In His Youth in Her Beauty - Chapter - Extra [PDF]

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The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful 少年的你，如此美丽 Is there a possibility, that love doesn’t exist in the world? Author(s): Jiu Yue Xi, 玖月晞 Artist(s): Year: 2015 Country: China Genres: Drama, Josei, Romance, Tragedy Tags: Beautiful Female Lead, Bullying, Female Protagonist, Handsome Male Lead, Modern Day Source: Dramas, Books & Tea, Imported, Asada Translations ASIANOVEL VERSION: 3.11 PDF VERSION: 1.4 UUID: aea76640-32a2-11ea-9c0d-e99026e2ee24 USER: chloris DATE CREATED: 2020-01-09 LANGUAGE: English More info and chapters: https://www.asianovel.com/series/the-youthful-you-who-was-so-beaut iful

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Chapter 1 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

We finally embark on the first chapter of The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful where we’re introduced to our main character, Chen Nian, a silent and quiet girl right smack in the middle of some ongoing investigations. Whilst the content is slightly darker in nature when compared to I Don’t Like This World, I Only Like You, the author still manages to weave a compelling story that provides people with glimmers of hope at the end of her dark tale. Stick around, and I hope you enjoy the ride! On a side note, I’m still trying to figure out the release schedule for The Youthful You as the chapters are much harder to divide into two, so please be patient and I apologise in advance for the wait! “Mutualism refers to the relationship between two organisms whereby each individual benefits from the activity of the other individual. When either individual is absent, the other individual experience serious negative repercussions, and may even die.” The biology teacher’s voice rang out loudly and clearly, as though he was a singing cicada. The warm glow of the setting sun filtered into the classroom, casting its light on half the classroom, whilst the other half remained shrouded in darkness. Chen Nian sat on the boundary that divided the dark from the light. The bright sunlight caused her to squint, her long, black eyelashes offering little help in blocking the sunlight. A shadow loomed over her. It was the form teacher. Two police officers trailed behind him. Silence descended upon the entire classroom. “Chen Nian,” The form teacher stood before her, a warm smile www.asianovel.com

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plastered over his usually stern face. “Could you come out for a minute?” Chen Nian looked towards the two police officers, her face paling slightly. She took a quick glance at the empty seat in front of her, and slowly put her mechanical pencil down. When she rose from her seat, she tugged at the skirt that had been stuck to her legs. The gaze of the biology teacher, along with those of the entire class, followed her out of the classroom; and when their eyes could no longer see her, their ears followed her, the hair on their ears standing upright in their effort to hear what little news they could. The form teacher patted Chen Nian’s skinny shoulders, and attempted to comfort her, “Don’t be anxious, they’re just going to ask you a few questions.” One officer had an extremely stern expression on his face, whilst the other young police officer wore a gentle smile on his face. Chen Nian nodded her head, and silently followed the form teacher to his office. Having taken a few steps, the form teacher suddenly turned his head back into the classroom, chiding the students who were bursting with curiosity, “Concentrate!” Upon arriving at the form teacher’s office, Chen Nian sat down, the cold air from the air conditioner crawling into her skin…… The form teacher looked at Chen Nian and asked calmly, “Chen Nian, you do know why these two police officers are here today, don’t you?” “I……kn……know.” Chen Nian had a habit of stuttering despite not being anxious in the least. Although her face was terribly pale, it was because she was born with naturally pale skin. The young police officer took sympathy on Chen Nian, and asked, “You know we’re here because Hu Xiao Die committed suicide by www.asianovel.com

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jumping off the school building? Chen Nian nodded her head, her black eyes staring unblinkingly at him. “You ought to know why we chose to ask you, and not anyone else, right?” “That day I……I was…… was on clean…… clean-up duty.” “That day, Hu Xiao Die, you, and two other classmates were responsible for cleaning up the classroom together. After the four of you had completed the duty of cleaning up the classroom, the two students left, leaving you and Hu Xiao Die in the classroom.” Chen Nian nodded her head. “You mentioned that you left before Hu Xiao Die did?” Chen Nian nodded her head once more. “That day, did Hu Xiao Die leave you with any message or reveal any information to you?” Chen Nian shook her head, her eyes sharp and clear. “Did you detect any abnormal behaviour on Hu Xiao Die’s part?” Chen Nian shook her head once more. The other police officer interjected, “Could you describe to us Hu Xiao Die’s state and behaviour that day when only the two of you were left in the classroom?” “I already wrote…… wrote my……ob……observations down.” www.asianovel.com

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The form teacher interrupted at this point, “It’s simply too difficult for this child to speak. The police had already questioned her previously – the interrogation was recorded too.” Chen Nian quietly glanced at the form teacher. The police officer thought for a moment before asking, “You mentioned that you didn’t see Hu Xiao Die after school that day. As such, you decided to return home.” Chen Nian nodded her head. Last week, as the security guard conducted his usual patrol on the school grounds, he discovered a pool of blood on the tiles in front of the staff building, with Hu Xiao Die’s broken corpse lying in the middle of the blood pool. Hu Xiao Die was the school belle, but she died in a most ugly fashion. The police officers made an initial determination that Hu Xiao Die had committed suicide. However, the reasons for her suicide remain clouded in mystery….. When the police had no further questions, the form teacher instructed Chen Nian to return to class. As Chen Nian walked out of the air-conditioned room, a thin layer of sweat formed over her body immediately, as though she had been cling wrapped. Chen Nian gazed at the blindingly white sunlight. For a moment, Hu Xiao Die’s milky white corpse flashed before her eyes, causing a cold shiver to crawl up her spine. Having taken a few steps, a voice rang out from behind, “Chen Nian.” It was the young police officer. He passed her his namecard and smiled, his piercing gaze seemingly capable of deciphering the unknown, “My surname is Zheng. If you ever need help in the www.asianovel.com

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future, you could always give me a call.” Chen Nian’s heart dropped for a moment. She nodded her head slowly. When she entered the classroom, it was as though someone had accidentally pressed the mute button – all ballpoint pens and assignment books were frozen at a standstill. Chen Nian acted as though she hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary, and simply walked towards her seat. Amongst the ten gazes that were glued onto her body, Chen Nian felt one which was particularly cold and sharp. Chen Nian glanced at Wei Cai, who was seated in the last row. Wei Cai’s eyes were framed with eyeliner, and her dark gaze conveyed a harsh and cruel threat. The minute Chen Nian sat down, Zeng Hao, who had been sitting diagonally in front of her, pinched her legs slightly under the table. Chen Nian started feeling under the table, and retrieved a note from Zeng Hao’s hands. The note asked, “What did they ask you?” Chen Nian fell silent, glancing at Hu Xiao Die’s empty seat in front of her before glancing at the rest of the students surrounding her. Despite the sudden disappearance of one single classmate, the class didn’t appear to be terribly affected – only Hu Xiao Die’s good friend, Zeng Hao, had been found crying on various occasions. The rest of the class were mostly focused on gossip; rather than being melancholic, the majority of the class was simply curious and confused. Or rather, they were simply bewildered. One of the significant traits and advantages of being a youth is one’s forgetfulness. Despite the setbacks one encounters, one is nevertheless still able to easily forge ahead after shrugging off one’s www.asianovel.com

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disappointment. The students who had been whispering away just a minute ago all fell silent at this very moment. Their bright eyes were fully focused on the clock above the blackboard – one last minute till the end of school! Although students were not allowed to talk or whisper during class, the knowledge that school was about to end gave courage to every single student. The students who were usually extremely disobedient even began to count down aloud, “20……19……” Gradually, the noise became louder, as though a horde of bees was slowly nearing. The biology teacher knew about the inherent tendency of organisms to converge and mimic the actions of the group, but he refused to admit defeat by putting the textbook down. An increasing number of students began to join in the countdown, “13……12……” Chen Nian could feel her heart beating in time with the rhythm created by the disobedient male students. She had finished packing her bag under the table; the moment the school bell rang, she would rush out of the classroom immediately. In the heat of the evening, a thin sheen of sweat formed on her nose. The biology teacher made a final attempt to gather the students’ attention, “Besides mutualism, parasitism and competition, what is the one other relationship that exists between organisms?” The entire class shouted out in excitement, “Predation!” Ring…Ring…Ring… The final bell exploded in the classroom, and the classroom erupted into chaos. Chen Nian quickly walked out of the classroom, and after ascertaining that she was no longer being pierced with that cold and www.asianovel.com

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cruel gaze, she started sprinting with all her might. Across the corridor and into the stairwell, her white canvas shoes moved frantically across the steps. Her legs were extremely thin, and looked as though they were about to break from the speed at which she was running at. A couple of male students sped past her, roaring along the way. Chen Nian disregarded them, instead opting to pump all her energy and concentration into running. Once in a while, Chen Nian would look back – it was as though there was an invisible evil ghoul racing behind her in an attempt to take her life. By the time the final bell stopped ringing, Chen Nian’s white school uniform had already disappeared from the entrance of the school. Chen Nian continued running, only stopping when she no longer had any energy to continue on. By then, Chen Nian had already reached the small alley near her home. Panting from exhaustion, she continued walking forward slowly. Her heart was beating as loudly as a drum. Chen Nian wiped the sweat from her mouth, and tightened her grip around her bag. The small alley was shrouded in the evening glow, with the occasional wisp of freshly cooked dinner drifting out from the nearby homes. Pingpingpangpang… Amidst the clanging noise caused by the ladles clashing against the metal pots, Chen Nian discerned punching and kicking noises. A bunch of hooligans was beating someone up in a corner. A boy dressed in a white T-shirt had curled his body up on the floor; he neither resisted the punches, nor did he make a single sound. Chen Nian lowered her head and attempted to walk past the hooligans, who were shouting and swearing at the boy in the white twww.asianovel.com

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shirt. Chen Nian kept her gaze straight, and did not even bother giving the hooligans a second glance as she walked past them. However, the minute Chen Nian rounded the corner, she retrieved her mobile phone immediately. Chen Nian managed to key in two numbers with much success – but before she managed to key in a third number, she was suddenly yanked by the collar. Chen Nian was like a little chick which was unceremoniously dragged into the center of the crowd. Trapped in such a situation, Chen Nian had little choice but to lower her head. A hooligan gave her a light slap on the cheek, “Little Bi***, who were you going to call?” Chen Nian lowered her eyelids, “My mo……mother.” The other party twisted her hand, successfully revealing the screen of her mobile phone. The numbers “11” could clearly be seen on the screen. “110?” Before Chen Nian could react, she was forcefully slapped. “F***ing Bi***, you wanna die?!” Chen Nian fell onto the boy in the white t-shirt, her face blazing with pain. All of a sudden, she was hit with waves of regret. She should have simply minded her own business. None of this concerned her. Even if these hooligans had beaten this boy to death or had beaten him till he was crippled, it was none of her concern. “Who’s this little shit!” Just as the hooligan was about to kick Chen Nian, another hooligan intervened. The hooligan who had intervened squat on the floor, grabbing Chen Nian’s ponytail and forcing her to raise her head. www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian caught a glimpse of the school uniform which was hanging loosely on the hooligan’s waist. Ah, the hooligan was the same age as her. However, despite the similarity in ages, the hooligan and her were worlds apart. It was as though they were natural enemies, organisms which belonged to different classifications. The hooligan used his chin to point at the boy in the white t-shirt, “You know him?” Pulling Chen Nian by her hair, he twisted her head to face the boy in the white t-shirt. In the dim evening light, Chen Nian’s gaze was caught by a pair of emotionless and dark black eyes. “Don’t……”Chen Nian struggled to speak aloud, “Don’t know.” “You don’t know him?” The hooligan was still grabbing Chen Nian by her hair, which by now had transformed into a bird’s nest. He shook her head roughly, “How dare you be such a busybody even though you don’t know him?” “I won’t……won’t be such a busybody anymore.” Chen Nian’s voice was extremely soft, but her regret and her plea for mercy was still patently obvious in her answer. She lowered her eyelids once more, not daring to look at the eyes of the boy in the white t-shirt. Despite having lost interest in Chen Nian, the hooligans were still unwilling to let her off so easily, “If you don’t know him, why do you still try to help him? Hmm?” Chen Nian replied slowly, “I’m not sure.” Chen Nian gradually felt stirrings of unease within her. “You think he’s good looking, don’t you?”

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Chen Nian remained silent, her mind void of any answer. Chen Nian could tell that the boy in the white t-shirt was an extremely handsome boy when she glimpsed at him a few moments ago. However, she hadn’t had the opportunity to see his face when she first decided to help him. “Of course he’s good looking – after all, his mother is famous for her great looks in our city.” The hooligans snickered whilst exchanging glances. “There’s a huge train of people lining up to get into her bed and……” “Who knows, maybe it’d finally be my turn one day? I’ve been wanting to enter a woman from behind for the longest time……” Chen Nian grit her teeth; she could feel a sense of shame that did not belong to her exploding on her face. At this moment, she couldn’t muster even the slightest bit of courage to look at the boy in the white t-shirt. When the hooligans finally stopped mocking the both of them, they grabbed Chen Nian by the collar, “Do you have any money on you?” “Ah?” “He doesn’t have any money. Do you?” Ah, so these were bullies who frequently extorted money from weak students. As Chen Nian came from a rather poor family, she couldn’t bear to part with her money. However, she decided to part with her seventy dollars as she feared that the hooligans would search her body. As she handed over the money, her eyes reddened in the process, “I on……only have…… this much.” The hooligans snatched the money from her, and insulted her as being a ‘cheap idiot’ in the process. However, the hooligans were extremely dissatisfied with the small amount of money, and had to find ways in which they could vent their unhappiness. www.asianovel.com

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“Well… Since you saved the boy, we’ll reward you by allowing you to kiss him on the lips!” Chen Nian was stunned for a moment before crawling up from the ground, violently resisting the hooligans who had surrounded her. The hooligans easily overpowered her, and pressed her onto the ground. Fury and shame engulfed Chen Nian, but even shame could do little for her. Chen Nian shrieked and struggled, trying her best to resist the hooligans who were manhandling her; meanwhile, the boy in the white t-shirt simply looked at her coldly from his narrow eyes. Her mouth knocked into his, her soft lips pressed against his sturdy teeth. Her head was held in place by the hooligans, and the both of them were forced to lie on the muddy floor. The hooligans on the sidelines were happily counting as time passed, and insisted that they had to count till ‘110’. Chen Nian finally stopped her resistance, a stream of tears falling from her eyes onto his face. The boy in the white t-shirt silently looked at her without making a single sound.

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Chapter 2 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

Chen Nian was greeted with cigarette fumes the moment she exited her toilet cubicle. Chen Nian turned away and started coughing. When the fumes finally cleared, Wei Cai’s arrogant face entered into Chen Nian’s vision field. Remnants of make up were still left on Wei Cai’s youthful face, the overly mature makeup looking extremely out of place on such a young face. Chen Nian, too, wished that she would be able to age tremendously within a single night. Only then would she be able to successfully escape the ferocious and cruel colosseum, and avoid being preyed on by the merciless vultures. However, she was unable to escape her youth no matter how hard she tried. Chen Nian started towards the door of the toilet. However, before Chen Nian could even take a single step, Wei Cai abruptly slammed her onto the cubicle door. Chen Nian hoped from the bottom of her heart that this would simply be an one-off incident, and didn’t serve as a signal of the start of Wei Cai’s war on her. Wei Cai slowly moved her cigarette towards Chen Nian’s stiff face, before finally pressing it against the cubicle door. She closed the distance between her and Chen Nian, “What did the police officers want from you?” Chen Nian replied calmly, “They…they asked the same…… same few questions.” “Sa…same….same…” Wei Cai mimicked Chen Nian’s stutter. “Why is your mouth so stupid? Can’t it speak properly? Just look at you – the police would still suspect that you’re lying www.asianovel.com

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even if you’re speaking the truth.” Chen Nian shook her head vigorously. “So, Chen Nian. Tell me – where was I when Hu Xiao Die jumped from the school building?” The sunlight shone on Chen Nian’s face, highlighting her pale complexion; Chen Nian glanced at Wei Cai, trying her best to complete the sentence in a single breath, “School……” Wei Cai stared at Chen Nian viciously, and was about to slap Chen Nian when Chen Nian finally finished her sentence, “Outside school…”. That day, Chen Nian was on her way home when she saw Wei Cai and her friends surrounding a female student from High School. They were extorting money from her. Wei Cai looked at Chen Nian coldly, “You stuttered this to the police?” Chen Nian lowered her head. On spotting some slight movements from Wei Cai’s hand., Chen Nian immediately shook her head and replied, “I wrote.” However, the slap still found its way onto Chen Nian’s face. Chen Nian’s head was tilted to the side, her long black fringe serving as a cover for her flushed facial expression and her shame. “I knew you wouldn’t dare to speak about rubbish.” Wei Cai spat at Chen Nian. Just then, the bell rang, signaling the start of lessons. Xu Miao, who had been standing guard at the door, started to urge Wei Cai, “Come on, let’s go.” Wei Cai walked closer to Chen Nian, and grabbed a few strands of hair from Chen Nian’s neat ponytail. She coiled the hair strands around her finger, and gradually pulled on the strands till they broke, “Chen Nian, you better keep your mouth shut tight.” www.asianovel.com

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…… Every class is like a miniature society. There’s people whose personalities are bright and extroverted, there’s people who’s busy all the time, and there’s people who’s quiet and reserved. There’s also people who are individualistic and independent, people who are simply normal and ordinary, and people who are simply invisible. Chen Nian belonged to the final group. Chen Nian managed to hurry back into the classroom before the bell stopped ringing. She took a look at the teacher and the students who were bustling about, only to find that nobody had noticed her. She walked back to her table and seated herself down. Hu Xiao Die committed suicide. She repeated internally. Although she was initially distracted by the pain that remained on her cheek, calmness gradually descended upon her. She lowered her head and started solving the mathematics problems, her mechanical pencil making rustling noises as it moved across the paper. The Mathematics teacher walked past her, observing how she solved the problem. Finally, the teacher nodded his head, and walked to the front of the classroom before calling out, “Chen Nian.” Chen Nian raised her head. “Tell us the answer for this problem.” Chen Nian slowly put down her pencil, and straightened up. She replied in a small voice, “A……A……Alpha plus 3 Beta.” “A……A……A……” Wei Cai mimicked Chen Nian’s stutter in a breathy voice, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly, and an ambiguous expression forming on her face. The classmates found Wei Cai’s little interruption rather hilarious, and burst into laughter. To them, classes were only interesting with such interruptions; it didn’t matter www.asianovel.com

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whether Wei Cai possessed any malicious intent when interrupting Chen Nian. Chen Nian calmly remained standing upright. She had grown up surrounded by a sea of mocking laughter, and was used to people laughing at her by now. The jeering and the disdain had started since she was in Kindergarten. Whoever said that man’s nature at birth is fundamentally good? Whoever said that it’s only a ‘children’s game’? It is precisely the collective disdain and bullying of children that is the cruelest and rawest form of human nature. Unlike adults, children have no idea how to cloak themselves with layers of pretense. As such, children often displayed their hate and disdain for others openly without any shame. They bullied her, mocked her, isolated her, and jeered at her – all without experiencing any sense of shame. “Silence!” The Mathematics teacher hit the table in his rage. “The rest of you may be able to laugh now, but how many of you would be able to laugh after the Mathematics exam?” The teacher’s power is always limited to mocking the students’ uncertain futures. “Wei Cai, stand in the corridor as punishment.” Screech. The chair scratched against the floor of the classroom, the sound ringing out loud and clear, arrogantly challenging the teacher’s authority. Wei Cai stood up lazily, and nonchalantly walked out of the classroom whilst chewing her gum. Before she left the classroom, she turned back, giving Chen Nian one final stare. Chen Nian sat down on her seat. Her deskmate and good friend Xiao Mi squeezed her hand encouragingly, and looked at her with an apologetic expression. Chen Nian shook her head, indicating that she was fine.

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As the final exams neared, everybody suffered from the stress of having to get into a good new school. To them, feelings of happiness and sorrow dissipated as quickly as the wind, and they didn’t expend any effort in taking anything to heart. Rather, they preferred to focus their entire energy on studying and preparing for the examinations. Physical Education classes were now allocated to the students as free time. Those who wished to study could remain in the classroom, whereas those who wished to relax, or those who had long given up on studying, could head to the field for some exercise. The basketballs and badminton rackets that were originally in the basket were long gone, having been snatched by the enthusiastic and eager students. Chen Nian picked up the lone skipping rope that lay at the bottom of the basket. “Chen Nian, do you want to play badminton together?” Li Xiang’s voice rang out. Li Xiang was the tallest boy in class. Although he broke the district’s record for the 100m race, he as not merely an athlete. Indeed, he also excelled in his academic studies. Thus, he had already been offered a spot in an extremely prestigious university. Chen Nian shook her head, the ponytail at the back of her head bobbing in the process. “Chen Nian, you really don’t like to talk, do you?” Li Xiang lowered his head and smiled at her. Chen Nian had to raise her head to look at him due to his height. Whilst majority of the students had to wear spectacles, Li Xiang’s vision was extremely good; indeed, his eyes shone brightly, and was radiating with vigour. “There’s no…….nothing much to sa……say.” Chen Nian’s throat clammed up naturally. It was a pity that she had such a good voice. www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian had an extremely delicate and pretty appearance. Her eyebrows were rather pale, whilst her eyelashes were extremely black and long. She also had a rather small mouth, which made Li Xiang think of the description ‘small cherry lips’, which was often utilised in novels. No wonder she had so little to say. Li Xiang said, “Chen Nian, there are a few students in class who are rather annoying, but don’t pay them any attention. Just work hard and focus on your studies. Once you’re done with your examinations, you will be able to leave this place once and for all.” The comfort offered by the youth was careful and encouraging, and sparked a small hope in Chen Nian. Chen Nian nodded her head. “So… How about playing badminton together?” Chen Nian shook her head. Li Xiang smiled, and found a way to defuse the situation, “We could always play together in the future.” He left. As Chen Nian turned around, she saw Wei Cai sitting on the ledge and staring at her coldly through her narrowed eyes. Or rather, she was staring at something behind Chen Nian. Chen Nian looked back, and saw Li Xiang engaged in a conversation with Zeng Hao. He handed a badminton racquet to Zeng Hao, and the both of them went off to play badminton together. With her jump rope in hand, Chen Nian went off in search of an isolated corner that was separated from the crowd. As she concentrated on the jump rope, she gradually moved from the isolated corner which was exposed to the blazing heat of the afternoon sun into the cooling shade of the mulberry trees. The song of the cicadas surrounded her. “Hey.” A low male voice rang out emotionlessly. www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian halted her jump rope, her heart beating like a drum. She surveyed her surroundings but not a single soul was in sight – the students were all gathered on the faraway field, exercising. The youth smirked coldly, “Here.” Only then did Chen Nian turn her head in the opposite direction. The boy who had been in the white t-shirt the previous night stood outside the school gates, under the blazing heat of the afternoon sun. He donned another white t-shirt today, along with a pair of school pants. As his jacket hung loosely from his waist, Chen Nian was unable to tell whether he came from a vocational school, or a technical school… He had an unlit cigarette in his hand, and his fingers played with the cigarette slowly. The cicada’s song pierced the azure blue sky. A thin sheen of sweat had formed on Chen Nian’s nose, and her usually pale face had turned into a healthy shade of red; perhaps because of her exercise, her heart was trembling rather violently. Subconsciously, Chen Nian pressed her lips together, and took a step backwards. The school gates served as a boundary – one side was shrouded in darkness whilst the other was bathed in light. His extraordinarily bright eyes swept across the boundary dividing the darkness from the light, “How much money did they take from you?” “Sev……”Chen Nian took a deep breath and continued, “Seventy dollars.” He fished around in his pockets, and managed to produced two brand new fifty dollar notes. His arm reached across the school gates in an attempt to pass the money to her. www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian refused to take the money, shaking her head, “No……” He waited for a few seconds. On discovering that Chen Nian hadn’t continued her speech, he replied in a distant tone, “You don’t have to give me any change.” Stunned, Chen Nian shut her mouth, swallowing the word ‘change’ that had been lingering on the tip of her tongue. At a loss as to how to respond, Chen Nian simply opted to continue shaking her head. His arm was still hanging in mid-air. The youth narrowed his eyes and stared at Chen Nian for a few minutes before letting out an abrupt, cold laugh, “Are you going to take the money, or not?” Gripping the jump rope in her hand, Chen Nian turned away and was about to leave when the youth suddenly retracted his arm and stepped away from the school gates. Astonished, Chen Nian turned back to look at him – only to see the youth break out into a sudden run towards the school gates. Using both his arms and his legs, the youth managed to clamber up onto the school gates; and without breaking the momentum, the youth leapt off the school gates, easily landing on the grass patch before Chen Nian. The youth lowered his head, sweeping off the dust that had gathered on his hands. Chen Nian’s heart had leapt into her throat. Speechless, she could only stare at him with widened eyes. His face was rather clean and pale, and several bruises had already formed above his eyebrows. Standing under the shade of the mulberry trees, his eyes seemed to be even darker and even colder than before. He walked towards her, finally standing in front of her. He was much taller compared to her, and his forceful presence overpowered her. As Chen Nian had been gripping the jump rope www.asianovel.com

