“How cruel,” Shang Wuxin said, her voice flat as she faced the man across from her. Even betrayed, her expression remained impassive, though unseen within her sleeves, her hands had begun to whiten with tension.

A handsome man with alluring almond-shaped eyes sat opposite Shang Wuxin. A flicker of sorrow crossed his gaze, quickly masked by a surge of avarice. Hadn't he spent years meticulously crafting this facade, infiltrating Shang Wuxin's life, all for this very moment? 

Eliminating this woman would pave his path to power. He would ascend within the police force, accepting the decree from above, becoming the new mayor, ruling over all of A City.

“Shang Wuxin, you witch!” the man snarled, a cruel smile twisting his lips as he watched the bewitching woman, now succumbing to the poison he had administered. “Did you know? You killed my parents. All these years… all these years, I've dreamt of nothing but your death. Do you know how disgusting it was, staying by your side? I never loved you!”

Clad in crimson, Shang Wuxin sat on a fiery red sofa, her heart heavy with sorrow as she gazed at the man she had truly loved. Du Xingfeng, her secret lover. Why secret? Because she had made too many enemies, both righteous and wicked, and feared for his safety. She had kept other lovers as a smokescreen, a shield to protect Du Xingfeng.

A chilling laugh escaped Shang Wuxin’s lips, shaking her frame. After a long moment, she regained her composure, her gaze fixed on the man before her. With a swaying gait, she rose and approached him. He stiffened momentarily, but the thought of the potent poison coursing through her veins reassured him. How could she possibly kill him now? He would watch this feared witch, this woman everyone dreaded, die before his very eyes.

Shang Wuxin traced the contours of Du Xingfeng's captivating almond-shaped eyes. She couldn't deny it; his appearance, the persona he so meticulously crafted, were everything she desired. That was why, despite her perilous existence, she had kept him close.

“Truly their son,” she murmured, her voice laced with a chilling amusement. “To think you could deceive me for so many years. I almost believed your love was real.” Her fingers trailed from his eyes to the bridge of his nose. “How disappointing. It’s rare for me to fall for a man, and this is the result.”

Her feelings for him hadn't been love at first sight. Initially, it was mere admiration, tinged with a deep-seated wariness. For ten years, from the age of seventeen to twenty-seven, their relationship had evolved. The initial caution and reserve had slowly melted away. She no longer carried weapons in his presence, no longer secretly tested the food he prepared. That trust had now delivered a crushing blow.

“A witch like you, so young yet so guarded… If I hadn't been so convincing, how could I have possibly killed you?” Du Xingfeng sneered, his gaze lingering on the woman who, from the breathtaking beauty of seventeen to the mesmerizing allure of twenty-seven, had remained captivating. He couldn't deny the flicker of attraction he had felt. It was hard for any man to resist a woman like Shang Wuxin, especially when she showered him with affection. And she had been truly devoted to him. But they were destined to be enemies, bound by the blood feud of their parents, separated by the chasm between the righteous and the wicked.

Shang Wuxin betrayed no hint of heartbreak. Even poisoned, she maintained an air of serene indifference. Her fingers moved from his nose to his lips, and as she had done countless times before, she kissed him. But this time, there was no passionate response from him, no trace of enjoyment from her.