward several steps uncontrollably, nearly crashing into Madame Rose. Her outstretched hand screamed a shoo: "Rose House doesn't welcome you! Get out! Now, right now, get out of here! The farther the better! Never let me see you again!"
This sudden, almost hysterical expulsion shocked the five onlookers! They had just been overjoyed at the appearance of their target and plotting how to capture her and claim credit, but they never expected that Jasmine would do something so abnormal and so "outrageous"!
"Jasmine! Are you crazy?!" Scarface was the first to react, shouting angrily.
"How dare you speak to Madam like that!" The tall, thin man's expression also changed.
"Shut up! Apologize to Madam!" The old woman's voice trembled slightly as she tried to pull Jasmine back.
"The Rose House will always be the lady's Rose House! What right do you have to tell the lady to get out?!" the short, stout merchant righteously accused.
"I think it's you who should get out, you ungrateful wretch!" The usually silent guard spoke up for the first time, his tone chilling.
The five men's rebukes were like adding fuel to the fire. Jasmine's anxiety deepened, and beneath that anxiety, there was clearly a nameless, bone-deep fear!
No longer content with mere verbal shooing, she actually reached out and, with an almost desperate force, shoved Mrs. Rose's shoulder: "Go! Are you deaf?! Go! Get out of here! Now! Immediately!"
Her movements were rough and chaotic, completely disregarding any past affections, and she only wanted to push Lady Rose away from the place as quickly as possible.
This bizarre scene only intensified the amusement in Lin Bei's eyes, who was observing the situation from the sidelines.
How interesting, how incredibly interesting! Jasmine, who seemed to still harbor some affection (or rather, complex feelings) for Lady Rose, was now sparing no effort and using harsh words to drive Lady Rose away, behaving exactly like an ungrateful, callous, and heartless wretch.
Meanwhile, the other five, who had completely betrayed her and secretly wished to tear Lady Rose to pieces, were now filled with righteous indignation and eagerly playing the role of loyal comrades, trying their best to keep her.
Behind this stark contrast, there must be a huge mystery hidden!
Lin Bei, a knowing smile playing on his lips, completely concealed his aura, transforming himself into a perfectly competent spectator, enjoying this absurd and captivating drama of betrayal and treachery with great interest.
As Jasmine pushed and insulted her so aggressively, the last shred of coldness in Lady Rose's eyes shattered completely, leaving only a bottomless sorrow.
Although she had already told herself to let go and to be ruthless, the pain of being betrayed and trampled on still pierced her heart like a sharp blade when her once close friend treated her with such vicious words and actions.
The memories of our past, of relying on each other and sharing laughter, surged through my mind, only to be fixed on the face before me, a face etched with disgust and hostility. It was as if those warm years, those sincere feelings, had all become the most laughable lies and illusions.
Tears welled in her reddened eyes, which she vehemently held back. She looked at Jasmine, who was so close yet seemingly driven mad, and spoke in a voice as soft as a sigh, yet it struck a chord deep within everyone's heart.
"Jasmine..." The voice was filled with pain and confusion, "Do you really... hate me that much? Do you despise us that much?"
A single tear finally slipped down her smooth cheek, unable to be held back. "Could it be...could all those years of sisterhood...was it all a lie? Could it be...could it be that I was wrong to pull you out of that hell and save you...?"
That tear, that painful question, was like a red-hot iron, searing Jasmine's heart! A sharp pain almost suffocated her.
Why?
Why, when I had already made up my mind to hate her to the core? Why, when I had already done so many irreversible things? Why, when all was said and done, did my heart, filled with hatred, waver and weaken so much at the last moment, seeing her tears and hearing her questions?
No! Jasmine! You can't do this! You have no way out!
You betrayed her! You summoned evil spirits! You even...planned to make her wish she were dead! You should hate her! Hate that she has everything you lost! Hate her condescending pity!
Hating her is a light you can never reach! That's the only motivation that's kept you going! Didn't you swear to make her suffer the same pain you endured when your face was ruined and you were living a life worse than death?!
Thinking this, Jasmine abruptly closed her eyes, her chest heaving violently, like a drowning person greedily gasping for their last breaths. When she opened her eyes again, all her wavering, weakness, and pain were forcibly suppressed, replaced by an almost obsessive, desperate, cold, and insane intensity. She looked at the undried tear tracks on Madame Rose's face, and a malicious, twisted, mocking smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"Oh……"
A short, sharp laugh escaped her throat, thick with sarcasm. "Rose..." she deliberately drew out the last syllable, as if savoring the once intimate but now ironic title, "Rose... Madam..."
She deliberately emphasized the word "Madam," conveying a deep sense of alienation and resentment.
"You've always been like this..." Jasmine's voice suddenly rose, becoming sharp and accusatory, "Always so self-righteous! So high and mighty!" She took a step forward, her eyes like poisoned daggers, stabbing fiercely at Lady Rose.
"You arrogantly pulled me out of that fire!"
"You think that's salvation?"
"No! You have no idea, that fire didn't just destroy my face! It destroyed everything I had!"
"My pride! My hope! And your so-called 'redemption' has nothing but dragged me from a visible pit of fire into your more ornate and more hopeless cage, built of roses and lies!"
Jasmine's voice trembled with excitement, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.
"You arrogantly think you've rescued me from this sea of suffering? You're wrong! You've only given me a chance to eke out a living under your shadow, dependent on your every whim! I'll always be that ugly, pathetic foil in your beautiful shadow!"
"You presumptuously think we're sisters? How ridiculous!"
Jasmine let out a hysterical, shrill laugh, filled with endless sorrow.
"Sister? In your heart, I'll always just be that poor wretch who needs your charity and pity, who needs your protection! You enjoy playing the role of savior, the perfect older sister, using your 'kindness' and 'gratitude' to keep me firmly by your side, watching me be grateful to you, doesn't that fill you with a sense of superiority?!"
"You arrogantly believe that your sincerity will be reciprocated?"
Jasmine's eyes turned completely cold and crazed, filled with a destructive desire.
"You're wrong! Rose! You're so wrong! Your sincerity, in my eyes, is nothing but hypocritical charity! A tool to flaunt your perfection! You have no idea what real pain is! What real despair is! You have too much, so much that you think the whole world should be grateful to you!"
She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and uttered a final, curse-like declaration to the face that she had once relied on so much but now hated to the core:
"You're wrong! Rose! You've been completely wrong from beginning to end!"