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tightly in her refusal to take the money, the youth simply stuffed the notes into her fist through the gaps in between her fingers. It was newly minted notes, causing Chen Nian’s hand to hurt. The youth turned around immediately and left. Chen Nian stared at his silhouette; it appeared to be rather thin and cold, and radiated an air of youthful decisiveness. Having taken a few steps, the youth suddenly turned back. He stared at Chen Nian with the same unreadable gaze. “What’s your name?” Chen Nian hesitated for a moment, “Chen……Chen Nian.” Mildly bewildered, he asked, “ Chen Chen Nian?” Due to his Southern accent, Chen Nian’s name sounded like an old type of wine that was clearly lacking in youthful vigour. Chen Nian neither nodded her head nor shook her head, hoping that by doing so she’d be considered to have silently admitted the truth of his statement. If so, the youth would finally leave the school compound… The youth gazed at Chen Nian speculatively. He didn’t leave. Instead, he picked up a nearby twig and returned to Chen Nian’s side. He pointed the twig towards the ground before passing it to her, and instructed, “Write it out.” Chen Nian squat down and wrote her name in the sand. “Chen Nian.” He voiced aloud before continuing, “What does Nian mean?” Belief (Xin Nian), Reminiscence (Nian Jiu), or Diligence (Nian Shu)? Chen Nian tried her best to explain, “It mea……” She expended a www.asianovel.com

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huge amount of effort, but the words were still as soft as ever. “means being……being true to one’s heart.” The youth looked at Chen Nian out of the corner of his eyes, finally understanding why she had said “Chen Chen Nian” the first time round. Chen Nian knew that the youth had discovered her habit of stuttering. She looked at him calmly and peacefully, waiting for him to laugh at her and to mock her. However, his cold face betrayed no sign of any emotion. Chen Nian could hear shouts originating from beyond the school walls. They were calling out a single name. White t-shirt walked to the school gates and stepped onto a clump of mud. With his height, the youth simply needed to raise his arms in order to grab hold of the arrowheads on top of the school gates. With the exertion of a small amount of force, his thin body easily defied gravity as he leapt onto the gates. Chen Nian thought that the arrowheads would scratch the youth, but they did not. They didn’t even manage to touch the school uniform that had been hanging from his waist. Like a sparrow, the youth easily landed on the ground beyond the school gates. He left. This time, he didn’t look back. Chen Nian emerged from the shade of the mulberry tree, and took a glimpse at the crowd outside. A group of male students were waiting at the opposite side of the road, all of them armed with wooden bats and sticks. Chen Nian placed the crumpled notes into the pockets of her exercise outfit. She coiled the jump rope up, deciding to return to the classroom to study. Li Xiang had managed to voice out her innermost thoughts. “Just www.asianovel.com

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work hard and focus on your studies. Once you’re done with your examinations, you will be able to leave this place once and for all.” All the hard work that she put in, all the effort that she expended – it was all so she could escape her present predicament.

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Chapter 3 Source: Imported

The afternoon sun blazed down in its fiery glory. Chen Nian darted into the shaded pathway, coolness washing over her body. The man-made mountain and the pavilion was linked to the back entrance of the school. As Chen Nian walked along the pathway, she spotted Zeng Hao, Hu Xiao Die’s good friend who had previously passed her a note in class. Chen Nian knew that Zeng Hao had intentionally waited for her at this spot, and came to a stop. Zeng Hao’s eyes were as swollen as walnuts. She stared at Chen Nian, “Why didn’t you reply my note?” Chen Nian silently shook her head in an attempt to indicate that she had nothing to say to Zeng Hao. Zeng Hao clenched her fist tightly, “They interrogated me several times too, because I was Xiao Die’s best friend. But I really had no idea what happened, so I’m not able to offer any form of help.” As she spoke, tears began to fall from her eyes, “That day, Xiao Die was behaving weirdly. Everybody could discern Xiao Die’s drastic change – she no longer liked to talk, and she always appeared to be brooding over endless problems. I’m not sure whether she was unhappy due to her deteriorating friendships with the rest of her friends, but I don’t think it would have affected her so much. I did ask her what was troubling her, but she claimed that the deteriorating friendships weren’t the cause. Subsequently, she……” Chen Nian stood there expressionlessly, and turned her head to www.asianovel.com

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take a quick glance at the classroom. The leaves rustled in the wind whilst the sunlight danced on the swaying leaves. “I don’t believe that Xiao Die would…… But they said that when Xiao Die died, the entire school compound was empty, and that no strangers were present. Even the security guards have been eliminated as suspects. If Xiao Die truly did commit suicide…” Zeng Hao suddenly raised her head to look at Chen Nian, “Chen Nian, you’re the last person to see Xiao Die alive. Did she tell you anything?” Chen Nian shook her head. “Chen Nian, please say something.” Zeng Hao was on the verge of a mental breakdown. There was a silent pause. Chen Nian slowly opened her mouth, “Nothing. I’m not fa……familiar with……her. If you……you don’t even kno……know her secrets, how…….how would I know?” Zeng Hao insisted, “It’s impossible for Xiao Die not to have said anything if she truly did commit suicide.” Chen Nian looked at Zeng Hao straight in the eyes, and countered, “What……what would she say?” Zeng Hao was stunned into silence. Yeah. What would she have said? “Chen Nian, are you speaking the truth? Xiao Die really didn’t say anything to you before she died?” Chen Nian: “It’s true.” The older one grows, the more excellent one’s ability to lie convincingly becomes. It’s as though this talent was naturally www.asianovel.com

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cultivated o Zeng Hao scrutinised Chen Nian. Chen Nian was as pale as ever, her skin resembling that of a person who’s perennially stuck in winter; Chen Nian’s eyes were extremely black and calm, and they resembled the dark winter night. Zeng Hao’s shoulders sagged, “Alright.” Chen Nian managed to capture a glimpse of Zeng Hao’s discouraged and saddened expression. For a moment, Chen Nian almost wanted to remind Zeng Hao that it was more important to focus on the upcoming final examinations, and to stay away from Li Xiang – but in the end, Chen Nian simply kept her mouth shut. As they walked into the stairwell, Zeng Hao, who had been trailing behind Chen Nian all this while, suddenly grabbed Chen Nian by the arm, the words tumbling out of her mouth, “Could it be because of Wei Cai? I always felt that Xiao Die couldn’t possibly have committed suicide over Wei Cai, but I can’t think of any other plausible reason! Tell me, is it because of Wei Cai?” Chen Nian quickly wrenched her arm out of Zeng Hao’s iron grasp. …… Chen Nian carefully stored three hundred dollars into her bag and stuffed the remaining one hundred dollars in her pocket. Having stored away all her money, Chen Nian walked away from the ATM machine. She took a quick glance at her surroundings before scurrying away. Just as Chen Nian walked past the intersection, Chen Nian smelt the heavenly scent of freshly baked bread. She entered the bakery, intending to purchase two loaves of bread for her dinner. She handed the one hundred dollar bill to the shop-owner, and waited for her change. www.asianovel.com

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“Don’t you have smaller denominations?” The shop-owner furrowed his eyebrows. Chen Nian pursed her lips and shook her head. The shop-owner began rummaging in the drawer, but was unable to find any fifty dollar notes. Annoyed, he looked into his bag for some change. On finding sufficient change, he immediately stuffed the notes to Chen Nian. Chen Nian stood at the front of the queue, and concentrated on counting the change. $98.80. She checked the ten dollar and twenty dollar notes, and proceeded to check the fifty dollar note. However, as the fifty dollar note was too old, Chen Nian had to spend a longer period of time checking the note. By then, a long queue had gathered behind her, and some customers began to mock her, “You’re taking so long just to check your note. Why don’t you bring a counterfeit detector around in the future?” The shop-owner also began to rush Chen Nian, “Stop blocking the way. Everyone in the queue is waiting for you.” Chen Nian felt slightly embarrassed, and simply stuffed her bread into her bag before leaving the shop. Having walked some distance away from the shop, Chen Nian still felt a niggling sense of unease, and took out the fifty dollar note once more for a more detailed check. However, before she could discern any problem with the note, she spotted a few familiar faces – it was the group of hooligans who had extorted money from the boy in the white t-shirt a few days ago. They were headed to another destination whilst smoking various cigarettes. Chen Nian’s heart plummeted. She quietly crumpled the money into her fist before slowly moving her fist to her pockets. Chen Nian tightened her grip on her bag and prepared to make a detour. Just then, the entire group recognized her, “You there! Stop!” www.asianovel.com

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Left with no choice, Chen Nian stopped in her tracks. “I heard you have a habit of stuttering.” The leader of the group laughed aloud, “Say…say… two sen……sentences……we wanna lis……listen.” The entire group burst into laughter. Surrounded by the group of hooligans, Chen Nian lowered her head. She was like a small kitten which had been surrounded and attacked by a bunch of mice – her movements were clumsy, and she had nowhere to run to. The hooligans continued mocking her for some time before turning to the main topic. “Do you have any money on you?” Chen Nian shook her head. “You really don’t have any?” “Yup.” “Humph. We let you off easy the previous time, so don’t lie to us.” Chen Nian bit her lip nervously before shaking her head. “Well then. Search her body.” Chen Nian started to run without a moment’s hesitation, but she was easily caught. Although there were various passer-bys who witnessed the tussle, they simply increased their speed in an attempt to leave the troubled area. Not a single person dared to help Chen Nian. Courage was always a luxurious item possessed by precious few. Very soon, the hooligans discovered the fifty dollar note that had been hidden in her left pocket, and the remainder $48.80 in her right www.asianovel.com

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pocket. “What’s this? Ah?!” The leader smirked at Chen Nian, and raised his hand in order to give Chen Nian a good, hard slap. However, the slap never landed on Chen Nian’s face – Chen Nian had rushed at the leader in an attempt to retrieve her money from his hands. That sum of money was meant to pay for her living expenses. The leader was immensely surprised at Chen Nian’s strength – she refused to loosen her grip on the money, and even scratched his skin to the point where he started to bleed. Angered, he grabbed hold of Chen Nian and lifted her by the collar, “Do you still have any more money? Ah?” Chen Nian’s face was deathly pale. She barely managed to breath out, “There’s no…none…left.” “This bi*** isn’t honest.” The leader slapped Chen Nian a few times before instructing the rest of his cronies, “Search her bag!” Chen Nian struggled, trying her best to resist the hooligans’ attempts to snatch her bag away from her. “There’s……no more money. It’s true! None……none left!” She said every single word extremely forcefully, as though she was cursing. She hoped that the hooligans would believe her lies. But the hooligans didn’t believe her. They successfully snatched her bag away from her, unzipping it before emptying its contents on the floor. Chen Nian saw her Chemistry textbook (where the money had been hidden) drop on to the floor, with a corner of the hundred dollar note peeking out from its pages. Suddenly, her mind went blank, and a overwhelming sense of desperation and pain overcame her. “Wait a minute! This fifty dollar note is a fake!” An angry shout drew the hooligans’ attention away from the contents of Chen Nian’s bag. A hooligan who was holding on to the fifty dollar note www.asianovel.com

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shouted infuriatedly, “The money’s fake!” The fifty dollar note made its rounds amongst the bunch of hooligans. After taking a look at the note, all of the hooligans declared that it was a counterfeit note. The hooligans stared at Chen Nian, the anger unmistakable in their eyes – they were angered with what they thought was a deliberate lie spun by a cunning and sly girl. “You dare to use counterfeit notes in an attempt to cheat us?!” The leader of the group raised his hand threateningly. Chen Nian hugged her head tightly. “Hey.” A cold male voice rang out. The slap never found its way to Chen Nian’s cheeks. Chen Nian peered out from under the nook of her arm. It was the boy in the white t-shirt. He stood in the glow of the setting sun, his pale, long arm dangling by the side of his body. He had a cigarette in his hand, the fumes swirling in darkening sky. ly, he had been at their mercy, and, along with his mother, suffered from a barrage of disgusting and humiliating insults hurled by the group of hooligans. Just as Chen Nian thought the situation would worsen further, to her utter surprsise, the group of hooligans restrained themselves and prepared to leave after throwing her bag and the fake fifty dollar note on the floor. “Return the money to her.” The youth blew the smoke out from his mouth. With a flick of his finger, the cigarette ash fell onto the floor. The group of hooligans threw a wad of cash on Chen Nian’s school bag and left. Chen Nian didn’t understand what just happened, but she wasn’t interested in understanding. Glancing at the youth, she noticed the www.asianovel.com

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new bruises that had formed above the youth’s eyebrows, as well as the numerous frightening wounds on his arm. Initially, Chen Nian had thought that the youth had been an object of bullying, oppressed and tormented – but it turns out that both the youth and the group of hooligans were the same type of people. The white t-shirt youth remained rooted to his original spot and stared at Chen Nian, his unwillingness to help her pack her items unmistakably clear. Chen Nian squat down and picked up the money. Dusting the dirt away from her books, she carefully placed them in her bag before straightening up with her bag in hand. The youth walked over to Chen Nian and stood in front of her. He towered over her, his body effectively casting a dark shadow over her. When Chen Nian looked straight ahead, she could only see his jaw. However, she did not intend to raise her head and look him in the eye. She shrugged her shoulders, her body language clearly evincing her intention to leave. “Hey.” Chen Nian lowered her head slightly. She knew that at the very least, she ought to thank him for his help. The youth in the white t-shirt furrowed his eyebrows. Unable to stomach Chen Nian’s obvious disregard of his presence, he said, “Hey, Little Stutterer.” Chen Nian raised her head and looked him in the eye. The youth gave a slight snort, “There’s still some stuff lying on the ground.” With a nod of his head, he gestured at the fifty dollar note which had been lying on the floor. Chen Nian picked up the fifty dollar note, and carefully examined the note for any Braille Dots. She soon discovered that the note was www.asianovel.com

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extremely flat, and that it did not possess the slight protrusion a real note would have had. Her heart felt cold and empty; she hated herself for having lowered her guard, and she hated her cheap sense of pride which she defended at the bread shop. She replied, “Fake.” The color in the youth’s face changed rapidly. He snorted derisively, “I’m fake?” Chen Nian knew that he had misunderstood. She wanted to explain herself, but no words came out of her mouth when she opened it. Hurriedly, she fished two other crumpled fifty dollar notes from her pocket and held them up to his eye level. She pointed to him and made some gestures that indicated that the two fifty dollar notes were the notes which he had returned to her previously. “Your mon……money” She tried her best not to stutter, “Real.” The displeasure on the youth’s face gradually faded away. The youth asked lazily, “Where did the counterfeit money come from?” Chen Nian didn’t answer his question. She took out thirty dollars from her wallet and passed it over to him. In a quiet voice, she slowly made her intentions clear, “Return…you.” The youth scrutinized her for a few seconds, his pitch black eyes narrowing slightly. He began to feel feelings of displeasure once again. In the end, the youth simply accepted the money and silently put them in his pocket. Chen Nian felt her face burning up. Lowering her head, she softly said, “Thanks.” The youth snorted in return. It was unclear whether he was mocking her, or whether he was expressing his feelings of disdain. Chen Nian could barely discern a bunch of people on the streets hollering a name. The youth turned to look at them before strolling in www.asianovel.com

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their direction. It was a group of rowdy hooligans. His companions. Chen Nian tied her hair neatly. Tightly gripping the bag of bread which she had bought, she left in the opposite direction.

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Chapter 4 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

The youth twisted his head to look at her. After a few seconds, a strange smile formed on his lips. On lowering his eyes, he caught a glimpse of the two loaves of bread Chen Nian was holding in her hands. When Chen Nian caught him staring at her bread, she waved the white paper bag containing the bread in front of his eyes, and asked, “Do you want some?” The youth furrowed his brows, making no attempt to disguise the look of disdain on his face. The white paper bag was extremely crumpled, and had a layer of oil and water on the interior of the bag. When Chen Nian noticed the shabbiness of the paper bag, her face gradually turned beet red. Embarrassed, she retracted her outstretched hand, “It’s gone cold.” It was no longer nice to eat. Having walked a few steps, the youth suddenly asked, “You’re eating bread for dinner?” Chen Nian nodded her head. After a few seconds, the youth asked, “Are you deaf?” Realizing that the youth had failed to see her nod her head, Chen Nian squeaked out, “Yup.” As her reply had come out of nowhere, it was unclear whether she was answering his question about dinner, or his question about being deaf. The youth slowed down and came to a stop, his brows furrowing in unhappiness. Chen Nian belatedly realized that the youth had been staring at her for some time, and raised her head to return his gaze. www.asianovel.com

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Unable to stare a response out of her, he couldn’t formulate an appropriate response and simply continued walking ahead. Chen Nian didn’t bother to catch up with the youth before her, and trailed behind him slowly. By the time she reached the traffic junction, the youth was already halfway across the pedestrian crossing. As Chen Nian didn’t have to cross the road, she readied herself to turn around the corner and return home. Although she wanted to bid the youth farewell, she felt that there was no need to do so. After all, there wouldn’t be any other interactions between the both of them in the future. It would be best if they simply parted ways here and now. The youth slung his jacket over his shoulder. When he reached the midpoint of the pedestrian crossing, he turned back to look at her. Chen Nian stood quietly at the edge of the curb, her posture upright and erect, as though she was a small tree sapling. Standing there, she gazed at him silently. Her skinny and frail frame was evident even under her large uniform, which billowed around her. In the afterglow of the evening sky, the youth crinkled his eyes. She pointed towards her left, indicating that her house was in that direction. In response, the youth jabbed his thumb in the direction behind him, signaling to Chen Nian that she ought to continue trailing behind him. Chen Nian’s hands slowly fell to her sides. She hugged her school jacket with both hands and simply gazed at him from afar, unmoving. In the gentle glow of the evening sun, vehicles and pedestrians swarmed around them. www.asianovel.com

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The youth didn’t bother waiting for Chen Nian’s response, and simply continued on his journey. When he reached the other end of the pedestrian crossing, he turned back to look at Chen Nian, only to discover that she was already in the midst of crossing the road. He snorted to himself, the corners of his lips curling into a small smile. Sticking both his hands into his pockets, he continued walking forward. Before long, the youth reached the entrance of a small restaurant. Sitting himself down on a plastic chair at the outdoor dining area, the youth pulled out a cigarette and started smoking. After some time, Chen Nian finally appeared before his eyes. She stood quietly at the side and looked at him. He raised his eyes and returned her gaze. She had a small and pale face, and her hair was neatly tied into a ponytail. A few strands of hair had escaped her ponytail, and were shining like gold in the glow of the setting sun. To him, Chen Nian was like a snail – she was extremely slow in all that she did, regardless of whether it was walking, talking, or some other task that she was focused on. He could even visualize how she would gradually retract her antennae into her shell whenever strangers gave her a slight poke. After a few seconds had passed, he waved his hand at her and indicated for her to take a seat. “What do you want to eat?” “Any……anything’s fine.” “Order the dishes.” Chen Nian shook her head, and pushed the menu back to the youth. The ‘menu’ was, in actuality, simply an oily piece of laminated paper. The youth glanced at the menu, and casually ordered three dishes. www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian lowered her head and stared at the plastic table cover and the oil stains on it, the honking of congested vehicles and chatter of the crowd surrounding her. The sun was about to disappear. The final, remnant glow of the evening sun shone on Chen Nian’s face, casting a reddish glow over her face. Chen Nian couldn’t open her eyes. The youth placed his cigarette on the cheap disposable cup containing his tea. “Which Year are you in?” Chen Nian lifted her eyelids. His face appeared fuzzy to her in the glow of the evening sun. In response to his question, Chen Nian didn’t say anything, and simply raised three fingers. “Primary 3?” The youth asked, displaying a rare moment of playfulness. Chen Nian knew that the youth had misinterpreted her signs on purpose. However, she still chose to play along, and slowly shook her head. “Year 3 of…….High School.” “You have a very youthful appearance, like a little kid.” His eyes swept over Chen Nian, his piercing gaze seemingly able to look past her clothes. He commented drily, “You’re malnourished.” Chen Nian felt a red hot wave of embarrassment rushing over her, as though it as a sudden rash that had unexpectedly broken out on her face. She curved her shoulders inwards even further. Sensing her shame, the youth changed the topic, “Your graduation exams are nearing.” Chen Nian nodded her head. Having finished his cigarette, the youth threw the cigarette butt into his cup of tea. He stared at her, “You don’t like to talk.”

