Phoenix’s Revenge: The Business Battle

Chapter12: Echoes of the Past

Gu Wanqing magnified the photograph of the emerald signet ring's inner insignia countless times on her phone, meticulously studying the response from her friend detailing the Shen family's history. The letter elaborately chronicled the evolution and significance of the ancient emblem, revealing its deep roots in the Shen lineage and its intricate connection to a complex period during the family's early endeavors in America. Of particular note was the mention that the insignia's original iteration incorporated a minute motif, symbolizing a creed of unwavering commitment for family members facing peril. While the letter made no direct reference to the Columbia University shooting, Gu Wanqing's keen intuition told her that a deeper narrative lay concealed behind this emblem.

Concurrently, Shen Xubai's memory recovery appeared to be entering a critical juncture. He began to awaken frequently from nightmares, his sleepscape saturated with the cacophony of gunfire, piercing screams, and the visceral splatter of blood. He would clutch Gu Wanqing's hand with a desperate grip, his brow slick with cold sweat, his eyes mirroring a profound terror and disorientation.

"Xubai, did you have another nightmare?" Gu Wanqing murmured softly, her voice laced with concern as she tenderly stroked his forehead.

Shen Xubai nodded, his voice raspy. "I dreamt of terrible things, fragmented images, blood everywhere… and a girl. She seemed to be crying…"

A tremor ran through Gu Wanqing. She knew Shen Xubai's nightmares were likely echoes of the shooting ten years prior. She patiently guided him, gently probing for more details.

"Do you remember what the girl looked like? Or anything she did?" Gu Wanqing asked softly.

Shen Xubai strained to recall, his brow furrowed in concentration, as if attempting to piece together shattered fragments of memory. "I can't see her face clearly… she seemed very brave. She… she pushed someone…"

Gu Wanqing's heart gave a slight lurch. She recalled Shen's father mentioning that she had saved Shen Xubai. Could the girl in his dream be herself?

"Do you remember who it was that she pushed?" Gu Wanqing continued.

Shen Xubai shook his head, a pained expression clouding his features. "I can't remember. My head aches."

Recognizing the futility of pressing him further, Gu Wanqing embraced him gently, her voice a soothing balm. "It's alright, Xubai. Take your time, there's no rush. I'll be here with you."

As time progressed, the fragments of Shen Xubai's memory grew increasingly coherent. One day, he suddenly seized Gu Wanqing's hand, his eyes wide with astonishment and disbelief.

"Wanqing, I remember! Ten years ago, at Columbia University, I… I think I saw you!" Shen Xubai's voice held a tremor of excitement, a flicker of surprised recognition in his eyes.

Gu Wanqing's heart pounded in her chest. She fought to suppress her own surge of emotion, asking calmly, "What do you remember?"

Shen Xubai struggled to articulate his recollections, his eyes filled with a visible effort. "I remember the campus was chaotic that day, there seemed to be some kind of protest. I got into a confrontation with some people and was pushed towards the street. A car was coming straight for me… just when I thought I was going to be hit, a girl rushed forward and pulled me back…"

Before he could finish his sentence, tears welled up in Gu Wanqing's eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She gripped Shen Xubai's hand tightly, her voice choked with emotion. "Xubai, it was you. You remember!"

Shen Xubai looked at Gu Wanqing, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and inquiry. "That girl… was it you?"

Gu Wanqing nodded through her tears. "Yes, Xubai, it was me. Ten years ago, at Columbia University, I saved you."

A flash of dawning comprehension illuminated Shen Xubai's eyes. He embraced Gu Wanqing tightly, his voice tinged with emotion and remorse. "Wanqing, I'm so sorry. I… I had completely forgotten something so important."

Gu Wanqing shook her head, returning his embrace with equal fervor. "It's alright, Xubai. What matters is that you remember now."

Shen Xubai's memories began to return in fragments, the recollections of their initial encounter and the burgeoning of their feelings for each other gradually resurfacing. However, the deeper details surrounding the shooting ten years prior remained shrouded in a hazy obscurity.

Gu Wanqing knew that the time had come for a complete confrontation with Shen Xubai's father. She had to reveal everything she knew to Shen Xubai and allow him to form his own judgments and make his own choices.

One afternoon, when Shen Xubai seemed to be in a relatively stable mental state, Gu Wanqing sought out Shen's father. Her gaze was icy and resolute, devoid of the polite deference she had shown him previously.

"Uncle Shen, I believe we need to have a serious discussion," Gu Wanqing stated, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

Shen's father, observing the coldness in Gu Wanqing's eyes, felt a knot of unease tighten in his stomach. He knew the inevitable moment had arrived.

"What is it you wish to discuss?" Shen's father asked, his voice tinged with weariness.

