I Am the Only Fertile Woman in the Game-Chapter 223: Learning the Truth

Carl’s fingers clutched tightly onto Qiao Suisui’s clothing, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if he wanted to embed her into his own body, never to let her leave again. His breathing was rapid and disordered, tears falling like beads off a string, one by one, dampening Qiao Suisui’s shoulder.

"Suisui," his voice was deep and hoarse, filled with endless yearning and pain, "have you really come back? I’m not dreaming, am I?"

Qiao Suisui gently stroked his back, tenderly comforting him, "Carl, I really am back. This isn’t a dream, I’m right here."

After reassuring him over and over for quite some time, Carl finally loosened his grip on her a little. But he still held onto Qiao Suisui, as if only by doing so could he confirm her existence.

"I thought I would never see you again," Carl’s voice was almost drowned by his tears, "I thought I could only meet you again in hallucinations."

Although Qiao Suisui had guessed that his use of hallucinogens was because of her, hearing him say it out loud still caused her heart to ache.

Her own tears kept falling as she said softly, "You fool."

Carl took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil within him, he gently let go of Qiao Suisui and held her face in his hands, his eyes filled with deep love and anxiety, "I won’t let you leave me again, you won’t be able to get rid of me from now on."

The Prison Director had been paying close attention to the situation here, seeing Carl now, who seemed a completely different person from before. Expressions had returned to his face, and life to his being, he secretly marveled at the wonder of it.

Zong Fang breathed a sigh of relief, hoping only that Carl could temporarily hold Qiaoqiao’s attention. The matter with Colonel Sikoses and Leberli, if it could be delayed, should be delayed.

Sang Yan, seeing the two embrace, quietly turned his head away.

Qiao Suisui didn’t want Carl to stay in the cell; he wasn’t a prisoner. Although he hadn’t entirely quit hallucinogens, she believed there wouldn’t be a problem with Carl.

So she said to Zong Fang, "Let’s take Carl back to the Imperial Court. If he can’t resist injecting himself again, then I won’t see him anymore."

Carl, who was by her side, listened and seriously grasped her hand, saying, "There won’t be a next time. Don’t even think about leaving me."

Knowing that this matter required determination, Qiao Suisui intentionally provoked him, "But what if you can’t resist again?"

"There is no if. With you here, I don’t need hallucinogens."

Having received his promise, she felt somewhat relieved and smiled at him. Carl still hadn’t fully settled down from the reality of her return, fearing that she might once again slip away silently, so his eyes never left her. Hence, he didn’t catch the look Zong Fang was giving him.

Seeing that Zong Fang didn’t speak, Qiao Suisui asked, "What’s wrong?"

Zong Fang was still thinking of an excuse to prevent her from returning to the Imperial Court, when Sang Yan let out a heavy sigh and said, "This isn’t a solution."

"What?" Qiao Suisui looked at the two men, inquiring with her eyes what exactly was going on.

Zong Fang pressed his lips together, staying silent.

Carl then realized what was happening, quickly tightened his grip on Qiao Suisui’s hand, and shot a quick glance at the two men opposite him.

Qiao Suisui, seeing the three of them playing guessing games, made as if to leave, saying, "If you don’t tell me, I’ll go find out for myself."

Carl couldn’t possibly let go of her hand, coaxing her, "Behave, let’s go back and talk about it, okay?"

Qiao Suisui frowned at Zong Fang, who was uncharacteristically avoiding her; he rarely did this, there must be something happening that they were hiding from her. She turned her gaze to Sang Yan, pressing him, "Are you going to hide it from me too like these two?"

As expected, Sang Yan couldn’t withstand her questioning like this.

Or perhaps, Sang Yan felt she had the right to know everything all along.

"Colonel Sikoses, he..."

"Sang Yan!" Zong Fang interrupted him sternly.

Qiao Suisui’s heart was immediately lifted as she asked, "What happened exactly!"

Zong Fang came up to her, embracing her and protecting her head with his hand, whispering, "You have to remember, what I’m about to tell you has nothing to do with you, it was Sikoses’s own choice."

The reason he had been dragging it out without telling her wasn’t just because he feared she would be sad, but even more so because he worried she would blame and feel guilty. That feeling was the most unbearable, because he had experienced it for thirteen years.

Qiao Suisui felt her blood run in reverse, her heart missed a beat, and the image of the cross drawn by Lanze flashed through her mind, and suddenly she dared not let herself think further.

Carl thought it was too cruel to tell her directly, trying to intervene, "Can’t we talk about this when we get back? She just woke up, you all..."

"I want to know..." Qiao Suisui’s teeth had already started to tremble.

Zong Fang tightened his embrace, giving her a full sense of security.

"Sikoses committed suicide."

Qiao Suisui stood frozen in place as if she had been immobilized. The shocking news came through her ears, and her brain couldn’t process this sudden information. Her gaze was hollow, staring blankly ahead, as if the world had stopped at this moment.

Her breathing became light and shallow, as if it would stop the next second.

Upon seeing this, Carl scaredly pushed Zong Fang away and took hold of her shoulders, gently stroking her cheeks.

"Suisui, don’t scare me, breathe..."

Her mind was blank, and after a few seconds, the weight of reality began to press down on her consciousness. Her gaze slowly focused, her pupils narrowed slightly, as if she finally understood the meaning of those words. The voices of the three men were around her, she heard them, yet it was as if she hadn’t. Her heart felt as though it was tightly grasped by an invisible hand, the pain not immediately reaching her awareness.

Qiao Suisui’s lips parted slightly, her fingers stiffly hanging at her sides, she asked, "Suicide... Why..."

As soon as she asked, she recalled Ruka’s words—

"Suisui... I really can’t lose you."

"Suisui, promise me, the day you stop loving me, kill me."

"Have I ever told you, I can’t live without you..."

Suddenly, tears silently surged into her eyes, blurring her vision. Her legs seemed to lose their strength, her body swayed slightly, almost unable to stand steady. Her fingers began to tremble, unconsciously clutching at something nearby, as though only by doing so could she find a hint of comfort and support.

Zong Fang immediately caught her staggering body, his eyes filled with heartache.

"It’s because of me... It’s all because of me..."

Qiao Suisui knelt on the ground powerlessly, covering her face with her hands, tears streaming through her fingers. Her body curled up as though this could slightly lessen the pain inside. Her heart felt as though it was being torn apart, hurting so much that she couldn’t breathe. She could only cry silently, letting the tears soak her cheeks and drench her heart.

Unable to bear her crying like this, Carl’s eyes had already reddened, while Zong Fang felt as if his heart was being cut to pieces, and Sang Yan stood there dumbfounded, feeling as if he could hardly breathe.

Qiao Suisui lifted her face from her palms, as if thinking of something, a glimmer flashed in her eyes.

Her gaze cooled a fraction, and in a hoarse voice, she asked again, "What about Ash?"

Zong Fang remained silent for a long while before saying, "He was killed by several heads of state from the member countries."