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“When I…….I talk, others……laugh.” The youth looked at Chen Nian calmly whilst she formulated her sentence. When she completed her sentence, he responded with a single “Oh.”, without a single expression etched on his face. After some time had passed, he resumed questioning, “Why do they laugh at you? Is it because you’re a Little Stutterer?” “……” Chen Nian was never angry with the youth no matter how many times he referred to her as “Little Stutterer”. After all, she was still able to differentiate different types of tones. When the dishes were served, the youth ordered a bottle of iced beer. Leaning towards Chen Nian, he offered, “Want some?” Chen Nian hurriedly shook her head. The youth didn’t insist on his offer. The two of them proceeded to eat their meal in silence, and when they finished, the youth fished out his wallet to pay for the meal. Chen Nian wanted to suggest splitting the cost of the meal equally between the both of them. However, just as she opened her mouth, she realized that she didn’t know his name. “Uh……” He turned his head to look at her. His eyes were extremely dark, and there were hints of harshness in his gaze. He raised his thick eyebrows, “You called?” “What’s……what’s your…….your name?” “You don’t know?” His piercing gaze pinned her once more. Chen Nian was unable to comprehend why he assumed that she had known his name. “My friends hollered my name before.” He stated coldly. “Twice.” Once when they were outside the walls of her High School, www.asianovel.com

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and once when they were on the street. However, Chen Nian failed to notice on both occasions. The youth stared at her for a long period of time. He slowly raised himself from his seat, obstinately piercing Chen Nian with his stare all this while. Ultimately, however, he averted his gaze, a deep crease forming on his forehead. He kicked the chair and left. Chen Nian tottered along behind him. Their walk was spent in silence. The youth swayed from side to side as he walked, whilst Chen Nian trailed behind him in an obedient fashion. Once in a while, the youth would intentionally turn back to glance at Chen Nian in a seemingly unconcerned fashion, so as to ensure that she was still following him. As Chen Nian’s walking speed was terribly slow, the youth had to frequently wait for her. Once, he turned back and stared at her for a few seconds before spitting out his chewing gum and wrapping it in a plastic wrapper. With a flick of his wrist, the plastic wrapped chewing gum flew straight towards Chen Nian’s head. Stunned, Chen Nian froze on the spot as the plastic wrapper grazed her ear and ultimately fell into the rubbish bin right beside her with a loud ‘Dong’. “……” Ah, boys. They’ll always enjoy tossing objects into specified targets. Once the chewing gum found its way into the bin, the youth immediately turned back and continued walking. Behind him, Chen Nian rubbed her neck morosely. Due to his unexpected scare, she had accidentally swallowed the chewing gum which she had been munching on. As they reached the alley near her house, it was time for both of them to part ways. The sky had already darkened. www.asianovel.com

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Glancing at the alley, he turned back and asked, “Are you scared?” Chen Nian raised her head to look at him, her gaze clear and bright. Her brows furrowed slightly, her honest expression betraying her internal feelings and thoughts. The youth continued, “Let’s go.” Sticking his hands into his pocket, the youth continued walking ahead. Before long, his ears picked up the soft footsteps that were trailing behind him. The corners of his lips turned up in a wry smile. After having taken a few steps, he managed to finish out a sweet from his pocket and offered it to Chen Nian. Chen Nian shook her head. Once again, the youth didn’t insist on her acceptance of his sweet, and simply returned the sweet back to his pocket. Soon, they arrived at the entrance of Chen Nian’s house. It was an old multistory building, with the surroundings engulfed in total darkness. Chen Nian pointed towards a unit on the second story, indicating to the youth that she stayed there. He stuffed a cigarette into his mouth before turning around and leaving. Chen Nian had only taken a single step on the stairs when she heard his voice ring out, “Bei Ye.” Chen Nian instantly whirled her head around, the straight pony tail at the back of her head whipping around as though it was a black cotton dress. Greeted with such an unexpected sight, the cigarette in his mouth drooped down suddenly. He removed the cigarette from his mouth. “My name is Bei Ye.” He continued, “Remember that.”

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Bei Ye walked towards Chen Nian. Despite his slight frame, he was rather tall. His imposing aura was akin to a physical wall; when Chen Nian raised her head to look at him, she subconsciously took several steps backwards. Before she knew it, the back of her foot was pressed against the stairs, and with nowhere else to retreat to, she plopped herself down on the stairs and hugged her knees with her arms. He stood in front of her and lowered his body. Squatting on the floor, he made sure that his eyes were level to hers before he instructed her, “Say it.” “Say……say what?” “My name.” “Bei……Bei Ye……” Her gaze was locked onto his pale face under the dim moonlight. He slowly shook his head carefully. Chen Nian knew why Bei Ye shook his head. She rubbed her hands together, and focused all her energies on pronouncing his name. “Bei……” she opened her mouth helplessly, “……Ye……” “Repeat after me.” He said. “Bei.” “……Bei.” “Ye.” “……Ye.” “Bei Ye.” “……” Chen Nian stared at him, her eyes shining like black grapes in the night. “……” He didn’t show any signs of impatience, and guided her www.asianovel.com

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slowly. It was as though he was teaching a toddler who had just started learning how to speak. “Bei.” “Bei.” “Ye.” “Ye.” “Bei Ye.” He said. “……” Chen Nian rehearsed the phrase mentally several times before opening her mouth. However, when she opened her mouth, she couldn’t produce a single sound. He didn’t say anything in response, and simply looked at her. Chen Nian was unsure whether he was waiting for her, or whether he was trying to stubbornly compete with her stutter. Chen Nian’s mouth trembled slightly, “Bei, Ye.” Bei Ye continued staring at her, silent and expressionless. Chen Nian took a deep breath, and prepared for a while before opening her mouth once more, “Bei Ye.” “Good.” He continued instructing her, “Repeat ten times.” Chen Nian stared at him. “Do it.” “Bei Ye.” Chen Nian pronounced his name carefully, her voice soft and muted, “Bei Ye, Bei Ye, Bei Ye, Bei Ye……” She shut her mouth tightly. Her gaze interlocked with his as the gentle breeze of the night drifted around them. The single step that she was sitting on had some remnant heat from the blazing hot afternoon seat. He placed his cigarette behind her pale ears, his fingers lightly www.asianovel.com

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brushing against the side of her ears. The minute contact caused Chen Nian’s sensitive skin to flush red instantly. He instructed, “Continue.” “Bei Ye.” She opened her mouth once more, and gradually slowed down, “……Bei Ye……” Bei Ye listened to her quietly, the shadow of a smile flitting across his lips. He reached into his pocket and found the sweet he had offered her earlier. He tore the wrapper open and popped the sweet into his mouth. She was still obediently repeating his name, “……Bei Ye……Bei Ye……Bei Ye……” She had completed the repetition of his name. Ten times. She looked at him. He returned her gaze freely. After some time had passed, she finally spoke up, “Finished.” “Little Stutterer,” He cupped her pale cheeks in his warm palms, “You only said it nine times.” Chen Nian’s heart nearly leapt onto her ears, and she stammered, “Ten……Ten times.” “You have to say it one more time to make it ten.” “No……” “Yes.” Chen Nian had no other alternatives, and simply wanted to be done with the repetition, “Bei……” Suddenly, Bei Ye knelt on one knee and pinched her chin, forcing her to look at him. Lowering his head, he gently bit her lips. www.asianovel.com

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It was different from the previous time. This time, his tongue slowly reached into her mouth. The sweet and sour taste of tangerine exploded in Chen Nian’s mouth, and a fire blazed across her face. Her tongue trembled and her face was reddening from her inability to breathe. When the kiss ended, the youth sniffed her lips before straightening up. “Since you pronounced my name well, I thought I ought to give you a prize.” Chen Nian didn’t know where to put her hands and feet, an orange sweet quietly lying in her mouth.

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Chapter 5 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

“29. In the ocean, the clownfish’s brightly coloured body often causes it to be the target of numerous predators. Although the bright and vivid colours of sea anemone give it a beautiful exterior, its tentacles are highly poisonous. Thus, the rest of the marine animals often stay away from it. However, the mucus coating on the clownfish contains some unique properties that allows it to survive the sea anemone poison and live safely beside the sea anemone. Whenever the clownfish encounters danger, the sea anemone would use its body to shield the clownfish from its predators. Similarly, the immobile sea anemone would use the clownfish as bait and attract other fishes to its vicinity in order to prey on them. The clownfish would also share its food with the sea anemone. In the world of nature, such relationships are known as ( ).” Chen Nian swiftly wrote the answer “A” on the answer sheet. It was the second half of the school semester, and the school began to hold mock tests once every month. The students no longer complained and whined like they did in the first half of the semester; those whose results were poor had already given up all hope, whereas those whose results were excellent simply treated these tests as regular checks to verify their understanding of the school material. In addition, these tests also helped them to accumulate more courage and confidence for the final graduation exam. Integrated Science was Chen Nian’s best subject. Within an hour, she had alrady completed the final problem in the Physics paper. She flipped to the front of the paper and started checking her answers and shading her answers in the Optical Answer Sheet (OAS). The pencil lead moved swiftly across the OAS. The shaded circles were www.asianovel.com

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black and reflected a mild metallic shine. They reminded her of the eyes of the youth in the dark of the night. She suddenly recalled the deep kiss he gave her that night. But within a second, she had already collected her thoughts. Very soon, students started rising from their seats and submitting their exam scripts, causing a slight stir within the classroom. Wei Cai and her group of friends always handed in their script ahead of the deadline, so that they would be able to head out and play. The teacher warned them to keep their volume down so that the other students would not be affected. Affected? Nobody would be affected – not a single student seated in the first half of the classroom raised his/her to look at Wei Cai, their energies totally focused on solving the questions. Conversely, the students seated in the second half had already been preparing to head out of the classroom. Just as Chen Nian completed the Chemistry paper, Zeng Hao rose from her seat. Although Zeng Hao’s results were extremely good, Chen Nian was still mildly surprised at the unexpected speed at which she solved the questions. The resultant effect of watching a good student hand up her paper earlier than expexted was vastly different from that of a delinquent student handing up her paper early. The moment Zeng Hao rose from her seat, an invisible pressure settled on the remaining students who were still struggling with the papers, and they casted numerous peeks at her from their desks. There were times when Chen Nian, too, would hand in her paper early and walk towards the podium with an calm and collected expression, casting the invisible pressure on the rest of the students. You had to be the first in order to exert pressure on the rest; being the second was meaningless. www.asianovel.com

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Zeng Hao raised her head and walked out of the classroom calmly. She didn’t stray far from the classroom, and simply leaned against the railing, watching the sky. Chen Nian lowered her head and resumed solving the exam questions. When she completed her Biology paper, she cast a quick glance at her watch. There was 40 minutes left. She took a swift look outside the window. There was nobody at the railing. Zeng Hao was gone. That day, after the incident with the counterfeit money, she told Zeng Hao all that she knew. After she confessed to Zeng Hao, she never contacted Zeng Hao again. Chen Nian checked through her answers a few more times. Gradually, people began to hand up their exam scripts. Chen Nian didn’t bother rising from her seat, and instead started to practise her writing on the scrap paper. Higher marks would be awarded to the composition scripts with nice and neat handwriting. The bell rang, signalling the conclusion of the exams. The female toilet was flooded with people. Ah, it was always troublesome for females to head into the toilet, because they always had to queue for a cubicle. Every single female in the toilet was chattering excitedly about the exam questions. Gradually, people grew impatient from the long wait, and started banging on the door of the innermost cubicle. “Hey, what’s going on? Who’s inside? Why aren’t you coming out? Could you not poop since you’re experiencing constipation? There’s so many people waiting outside.” No response emanated from within. Chen Nian glanced at the female who had raised her voice – it was a student from another class. Although the surrounding female www.asianovel.com

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students also chimed in and expressed their dissatisfaction, it was to no avail as they weren’t allowed to pry the door open. On the way back to the classroom, two invigilators walked past her. They were discussing the papers, “Zeng Hao seems to have submitted her paper in a hurry. She failed to notice a glaring error.” Chen Nian had checked through her paper multiple times. She felt that she would be able to do well in this round of examinations – hopefully, she might even manage to reach 610 marks. Every single time she sat for an exam, she would always have harbour some indistinct hopes that soon, she would be able to finish her exams and leave this place. She would be able to go to some place further and better. She would be able to go to the North. The students congregated outside the classroom, chatting and laughing. Chen Nian returned to her seat and gradually lost herself in her thoughts. In front of her, Hu Xiao Die’s seat will still empty. Once again, the image of Xiao Die’s pale and shivering body flashed across Chen Nian’s mind. A shadow loomed over her, and Li Xiang suddenly appeared in front of her. He sat himself down on Hu Xiao Die’s seat, and turned to smile at her. His smile was as bright as the afternoon sun, “Chen Nian, how did you find the exam?” “Normal.” “Your results have been rather stable for the past few exams, scoring 600 marks would definitely be no problem for you.” Chen Nian pursed her lips slightly, and managed a faint smile. Li Xiang looked at her, “Where do you want to continue studying after graduation?” www.asianovel.com

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“Depends on results.” “Go to Beijing!” Li Xiang’s eyes shone brightly. “It’s right beneath the Emperor’s foot[1]! There’s history, and there’s culture too! Nowadays, people all refer to Beijing as the ‘City of Emperors’ – doesn’t it sound grand and magnificent?” Chen Nian kept mum. Xiao Mi pitched in as well, “Li Xiang, aren’t you encouraging people to head to Beijing only because you’ve accepted the offer from Beijing’s university?” Li Xiang openly admitted his motives, “Of course, I hope that I won’t be alone in the University without a single friend from High School – if that’s the case, I wouldn’t even have a friend to eat out with on weekends. However, to speak the truth, Beijing’s such a great city! Don’t bother staying here, it’s so meaningless.” Xiao Mi laughed aloud, “Don’t worry. Chen Nian and I both want to go to Beijing. Isn’t that right, Chen Nian?” She gave Chen Nian’s arm a slight push. Chen Nian calmly replied, “Perhaps…….I can’t……can’t get in…….” Xiao Mi glared at her, “That’s impossible! Unless you decide to miss the exam!” Li Xiang: “You’ll definitely be able to get into Beijing! Shall we arrange to meet in Beijing after examinations?” Chen Nian didn’t respond to his request, and simply gazed out of the window. “Li Xiang, I heard that your aunt is teaching in the High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University.” Xiao Mi said, www.asianovel.com

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“Our small school definitely won’t be able to compare to such a well known High School. Could you please help us to get their test scripts? I think it would be useful for us to practice using their scripts!” Li Xiang was extremely glad. He could almost visualize his colourful and wonderful University life away from home. “No worries, just count on me.” Just then, the shrill clang of the bell rang out, signaling the start of class. Li Xiang returned to his seat. As it was class time allocated for the students to engage in selfstudying, Chen Nian took out last month’s test paper and analyzed the questions which she had answered wrongly. When she raised her head, she realized that Zeng Hao’s seat was still empty. After the conclusion of the monthly exam, teachers are generally busy marking the exam scripts. With no supervision, self-studying had always been undertaken based on the students’ own initiative. Those who didn’t wish to self-study were generally considerate enough not to loiter around the classrooms, and would head to the field to play. Chen Nian mulled over Zeng Hao’s absence for some time before finally deciding to continue with her own revision. However, Zeng Hao still failed to appear after a long period of time. When it was nearing the end of self-study class, Chen Nian strolled out of the classroom. The corridor was empty, and the entire building was extremely quiet. The only noises came from the faraway field where various students were playing basketball. The toilet was located at the far end of the corridor. It was so quiet, Chen Nian could hear the water dripping out from the tap, and the splashing sounds it made as the water droplets fell onto the ceramic floor.

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The door of the innermost cubicle remained tightly shut. Chen Nian stealthily tiptoed over to the innermost cubicle. The occupancy indicator was red. Chen Nian slowly pulled out some tissue and lay it on the floor. Carefully, she knelt down, lowered her body such that her head was nearly plastered onto the ground, and peeked into the cubicle. She saw two legs, along with some red liquid. Chen Nian straightened her body gingerly, and disposed of the tissues in the rubbish bin. When she reached the entrance of the toilet, however, she chose not to exit; instead, she chose to turn back into the toilet, and dumped all the rubbish around the entrance of the innermost cubicle. When she returned to the classroom, Xiao Mi asked, “Did you go to the toilet? You should have called me along as well!” “Nope.” Chen Nian replied slowly. “I couldn’t…….solve a quest……question, went to……consult teacher.” “Did you manage to find the teacher?” Chen Nian shook her head. “Let me take a look at the question.” Chen Nian pointed to a question offhandedly. Xiao Nian looked at the question for some time before exclaiming, “You can solve it using this method. I’ll teach you!” Just then, Wei Cai and her group of friends entered the classroom. When her gaze collided with Chen Nian’s, Wei Cai shot her a cold, harsh look. However, Wei Cai’s face displayed no other emotions. Chen Nian collected her gaze, and glanced at her revision materials. One statement instantly leapt out to her – “The eagle www.asianovel.com

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preys on wild rabbits and snakes. When the amount of wild rabbits sharply decreases in the ecosystem, there would be a sharp increase in the percentage of snakes being successfully hunted.” After school had ended, Chen Nian and Xiao Mi walked out of the classroom together. Wei Cai brushed past the both of them. Xiao Mi took a quick look at Wei Cai’s arrogant posture before asking Chen Nian, “Nian, I’ve been mulling over something.” “Hmm?” “Do you think that it could be Wei Cai?” Chen Nian turned her head sharply to look at Xiao Mi. “There were several times when I saw Wei Cai intentionally picking on Hu Xiao Die in school. I felt that Xiao Die was very affected by the bullying.” Xiao Mi didn’t wait for Chen Nian’s response before shaking her head severely, “But it shouldn’t be. Who would commit suicide over some bullying incidents? Since our teacher warned us not to spread rumours, I haven’t been able to discuss this incident with anyone else.” Chen Nian kept silent, a creeping sense of danger crawling up her spine. As Chen Nian and Xiao Mi’s homes weren’t located in the same area, they parted ways at the school entrance. Chen Nian had just turned round the corner when she heard a sharp whistle ring out, along with the urgent braking of a motorcycle. Chen Nian turned her head around, only to find Bei Ye on a red and black motorcycle. He was donning a black t-shirt and jeans, and carried a huge guitar case on his back. His entire person seemed to be glowing, as though he was a beautiful picture. Chen Nian stared at him. www.asianovel.com

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With his back remaining arched, he turned his head to look at her, his fingers softly drumming the handle of the motorcycle. Having looked at her for some time without receiving any response from her, he straightened up his body, his brows furrowing slightly. “Come over here.” Chen Nian walked over to him, and stood at the edge of the curb. He gestured to his back with his jaw, “Come up.” Chen Nian was about to crawl onto the motorcycle when he stopped her. “Wait.” He threw a helmet over to Chen Nian. It was similar to his – it was a black helmet, with some white bolded numbers at the side. It was brand new. As the helmet was slightly tight, Chen Nian had to expend some effort in putting it on properly. After wedging the helmet onto her head, she clumsily hooked the strap together. Bei Ye took a quick glance at Chen Nian and pushed her hands away. With a quick tug on the strap, Chen Nian staggered and stood right before him. He lowered his eyelids, his fingers quickly managing to tighten the strap properly. With Chen Nian’s helmet strapped on properly, he removed his guitar from the back and hung it on her. Upon receiving the guitar case, Chen Nian did a slight stagger – the guitar was rather heavy. Chen Nian crawled onto the motorcycle. Bei Ye had planted his feet onto the ground to support the motorcycle, but when Chen Nian crawled on, the motorcycle slightly swayed to the side. Frantic, Chen Nian quickly grabbed hold of Bei Ye’s shoulders. Chen Nian’s palms could feel the warmth emanating from the hard bones under his Tshirt. Meanwhile, Bei Ye remained stationery, his hands still perched on the handles. www.asianovel.com

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When Chen Nian had seated herself properly, she released her hold on his shoulders. The motorcycle roared into the distance, the youth speeding in the night breeze. As Bei Ye intended to bring Chen Nian out for dinner, he came to a stop when they reached a restaurant. Chen Nian crawled off the motorcycle, staggering slightly as she hadn’t recovered her balance. Just then, Chen Nian accidentally staggered into a pedestrian behind her, her foot stomping on the pedestrian’s foot and her guitar case crashing into the pedestrian’s face. Chen Nian immediately whipped around, “So……Sorry.” The male pedestrian was flanked by two others, “Don’t you have eyes?” Bei Ye removed his helmet and swiftly hopped off his motorcycle, “Well, you clearly have eyes at the back of your head.” Chen Nian saw that Bei Ye had succeeded in angering the pedestrian. She immediately used her body to block Bei Ye and apologized profusely, “So……Sorr……” Enraged, the pedestrian hollered, “Do you really stutter or do you simply not want to apologize.” Chen Nian could feel Bei Ye pushing against her – she wasn’t going to be able to hold him much longer. Another pedestrian looked at Bei Ye and pondered for a bit before breaking out into a sudden, mocking smile, “Well, well….Isn’t this Bei Ye? Isn’t your mum the whore and your dad a rap……” Bei Ye pushed Chen Nian aside, a strange smile forming on his lips. He threw his keys to her, “Hold them for me.” Chen Nian hurriedly caught the keys, and gripped them tightly in www.asianovel.com

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her palm. He did a cursory scan of the three pedestrians, before unleashing a sudden kick on the opposing party. Chen Nian’s eyes widened in surprise. She could no longer discern the reason for his sudden fight – is it because of himself, or is it because of her? With the flames of war ignited, even the plastic chairs from the roadside stalls weren’t spared. The three pedestrians weren’t Bei Ye’s match, and were quickly defeated. Bei Ye dusted his palms. Having totally lost all desire to eat at the restaurant, he returned to Chen Nian’s side and retried his helmet and keys from her. Perching himself onto the motorcycle, he inserted his keys and swiftly put on his helmet. He glanced at her whilst tightening the helmet straps, “Are you staying here to enjoy the show?” Chen Nian hurriedly clambered onto the motorcycle. When they reached a traffic junction, the traffic light suddenly turned red. The inertia caused her body to keep moving forward, and she found herself plastered against Bei Ye’s back, like two pieces of scallion pancakes on a frying pan. The summer clothes were extremely thin. Coupled with the fact that the two of them were seated at such close proximity, Chen Nian wasn’t able to escape the smell of Bei Ye’s sweat. Slightly embarrassed, Chen Nian gingerly shifted her butt backwards. However, given that she was seated on the slope of the backseat on top of carrying a huge box at her back, the effect was minimal. She froze on the spot. The glow of the setting sun shone on them. The numbers on the timer of the red light gradually decreased with the passing of each www.asianovel.com

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second, from 153 to 59. Finally, Bei Ye turned back to look at her, his gaze colliding into hers. He didn’t avert his gaze. “You seem very surprised just now.” “I was……afraid……that you would……” Chen Nian pursed her lips, trying her best not to repeat the word ‘would’, and continued “get, beat, up.” “You thought that I was going to lose?” He raise his eyebrows, a cold smile forming on his lips. “That day……”Chen Nian stammered, “The first time……” He maintained his posture, with his head turned back towards her, his gaze meeting hers over his shoulder. Even though he knew what she wanted to say, he nevertheless chose to patiently wait for her to complete her sentence. Chen Nian continued, “I saw……you, you were……getting beat……up.” “I had a fever that day, and there were too many of them.” He had a certain degree of pride in him. “Don’t you know the saying – ‘A wise man knows when to retreat.’?” “Oh.” Chen Nian replied, nodding whilst supporting the helmet on her head. Bei Ye looked at her for some time before concluding, “You look rather stupid.” Chen Nian: “……” Having stared at each other for far too long, Chen Nian lowered her head, and asked softly, “You……you’re good at…….at fighting?” “That’s not a good thing?” Chen Nian shook her lowered head gently, and raised it once more. www.asianovel.com

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Her clear gaze held his, and she declared, “I think…..it’s good.” Bei Ye’s face betrayed no hint of any expression. He scrutinized her for some time before turning back. Chen Nian fell into silence. When the light turned green, Bei Ye took a left turn. Chen Nian pressed her lips together tightly. In order to reach her home, Bei Ye had to go straight. [1] Right beneath the Emperor’s Foot is a Chinese saying that indicates that the Emperor is residing in this City; thus, the people of the city are the closest to him (right beneath the Emperor’s foot).