"The Columbia University shooting ten years ago, the death of my brother, Gu Mingyuan, and the role that you and the Shen family played in that tragedy," Gu Wanqing enunciated each word with deliberate precision, her tone laced with anger and accusation.

Shen's father's face drained of color, his eyes widening with alarm and trepidation as he looked at Gu Wanqing. "You… you know?"

"Yes, I know everything," Gu Wanqing replied icily. "I know that your brother, Shen Hongyu, was involved in that conflict. I know my brother was an innocent victim. And I know that you went to the extent of orchestrating a car accident to steal Xubai's memories in order to conceal the truth."

Shen's father's body trembled violently. He looked at Gu Wanqing, his eyes filled with despair and anguish. "Wanqing, please listen to me. Everything I did was for Xubai's sake. I didn't want him to know such a cruel truth…"

"No matter how cruel the truth, it is always better than living a lie!" Gu Wanqing interjected, her voice cracking with emotion. "My brother's life was not disposable. Our family has endured ten years of pain. Do we not deserve an explanation?"

Shen's father fell silent, unable to refute Gu Wanqing's words.

Just then, Shen Xubai's voice echoed from nearby. "Dad, Wanqing, what are you talking about? What truth?"

Gu Wanqing and Shen's father turned simultaneously to see Shen Xubai standing a short distance away, his face ashen, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.

Gu Wanqing's heart sank. She knew the truth could no longer be concealed.

Shen Xubai walked towards them, step by hesitant step, his gaze shifting between Gu Wanqing and his father, his voice urgent. "Dad, Wanqing, what are you talking about? What shooting ten years ago? What truth?"

Shen's father looked at Shen Xubai, his face pale, his lips trembling slightly, but he remained unable to utter a single word.

Gu Wanqing took a deep breath. She knew it was her turn to tell Shen Xubai everything.

She looked at Shen Xubai, her gaze soft yet resolute. "Xubai, ten years ago, at Columbia University, there was a shooting. My brother, Gu Mingyuan, was tragically killed in that shooting."

Shen Xubai's body stiffened as if struck. His face paled further, his eyes widening with shock and agony. "What? Your brother…?"

Gu Wanqing nodded, tears welling up in her eyes once more. "Yes, Xubai, my brother. He was a kind and brilliant person. He had a bright future ahead of him, but… everything was destroyed by that shooting."

Shen Xubai looked at Gu Wanqing, his eyes reflecting an unbearable pain. He strained to recall something, anything, but his mind remained a chaotic blur.

"That… that shooting… was it related to our family, the Shens?" Shen Xubai asked, his voice trembling slightly, as if he already suspected the answer.

Gu Wanqing nodded, her gaze shifting to Shen's father with a complex mixture of emotions. "Yes, Xubai. Back then, your uncle, Shen Hongyu, was involved in that shooting…"

Shen Xubai's face turned ashen. He stumbled backward, his eyes fixed on his father in utter disbelief. "Dad, is this true? Uncle… he…?"

Shen's father's body trembled violently. He looked at his son, his eyes filled with anguish and regret, finally bowing his head in defeat.

Shen Xubai looked at his father, then at Gu Wanqing, whose eyes were brimming with tears. His mind reeled, countless fragmented memories flooding back, causing waves of dizziness and nausea.

He suddenly recalled hazy images, bloody and terrifying scenes, and a young, gentle face – the face of Gu Wanqing's brother, Gu Mingyuan.

Shen Xubai clutched his head, letting out a tormented cry. "Ah—!"

Gu Wanqing rushed forward, embracing him tightly, her voice a soothing murmur. "It's alright, it's alright, everything will be alright."

Shen Xubai gripped Gu Wanqing's hand, his body shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face. He finally remembered. He remembered the shooting ten years ago, the innocent young man who had died, and everything his father had done to conceal the truth.

He looked at Gu Wanqing, his eyes filled with pain and remorse. "Wanqing, I'm so sorry, so sorry… I…"

Gu Wanqing shook her head, holding him close. "It's not your fault, Xubai. We'll face this together."

Shen Xubai looked at Gu Wanqing, his eyes filled with love and gratitude. He knew he had lost many memories, but he had not lost the person he loved most.

He turned his head, his gaze now cold as it fixed on his father. His voice, though still trembling slightly, held a newfound firmness. "Dad, I want you to tell me the complete truth about what happened that day, without holding anything back."

Shen's father looked at his son, knowing that there was no turning back. He let out a deep, weary sigh and nodded. "Alright, Xubai. I will tell you everything."

Gu Wanqing watched the father and son, her heart filled with a multitude of emotions. She knew that a difficult and arduous path lay ahead of them. However, she believed that as long as they trusted and supported each other, they would eventually find the answers they sought, emerge from the shadows of the past, and forge a future of their own.