A Core Ship From The Start-Chapter 2383 - 1599: The Disease Called Ai

After figuring it out, Arima Kaname also exhaled in relief and sat back down in the chair.

"Indeed, your petite frame is truly deceptive, I almost forgot you’re such a strong woman."

"That’s called kung fu, kung fu, not some superpower."

Duanmu Huai waved a hand and picked up his phone.

"By the way, you’ve seemed quite busy lately, always on your phone. Are you watching some videos?"

"No, just handling some minor affairs."

Duanmu Huai shook his head, then refocused on the phone in front of him.

After getting the materials, conducting a parentage test was not difficult; before long, Duanmu Huai had the parentage test results for Kamiki Hikari and Ruby—well, he didn’t use his own out of lack of interest.

And the test results showed that they are indeed father and daughter.

This means that Xingye Ai’s lover is undoubtedly Kamiki Hikari.

Although there’s no evidence to prove all this was Kamiki Hikari’s scheme, he... indeed had suspicion and motive.

And after getting the test report, Duanmu Huai went to find Saito Ichiro to "share the news," but the latter didn’t seem relieved at all.

"Even so, there’s nothing we can do. It’s been so long, and with just a test, there’s not much we can do. Even if we go to the police, the statute of limitations has passed. Plus, after so many years, he’s certainly already cleared everything up. Anyway, the assassin who killed Ai has already committed suicide, so we can’t find more evidence..."

"We don’t need evidence."

Duanmu Huai coldly interrupted Saito Ichiro’s lament. Seriously, when did the tribunal ever need evidence to arrest someone? If I think you’re suspicious, you have to prove you’re not. If you can’t prove your innocence, then you are guilty.

After all, Judges are too busy, no time to prove someone’s innocence.

"As long as he’s suspicious, that’s enough; nothing else matters."

"So what are you going to do, just confront him directly?"

"No need for that."

Duanmu Huai shook his head.

"I don’t care about his lies, nor do I care about his thoughts. He’s the perpetrator of all this, so he must pay the price."

"...You’ve watched the DVD Ai left for you, haven’t you? She..."

"That’s Ai’s thought, not mine."

Duanmu Huai squinted his eyes.

"Who she chooses to forgive or hate is her business, not mine. And what do you think, Mr. President? If I showed him that DVD, what would he do? Would he cry his heart out? Have a change of heart and start anew? Honestly, I’m not interested in any of that. He caused this situation, so he needs to pay the price. Just because a criminal admits guilt in court doesn’t mean they can avoid punishment, does it? That’s not how it works."

What Duanmu Huai was referring to was the DVD the president had given him earlier, a recording Ai made a long time ago, meant for Duanmu Huai and Ruby when they turned fifteen. Duanmu Huai didn’t know what Ai’s DVD for Ruby contained, but afterward, Ruby became even more diligent.

As for the DVD Xingye Ai left for Duanmu Huai... it mainly told the story between her and that man, which boiled down to the fact that the man was also pitiable; back then, he didn’t abandon them, it was Xingye Ai who, for the man’s sake, chose to leave...

Honestly, whenever Duanmu Huai sees this, he wants to complain about why women always cast themselves as the tragic heroine and torment themselves.

Actually, the story of Xingye Ai and Kamiki Hikari was one Duanmu Huai had known by heart since middle school from the romance novels tucked away in the pockets of classmates. To save the male lead, the female protagonist sacrifices herself, deciding to endure the pain alone. Meanwhile, the male lead, in the loss of his beloved, transforms grief into strength and ultimately achieves great things.

Of course, in these romance novels, the male lead eventually realizes the female lead’s good intentions, and saves her from falling into the Abyss, and the two are reunited.

Every time girls in the class read these novels, they would cry uncontrollably.

But, from Duanmu Huai’s perspective, isn’t it all the female lead’s own doing?

Typically, these plots depict the male lead willing to sacrifice for the female lead, but the female lead, under the pretense of "for his own good," painfully chooses to let go, pretending to be the most miserable person in the world.

It’s like those drama series where a mother-in-law throws a five-million-dollar card to the heroine, saying, "Here’s the money, stay away from my son."

Whether or not to take that five million is completely up to the heroine, isn’t it?

Generally speaking, in such a scenario, one either refuses the money and doesn’t break up or takes the money and walks away.

That’s understandable.

Yet, in romance dramas, the heroine usually makes a third choice — doesn’t take the money, breaks up, and walks away.

All while claiming, "It’s not about your money, I just want him to be alright."

But wasn’t this your own choice?

It’s not that no one offered you the money; you refused it yourself! You made this decision that’s all downside, so isn’t trouble inevitable?

In Duanmu Huai’s opinion, Xingye Ai was of the same nature.

She confessed that the reason she chose to break up was that she hoped he would not be burdened by her and could reach greater heights.

See, just like the female leads in romance dramas, claiming "it’s for his own good," it’s ultimately just cheap self-consolation, and it’s others who suffer.