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Chapter 6 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

The motorcycle turned into an abandoned steel rolling mill. The road was filled with numerous potholes, and the tree leaves were covered with a thick layer of dust and soot. During the 70s and the 80s, the steel industry was booming. As a result, the employees who worked in the steel rolling mill were held in high esteem by the people surrounding them, and often had an easy time landing themselves a marriage partner. Indeed, regardless of which era one lived in, one would always be subject to societal hierarchies… But Fortune is fickle, and along with the various transformations in the New Century, people gradually began to perceive the processes of the steel rolling mill as being extremely inefficient, wasteful, and harmful to the environment. The decreased reliance on steel mills ultimately resulted in the steel rolling mill laying off its employees and declaring itself insolvent. This plot of land was thus left abandoned for more than a decade. Presently, the steel rolling mill remained in a dilapidated state, and constantly seemed to be on the brink of collapse. Only the innermost staff dormitory remained upright, its walls greatly darkened by its prior constant exposure to the black fumes spewed by the steel mill. The motorcycle came to a sudden halt, causing Chen Nian to bump into Bei Ye’s back. Chen Nian hurriedly grab hold of her helmet and readjusted her position. Holding Bei Ye’s shoulders for support, Chen Nian carefully climbed down from the motorcycle. An old-fashioned staff dormitory loomed ahead of her. In the late afternoon, wisps of cooking smoke drifted out from various doorways, causing the entire building to look like a huge honeycomb that was on fire. www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye said, “This way.” Chen Nian turned back to look at him. Behind the thick, lush trees, there was an old building that consisted of two storeys in total. The shutter doors of the building were shut, and didn’t seem to be capable of inhabitation, but resembled a goods transfer station instead. There was a rusty iron staircase on the right side of the building, connecting the second storey to the first. The tree leaves gave off an extremely pleasant and fresh smell; beneath the foliage, thin and delicate strings of white silk hung from the tree branches, akin to an astounding pearl curtain. Upon Chen Nian walking nearer, Chen Nian discovered that there were white, fat bugs hanging at the bottom of the white strings. A cold shiver shot up Chen Nian’s spine. She carefully avoided the white strings and began climbing the stairs. On the second floor, the corridor was covered with a thin layer of coal ash. Various plastic bags, old bicycles and other waste objects lay strewn around the corridor. Bei Ye squat down, unlocked the shutters, and lifted the shutters in one fluid motion. The metallic shutters clanged noisily whilst dust motes swirled around in the evening light. Momentarily stunned, Chen Nian blinked a few times before a small smile formed on her lips. Turning back to look at Chen Nian, Bei Ye asked, “Why so happy?” Chen Nian lowered her head, “This door……is very……cool.” Bei Ye looked at Chen Nian expressionlessly and didn’t make a single sound. Chen Nian continued, “Motorcycle……also.” www.asianovel.com

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“Also what?” “Also, very cool.” Bei Ye remained expressionless. Lifting the shutters fully, he marched into his home quickly. Once his back was turned towards her, his lips curved into a quick smile before returning to a neutral expression. Turning towards her, he said, “Come in.” Chen Nian hesitated for a moment before following him into the house. The interior of the house was extremely dim, and the hot and humid smell of his bed sheets filled the entire house. It smelled like scent of the mulberry trees outside, or the scent of the rain soaked ground – slightly bad and moist, but filled with vitality. Chen Nian looked at Bei Ye – as his arms were raised to pull the shutters down, the lower hem of his T-shirt rose along with his shoulders, and revealed a thin and lean belly with numerous unfamiliar and sexy lines carved on it. Chen Nian quietly averted her gaze. Grabbing hold of the edge of the shutters, Bei Ye pulled the shutters down in one swift motion. The shutters clanged down immediately, only stopping at Bei Ye’s lower waist. Lifting his feet, Bei Ye stepped on the edge of the shutters, causing the shutters to be completely shut. Bei Ye didn’t lock the shutters. Instead, he walked to the lamp and tugged at the light switch which was hanging in midair. With a loud crackle, the white ceiling lamp flickered on, the dim yellow light resembling a light bulb filled with fireflies. The reddish glow of the setting sun shone through the gap between the curtains, dividing the room into two halves; one half consisted of a simple bed and wardrobe whilst the other half www.asianovel.com

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contained various tools and machinery lying around in a messy fashion, along with a slightly heady scent of oil. As the window faced west, the room was extremely warm and stuffy. The moment one entered into the room, sweat would immediately seep out from one’s skin, as though it were mushrooms sprouting from the mud after the rain. Bei Ye dragged the fan over and switched it to its maximum speed, causing Chen Nian to stagger from the force of the wind. Her hair whipped onto her neck, and the wisps of hair covered her sweaty skin like cobwebs. Upon seeing Chen Nian’s flustered state, Bei Ye snorted, “Are you made of paper?” Grabbing the kettle, he brought it to the tap and began filling it with water. Chen Nian removed his guitar case and placed it on the table. She removed the wild strands of hair which were plastered on her face, and looked around curiously. There were numerous posters stuck on the walls, featuring Sakuragi Hanamichi, Monkey D. Luffy, and Jay Chou. The paint on the walls had yellowed and cracked, clearly unable to withstand the test of time. Some parts had even swelled up, as though it was the skin of the elderly. Bei Ye took out a few packets of instant noodles, and asked Chen Nian, “Which do you prefer?” Chen Nian quickly glanced at the available options before answering, “Sour and……sour and spicy…beef.” Bei Ye towered over the table, tearing the plastic wrapper seasoning packets open with ease. Chen Nian went to his side and tried to help. However, just as she tore the sauce packet open and squeezed the sauce out, she accidentally stained her fingers with the sauce. Bei Ye took one glance at her before grabbing a tissue and wrapping her finger in it. Pinching her finger, he rubbed it carefully before removing the tissue from her finger.

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It was as though he was handling a child’s hand – all nooks and crannies must be carefully wiped clean before the tissue could be thrown away. Chen Nian raised her eyes to look at him. Bei Ye had already turned around to fill the instant noodles with hot water. After pouring the hot water into the cups, he quickly found two books and used them to press the lids of the instant noodle packets down. One of the books was a English textbook meant for students in Year 1 of High School. The cover had been torn off, and the characters in the book were conversing. – How old are you? – It’s a secret. Chen Nian looked at him, “You……” She had just begun enunciating when his dark, black gaze swiveled over and settled on her face. Chen Nian stiffened for a moment and stared at him for two seconds before continuing, “How old……are you?” Bei Ye’s gaze remained fixed on Chen Nian’s face. Coolly tossing the question back to her, he countered, “How old are you?” “Six……teen.” His lips curved into a slight smile, “You began studying at such a young age?” Chen Nian nodded her head. She wanted to tell him that she had even managed to skip a few grades, but decided to swallow her words as she was afraid that she would stutter in the process. Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, she asked, “You?” “Seventeen.” He leaned against the table, and began to fan his collar. Suddenly, he asked, “Are your studies any good?” Chen Nian replied, “Good.” Bei Ye paused, and looked at her for some time before continuing, www.asianovel.com

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“You’re not lying?” Chen Nian replied, “Nope.” Falling into silence, Bei Ye reached for a new pack cigarette on the table and tore the packet open. Taking a cigarette out, he placed it in his mouth, his thoughts unreadable from his expressionless face. Finally, he removed the cigarette and said, “You look rather stupid.” “…” Chen Nian reminded him, “You, said that……before.” Bei Ye looked at her, “You looked rather stupid then, and you still look rather stupid now, so it doesn’t matter how many times I say it.” Chen Nian: “……” The heart of the youth is an extremely sensitive one; Chen Nian gradually came to a realization that perhaps, she had given a wrong answer to his question; or rather, she had simply answered too quickly. The reddish glow of the setting sun gradually dimmed with the passage of time. Bei Ye went over to the windows and pulled the curtains open. Pushing the windows open, the buzzing noise of the crowd streamed in. The cool evening breeze entered the house, and brought the aroma of freshly baked bread with it; the remnants of the setting sun shone golden against the darkening sky, as though it was the shiny glaze on confectionary bread. “Something…….smells nice.” Chen Nian commented. Bei Ye cast a quick glance at his watch, “Two more minutes.” “Hmm?” “After two minutes, the man responsible for collecting www.asianovel.com

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discarded household appliances would pass by in a motorcycle, the train bound for the provincial capital would pass by, and the freshly baked coconut bread would come out from the oven.” With a agile jump, he leaped out of the window and disappeared into the night. Shocked, Chen Nian rushed to the window and peered out. There was an extremely narrow cement ledge beneath the window which was connected to the emergency stairwell. The emergency stairwell was, in turn, right next to the walls that surrounded the steel rolling mill, and an old and dilapidated alley lay beyond the walls. Without expending much effort, Bei Ye clambered onto the walls and leapt down into the alley before swiftly disappearing into the bread shop located opposite the alley. The alley was bustling with activity in the evening; tailors, canteens, bread shops, cobblers and various other shops populated the area. A bicycle bell rang out amidst the hustle and bustle of the evening, and Chen Nian could hear a man hollering at the top of his lungs, “Buying and collecting—– Scrap Metal!” Further away, Chen Nian managed to spot various railway tracks that led into the distance. Chen Nian returned to the table and removed the English textbooks from the lids of the packets of instant noodles; upon lifting the lids of the instant noodles, a wave of hot air rushed at her face. Luckily, the noodles weren’t overcooked. Beep——, the train whistle shrieked shrilly in the evening. Chen Nian raised her head, a gentle smile forming on her lips. Bei Ye clambered onto the window in one swift motion, pausing momentarily when he saw Chen Nian. Chen Nian was partially illuminated by the glow of the setting sun as she stood by the table, www.asianovel.com

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tearing the lids of the instant noodle packets. As the fan rotated from left to right, the wind caused her skirt to alternately fly and deflate on various occasions, her slim figure evident beneath the thin, white material. Bei Ye felt small flames of desire shooting up his chest from the area beneath his belly. His throat itching with thick desire, he helped himself through the window and swiftly pulled the curtains shut. Within seconds, the room grew dimmer. Chen Nian raised her head, slowly speaking up, “The noodles are, still……hot.” Bei Ye passed the freshly toasted bread to her, “Eat this first. Especially when it’s hot.” Chen Nian bit into the bread. It was soft and fluffy, and the scent of fresh milk engulfed her. Chen Nian’s body stiffened suddenly – Bei Ye’s hand had slipped under her skirt, and was gradually sliding up her inner thigh. Chen Nian turned her head to look at Bei Ye, her gaze colliding with Bei Ye’s stare. As his hands continued their offending movements beneath her skirt, he asked in a low voice, “Are you afraid?” Chen Nian stood on tip-toe in an attempt to avoid his touch, but his unrelenting fingers followed her ever movement. Trembling, she stared at him unblinkingly, confusion and fear pertinent in her wide eyes. The train continued rumbling past outside the window, its speed causing the air to shudder and the earth to tremble. “Why did you come back with me if you were afraid?” With a slight amount of force, he nearly carried her with his single, offending hand. With a muted whimper, Chen Nian continued investing all her www.asianovel.com

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energies into supporting her tip-toed position. Bei Ye insisted, “Did you think it through before coming back with me?” Chen Nian shook her head vigorously. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead, dampening her forelocks and causing them to transform into small and tiny curls. She desired protection, but she hadn’t expected Bei Ye’s price for offering such protection. Chen Nian’s legs began to tremble from over-exertion, and her body started to sway from side to side. The minute her legs gave way and she rocked back onto her heels, Bei Ye withdrew his offending hand. Chen Nian remained rooted at her spot, waves of helplessness washing over her. She was angered and annoyed with her own cowardice and rash nature. Burning with feelings of shame, she finally gathered her thoughts and replied in a low voice, “I’ll be……making a mo…..move then.” Narrowing his eyes, Bei Ye used his fork and tapped on the instant noodle packets forcefully, “Eat before you leave.” “There’s……no need……” Chen Nian started. However, upon seeing Bei Ye’s facial expression gradually darken with every word that she spoke, Chen Nian finally relented and sat beside the table. As Chen Nian ate rather slowly, Bei Ye completed his meal much faster than she did. Taking out his pack of cigarettes, Bei Ye withdrew to the window and sat on the window sill for his smoke. When Chen Nian finished her meal, she tidied the place before facing Bei Ye, “I’m……done.” Bei Ye swiftly extinguished his cigarette butt. Hopping off the www.asianovel.com

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window sill, Bei Ye started to show Chen Nian the way out. As they exited the shutters, Chen Nian mustered her final ounce of dignity and asserted, “I’ll go……home my…….myself.” Bei Ye let out a short laugh. However, the absence of any laughing intent was extremely evident from his laughter, “Really?” As his laugh was slightly cruel, Chen Nian decided to keep mum. Both of them knew that Chen Nian did not have the courage to independently walk out of the steel rolling mill in the darkness of the night. The weather seemed as though it was about to change, with the night wind being unexpectedly chilly. Chen Nian sat on the motorcycle, her body shivering in the cold. The journey seemed to be extraordinarily long. Both Chen Nian and Bei Ye did not say a single word during the entire journey, and Bei Ye did not turn to look at her when the motorcycle stopped at the red traffic light. When Chen Nian arrived at the entrance of her home, the slight breeze had evolved into a huge gust of wind, causing the leaves to rustle in protest. Chen Nian removed her helmet and returned it to Bei Ye. Bei Ye responded with a single sentence. “We’re quits.” Although he phrased it as a sentence, there was a slight trace of uncertainty in his voice. Pressing her lips together as tightly as she could, Chen Nian nodded her head. Bei Ye: “Speak up.” Chen Nian: “We were……quits…….long ago.” www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye turned his head to glance at her, his eyes filled with an air of desolation; however, he quickly returned to looking ahead, and within seconds, he had already ignited the engine of his motorcycle, his solitary figure disappearing in the darkness of the night. At that precise moment, huge droplets of rain started pouring from the sky, forcefully falling onto Chen Nian’s head. It had begun to rain. Chen Nian could no longer make out Bei Ye’s shadowy figure amidst the rain, and his red taillights rapidly disappeared as he turned a corner. The rain grew heavier. Ah, the rainy season is about to arrive. Chen Nian’s phone rang just as she ran into the stairwell. It was Zeng Hao – she must have managed to escape from the toilet. Clicking on the “Answer” button, she placed the phone beside her ear. Chen Nian froze on the spot. The raindrops were pelting from the rooftop, causing small clumps of mud to splatter onto her leg. A chill shot up Chen Nian’s spine. “You……You told them……that I spilled the…….beans to you?” Chen Nian grit her teeth angrily in the raging wind. Angered, betrayed and confused, her stutter worsened involuntarily, “But you pro……promised me! You promised……not to…….drag me into……this!!” Chen Nian hung up. Guilty, Chen Nian turned back, only to see the vast rain the dark and eerie alley. All of a sudden, Chen Nian rushed up the stairs in a frenzy and speedily grabbed her keys from within her bag. Chen Nian was unable to see clearly as the stairwell was rather dark, and was unable to insert the key into the keyhole despite numerous attempts. www.asianovel.com

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Her feelings of fear grew tenfold. Hands trembling, Chen Nian’s keys fell onto the floor. As Chen Nian squat down to retrieve her keys, she caught a glimpse of a muted glow from the dark corner of the stairwell. It was a cigarette butt. Frozen, Chen Nian turned back stiffly, only to find herself face to face with a pair of cold and cruel eyes. Wei Cai flicked the ash from her cigarette before rising from the floor and facing Chen Nian.

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Chapter 7 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

Chen Nian startled awake from her dream, her heartbeat throbbing loudly in the silence of the night. Last night, just as Wei Cai flung herself towards Chen Nian, Chen Nian managed to find her keys amidst the flurry, hurling herself into the house before locking the door shut. Lightning flashed across the dark night sky. Wei Cai kicked Chen Nian’s door ferociously, the loud echoes reverberating throughout the entire house. Chen Nian leaned her entire body against the door, scraps of paint falling from the walls every single time Wei Cai kicked the door. Some paint fell into Chen Nian’s eyes, causing her eyes to sting with pain. After some time, Wei Cai left. Chen Nian could vividly recall Wei Cai’s haunting words before she left, “Chen Nian, you have a death wish.” Even though the rain had stopped, the air was still terribly warm and stuffy. Chen Nian turned over and looked at her mobile phone. It was only 5 in the morning. Chen Nian wiped the sweat off her neck and switched the electric fan on before returning to her bed and falling into a daze. The sky gradually grew lighter with each passing moment. When 6:45AM finally arrived, Chen Nian picked up the phone and called her mother who was currently faraway in Zhu Hai. “Hello? Is this Nian Nian? You’re not in school yet?” The slightly raspy voice of her mum rang out. Chen Nian could hear sounds of communal showering from the other end. www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian lowered her head and rubbed her eyes, “Mummy.” “Eh? There’s no more toothpaste! Big sister, could you lend me some toothpaste?” Her mum appeared to be very busy, and only managed to continue the conversation after getting some toothpaste, “Nian Nian, is there something wrong? Why aren’t you heading to school yet?” “Mummy, could you……come home……to take care……care of me? At least, until…..until after……examinations, end?” Chen Nian’s mum rinsed her mouth before responding, “I can’t even take a single day of leave now, as it’s currently the peak production period for the factory. If I tried to take two month’s worth of leave, I’d definitely be fired. Nian Nian, be good and persevere for two more months – you can do that, can’t you?” Chen Nian fell into silence. Having received no response from Chen Nian, Chen Nian’s mum gradually quietened down and went to a more secluded corner, “Nian Nian, are you missing mummy?” Chen Nian nodded her head, before responding in a low and quiet voice, “Yes.” Chen Nian’s mum coaxed her gently, “Our Nian Nian is going to enter University soon, so mummy needs to earn sufficient money required to pay for University. If mummy stops working, who else would be able to provide for Nian Nian? We can’t possibly beg, could we?” Chen Nian wiped the sweat from her face, and asked in a muffled voice, “Are there……electric…….fans at your…..dormitory?” “It’s not hot over here.” Chen Nian’s mum replied, “Don’t worry about me. Nian Nian, focus on your studies. Mummy www.asianovel.com

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would only be able to enjoy life when you start University.” Chen Nian’s feelings gradually returned to some degree of normalcy and calm. Even if her mum returned, she could do little else except comfort Chen Nian. Furthermore, her wish was rather extravagant in nature, and was in actuality a luxury that her family was unable to afford. When Chen Nian opened the door and stepped out, she was greeted with a huge expanse of the azure blue sky. Chen Nian could already feel the heat from the glare of the morning sun. Chen Nian cautiously made her way to school, and succeeded in arriving at her classroom in one piece. Zeng Hao’s seat was still glaringly empty. The entire classroom was engaged in a hearty discussion. Xiao Mi began to tell Chen Nian what little that she knew, “Chen Nian, something shocking happened in school yesterday.” “Oh?” Chen Nian put on a clueless expression. “Yesterday, the cleaner was about to clear the rubbish from the toilet yesterday when she noticed that huge chunks of rubbish were strewn on the toilet floor. As she cleared the rubbish, she started to rebuke the students for their irresponsible actions. All of a sudden, she heard someone crying for help from a toilet cubicle. When she peeked into the toilet cubicle, she discovered numerous red stains, and nearly fainted in shock!! It turned out that there was someone inside the cubicle that was locked for the whole of yesterday – that person is Zeng Hao!” Xiao Mi paused appropriately upon reaching the suspenseful climax. Chen Nian continued looking at Xiao Mi, a calm expression on her face. www.asianovel.com

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“Of course, she wasn’t dead.” Xiao Mi continued, “However, her clothes and shoes were removed, and she had red paint splashed over her entire body. As she was afraid of the gossip that would ensue if she was seen by her classmates, she didn’t dare to come out from the cubicle, and only pleaded for help when she heard the cleaner come into the toilet.” Chen Nian turned back to look at Wei Cai’s chair, only to find it empty. “Hey, listen to me!” Xiao Mi protested, and turned Chen Nian back to face her. “Zeng Hao sad that Wei Cai, Xu Miao and their group of friends are responsible for her plight.” Chen Nian: “Ah?” “She was bullied by Wei Cai and her group of friends, so all of them are currently at the police station. Most importantly, Zeng Hao claimed that the reason why Hu Xiao Die committed suicide was because of Wei Cai and her friends! – Ah, so it really was Wei Cai and her group of friends. I know that I’m not the only person who thought this way, everyone else had the same thoughts as well! Indeed, the entire class was engaged in a heart discussion, every single classmate detailing when and where he/she saw Wei Cai and Hu Xiao Die entangled in some form of conflict when Hu Xiao Die was still alive. The dam that had suppressed the flood had broken. The situation was irreversible. Chen Nian felt as though she was trapped in the vortex centre of the rushing flood, sinking into the mud with each passing minute. Li Xiang walked over to Chen Nian and Xiao Mi, a bright smile plastered on his face. Waving the exam scripts from the High School www.asianovel.com

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Affiliated to Beijing Normal University, he asked, “Chen Nian, Xiao Mi, how are you two going to thank me?” Chen Nian took one glance at him, not saying a single word. Li Xiang noticed that Chen Nian’s slightly dark facial expression, and instantly changed his tune, “I was just teasing you guys! Here, you guys can have the exam scripts.” Xiao Mi retrieved the papers and thanked Li Xiang in a loud voice. Before Li Xiang could even respond, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. The teacher strode into the classroom, and the students returned to their respective seats. However, even before the Mathematics teacher had the opportunity to announce the start of class, Chen Nian’s form teacher appeared at the entrance of the classroom, waving his hands at Chen Nian. “Chen Nian, could you come out for a minute?” The bustling classroom fell into a deathly, eerie silence. Chen Nian exited the classroom calmly, and quietly followed the form teacher out of the school building. “You have to make a trip to the Public Safety Bureau with me.” Chen Nian nodded her head. Whilst they were on their way to the Public Safety Bureau, her form teacher spoke up, “Zeng Hao insisted that you told her that Wei Cai and Xu Miao……” Her form teacher paused, scrambling for an appropriate word to use, “That they had a conflict with Hu Xiao Die.” Chen Nian hesitated. After some deliberation, Chen Nian finally decided to say yes, and was about to do so when she raised her head www.asianovel.com

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and saw the form teacher’s intense and direct gaze, an indistinct pressure settling over her. Carefully, Chen Nian swallowed the words that had already begun to form at the tip of her tongue. “Did you truly say that? You do know that our school is the best in the city, don’t you? We’re also one of the top ten schools in the province. Our school has never ever experienced problems relating to conflict amongst students.” Chen Nian pursed her lips together, “Zeng……Zeng Hao was also……also bullied.” “What about Hu Xiao Die? She was probably only bullied once, wasn’t she?” Chen Nian was unable to discern the meaning behind her teacher’s words, and cautiously studied his facial expression. “If she was frequently bullied, I wouldn’t be totally clueless about it – I’m her form teacher after all! And if she was indeed frequently bullied, the other teachers would have also picked up various hints and put sufficient measures in place.” “The entire……class talked…… about……the incidents.” “Those incidents which the class talked about were merely small, ordinary conflicts that commonly occurs between classmates. I’m referring to something more serious in the present case – bullying.” Chen Nian fell into silence. After some time, she lowered her head and answered, “Yes.” Chen Nian had only confessed to Zeng Hao the truth about Hu Xiao Die’s suicide on the sole condition that she would not drag Chen Nian into Hu Xiao Die’s matter. Since Zeng Hao didn’t keep her word, Zeng Hao couldn’t blame her for subsequently denying or retracting her confession. Chen Nian told herself internally. www.asianovel.com

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The moment Chen Nian entered the lobby, she heard a piercing cry ring out. Hu Xiao Die’s parents were tussling with the parents of Wei Cai and Xu Miao, whilst the government officials were trying their hardest to separate them to no avail. “Murderer! Criminal!” Hu Xiao Die’s parents were extremely emotional. Hu Xiao Die’s mother even wailed aloud, “They caused my daughter’s death!! They caused it!!” Wei Cai’s mother rebutted in a shrill voice, “All accusations must be backed up by evidence! It is common for children to engage in some form of verbal arguments or minor conflict with their schoolmates. If you commit suicide the moment I scold you, then all those who squabble on the street ought to be rounded up and shot to death!” “Your daughter beat my daughter up! They were bullying her for a long period of time.” Hu Xiao Die’s mother shook Wei Cai’s mother violently, “Murderer! Criminal! You gave birth to your child but you didn’t bother raising her properly!” Wei Cai’s mother was about to retort when Xu Miao’s parents stepped in. With tears flowing down her face, Xu Miao’s mother pleaded, “Nobody wanted things to turn out this way. It’s our fault for failing to take our children in hand, and I admit that I’m at fault. But please, please do not place all the responsibility on our children. They’re still young, and they have a long road ahead of them. Even if they were at fault, we have to give them a chance to change.” Wei Cai’s mother refused to admit fault, and continued squabbling with the other parents. The Public Safety Bureau descended into chaos once more. The form teacher led Chen Nian into the elevator. A police officer was waiting for her at the entrance of the www.asianovel.com

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interrogation room – it was the young police officer who had previously questioned her in school. He was attired in his work uniform, and looked especially handsome and bright. A smile formed on his lips when he saw Chen Nian, as though they were close acquaintances. He had just graduated from school, and wasn’t much older than Chen Nian. When he looked at Chen Nian, his gaze was always gentle yet sharp, as if he had the ability to peer into the inner depths of her heart. The form teacher patter Chen Nian’s shoulders, “Don’t be afraid. Take your time to tell the police officer what you wish to say.” Chen Nian followed Officer Zheng into the interrogation room. The door closed shut. “Did Hu Xiao Die tell you anything the day she committed suicide?” Chen Nian shook her head. “Are you certain about that?” “Yes.” Chen Nian knew about the importance of consistency in testimony. “Zeng Hao testified that you previously told her the following: on the day before Hu Xiao Die committed suicide, you had seen Wei Cai and her group of friends……” Officer Zheng paused momentarily, his dark eyebrows gently creasing, “abusing her.” The term “abuse” caused Chen Nian to startle. Chen Nian didn’t respond. She wanted to deny the testimony presented in front of her, but she couldn’t open her mouth no matter how hard she tried. www.asianovel.com

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“Chen Nian, if what you said was the truth, the persons who inflicted the abuse would suffer the corresponding punishment.” Chen Nian felt as though a heavy brick was weighing on her throat. She met Officer Zheng’s intense and firm gaze. A tag hung proudly from his chest, his name inscribed on the tag: Zheng Yi[1]. Officer Zheng softened his voice, “Chen Nian, trust me.” There was only the two of them in the interrogation room. The atmosphere gradually froze. In his eyes, Chen Nian could see a tolerant and understanding love for the bigger world and its civilians. After an internal struggle, Chen Nian finally nodded her head. “Could you describe the scene that you saw in more detail?” Wei Cai had initially picked on Hu Xiao Die because she simply didn’t like her. Or perhaps it was because Hu Xiao Die was too pretty. Alternatively, Wei Cai might have picked on Hu Xiao Die because Hu Xiao Die was extremely friendly with all the males in class, or perhaps it was because Hu Xiao Die was smitten with the basketball player Li Xiang, and openly evinced her desire to get closer to him. At this point in time, the initial reason Wei Cai picked on Hu Xiao Die was no longer something that could be deciphered. In any event, Hu Xiao Die frequently suffered from cynical taunts and verbal insults whenever her classmates were around, and was often unintentionally “bumped” into and accidentally “hit” by numerous objects. Conversely, when her classmates were no longer around, in locations such as the balcony, the toilet, the library, and the corner in the canteen, Wei Cai and her group of friends…… Of course, it would be impossible to assert that the surrounding classmates failed to detect any signs of the ongoing bullying activities. However, due to various reasons, everyone simply chose to www.asianovel.com

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remain silent and to overlook the bullying activities – they convinced themselves that it was merely an ordinary conflict between classmates; after all, everyone had people they disliked. Wei Cai and Hu Xiao Die’s conflict didn’t concern them in the least; The stress from studies already left the students battered and weary; In addition, they weren’t familiar with Hu Xiao Die. Who would truly take the problems of strangers to heart? When the strong engages in a confrontation with the weak, the situation inevitably devolves into one whereby one party is isolated whilst the other party enforces the isolation; or where one party is bullied whilst the other party inflicts the bullying. In such situations, organisms would subconsciously turn away from the party who was being bullied and isolated. People fear straying from the group, and this was especially true for children. Compared to adults, children were often more afraid of being non-conformist, as they were frequently classified as the weak. Chen Nian had seen Wei Cai, Xu Miao, and their group of friends insult and assault Hu Xiao Die, and when she saw them tear Hu Xiao Die’s clothes and strip her naked, she left the scene immediately. Chen Nian was afraid – she feared that she too, would become part of the bullied, part of the hunted. The form teacher was detained for further questioning. By the time Chen Nian exited the elevator and stepped into the lobby, the chaotic group of parents had already been dispersed. The marble floor was extremely empty and clean. It reflected the vibrant glare of the summer sun, causing Chen Nian’s eyes to water. On her way back to school, Chen Nian felt an indistinct sense of trepidation. However, at the same time, she felt extremely relaxed. www.asianovel.com

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There was always a solution to one’s problems. She was extremely grateful that she had managed to rein herself in at the brink of the precipice – she hadn’t resorted to seeking protection from that person who was her total opposite; she didn’t step onto a path she knew would definitely leave her with infinite regrets. Just as these thoughts were running through her head, she saw him. Ah, the Heavens were being so deliberate. Bei Ye was seated on a roadside bench, a cigarette in his hand. One of his legs was propped up on the bench, whilst his other leg was stretched outright, appearing to be extraordinarily long. The white cast on his arm was especially obvious. There was a group of lax and undisciplined people surrounding him, all of them breathing out cigarette smoke as well. They were joking and ribbing each other. Chen Nian could hear words such as “F***”, “Bi***”, “Dam***” and other forms of profanities being spewed around. Bei Ye’s head was lowered as he smoked; thus, he hadn’t seen Chen Nian. One of his companions had slung his arm over Bei Ye’s shoulders, and was talking to him about various rated matters. His companion was in an extremely gleeful mood, and was laughing uncontrollably. As a result, Bei Ye was also swayed from side to side, causing Bei Ye to smile in response. Raising his head, Bei Ye instantly spotted Chen Nian, who had been passing by. Her white school uniform and her white school shoes stood out in the crowd. Chen Nian shot him a quick glance, which did not go unnoticed by his companions. His companions challenged, “What are you looking at?” www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian immediately turned her face away. Bei Ye lowered his head and tapped his cigarette on the bench, causing the cigarette ash to fall away. His companion turned back to look at Bei Ye. On discovering that the rest of the group were still chatting, he interjected, “Bei Ge[2], look – the female students from First High School are all so pretty.” Bei Ye didn’t respond. However, a yellow-haired person laughed at the companion, “Lai Zi, all females are beautiful in your eyes.” The person called ‘Lai Zi’ lowered his voice, “Ah, why are the wrists and calves of females all so slender and graceful?” As he spoke, he started to estimate the size of Chen Nian’s wrists with his fingers, “Her wrists and calves are only about this thick – a mere twist would cause them to break!” After looking at Lai Zi’s rough estimation, the entire group turned back to look at Chen Nian. Her slender and pale wrists and ankles were glowing under the afternoon sun. Just then, Bei Ye pressed his cigarette into the bench and put it out. Placing his feet on the floor, he straightened up, “Are we leaving or not?” “Alright, let’s go! Let’s go grab some tea first.” The entire group of people swarmed into the nearby convenience store. Bei Ye strolled behind the group in an unhurried pace. He didn’t look at Chen Nian as he brushed past her. Neither did she. Having walked past her, Bei Ye stopped in his tracks. Running his tongue over his teeth, he ultimately turned back to look at her. “Hey.”

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Chen Nian turned back to look at him. “What are you doing running around on the streets? Shouldn’t you be in school studying?” Ah, look at the way he chided her – as if he himself possessed the requisite qualification to chide her. Chen Nian didn’t reply. Although the apology in her eyes was evident for only a mere second, the very next moment, his gaze had already drawn a clear boundary between the two of them, “I’m leaving.” The moment he turned his back to her, Bei Ye was overcome with a sense of deflation; the secret happiness that he experienced a few seconds ago on seeing her no longer existed. Between them, there were simply too many insurmountable differences to overcome. He waved his hand nonchalantly, indicating that she could take her leave. [1] The pronunciation of “Justice” in Mandarin is Zheng Yi. Thus, Officer Zheng is akin to a symbol of justice to Chen Nian. [2] Bei Ge: Directly translated to Brother Bei. ‘Brother’ is a polite term often used to address people whom one respects and looks up to. Thus, Bei Ye is clearly the leader of his cronies, who flock around him and look up to him.

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Chapter 8 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

“The clownfish is able to help the sea anemone remove dead tissues and various other parasites, whilst the clownfish is itself able to remove the parasites and bacteria growing on its very own body through the constant contact with the sea anemone’s tentacles.” As Chen Nian entered into the final two months of revision, she commonly encountered questions similar to the ones she had previously done, and could answer such questions without any difficulty. However, the teachers often emphasised that the examination setters enjoyed putting a new spin on old questions, and warned the students against being overconfident in their abilities. Having completed the exam scripts Li Xiang had previously passed to her, she carefully compared her answers with Xiao Mi’s. The two close friends quietly discussed the questions which they had answered wrongly; by the time they completed their analysis of the papers, the school bell had begun to ring, signalling the end of class. Chen Nian felt satisfied. Chen Nian slowly stretched out her arms, and pointed to the corridor with her jaw, indicating to Xiao Mi that they ought to head out for a short breather. Standing in the corridor, the two close friends leaned against the railing and looked at the azure blue sky. As the rainy season had arrived, there was torrential rain every single night. However, the days still remained bright and sunny. Xiao Mi piped up, “Chen Nian, ever since you returned from the Public Safety Beareau, you seem to be more relaxed than before.” www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian replied, “I did……something which I ought……ought to have done earlier……and managed…..to achieve……an acceptable result.” Xiao Mi understood what Chen Nian was referring to, and gave her an encouraging smile in response. However, Xiao Mi’s smile faltered after a few minutes. Curious, Chen Nian turned to see what had caught Xiao Mi’s attention – Zeng Hao had appeared at the school gates. Her parents had arrived to pick her up from school, and seemed to be persistently nagging at her. After looking at Zeng Hao for some time, Chen Nian averted her gaze. As her gaze swept across the faraway field, she caught a glimpse of a group of youths walking past the school gates, all of them donning similar white t-shirts. Before she could take a closer look, however, the group of youths had already disappeared. None of them tried to enter the school compound by climbing up the high school gates. Somehow, Chen Nian managed to learn bits and pieces about the story of that youth. Many years ago, a prostitute had alerted the police, reporting that she had been raped. The male was sentenced to imprisonment, passing away from an illness thereafter. Meanwhile, the prostitute continued on in her line of work, and simply left the child to fend for himself at the welfare centre. Subsequently, that child managed to successfully grow into a youth. However, despite his complicated background, this youth wasn’t even the least bit threatening – in fact, Chen Nian never ever felt a single ounce of fear whenever she faced him. Chen Nian’s train of thought was suddenly interrupted by Xiao Mi. “Chen Nian, sometimes I reflect upon the entire incident, and I wonder – were you truly the only person who saw Hu Xiao Die being bullied by Wei Cai and her group of friends?” Chen Nian didn’t respond, and simply looked at Xiao Mi silently. www.asianovel.com

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Xiao Mi began to explain herself, “I’m not chiding you. If I were in your shoes and had witnessed the bullying, I’d be afraid too. I’d be afraid that Wei Cai would unleash her anger on me if I tattled on her. There’s a high chance that I would have kept mum about the bullying incidents, because nobody could have expected Hu Xiao Die to commit suicide. If Xiao Die hadn’t died, the entire bullying incident wouldn’t even be worth mentioning; however, Xiao Die died, and as a result, the entire bullying incident takes on a more serious tone.” “I’ve thought…….thought about these matters……too.” Chen Nian began to rub her palms together subconsciously. “I’ve always focused on…..leaving as soon as possible……I wasn’t concerned…….about anything else, I didn’t…….didn’t want any trouble. However, I……I also didn’t want to…….to transform into the type of person……person I hated.” Xiao Mi continued, “That’s why you made a correct final decision, and spilt the beans.” Chen Nian responded, “But, choosing……choosing the right path……generally isn’t accompanied……by any benefits……only problems.” Chen Nian gently lowered her eyelids. She was truly feeling rather lost. Xiao Mi cocked her head to the side, and let out a long sigh, “I don’t understand either.” The two close friends furrowed their brows, remaining silent and contemplative. “No. Choosing the right path doesn’t only entail negative consequences.” Xiao Mi suddenly spoke up, “Whenever somebody does the right thing or the wrong thing, his or her actions would definitely influence the people surrounding www.asianovel.com

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him or her. It’s like the law on energy transfer, there’d always be a chain effect. I hope that the world would always maintain its goodness, and not transform into something which I hate. I believe that every single person on Earth has the power to change the world, so we just need to start by consistently being good people. Even if it’s of minimal effect. Chen Nian,” Xiao Mi paused, turning to flash a bright smile at her before enthusiastically voicing out, “Let’s always be good people, shall we?” Xiao Mi raised her arm in mid-air. Chen Nian saw the sunlight stream through the gaps in Xiao Mi’s fingers, the reddish glow of the sunlight gradually filling her with a huge sense of hope. In that very moment, Chen Nian felt at peace. For once, the constant urge to leave and escape from this small school compound receded into the background. On innumerable occasions, youths would stand by the railings and stare into the vast expanse of the sky, their brains frequently filled with endless questions which appeared to be unanswerable no matter how hard they thought about it. Day after day, year after year, these youths would contemplate the puzzling mysteries of society, the complicated interpersonal relationships, the meaning of right and wrong, the meaning of life, and the difference between kindness and evil. When one is still a student, one would often feel that the passage of time is arduous and slow. Thus, one is often able to expend huge amounts of time to contemplate numerous things. However, as one grows up and gradually gets busier – as doctors, teachers, police officers, and owners of bread shops, one would be constantly preoccupied with making a living, and can no longer expend the same amount of time contemplating the very same issues that bothered them in their youth. Perhaps, cracking one’s head over unsolvable problems is the true www.asianovel.com

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meaning of being a student. Chen Nian turned back, only to see Zeng Hao on her way to class . Her gaze collided with Zeng Hao’s. Without a single expression etched on her face, Chen Nian turned away, and walked into the classroom by herself. Retrieving a book from her desk, she lowered her head and continued her revision. — Once again, it was time for Physical Education. Chen Nian was feeling tired and sweaty from having played badminton with Li Xiang. As Li Xiang had huge amounts of energy, he continued playing badminton with his other male friends whilst Chen Nian returned to the classroom to rest. In order to avoid the blazing sun, Chen Nian ran up to her classroom. As she casually trailed past the trees, numerous shadowy figures who had been waiting beneath the trees caught her attention. Chen Nian’s heart dropped. Wei Cai’s tall and slim figure was especially conspicuous at the head of the pack, the murderous hate in her eyes brutal and undisguised. Chen Nian was stunned – she had assumed that Wei Cai and her group of friends would be placed under supervision! An overwhelming sense of fear and panic overcame Chen Nian in that very instant, causing Chen Nian to remain frozen on the spot. “Well, well. Did you enjoy badminton?” Wei Cai sneered. They began walking towards Chen Nian whilst Chen Nian remained rooted to her original spot. Chen Nian felt like a small rat which had been trapped by a mousetrap: at the brink of death, and yet unable to do anything to turn the situation around. www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian felt a harsh slap sear across her face. Li Xiang, Hu Xiao Die; Wei Cai now had a new vengeance against her in addition to the old, existing grudges. Her ears rang from the force of the slap. Wei Cai gestured to her group of friends. Within moments, a group of two to three girls began pulling and tugging at Chen Nian. Despite her attempts to resist Wei Cai and her friends, Chen Nian’s efforts proved ineffectual; instead, she was rewarded with a few tight slaps. Just as Chen Nian was about to get dragged off by Wei Cai and her group of friends, an angry voice rang out, “What on earth are you guys doing?!” Hugging her head tightly, Chen Nian obstinately refused to raise her head. “Wei Cai! Luo Ting! And the rest of you! Are you all looking to fail graduation?!” The form teacher was enraged beyond words. “Who allowed you guys to enter the school compound, huh?!” The furious form teacher continued chiding Wei Cai and her friends. However, Wei Cai and her friends paid no heed to the form teacher, none of them bothering to answer his stream of questions. Evidently, they were not in the least bit intimidated by the form teacher. Rolling their eyes at his incessant nagging, Wei Cai and her group of friends gradually began to disperse from the scene. Just as Wei Cai strolled past Chen Nian, she gave Chen Nian a small, inconspicuous shove . Staring into Chen Nian’s eyes, a cold smile formed on Wei Cai’s lips, “Just you wait.” Chen Nian’s heart contracted sharply. Having overheard Wei Cai’s threat, the form teacher shouted, “You guys are still unrepentant?!” Wei Cai and her group of friends didn’t even bother turning back to acknowledge the form teacher’s scolding, and simply strolled off in a www.asianovel.com

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rather lackadaisical fashion. The form teacher was extremely enraged, and called every single parent of Wei Cai and her group of friends. Despite his insistence that the parents take their children in hand, the parents were too preoccupied with their work, and simply brushed him off. As a result, the form teacher’s fury only worsened after his calls. Chen Nian remained rooted at her original spot, her hair and clothes in a terrible mess. The anger of the form teacher subsided the moment he glanced at Chen Nian. Strolling over, he patted Chen Nian’s shoulders and sighed, “Don’t be affected by them, and don’t get distracted – just persevere a little longer. They will no longer be able to bother you after you complete your examinations.” Once, Chen Nian had pinned all her hopes and dreams on the upcoming examinations; now, the stairway to hope seemed so fragile and distant. “Teacher……” Chen Nian raised her head and looked him in the eye, her lips trembling slightly, “Could you……send me home……after school?” Her voice was extremely small and shaky, as though it was a string entangled to the point of deformity, “She will……definitely find ways to……execute her……revenge. I know this……for sure.” The following week, Chen Nian didn’t dare to journey to and fro from school alone. Instead, the form teacher was responsible for fetching her to and fro from school. During the journey, Chen Nian frequently saw Wei Cai and her group of friends; they were like persistent spirits which refused to leave, and always stared at her from a distance away. Every single time, however, they only appeared for an instant – thus, by the time Chen Nian tried to point them out to the form teacher, they were no longer there.

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However, school was where Chen Nian’s nightmare truly began. The remaining group of girls who were good friends with Wei Cai viewed Chen Nian as a thorn in their side, and frequently bullied and tormented Chen Nian – they began to blatantly mimic and mock her stutter in class without a single ounce of fear; they would frequently trip Chen Nian whenever she was distributing worksheets; and they even splashed red ink on her chair, so that Chen Nian’s white skirt would be splattered with ‘menstrual blood’ the moment she sat on her chair. After school, their bullying extended to secretly pinching Chen Nian whenever she walked past them and locking her into various cubicles; on innumerable occasions, they would splash Chen Nian with water ‘by accident’ in the course of their bantering, and whenever Chen Nian ‘blocked their way’, they would simply push her out of the way or even slap her directly. Chen Nian had informed the form teacher about these bullying incidents, but this group of students were no longer amenable to the disciplinary actions of the school. Li Xiang tried to help her several times. Chen Nian too, attempted to fight back. However, the end result was that the bullying became more severe. And when Xiao Mi attempted to help Chen Nian, she too, nearly became the target of bullying as well. Many others, however, simply chose to turn a blind eye – like Zeng Hao. Zeng Hao’s parents had instructed her to strictly keep herself out of these troublesome matters; rather than lashing out and making enemies, she ought to be fully focused on her studies instead. That day, when Zeng Hao and Wei Cai were at the Public Safety Bureau, Zeng Hao’s parents voluntarily forgave Wei Cai and subsequently forced the two to shake each other’s hands as a sign of “reconciliation”. As a result, out of all the potential prey Wei Cai could hunt, only www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian remained. The school was akin to a community of biological animals. Just as animals instinctively yearn after various benefits and conscientiously avoid all forms of disadvantages, Chen Nian’s classmates naturally drifted away from Chen Nian, the current target of bullying and ostracism. As graduation neared, the form teacher faced an increasing pile of work. As a result, he no longer had the effort and energy to deal with Chen Nian’s troubles, and could no longer find the time to send Chen Nian to and fro from school. Additionally, Wei Cai’s failure to reappear also helped to soothed his worries. One day, the form teacher informed Chen Nian that he was no longer able to send her to and fro from school, and instructed her to contact him the moment she encountered any form of trouble as she was on her way to school. That day, Chen Nian didn’t dare to stay in the classroom after school ended. Chen Nian didn’t dare to walk out of the school compound either, and simply lingered in the vicinity of the school gates. As her schoolmates streamed past her, she seemed akin to a mortal who was unable to move a single inch after having been placed in a protected zone by the immortals. As the last student exited the school compound, the light in the guardhouse flashed on. The security guard exited his guardhouse, ready to purchase his dinner. Upon seeing Chen Nian, he asked out of curiousity, “Why aren’t you leaving?” Chen Nian shook her head. As Chen Nian’s legs gradually grew numb, she seated herself on the steps of the school gates. Silence descended upon her. As Chen Nian stared into the darkening sky, she felt as though she was trapped in her very own grave. www.asianovel.com

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She was at the end of her rope. A fuzzy memory suddenly flashed across her eyes. Hurriedly, she dug out Zheng Yi’s namecard from her school bag. By the time Zheng Yi arrived, the sky had already darkened completely. Soft glows of yellow light radiated weakly from the open windows of every household in the vicinity, as though each and every single household was an old lantern. Chen Nian quietly sat on the steps, her body curled into a small ball. “I’m sorry I’m so late, work’s simply too busy.” Zheng Yi huffed and puffed as he ran towards Chen Nian. Carefully, he patted Chen Nian’s skinny and frail shoulders, “Let’s go. Chen Nian sat there, unmoving. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, and her head was buried in her lap. It was as though she was a pupa. She was simply too tired. The gentle night breeze drifted past Officer Zheng Yi’s drenched back, causing a small chill to run up his back. Gradually, Officer Zheng Yi sensed that Chen Nian wasn’t behaving normally. He distinctly recalled his promise to her – that as long as she told him the truth, punishment would definitely be meted out to that group of bullies. However, they weren’t punished – not even in the slightest. Ultimately, the person who was dragged to hell was her. Chen Nian. His inability to keep his promise filled him with a great sense of frustration and disappointment. He made an internal promise to himself – from this point forth, he would use his utmost effort to protect her, and shield her from harm. Slowly, Officer Zheng squat down till he was at Chen Nian’s eye level. However, before he could even open his mouth, Chen Nian had www.asianovel.com

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already shook her head. Her gentle and quiet voice rang out in the night, “School, isn’t supposed to be like that.” Her single sentence rendered Zheng Yi speechless. “Will University……be any better?” Chen Nian raised her head, her eyes filled with tears. “It will, won’t it?” She pleaded, “It will definitely be better, right?” Zheng Yi looked at the small and frail girl seated in front of him, his heart feeling as though it’s been stabbed by a knife. Chen Nian’s eyes brimmed with tears, her lips quivering as she confessed, “Officer Zheng, I……I lied. I have……sinned. Sorry…….Hu Xiao Die, that……that day when she……committed suicide, she…….she did say something……to me.” Zheng Yi felt his heart tighten, “What did she say to you?” “Wei Cai, and her friends, are bullying me, can’t all of you see that?” Can’t all of you see that? Why isn’t anyone doing anything? Why aren’t you guys doing anything?!

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Chapter 9 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

Zheng Yi felt rather helpless about the entire situation. Zeng Hao’s family had forgiven Wei Cai, and simply viewed it a prank between classmates that unfortunately went overboard; although Hu Xiao Die was indeed on the receiving end of numerous bullying incidents, Hu Xiao Die’s death was ultimately caused by suicide. Thus, from a legal point of view, there was no direct connection between her death and Wei Cai’s bullying incidents. With respect to Wei Cai’s physical humiliation and beating of Hu Xiao Die, the forensic investigator had already pronounced that the injuries on Hu Xiao Die’s body failed to meet the requisite criteria necessary to constitute an ‘injury’ under the law. Although procedure provides for Wei Cai and her group of friends to be detained for a certain period of time, they had been released on account of their young age. Although Wei Cai was expelled from school, this was meaningless to Chen Nian. Since Wei Cai and her group of friends were no longer in school, they transformed into a bunch of wild, rabid wolves on the streets, and had absolutely no restrictions or restraint. They concealed themselves near the roads to and fro from school, and pounced on you the very moment you let down your guard. There was no war between the wolves and the sheep on the food chain – a war implied that both parties had equal power; instead, the wolves hunted whilst the sheep were devoured. Zheng Yi began fetching Chen Nian to and fro from school on a daily basis. www.asianovel.com

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He treated her extremely nicely. He would always purchase breakfast and dinner for her, and would occasionally bring her to various restaurants on the pretext that she was too skinny, and required additional nourishment. Due to the nature of his job, Zheng Yi frequently worked irregular hours. As a result, Chen Nian gradually grew accustomed to sitting on the steps in front of her house whilst waiting for him. On several occasions, Chen Nian would even utilise the surrounding lights to memorise numerous vocabulary. The warm glow of the early morning sun shone on her head and the back of her neck. Chen Nian saw her own shadow in front of her – the shadows around her head betrayed the tiny, unruly strands of hair that refused to be tamed. Chen Nian glanced at her watch. She was going to be late once again. Redirecting her attention to the book in front of her, she simply continued with the calm memorization of her vocabulary. The sound of approaching footsteps rang out, but it wasn’t Zheng Yi. Chen Nian held her breath, and gradually rose from her seat. She gingerly placed her right foot on the step before her, and readied herself to run back into the house if the situation called for it. The face of the youth appeared beyond the surrounding walls. Taking a seemingly unconcerned glance beyond the walls out of habit, Bei Ye’s gaze grazed past the metal gates and collided with Chen Nian’s. The two of them stared at each other, the surprised and blank expression on their faces coloring the entire incident with a comical tone. She hadn’t seen him for a long time. Bei Ye’s hair had grown longer during this period, and the bandage on his arm was now glaringly absent. He took the initiative to begin the conversation, “What are you www.asianovel.com

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doing here?” Chen Nian retracted her right foot in an inconspicuous manner, and straightened herself before explaining in a small voice, “This is……my home.” Stumped by her reply, Bei Ye only managed to continue the conversation after a minute had passed, “What I meant was, what are you doing here now? Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” Chen Nian remained silent. “I’m asking you a question.” With his hand stuck in his pocket, Bei Ye kicked the metallic gates with his foot, and was about to enter the yard when Chen Nian’s voice rang out. “It’s none……of your concern.” Bei Ye froze on the spot, the metallic gates still trembling with the remnant force of his kick. The breeze drifted past the two of them, causing the petals from the roses grown on the surrounding walls to swirl in the air, and ultimately land on his shoulders. Chen Nian lowered her eyelids, and stuffed the vocabulary book into her bag. Ass she descended from the stairway and walked past Bei Ye in her attempt to get to school, she wondered whether he had grown taller since the last time she saw him. Bei Ye turned his head and stared at her. After she had walked some distance away, he suddenly raised his foot and began to chase after her. Chen Nian quickened her pace. The moment she saw Zheng Yi’s figure appear beyond the corner, she ran over to him with lightning speed. Bei Ye, on the other hand, came to a sudden stop. He squinted at www.asianovel.com

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the both of them from a distance away. Ah, her cold attitude was now rather self-explanatory. “Brother Bei –” “Little Bei –” His friends, Lai Zi and the yellow-haired Da Kang, caught up with him. Da Kang grabbed him by the shoulders and began chatting to Bei Ye. However, Bei Ye didn’t respond to any of Da Kang’s chatter. Puzzled at Bei Ye’s lack of response, Da Kang followed Bei Ye’s gaze, and ultimately saw Chen Nian. After scrutinizing Chen Nian for a period of time, he raised his voice in excitement, “Hey! Isn’t this the girl……” Da Kang suddenly recalled something, and pushed Bei Ye in a playful manner, “Do you know her?” Bei Ye staggered slightly under Da Kang’s push. Turning away from Chen Nian, he began walking in the opposite direction. When he saw the white rose petals that had fallen on his shoulders, he brushed them off in an annoyed manner. “Hey, so tell us – how did you get to know her?” The evercurious Da Kang grabbed Bei Ye by the shoulders once more, and persisted in his relentless questioning. “I owe her money.” Bei Ye replied in a clipped tone. “How much do you owe her?” “So much I can’t even count.” Furrowing his brows, Bei Ye shrugged off Da Kang’s arm. When Bei Ye caught Lai Zi still staring in the direction Chen Nian had left, his brows furrowed even further. He chided, “What are you looking at?” Lai Zi unwillingly turned back, only to see the yellow-haired Da Kang making eyes at him, hinting for him to keep his mouth shut. www.asianovel.com

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However, Lai Zi simply took Da Kang’s hint as an indication that Bei Ye wasn’t in the best of moods, and didn’t delve further into the Bei Ye’s puzzling behaviour. After all, Bei Ye was the coldest to girls amongst their group of friends – perhaps because of his mother, Bei Ye always had an inexplicable hatred for females. Through the years, Lai Zi had already lost count of the number of pretty girls who abandoned their pursuit of Bei Ye after receiving his disgusted gaze. Chen Nian ran to Zheng Yi, and raised her head to look at him. After the constant journeying to and fro from school, the two of them had managed to cultivate a certain degree of tacit understanding. Without Chen Nian needing to open her mouth, Zheng Yi could already understand what she wanted to ask. “I have already informed your form teacher in advance that we’re going to be late, no worries.” Chen Nian nodded her head, and quickly walked ahead. When she turned round the corner, she turned back and glanced behind her in a seemingly unconcerned fashion; only to find that the alley was now empty. The youth was no longer there. Zheng Yi passed Chen Nian the breakfast which he had purchased for her. Today, it was a freshly baked waffle. Chen Nian accepted the waffle, and began munching on it as she walked to school. Zheng Yi was only six years older then Chen Nian. Although a fresh graduate from University had no lack of topics to talk about with a graduating high school student, Chen Nian’s was rather silent most of the time, and never took the initiative to converse with him. Additionally, she often replied his queries with monosyllabic words. Zheng Yi guessed that Chen Nian was uncomfortable with conversation due to her stutter. Thus, he never ever forced her to converse with him. When they reached the main road, Zheng Yi tugged on Chen Nian’s arm as a reminder for her to take note of the traffic light, which was www.asianovel.com

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presently a bright red colour. “Chen Nian.” “Yes?” “What do you want to major in when you enter University?” Chen Nian swallowed her waffle “Math……mathematics or….Physics.”

before

answering,

Mildly surprised, he lowered his head and smiled at her gently, “Why Physics or Mathematics?” Chen Nian lowered her head, and answered honestly, “These are……fundamental subjects, and have…….plenty of scholarships; it’s…….easier to…….go overseas.” After a slight pause, she added comfortingly, “For……further studies.” Zheng Yi’s smile froze. Chen Nian’s facial expression was extremely calm. Slowly, Chen Nian began to munch on the waffle once more. She had always been like that – she never ever displayed her anger or her happiness publicly. It was as though she was a plastic doll, calm and emotionless. The traffic light turned green. Zheng Yi silently grabbed her skinny arm, and led her across the road. Even after having reached the opposite end of the traffic light, Zheng Yi still hadn’t loosened his grip on Chen Nian. Chen Nian gently squirmed out of his grip. Zheng Yi was momentarily stunned. Suddenly, he was struck by the realization that although he saw Chen Nian as a little child, he wasn’t a parent figure to her, but was simply a young male in her eyes. Subconsciously, he turned his head to look at Chen Nian. She was wearing a simple school uniform. Although she was rather skinny, the www.asianovel.com

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figure of the youthful girl was fresh and gentle, and had the signature air of vibrancy which youths her age all had. He retracted his gaze. After walking for a period of time, Zheng Yi suddenly asked, “Do you blame me?” Chen Nian remained silent for a few seconds before gently shaking her head. “Are you disappointed?” This time, Chen Nian didn’t move. Instead, she continued eating her waffle in silence. The flowers were in full bloom. Chen Nian and Zheng Yi walked beneath the shade of the trees. “Chen Nian, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you had to see such ugliness and cruelty at such a young age. I’m sorry that you had to discover at such a young age, that justice doesn’t always exist, that justice doesn’t always prevail. The world is frequently unfair, and we are often powerless to change the unfair ways of the world. However, I still hope that you will not lose hope in society, and that you will not lose hope in humanity.” Chen Nian continued eating her waffle, choosing not to respond to Zheng Yi. “Acts that benefit oneself often conflict with acts that benefit others.” Zheng Yi continued, “But, if we choose to do the wrong thing, we would gradually lose all hope in society. When I was growing up, people often said that one would slowly lose oneself in one’s environment, and that my idealistic thinking would gradually fade with time. At that time, I was terribly unconvinced by their words, and I silently www.asianovel.com

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made a pact to myself – that I would not cave in to societal pressure, that I would not transform into a person I dislike.” “Chen Nian, don’t be influenced or affected by them. Don’t transform into a worse person simply because of them.” Still, Chen Nian gave no response to Zheng Y’s words. Having finished the waffle, she threw the plastic wrapper into the rubbish bin. Zheng Yi showed no signs of displeasure or unhappiness. Instead, a gentle smile formed on his lips, and gently patted Chen Nian on the head. Chen Nian raised her head, her gaze slightly forlorn and lost. Upon reaching the entrance of the school, Zheng Yi asked, “Is there anything else bothering you?” Chen Nian shook her head. “Go on then.” As it was class time, the school compound was empty and quiet. Chen Nian turned back, and saw Zheng Yi still standing at the school entrance. Zheng Yi gave Chen Nian a small, short wave before walking off. After Chen Nian told Zheng Yi about the bullying incidents that happened in school, he took the initiative to look for those girls in private and talked to them. Chen Nian wasn’t sure whether the girls truly understood their mistakes, but at the very least, they no longer harassed and tormented her. Now, Chen Nian could simply stay in her quiet corner and focus on her studies. As she walked past the bulletin board, the notice that was counting down to the final examinations jumped out at her. 45 days left. After her examinations, she would have plenty of time on her hands; as she no longer had to attend school on a regular basis, she could take up taekwondo lessons. Once she filled in her university www.asianovel.com

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application form, she would b free to return to her mum’s side – however, before she made her escape, she would buy the nice cup she saw in the gift shop as a present for Zheng Yi, as a reminder to drink more water. That day, after school had ended, Chen Nian went to the gift shop once again. The gift shop had newly stocked a variety of cups, and was of better quality than the one Chen Nian had originally picked out. Of course, the price was more expensive as well. After some thought, Chen Nian felt that the protection and care which Zheng Yi offered her is not something that could be repaid with a single cup. However, all she could offer him was a cup; she wasn’t able to afford anything more expensive than that. Walking out of the gift shop, Chen Nian was surprised to see that Zheng Yi was already waiting for her at the entrance of the school. Chen Nian hurriedly ran over to his side. His back was facing her, and he gaze was fixed on the horde of students streaming out of the school compound. Chen Nian hesitated for a moment, before finally deciding to poke his back. Zheng Yi turned back, and broke into a smile the moment he saw Chen Nian. Chen Nian’s brows were furrowed together, and her gaze filled with questions; Zheng Yi understood Chen Nian’s confusion, and explained, “I managed to get off work on time today.” The two of them began the journey to Chen Nian’s home. Zheng Yi asked, “Since I finally have some time on hand, what would you like to have for dinner tonight?” Chen Nian didn’t want Zheng Yi to incur additional expenses, and replied, “There’s some……noodles at home.” After some thought, she added, “Let’s eat……noodles to……together.”

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Chen Nian was, in her own way, trying her best to repay Zheng Yi and invite him over to her house. Momentarily stunned, Zheng Yi was at a loss of words; however, he quickly recovered and rubbed his hair awkwardly whilst shyly smiling at Chen Nian, “That works too.” As they neared Chen Nian’s house, Chen Nian pondered over whether she ought to head to the supermarket to purchase some vegetables – after all, they couldn’t possibly eat their noodles without any toppings. Just then, Zheng Yi’s mobile phone rang. Zheng Yi answered the call. As the conversation progressed, Zheng Yi’s brows began furrowing together. Finally, he said, “I’ll come over now.” An extremely gruesome case had occurred, and Zheng Yi was required to rush over immediately. Chen Nian said, “Just go ahead, I……I don’t have school……..tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.” Since Zheng Yi had already left, Chen Nian no longer intended to purchase any vegetables. When Chen Nian was a mere two streets away from her house, she suddenly saw Wei Cai appear before her. Although Zheng Yi had been sending her to and fro from school the past few days, Chen Nian’s wariness had not diminished in the slightest – as such, Chen Nian began sprinting in the opposite direction the very moment she spotted Wei Cai. The hunt began in the alley. Bicycles, pedestrians, vehicles, roadside stalls – nobody knew what the young student was running from, what she was hiding from; neither will they give any thought to what the group of students chasing after her were going to inflict upon her. The youthful girls were like a breeze that rushed past them, leaving absolutely no traces behind. Rushing out of the alley, Chen Nian ran onto the main road, nearly www.asianovel.com

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getting knocked over by a car in the process. The driver of the car hurriedly stepped on his brakes, and wound down his window to holler at her, “Are you courting death?!” Chen Nian looked back. Wei Cai and her group of friends had begun crossing the road – they had absolutely no intention of abandoning the chase. Chen Nian hurried crawled up, and staggered away. She ran into a small and old condominium, only to find that the backdoor had been locked! Chen Nian stared at the backdoor, the despair and shock evident in her eyes. Breathing heavily, Chen Nian rushed to the door and started shaking it vigorously. However, the heavy metal door refused to budge. Innumerable mosquitoes were dancing in the nearby rubbish pile. Behind her, Chen Nian could hear the voices of Wei Cai and her group of friends growing ever closer. Without a second thought, Chen Nian dived into the rubbish bin. The stench was overwhelmingly powerful. Chen Nian used her hands to cover her mouth and her nose. The heat of the summer caused her entire uniform to be drenched in her sweat. Just now, Chen Nian had been overly preoccupied with running; thus, the feelings of fear and worry were temporarily forgotten. Now, Chen Nian had to pay the price. Fear was like a bug – it wormed into her every single pore, and gnawed at every single part of her body. “F***, where’s that bi***?!” “Did she run to the back of the east block?” “Bi***! F***, she better not give me an opportunity to lay my hands on her!” www.asianovel.com

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A few rats squirmed out of the rubbish pile, and squeaked at Chen Nian. With their small black eyes warily focused on Chen Nian, they carefully inched to her feet. Frightened out of her wits, Chen Nian stared at them with widened eyes. Both her hands were tightly clamped to her mouth, and she still refused to make a single sound. Her sweat poured down like rain and flowed into her eyes, causing her eyes to sting in pain. Her sweaty legs were stuck together. The mosquitoes and houseflies were feeding on her pale, skinny legs. Suddenly, Chen Nian thought of Hu Xiao Die. Like everybody else, she too, had turned a blind eye to the bullying and torture inflicted on Hu Xiao Die. Now, she suffered the same fate as Hu Xiao Die – nobody could ‘see’ the bullying and torture inflicted on her, and nobody would try to stand up for her. After a long period of time, when a deathly silence had descended on Chen Nian’s surroundings, Chen Nian mustered her remnant energy and crawled out from the rubbish bin. She was totally drenched, as though she had been scooped up from a river. Chen Nian slowly trudged through the alley, as though she was a soulless zombie. She didn’t dare to return home; neither did she dare to walk on the roads which she usually travelled. The familiar scent of bread caught her attention. She raised her head, and saw the familiar bumpy and rough walls surrounding the steel rolling mill, the rusty emergency stairwell, and the window which that youth had clambered over previously. The setting sun hung low in the sky, partially illuminating the world with its weak rays of sunshine. The aroma of the freshly baked bread caused her stomach to grumble in hunger. With great effort, she crawled up the bumpy walls, and climbed onto the narrow cement ledge. She tugged at the www.asianovel.com

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window, but it was locked. Exhausted, Chen Nian sat herself down on the narrow cement ledge. Any slight movement from Chen Nian could easily result in her falling from the cement ledge – however, it was of little use to her, as the fall would not result in her death; instead, it would only cause her to break her legs. The night breeze helped to dry the layer of sweat on Chen Nian’s body. As the setting sun shone on her grimy face, Zheng Yi’s words suddenly flashed before her, “I hope that you will not lose hope in society, and that you will not lose hope in humanity.” With a blank expression on her face, Chen Nian mechanically opened her mouth. After some time, she managed to squeak out a single word, “Please……” As the sun continued to set, the sky gradually began to darken. The light bulbs in the numerous shops began to light up one after the other – Kacha, Kacha. The scent of freshly baked bread drifted past Chen Nian, again and again. However, Bei Ye’s light never lit up. Chen Nian was akin to a homeless spirit hovering outside Bei Ye’s window. She carefully pronounced each and every word, and slowly practiced that single sentence, “Please……” There were innumerable mosquitoes in the summer night, and they stung Chen Nian’s arms, legs, neck, and face. However, Chen Nian remained entirely focused on practicing that single sentence, “Please……” The sky had, by now, darkened entirely, and flashes of lightning streaked across the black night sky. Finally, Chen Nian heard the shutter door clang open with a loud noise. The very next moment, dim light emanated from within. www.asianovel.com

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Raising her head, she quietly stared at the window. There were numerous sounds originating from the house – Chen Nian could hear the scraping of the chair against the floor and the fan being turned on; she could hear the toilet door being kicked open, the sound of somebody peeing, and the subsequent flush of the toilet bowl… After what seemed like a century, the sharp and skinny shadow of the youth finally appeared behind the curtains of the window. As the youth opened the curtains, the warm, golden light pierced the darkness of the night and bathed Chen Nian in its yellow glow. Bei Ye stared at her, astounded and speechless. Chen Nian didn’t stutter – without a single pause in her speech, she pleaded, “Please protect me.”

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Chapter 10 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

Now that Chen Nian finally asked Bei Ye for his protection, we begin Bei Ye and Chen Nian’s journey proper. Chen Nian knows that Bei Ye’s protection comes at a price – but she is left with little choice as circumstances have proven, time and again, that no one is able to truly protect her – not the law, not Officer Zheng, not her form teacher, and not herself. Left with little choice, Chen Nian can only pin her hopes on Bei Ye; and yet, she remains wary of the price he requires in exchange for such protection. Luckily for her, Bei Ye proves to be quite the gentleman, choosing to shower her with care and attention instead of forcing her to pay the price. As Chen Nian had curled up for far too long, her entire body was rather numb. Consequently, when Chen Nian attempted to straighten her body, she very nearly fell off the narrow cement ledge. Thankfully, Bei Ye stepped up in the nick of time and managed to catch the skinny and disheveled body in his arms, the nasty smell of dried sweat and decomposed rubbish nearly overpowering his sense of smell. The raging wind continued its rampage. Bei Ye dragged Chen Nian in from outside the window, as though he was dragging a heavy gunny sack. Having ensured that Chen Nian was now safe and sound in his house, Bei Ye began to remove the tree leaves and unidentifiable pieces of rubbish from her hair and her clothes. As time passed, Bei Ye’s actions gradually became rougher. When he was finally done, he closed the windows, before asking in an icy tone, “Who did it?” Streaks of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating their pale, white faces. www.asianovel.com

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“I’m asking you a question!” If Chen Nian was a chair, Bei Ye would have smashed her onto the floor out of anger, “Who f***ing did this?!” Chen Nian lowered her head. After a long period of time, her low voice rang out, “Your arm, is it better?” A tiny trace of surprise flickered over Bei Ye’s face. The charged fury which Bei Ye had been radiating earlier on simmered down instantaneously. Bei Ye subconsciously shifted his newly recovered arm, and turned his head away from Chen Nian, “It’s fine now.” The two youths stood beneath the dim yellow glow of the ceiling lamp and stared at each other silently. Bei Ye felt that Chen Nian was like a patch of cotton wool – no matter how hard he tried, he was simply unable to vent his frustrations on her. Repressing his infuriation, he huffed, “You should bathe.” Chen Nian lowered her head and stared at the ground, clearly at a loss as to what to do. Bei Ye assumed that she simply had an extremely slow reaction, and began to close the distance between the two of them in an attempt to help her. It was only when he placed his palms on her back that he discovered that her previously sweat drenched uniform was now rather stiff after having been dried by the lengthy exposure to the wind. His palms remained in contact with her back. Chen Nian didn’t shy away from his touch. “I’ll pass you some new clothes.” Pulling open the cupboard door, Bei Ye randomly fished out a white t-shirt for Chen Nian and passed it to her. As Chen Nian reached out for the clothes, she discovered that her hands were extremely filthy and grimy, with clumps of black dirt clumped underneath her fingernails. Awkward, she retracted her outstretched hands. www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye walked into the bathroom and simply hung the clothes on the rack. On turning back, he discovered that Chen Nian had silently followed him into the bathroom. Walking to the shower, he retrieved the showerhead and began scrubbing the greyish white limescale off the showerhead. Lowering his head, he pointed at the tap and explained, “Turn this way for hot water, and the other way for cold water.” As he adjusted the water temperature for her, he continued, “The water pressure isn’t fully stabilised, so take note that……” Raising his head, he swallowed the remnant words back into his throat. Within his line of sight, Chen Nian’s bare, dirty feet began to approach him. Her skirt fell onto the floor in one fell swoop, and lay haphazardly around her ankles. Initially, the skirt remained rather stiff. However, as the water gradually washed away the grime and the sweat, the skirt began to soften, and slowly regained its original clean and white appearance. The heart of the youth felt like the filthy clothes that were gradually being cleansed of their dirt. Chen Nian began to strip herself of the remaining clothes. The water dripped onto the ceramic tiles, and meandered around Bei Ye’s feet. Bei Ye breathed in sharply, and raised his eyes to look at her. His gaze was immediately drawn to her soft and tender skin. As his gaze slowly moved up her body, a beautiful painting unfurled in front of him – her dark, black, inky hair fell around the ivory white curves of her body. At last, he stared into her eyes. She too, returned his gaze, her outwardly calm appearance unable to mask her inner anxiety and wariness. www.asianovel.com

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A sudden jolt of pain caused him to take a sharp step back. The excessively hot water flowing from the showerhead had scalded his hand. He hurriedly adjusted the temperature of the water flowing from the showerhead, his bent posture effectively masking the unnatural stiffness in his pants. Having successfully moderated the temperature of the water, he swiftly shoved the showerhead back onto the ledge and quickly walked away. Bei Ye walked to his table, subconsciously removing a cigarette from the pack and lighting it up in his daze. The door to the bathroom wasn’t locked. Bei Ye could hear the sound of the water splashing onto the ceramic floor. Inhaling his cigarette deeply, Bei Ye gradually exhaled a long stream of smoke and turned to look at the bathroom. After some time, Bei Ye walked towards the bathroom, and stood at the boundary separating the bathroom from the rest of his house. The boundary was akin to a vast wall, which Bei Ye ultimately chose not to cross. Leaning against the wall, Bei Ye continued his smoke whilst listening to the quiet sound of water dripping onto the floor. As time passed, Bei Ye slid onto the floor and sat himself down. Lowering his head, he propped up his left leg and casually placed his left arm on his leg. His other hand slowly reached into his pants, and began its rhythmic movement. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead, and Bei Ye’s eyebrows were furrowed into a deep knot. At long last, Bei Ye’s legs began to tremble involuntarily, and a repressed moan escaped from his throat. Chen Nian’s sensitive ears caught Bei Ye’s repressed moan. Standing beneath the shower head, a belated and uncontrollable shiver crawled up her spine.

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Having cleansed herself thoroughly, Chen Nian placed the dirty clothes into the washing machine, and began looking for some washing powder. Carefully opening the drawer beneath the basin, she unintentionally discovered a foreign object that wasn’t meant for her eyes. Stunned, she hurriedly closed the drawer shut. In the end, Chen Nian managed to succeed in locating the washing powder. As Chen Nian exited the bathroom, she found herself face-to-face with Bei Ye who had just clambered into the room from the window, his hands clutching a bag of freshly baked bread. Without looking at Chen Nian, Bei Ye tossed the bag of bread onto the table in a seemingly nonchalant fashion. Chen Nian retrieved the bread and munched on it slowly. Spotting a small packet of milk in the bag, she carefully inserted the straw and took one huge gulp. When Chen Nian was halfway through her meal, she belatedly discovered the small bottle of anti-itch floral water which had been lying in a conspicuous position on the table all this while. Chen Nian had received numerous mosquito bites, with her legs suffering the most bites. She opened the bottle of mosquito repellant floral water, and began applying the floral water onto her wounds. As the fan turned from side to side, the scent of floral water began to fill the entire house. Throughout this period of time, Bei Ye had simply been seated on the window ledge with his back facing the house. As the wind continued to billow around him, he slowly inhaled his cigarette. The sharp bolts of lighting were flashing across the sky more frequently than before. Bei Ye could hear the warning bells ringing from a distance away as the railway pedestrian gates began to descend. After a few minutes, the train chugged past, its engines www.asianovel.com

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clanking nosily in the night. It was 10:00PM. Bei Ye turned back to look at Chen Nian. Chen Nian had already crawled onto the bed, her tiny and frail body curled up into a small ball. Her petite body was facing the wall, and she only took up a small corner of the bed. The breeze rippled across the huge white shirt she was donning – the white t-shirt that was a perfect fit for him was overly huge on her, and could very well serve as a dress for her. The wind lifted the ends of his white shirt, revealing the pale and slim legs beneath the shirt. Her soft and pale body was like a slab of butter ensconced in his white shirt; a single touch would seemingly cause her to melt. In the past, every single time the train chugged past in the evening:The stranger his mum brought home would always pass him a few dollar bills, and instruct him to head out to play. Mum would also chase him out of the house, closing the shutter doors in one swift motion and casting him out effectively. The shutter doors would still be in the midst of closing when the impatient stranger would already begin to reach his hand into his mum’s shirt. After some time, he returned home, only to find that the shutter doors would still be locked. As such, he would crawl up the walls that surrounded the steel rolling mill and ascended the emergency stairwell. As he stood outside the window, he would always see the stranger violently moving on top of his mum’s clean and pale body. The bed would tremble from the force exerted by the two entangled adults; shrieks, pants, vulgarities – innumerable sounds of pain and satisfaction would worm into his ear along with the clanging of the train. Bei Ye had finished his cigarette. Lowering his head, Bei Ye let the cigarette fall onto the cement ledge, extinguishing itself along the www.asianovel.com

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way. With the roar of the thunder, huge droplets of rain began pouring from the sky. Bei Ye closed the windows and turned off the lights before crawling onto the bed and laying down alongisde Chen Nian. The bed sank under his weight. The entire bed was filled with the smell of floral water. The stars twinkled shyly beyond the curtains, casting the room in a misty glow. Silence descended upon the room. In the darkness, Bei Ye’s gentle voice rang out, “How long did you practice that sentence?” Chen Nian opened her eyes, “The…entire……night.” “Who was that guy you were with the previous time?” “Po……police officer.” “Ok.” After some time, Bei Ye continued, “I’ll send you to school tomorrow morning.” Chen Nian’s shook her head, “Tomorrow……and the day after…….tomorrow are……school breaks.” “Oh.” There was nothing left to say. The two youths lay quietly in the darkness, their eyes bright and sparkling in the deep of the night. Outside, the wind and rain continued howling with rage, as though the storm was determined to wash all the dirt and grime off the face of the earth. Exhausted, Chen Nian’s eyelids gradually began to droop out of www.asianovel.com

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fatigue. Just as she was about to fall asleep, Chen Nian felt the bed sink – Bei Ye had turned around, wrapping his arms around her in one swift movement. At that very instant, all traces of fatigue disappeared, and Chen Nian’s hair stood on end. Despite the cooling effect provided by the revolving fan, Chen Nian could still feel the heat radiating from Bei Ye’s body. Chen Nian shut her eyes as tightly as she could, and remained immobile. However, Bei Ye didn’t take any further action, seemingly content with hugging her from the back. It was as though the two youths were quietly probing each other’s boundaries; or rather, they were simply locked in a deadlock, each refusing to budge. After a long period of time, Bei Ye finally loosened his hold on Chen Nian and turned away from her. Entirely drained of energy, Chen Nian felt her body gradually go limp. After a few seconds, Chen Nian suddenly felt Bei Ye distribute a portion of the blanket to her. Sharing a single blanket, the two youths managed to fall into slumber with their backs facing each other. It was a good night’s rest. Despite the relentless storm the night before, the bright and blazing sun quickly made its appearance the very next day. Such was the temperamental nature of the rainy season. By the time Chen Nian woke up, it was already 10:00AM in the morning. Bei Ye was nowhere to be seen. A plate of eggs and a cup of milk lay quietly on the table.

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Chen Nian crawled up from bed, quietly eating her breakfast whilst flipping through her books. When the clock struck noon, Chen Nian heard footsteps making their way up the staircase outside – Bei Ye was about to return. A mild feeling of anxiety overcame Chen Nian, and she buried her head in her pile of books. The shutters rose and fell. The youth made his way into the house and headed straight into the kitchen without acknowledging Chen Nian’s presence. Chen Nian stole a couple of glances at him from the corner of her eyes. The faint outline of a shoeprint on the hem of his jeans caught her eye – in that very instant, she understood why Bei Ye had disappeared for the entire morning. A tingling sensation crept up her nose and a lump formed in her throat. She wanted to thank him for all his help, but she simply didn’t know where to start. On the other hand, Bei Ye appeared as though he had nothing to say to her. The small, narrow house was occupied by two living persons, but the atmosphere in the house was strangely rather dead. Bei Ye collapsed onto the bed and began flipping through his comics whilst Chen Nian sat at the table, quietly reading her textbooks. Neither of them spoke to each other, the stale silence broken only by the whirring of the rotating fan. As such, the two youths managed to spend their day together in this peaceful and quiet manner. As the sun began to set in the west, the temperature in the damp and stuffy house gradually began to build. Bei Ye rose from the bed. Leaving his comics lying no the bed, the entered the washroom, peed, flushed the toilet bowl, and washed his hands.

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When the door opened, he suggested, “Let’s head out.” Chen Nian raised her head to look at him. He continued, “It’s too warm in here. I’ll bring you out for a walk.” Chen Nian placed her books neatly on the table before following him out. As the sun gradually began to set in the evening, it was cooler outside compared to the interior of the house. As it was the rainy season, the trees and abandoned factory dormitories seemed to be cleaner than before. The abandoned factory lay at the outskirts of the town. Thus, aside from the noisy and crowded alley directly outside Bei Ye’s window, the surrounding area was entirely filled with wild grass and trees. The untamed wilderness silently lay at the borders of the town, abandoned and forgotten; yet, the wilderness teemed with the vibrancy of life – the tall grass grew to extraordinary heights and flowers bloomed in abundance. The setting sun hung in the sky, radiant and warm. Chen Nian silently traced Bei Ye’s footsteps. Neither of them spoke to each other. Subsequently, he brought her to a small restaurant for dinner. After dinner, the two youths retraced their footsteps and headed home. As the sun gradually began to set, its dying rays painting the sky a vibrant, blazing red. Darkness began to creep into the sky, gradually but steadily devouring the remnant reddish hues left by the dying sun. Chen Nian continued trailing behind Bei Ye, the empty houses and forlorn trees that were lining the roads seeming ever so desolate and frightening. Still, neither of them spoke. Chen Nian followed Bei Ye closely, feelings of fear creeping over www.asianovel.com

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her. Gradually, she came to a realisation that both of them were the only persons in this godforsaken place. Suddenly, Bei Ye stopped in front of Chen Nian. Turning back to look at her, he instructed, “Close your eyes.” Chen Nian stared at him timidly, gripping her fists tightly out of anxiety and uncertainty. He snorted derisively, “I told you to close your eyes.” Left with no choice, Chen Nian shut her eyes as instructed. Due to her fear, her breathing was mildly erratic. Chen Nian couldn’t detect any sign of movement from the surroundings, neither could she hear the sound of his footsteps. After waiting for what seemed to be a century, she finally heard his voice ring out. “5, 4,” The youth began his countdown, “3, 2, 1.” The summer breeze gently caressed the chinese parasol trees. Chen Nian slowly opened her eyes, only to be greeted with a magical sight. The very moment Chen Nian opened her eyes, the streetlamps lining the street lit up instantaneously, their warm, yellow light steadily and slowly illuminating the entire world. Every tree seemed to be smiling, and every empty house appeared gentle and homely. Just as Chen Nian was staring at the overwhelming sight in front of her, Bei Ye rushed to her side. Grabbing her hand, Bei Ye began to run along the empty, illuminated street without a moment’s hesitation. “We still have one minute.” Chen Nian didn’t know what the one minute related to, but she www.asianovel.com

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instinctively placed her trust in Bei Ye and ran with all her might. “45, 44,” As Bei Ye counted down in his low and steady voice, Chen Nian pumped all her energy into her skinny, frail legs. “20, 19,” They rushed into a small building and sped onto the rooftop. The wild darkness silently stretched out behind them, as though it was a mysterious and unknown abyss. Before them, the entire city was shrouded in darkness, the mist seemingly close to swallowing up the whole city. Hauling her onto the cement ledge on the edge of the rooftop, the two youths came to a halt. With their hearts hammering in their chests, the two youths shouted aloud in unison, “3, 2, 1!” The magic began. The road lamps lining the entire city began to light up one after the other, the soft, yellow glow akin to the gentle moonlight that slowly rippled throughout the entire city. Ah, the unexpected gentleness and carefulness had slowly crept its way into someone’s heart, lighting up the heart with hope. The beads of sweat that had formed on their foreheads and their chests had been easily dried by the breeze, and their uneven breathing gradually resumed normalcy. “Let’s go.” The youth jumped down from the cement ledge, and used his arms to support Chen Nian down the cement ledge as well. The moment she landed on the ground, he loosened his hold on her, his fingers smoothly sliding from her arm onto her palms before carefully www.asianovel.com

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grabbing hold of her skinny, tiny fingers. The gentle breeze quietly swirled around the two youths, softly caressing their hearts. My dear youth, Life is akin to a citrus tree in summer with its green, unripe fruits hanging from its branches, Whilst some fruits would be undeniably bitter, Others would be irrefutably sweet.

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Chapter 11 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

The next day. The sun hung in the centre of the sky, its fiery rays blazing down on the city beneath it. It was afternoon. Bei Ye sat by the side of the table, strumming his guitar and humming various tunes. Conversely, Chen Nian sprawled by the window, peering at the lively alley not far away. As it was still rather early in the afternoon, numerous farmers sat by the roadside, peddling their freshly grown vegetables and fruits. The melody in the house came to a sudden stop. Chen Nian didn’t move, and remain sprawled by the window. Before long, Bei Ye’s shoes appeared in her vision field. Chen Nian raised her head to look at him. Hopping onto the window sill, Bei Ye suggested, “Let’s go for a walk.” Chen Nian readied herself to clamber onto the window sill. However, before she could even attempt to do so, Bei Ye had already stooped down and offered his hand to her. Chen Nian paused for a second before placing her tiny hand firmly in his palm. Easily lifting Chen Nian onto the window sill, Bei Ye mocked her, “You’re so skinny you’re like a starved monkey.” Chen Nian, “…” With a fluid jump, Bei Ye successfully landed on the cement ledge. Once again, he turned back and stretched his hand out towards Chen Nian. As the cement ledge was rather narrow, Chen Nian’s legs began to tremble at the possibility of falling onto the ground below. Chen Nian lowered her body as slowly as she could before finally managing to grip Bei Ye’s outstretched hand. With his help, www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian easily slid onto the narrow cement ledge. The two youths pressed their bodies to the wall whilst traversing the cement ledge. Before long, they easily reached the emergency stairwell, and managed to climb onto the walls surrounding the abandoned steel mill. There was a peddler at the bottom of the wall, selling his freshly harvested vegetables. There was a pile of discarded vegetable leafs next to his makeshift store. Without any hesitation, Bei Ye leapt off the wall. Conversely, Chen Nian was still stuck on the wall. Staring blankly at her surroundings, Chen Nian shifted from one foot to the other, feebly attempting to source for a more stable position on the wall. Bei Ye stretched his arms out towards Chen Nian, urging her to jump into his arms. Tightly pressing her lips together, Chen Nian shook her head gently, indicating that she did not require Bei Ye’s help. Bei Ye snorted before retracting both his arms and readied himself for a good show. As he stared at Chen Nian’s white skirt, he suddenly began to squint, his lips curving into an immensely naughty smile. Thunderstruck by the realisation of what Bei Ye was smiling at, Chen Nian’s face reddened with embarrassment. Without a moment’s hesitation, she began to carefully tuck the folds of her skirt around her. And with that, Bei Ye could no longer admire the view. Bei Ye threatened, “I’m going to leave you here if you’re not going to come down in a few minutes’ time.” He started to turn his body away from Chen Nian, putting in a bluff for her, “You can just wait for me on top of that wall.” Chen Nian didn’t want to wait on the wall, and hurriedly squat www.asianovel.com

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down on the wall whilst carefully covering herself with the skirt, “Don’t……” Upon seeing Chen Nian’s anxious face, Bei Ye’s heart felt greatly comforted. Bei Ye ‘unwillingly’ stretched his arms out towards her, and coxed her gently, “I’ll catch you, so you won’t fall.” Chen Nian mustered all her courage and leapt off the wall, successfully crashing into the youth’s arms. The moment Chen Nian jumped off the wall, Bei Ye wrapped his strong and steady arms around her, and the two youths tumbled into the pile of discarded vegetable leafs. In the crowded alley, numerous farmers from the surrounding neighborhoods had set up various makeshift stalls to sell their freshly harvested fruits and vegetables. As Chen Nian and Bei Ye browsed through the produce, they spotted one particular stall selling extremely fresh cucumbers. Bei Ye bought a single cucumber and split it into two halves. He began to munch on one half by himself whilst handing the other half to Chen Nian. As they continued browsing, a group of small yellow ducklings caught Chen Nian’s eyes. They were a furry, tiny bunch, and were all squeezed together in a relatively small box. Noticing that Chen Nian had glanced at the ducklings more frequently than usual, Bei Ye asked, “Do you want one?” Chen Nian nodded her head gently. Bei Ye squat down by the box of ducklings, his gaze sweeping over the yellow, furry ducklings. Before long, he grabbed a small duckling by its neck and flipped it over in order to examine its butt. Uncomfortable with its present position, the small duck began kicking wildly in an attempt to protest its unhappiness. Bei Ye returned the small duckling into the box, and grabbed another duck for its examination.

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Chen Nian looked at Bei Ye suspiciously, in a state of half-belief. Having selected the second duckling, Bei Ye placed it right beside Chen Nian’s feet. After some consideration, he grabbed hold of the first duckling once more and placed it alongside the duckling waddling besides Chen Nian’s feet. The two ducklings stared at Chen Nian, confusion evident in their blank stares. Chen Nian squat down beside the two ducklings, and patted their heads happily. Bei Ye paid the money over to the stall owner. “Let’s go.” The two ducklings invested all their energies into their short tiny legs, waddling shakily behind Chen Nian. The two youths didn’t return home using the way they originally used; instead, they routed round walls of the abandoned steel mill and re-entered the compound from the main gate. The yard was devoid of any signs of life. Chen Nian followed Bei Ye dutifully whilst the two ducks followed her loyally. Even after reaching home, the two ducklings still traced Chen Nian’s footsteps relentlessly – even when Chen Nian went to the toilet, the two ducklings insisted on following her. However, before the two ducklings could even set foot inside the toilet, Bei Ye had already intercepted the two ducklings, grabbing them by their necks and chiding them in annoyance, “Indeed – with a body full of yellow hair, there is little wonder that you have such yellow thoughts[1].” [1] Yellow thoughts – Chinese slang for nasty, perverted thoughts. Since the two ducklings wanted to follow Chen Nian into the toilet, Bei Ye is chiding them for their “perverted” nature. Having received a scolding from Bei Ye, the two ducklings turned their attention towards him. As such, they began their journey of following Bei Ye dutifully. Annoyed and impatient, Bei Ye grabbed www.asianovel.com

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them by the neck and placed them in an old shoe box. Just then, the phone rang. Walking to an isolated corner of the house, Bei Ye picked up the phone. “F***, can’t you keep your bloody legs in check?” “I f***ing told you to stop!!” “If you do it one more time, I f***ing swear to God……” On hearing the bathroom door slide open, Bei Ye hopped out of the window and headed to the emergency stairwell. Before long, Bei Ye returned with a dark expression on his face. Turning to Chen Nian, he informed her, “I’m heading out for a short while.” Chen Nian stared at him calmly. It was her signature gaze – clean, clear and distant. Although her gaze betrayed no hint of any emotion, it was like a infant’s hand which gripped you tightly, leaving you trapped with nowhere to run. Bei Ye’s face paled slightly. Subconciously lowering his voice, Bei Ye explained, “My friend ran into some trouble outside.” “A childhood buddy.” Dissatisfied with his previous explanation, Bei Ye added. Chen Nian simply continued looking at him, before nodding her head quietly and turning back to the ducklings. Bei Ye’s gaze chased after Chen Nian’s figure. After some time, he walked to the table and retrieved a spare key from the drawer. Handing the spare key to Chen Nian, he instructed, “It’s for the shutter door.” Chen Nian responded, “I won’t…….need it.”

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Bei Ye patiently explained, “You might want to head out for a short walk.” Chen Nian gently refused, “I don’t……want to…….walk.” “…” Bei Ye lapsed into a momentary silence. Ultimately, he still handed the key over to Chen Nian. “Keep this. Remember to be careful when you’re pulling the shutters down – don’t injure your hands in the process.” Chen Nian was about to retrieve the key from Bei Ye when he suddenly retracted his hand. Walking back to the drawer, he began to sift through the contents in the drawer until he found a long, red string. Threading the red string through the key, Bei Ye hung the red string around Chen Nian’s neck. Chen Nian didn’t protest, silently assenting to Bei Ye’s actions. Lowering her head, Chen Nian peeked at the key before quietly pouring a bowl of water for the two small ducklings. Bei Ye started towards the shutter door, but returned shortly after having taken a few steps. Trudging over to the couch, he began digging in the crevices of the couch in an attempt to locate the remote control for the television. Upon locating the remote control, he suggested to Chen Nian, “You could choose to watch the television whenever you’re bored.” Having jabbed a few buttons on the remote control, Bei Ye discovered that the remote control was out of battery. Chen Nian raised her head to look at him, and gently pointed towards her pile of books. “I have……my books.” Bei Ye paused momentarily, before responding, “Oh, right. You have books.” Lowering his head, he removed the depleted batteries from the remote control. When he squirrelled out from beneath the shutter door, he turned back to look at Chen Nian one last time – Chen Nian was still www.asianovel.com

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squatting by the old shoe box and playing with the tiny yellow ducklings. She didn’t bid him goodbye. Tearing his gaze away from Chen Nian, Bei Ye jogged along the corridor and hurriedly descended the stairwell. For the very first time in his life, Bei Ye experienced a fervent desire to return home even before he had left his house. It was evening by the time Bei Ye finally settled his friend’s messy affairs. Veering his motorcycle into the abandoned steel mill, he managed to spot Chen Nian’s pale figure from a distance away. Suddenly, Bei Ye was overcome with the urge to smile – however, he didn’t smile. Instead, he simply increased the speed of his motorcycle and sped over to Chen Nian, only braking when he was right in front of Chen Nian. Chen Nian was sweeping the yard under the shade of the tree. Wherever she went, her broom left a clear and distinct mark on the dust-filled ground. An indescribable emotion surged in Bei Ye’s heart – it was as though the broom had engraved the clear and distinct marks on his heart. Hopping off the motorcycle, Bei Ye asked, “Why do you bother clearing the leaves?” Chen Nian replied, “After sweeping……the leaves……the yard looks……cleaner.” Trooping up the stairwell, Bei Ye discovered that the stairwell too, had been swept clean. The stacks of rubbish and scrap papers that used to line the corridor had all disappeared, and even the bicycle and junk appliances were neatly stacked together. Bei Ye remarked, “I didn’t hire you to be my cleaning lady.” Chen Nian quietly followed Bei Ye, choosing not to respond to his remark. www.asianovel.com

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Turning to Chen Nian, Bei Ye lowered his voice and inquired in all seriousness, “Are you very bored?” Chen Nian shook her head, “I was reading…….my books…….I swept……the floor as a……short break.” “Break?” Bei Ye repeated in a mocking tone. Trudging into the house, a pile of neatly stacked books on the table caught his eye. With every breeze that swirled past, the pages of the book would flip to a new page. At that very instant, Bei Ye’s heart felt as light as the pages of the book. Turning towards Chen Nian, he threw a packet of items towards her. Flustered, Chen Nian carefully caught the unknown packet and carefully looked at it. It was a packet of dried plums. Chen Nian noticed that Bei Ye would always bring some snacks back for her every single time he left the house. Chen Nian placed the packet of dried plums in her school bag. Fanning himself with his shirt, Bei Ye retrieved a bottle of beer from the fridge and rammed the lid of the bottle against the sides of the table. The bottle cap immediately dislodged itself from the beer bottle, and fell into Bei Ye’s palm. Bei Ye threw the bottle cap into the bin and began to down the bottle of beer, his Adam’s apple bobbing with every gulp of beer he drank. Chen Nian’s eyes were glued to Bei Ye. On lowering his head, Bei Ye caught Chen Nian staring at him. A glimmer of happiness flickered across his eyes as Chen Nian hurriedly turned her head away. “What would you like for dinner?” Chen Nian used her hands to smooth the creases in her skirt. Sitting herself down on a chair, Chen Nian slowly replied his question, “I’m fine……with anything.” Lowering her head, Chen Nian was about to continue reading her www.asianovel.com

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books when her textbook was suddenly snatched by Bei Ye. Raising her head in alarm, her gaze locked into his. “Speak properly.” Bei Ye instructed. Puzzled, Chen Nian continued looking at Bei Ye, the confusion evident in her bright eyes. Straightening himself up, Bei Ye walked over to the drawer and dug out a book that had been stored at the bottom layer of the drawer. Dusting the thick layer of dust off the cover, Bei Ye opened the book and presented it to Chen Nian, “Read this.” Chen Nian lowered her eyelids, gazing at the book. It was a Primary School textbook. Bei Ye flipped through the book cursorily before quickly setling on a passage. Using his fingers to point at each and every word, he narrated, “It’s snowing.” After waiting for a few seconds, he looked at Chen Nian out of the corners of his eyes, “Why are you looking at me? Look at the passage!” As such, Chen Nian began to read the passage in silence. Exasperated, Bei Ye instructed, “Aloud.” Chen Nian, “……” There were numerous illustrations in the Primary School textbook, and every single Chinese word had the corresponding Hanyu Pinyin [2] right beneath the word. It was an extremely childish book. [2] Hanyu Pinyin – the official phonetic system for transacribing the Mandarin pronunciations of Chinese characters into the Latin alphabet in mainland China and in Singapore. Bei Ye repeated, “It’s snowing.”

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Chen Nian narrated after him, “It’s …….snowing.” “It’s snowing.” Bei Ye repeated once more, his low voice ringing out loud and clear, the deep and rich tone resembling the melody that originated from the cello. “……It’s snowing.” “A group of artists” “……A group of artists” Chen Nian subconsciously nodded her head as she spoke, struggling to express the entire sentence without a single pause. “arrived in,” “arrived in” “the snow.” “……the snow.” Bei Ye narrated loudly and clearly, “A group of artists arrived in the snow.” Chen Nian, “……” “Don’t be anxious. Repeat the sentence a few times in your hed before you speak.” Bei Ye coached her carefully. Chen Nian lowered her eyelids. Following his instructions, she first repeated the sentence a couple of times in her heart, before carefully and slowly pronouncing each and every word, “A group of artists arrived in the snow.” Having narrated the sentence fluently, Chen Nian carefully and discreetly raised her eyes to look at Bei Ye; although Bei Ye’s head was lowered, he was gazing at her as well, an unmistakeable and small smile forming on the corners of his lips. Lowering his eyes, he www.asianovel.com

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continued reading the book. The glow of the setting sun softly shone on Bei Ye’s face, causing Chen Nian’s heart to beat erratically. Bei Ye resumed his narration, “The little chick drew bamboo leaves,” “The little chick……drew bamboo leaves,” Predictably, Chen Nian began to stutter once more. Embarrassed, she lowered her head in shame. The innermost thoughts of the youthful girl was akin to a deep lake, whilst the voice of the youthful boy was akin to the bubbles that formed on the surface of the lake. “The little chick drew bamboo leaves,” Bei Ye’s low and steady voice rang out once more. Chen Nian collected her thoughts, and focused entirely on the sentence, “The little chick drew bamboo leaves,” “The little dog drew plum blossoms,” “The little dog drew plum blossoms,” “The little duck drew maple leaves, the little pony drew the moon. They didn’t use crayons; they didn’t use pens, Within moments, the picture was formed. Why didn’t the frog participate? It’s because the frog had fallen asleep in its hole……” The blazing sun splattered reddish, blue and purple hues over the vast sky; somehow, the sun had already begun to set.

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The scent of freshly baked bread wafted into their noses. Everything was bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun. The next morning, Bei Ye was woken by the unending stream of noises from outside the window. Struggling to open his eyes in the humid and stuffy room, Bei Ye slowly turned to look behind him, only to discover that the other half of the bed was empty. Bei Ye sat up instantly, and surveyed the room meticulously. Chen Nian wasn’t around. Jumpning off the bed, he headed over to the shoe box. Although the shoe box remained in place, the two tiny ducklings had disappeared. As the the shutter doors were locked from within, Bei Ye hopped out of the window ledge, and made his way to the walls surrounding the abandoned steel mill. Standing on those walls, Bei Ye looked at the alley pensively. It was unlikely that Chen Nian left via this route – after all, Chen Nian couldn’t even jump off the wall herself the previous day, not to mention she had two tiny ducklings tagging along with her this time round. The barely audible sound of someone narrating drifted into Bei Ye’s ears. Bei Ye turned back, carefully scaling the stairwell and headed to the rooftop. As he ascended the stairwell, the voice gradually became clearer and louder. The narrator had a steady and extremely gentle voice, “A thirsty crow began to scan its surroundings for water.…….The crow spotted a bottle which contained some water.……But the bottle was……extremely large,” Chen Nian paused, letting the words roll over her tongue before continuing, “but the opening was rather small. Furthermore, there wasn’t much water in the bottle……so the crow was unable www.asianovel.com

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to consume the water. What should it do?……” Chen Nian sat on the edge of the roof with the book in hand, her two pale legs swinging freely in the air. Because Chen Nian had lowered her head as she read, a tuft of stray hair fell before her eyes, which she attempted to brush away but to no avail. Bei Ye trooped over and sat down beside her. Chen Nian closed the textbook, and placed it by the side. The two youths sat side by side at the edge of the rooftop; beneath them, innumerable people bustled about, carrying on with their way of life whilst various buildings stretched into the distance. A railway snaked through the town, ultimately disappearing in the horizon. Chen Nian started, “When I was looking……for books, I saw this.” It was a small, black Bible. Chen Nian looked at Bei Ye, the question evident in her eyes; Bei Ye put on a mask of cluelessness, asking her directly, “What do you want to ask?” Left with no choice, Chen Nian had to ask her question aloud, “Have you…….read it?” “Nope.” Bei Ye leaned back, using his arms to prop himself up. Gazing at the sky, he continued, “My mum bought it.” Chen Nian nodded in response. After a few seconds, Bei Ye let out a short, cold laugh, “She uses it as a prop when she’s acting as the nun.” Chen Nian only had a hazy notion of what Bei Ye was talking about, and furrowed her brows as she looked at him. However, Bei Ye did www.asianovel.com

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not return her gaze, and simply stared into the distance. The morning breeze gently whipped the stray locks of hair in front of his forehead, easily revealing his full and clean forehead. Staring into Bei Ye’s eyes, Chen Nian could tell that Bei Ye wanted to leave – he wanted to escape to somewhere far away. The sharp whistle of the train pierced the peaceful calm of the morning. Chen Nian glanced at the bright red train, its metal exterior carrying innumerable people on their journeys to faraway lands. One more month. After one month, her tiny figure too, would be on the train. The two youths gazed at the rumbling train. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted into their noses once again. The two youths were immensely hungry. All of a sudden, Bei Ye stood up and declared, “Let’s run away.” Let’s escape! The two youths quickly reached an agreement, both deciding to run away from home. The deadline: One entire day. With the guitar and the two ducklings in hand, the two youths leapt off the wall surrounding the abandoned steel mill, their hearts filled with anxiety and anticipation. They purchased freshly baked bread from the bakery in the alley as rations for their journey; traversing the crowded and noisy marketplace, every single thing appearing especially new and curious to them. One day – how far would they be able to go? Their hearts beating in trepidation and excitement, they walked www.asianovel.com

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along the alleys till they reached the intersection before the railway station. From this point onwards, they left the city and the town behind them; they walked along the railway track, heading towards the unknown. When they reached the lake, the two youths sat themselves down by the riverbank, replenishing their energy by devouring their bread. They looked at the various cargo ships and cruises navigating thee waters, streams of white smoke commonly emerging from their respective kitchens. Having rested themselves sufficiently, the two youths continued their journey. The two youths crossed the bridge over the river, the wild grass growing in clumps around the railway track. With one entire day, they felt as though they had travelled to the ends of the world. However, Chen Nian didn’t feel tired at all. Not even the slightest bit tired. School, home, everything seemed to have slipped away quietly. The pressure and influence they exerted on her had gradually diminished till they disappeared entirely. She was free. She walked beside Bei Ye as they walked on the railway track, their shoulders touching each other from time to time. The railyway track beneath their feet began to tremble violently. Bei Ye said, “The train is coming.” The two youths hopped off the railway track. As the piercing whistle of the train grew closer, the two youths continued walking on the wilder side of the railway track where clumps of wild grass grew to an astounding height. On the other side of the track, Chen Nian could see beautiful fields of bright, yellow sunflowers. Admring the beautiful sunflowers, Chen www.asianovel.com

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Nian said in a wistful tone, “The sunflower fields are so pretty.” “Well, let’s head over there then.” As he spoke, Bei Ye had already stepped onto the railway track. 100 metres away, the train cruised towards Bei Ye at high speed. The youth easily navigated the railway track, flitting over to the sunflower fields without much difficulty. The moment he reached the other side, he turned back, waving towards Chen Nian and urging her, “Come on!” Chen Nian’s heart tightened. Leaning forward, she turned her head to look at arriving train, the rapidly approaching train looking like a humongous metallic bug. 70 metres, 50 metres… The shrieking of the whistle and clanking of the train was accentuated by the quietness of the surroundings, nearly deafening Chen Nian in the process. Chen Nian’s heart began to beat wildly. She took one step forward. Her body was raring to head to the other side, and her brain was in a frenzied state. Her heart wanted to rush over to the other side! 30 metres, 10 metres……. Whoosh!…… The bright red monster swallowed the sunflower fields and the youth, the huge train separating the two youths from each other. Ultiamtely, Chen Nian didn’t take that one, final step. The strong wind whipped Chen Nian to the point where she felt as though it was about to tear her face off and separate her soul from her body. In the wind, her white dress billowed about her like a white flag. With the departure of the train, the youth reappeared in the sunflower field. He didn’t say a single word, and simply stared at www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian quietly. Her gazed interlocked with his. In the deathly silence, an invisible train lay between the two of them, separating them for eternity. In the month of May, when the flowers were in bloom and the breeze was gentle, Chen Nian stood by the railway, the initial rush of excitement from having run away faded away, and a wistful sense of sorrow gradually formed in her heart.

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Chapter 12 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

Having locked the door of her home securely, Chen Nian walked to the stairwell – only to find Bei Ye patiently waiting for her to appear. The overnight rain had cleansed the dirt from the yard. The flowers were in full bloom, adding dashes of bright colors to the yard. Bei Ye was carefully selecting various flowers when Chen Nian approached him, so focused in his task that he failed to notice the sound of her approaching footsteps. When Chen Nian squat beside him, Bei Ye had already plucked two flowers, curving and twisting them into a long and elaborate ear cuff. He helped her put on the ear cuffs, and commented, “It looks good on you.” Chen Nian: “……” Chen Nian touched the flowers on her ears. Although the flowers were mildly itchy, she didn’t take them off. She was extremely careful when putting on her helmet. The two youths rode on Bei Ye’s motorcycle, only stopping when they were one street away from the school compound. “Let’s get off here.” Bei Ye suggested. “Sure.” Chen Nian replied softly. She knew that he didn’t want her friends to gossip about her when they saw her together with him. Hopping off the motorcycle, she returned the helmet to him. He passed her the bread and snacks which he had earlier purchased for www.asianovel.com

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her, meticulously instructing her, “You must finish all the food.” “Okay.” Her voice was as soft as silk. She peered into the bag of snacks, and inhaled the scent of the freshly baked bread. Bei Ye began to explain, “I got you a new flavour, red bean buns. – Do you like red bean?” “I do.” Chen Nian nodded her head. “Oh, and this.” Bei Ye retrieved a hair clip from his pocket. The hair clip had a rather simple design, and was light green in colour. Slightly stunned, Chen Nian retrieved the hair clip from Bei Ye. “You……” Bei Ye pointed to her fringe, “When you lower your head, your fringe always falls before your eyes.” “Thank you.” Chen Nian felt her face growing hot, and lowered her head. Bei Ye turned away, a small smile forming on his lips. When Chen Nian raised her head, she discovered Bei Ye’s small smile, and stared at him. “What are you looking at?” “Why are you……smiling?” “Little stutterer, I always feel like laughing aloud every single time I hear you speak.” The laughing that Bei Ye referred to was different from the laughing that Chen Nian referred to previously. Flushing, Chen Nian lowered her head once more. As she looked down, her attention was caught by the silver key that hung from her neck. Although she hadn’t found an occasion to use the key, she simply wanted to keep the key hung around her neck. He too, wanted www.asianovel.com

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her to keep the key hung around her neck. Bei Ye stared at the key hanging from Chen Nian’s neck, his heart seemingly entangled by the string from which the key hung. Gently caressing the key with his hand, Bei Ye spoke up after some time, “Go on.” Chen Nian walked a few steps before turning back to look at Bei Ye. With his hands in his pockets, Bei Ye quietly followed her from a distance (about five to six metres) away, with a calm expression on his face. His eyes seemed to possess a mysterious power that could calm and soothe all of Chen Nian’s fears and worries. Taking a deep breath, Chen Nian began walking towards the school compound, knowing that Bei Ye would always be following her from behind. When Chen Nian was 10 metres away from the school compound, she suddenly spotted Wei Cai. With a cigarette in hand, Wei Cai leaned against the walls of the school compound, surrounded by a bunch of female hooligans. When she saw Chen Nian, her lips formed into a nasty smirk, and she began to start towards Chen Nian. However, before she could even close the distance between her and Chen Nian, Wei Cai’s gaze shifted to the person behind Chen Nian. Seemingly startled by what she saw, Wei Cai ground to a halt. Safe in the knowledge that someone had taught Wei Cai and her friends a ‘lesson’, Chen Nian calmly walked past Wei Cai and her group of friends. Safely entering the school compound, she turned back – only to discover that once again, Bei Ye still trailed behind her from a distance away. Pressing her lips together, Chen Nian left. After some time, she couldn’t resist the urge and turned back once more. This time, Bei Ye was already gone. Chen Nian walked to the classroom, a overwhelming sense of www.asianovel.com

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security and safety filling her heart. Seating herself down, she took out her textbook and started revising her languages. It was only during self-revision time in the afternoon when Xiao Mi discovered the flowers hanging on Chen Nian’s ears. “Nian, what are you wearing on your ears?” Stunned, Chen Nian hurriedly removed the flower cuffs from her ears. Xiao Mi peered over, “Wow, flower cuffs! They’re so pretty. I used to wear flower cuffs a lot when I was younger, but I stopped wearing them after I grew up. Ah, Nian, you’re sill so young at heart.” Xiao Mi wore the flower cuffs for a short period of time before returning them to Chen Nian. Chen Nian found the thickest textbook in her drawer – the Oxford Advanced Learner’s English Chinese Dictionary – before carefully pressing the flower ear cuffs between the pages of the dictionary. She hid the dictionary in its original spot, as though it contained a small, special secret. Just as she returned the dictionary to its original spot, her mobile phone rang. Hurriedly retrieving her phone from her bag, she discovered that the caller was Zheng Yi. Chen Nian shot a quick glance at Xiao Mi. Xiao Mi nodded her head, indicating that she would help Chen Nian stand guard. Chen Nian bent her body till she was well hidden by her desk before picking up, “Hello?” “Chen Nian,” Zheng Yi’s voice rang out, “I’ve been extremely busy the past two days, so I couldn’t check on you. Are you alright?” “Yes, I’m alright.” Chen Nian replied in a low voice. www.asianovel.com

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“I hope nothing bad happened to you on your way to school today.” “Nothing.” “That’s great. I’m going to be extremely busy with a huge case for the next few days, so I won’t have time to drop by. However, please do not hesitate to give me a call if you encounter any form of difficulty or trouble – I’ll rush over at the very first instance.” “Sure.” Chen Nian squirrelled out from below her desk. As she was feeling mildly peckish, she retrieved her bag of food from her schoolbag. Peering into her bag of food, she discovered that there were four huge buns in the bag. As there was absolutely no way she could finish four buns on her own, she gave Xiao Mi two buns. “Ah, this is great! I haven’t had the opportunity to eat breakfast today.” Xiao Mi bit off a huge chunk of the bread, exclaiming in delight, “This is so yummy! Where did you buy it from?” Chen Nian didn’t respond, and thought internally – freshly baked bread was way more delicious. The bell rang, signaling the start of class. When Chen Nian reached into her schoolbag to retrieve her textbooks, she found the packet of dried plums which Bei Ye had previously passed to her. Acting on impulse, Chen Nian quickly stuffed a dried plum into her mouth. Just as Chen Nian straightened herself up, the form teacher waltzed into the classroom. Chen Nian heaved a sigh of relief – thankfully, the form teacher hadn’t noticed her. On reaching his desk, the form teacher launched into his usual tirade, instructing the students to be extra careful of safety issues as the graduation exams www.asianovel.com

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neared. The students paid little heed to the instructions as they viewed it as the usual, general form of instructions which the form teacher was bound to dispense every morning. However, during break, someone raised the recent rumor that a female student from the neighboring school had been raped; the student recounted the tale in great detail, claiming that the rapist was donning a raincoat when he approached the victim at night. Some students cowered in fear after having heard the story whilst others simply brushed it off as mere rumors. During their afternoon stretching session, Zeng Hao accidentally brushed Chen Nian’s hand. Chen Nian glanced at her. “Chen Nian, I’m sorry.” Chen Nian remained silent, solely focused on stretching her legs. “Chen Nian, I’m truly sorry.” Zeng Hao choked up slightly. Chen Nian turned towards Zeng Hao, “We’re……the same. I wasn’t……truthful either. Initially.” “But you still chose to tell me the truth in the end.” Zeng Hao was feeling extremely miserable and despicable. Tears began to cloud Zeng Hao’s eyes as she continued, “Wei Cai and her group of friends scolded me and hit me. When they kicked me and punched me, the hearts of my parents ached as well. That day, my parents broke down after we returned from the Public Safety Bureau. However, there was little that we could do. My mother told me that bad students like Wei Cai were beyond the school’s reach, and that no one was capable of keeping them in check. She pleaded with me, telling me to concentrate on the upcoming graduation exams, that I couldn’t entangle myself in their www.asianovel.com

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affairs. If Wei Cai continued her attempts to take her revenge on me, it would be my future on the line. Wei Cai and her friends had nothing to lose, but I had everything to lose.” Chen Nian could only nod in response. “I’m sorry. Sorry I couldn’t do anything for you when the classmates were bullying you earlier on.” “You couldn’t have, done anything, anyway.” Chen Nian responded in a distant tone. Chen Nian’s words didn’t offer Zeng Hao much comfort. Zeng Hao pressed on, “Are you better now?” Chen Nian thought over the question before responding, “I’m in, a pretty good, state.” “Is Wei Cai still harassing you?” “…” Chen Nian gazed at the azure blue sky. “I finally have……someone who……protects me.” After school, Chen Nian headed straight towards the entrance of the school. She no longer had to wait by the guardhouse. Chen Nian could already spot Bei Ye from a distance away. He was waiting by the street opposite the school. Amidst the sea of students donning their clean, white uniforms, Bei Ye and Chen Nian’s gaze met for a brief second before they quickly turned their heads away. Like a secret signal. Bei Ye made his way towards her, fighting the surging crowd as he did so. Chen Nian started towards the direction of her home. Taking a quick glance behind her as she turned the corner of the street, Chen Nian easily identified the pale youth five to six metres away with his www.asianovel.com

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hands stuck in his pockets. Chen Nian felt a sense of security settling over her. In the heat of the summer, the trees offered plenty of shade, and the flowers were in full bloom. Day after day, Bei Ye maintained the same distance from Chen Nian as he protected Chen Nian in her journey to and fro from school. After school ended, he would walk her back to the entrance of her house; alternatively, they would head to the rooftop of his home, the two youths seated side by side as they practiced speaking with the Primary School textbook. The very next day, Bei Ye would appear at the entrance of her home in the wee hours of the morning, a bag of freshly baked bread and packets of chips, sweets or dried fruits in hand. After handing these over to Chen Nian, he would then silently escort her to school by trailing behind her once again. After that short school holiday, Chen Nian was extremely busy with her studies. As such, the two youths rarely had the opportunity to speak to each other. Other than the time spent to rectify Chen Nian’s speech, the two youths were silent in each other’s presence. There were times when Chen Nian could discern various wounds on Bei Ye’s neck and arms. Although she knew that he had entangled himself in a fight once again, she never inquired about his recent fights. There were times when Bei Ye overheard students from Chen Nian’s school discussing various examination questions. Although h knew that she had sat for another mock examination once again, he never inquired about her recent results. That was a foreign area that didn’t concern him/her. One day, as Chen Nian turned the corner of the street, she glanced behind her to look at Bei Ye out of habit – only to see Li Xiang www.asianovel.com

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running towards her. “Chen Nian!” “Yes?” Chen Nian shot a quick glance at Bei Ye, who had been trailing behind her, before turning back to Li Xiang. Li Xiang began to walk alongside Chen Nian, their shoulders nearly touching as they walked. “Your house……isn’t……in this……direction.” “Oh, it’s my aunt’s birthday today, so I’m heading to her house for dinner.” A bright and cheery smile broke over Li Xiang’s face. “Chen Nian, you seem to have improved in this round of exams compared to the last round of exams.” “The questions were…..easier.” Chen Nian replied. In actuality, Chen Nian’s ranking had dropped during this round of exams. After all, it would be impossible to claim that the bullying inflicted on her by Wei Cai and her classmates had absolutely no impact on her. However, at this precise moment, Chen Nian wasn’t concerned with her ranking at all. Rather, she was more concerned about the gaze she felt on her back, because she could clearly picture the cold and distant expression on Bei Ye’s face at this very moment. Li Xiang ran his fingers through his hair awkwardly. He knew that Chen Nian’s ranking had dropped – thus, he originally intended to spur her on by encouraging her. However, given the half-hearted and absent-minded response he received, it was evident to him that he should not have brought up the topic of her results. In an attempt to salvage the situation, Li Xiang hurriedly took out a stack of exam papers from his bag and handed it to Chen Nian, “Here you go.” Chen Nian looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face. www.asianovel.com

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“It’s the exam papers and revision materials distributed by the more established schools in this district.” “Thank you.” Chen Nian accepted the stack of exam papers. “There’s only one month to examinations, so hang in there!” Li Xiang smiled encouragingly, “Don’t forget, we agreed to meet in Beijing.” Chen Nian remained silent, a chill crawling up her spine. When they reached the intersection, Li Xiang bade her farewell. Now, the road Chen Nian was on no longer had any students from her school. Bei Ye stepped forward, striding over to his motorcycle which had been parked by the roadside and jammed his helmet onto his head in a huff. Chen Nian stood beside him, staring at him quietly. Bei Ye didn’t say a single word. After some time, Chen Nian kept the stack of exam papers in her bag and quietly walked over to him, taking the initiative to wear her helmet by herself. Bei Ye seated himself on the motorcycle without sparing Chen Nian a single glance, a pervasive sense of loneliness and silence radiating from his back. Like countless of mornings and evenings, Chen Nian seated herself on the motorcycle by using Bei Ye’s shoulders as support. The moment Chen Nian properly sat herself on the motorcycle, Bei Ye turned on the ignition engine and dashed into the glow of the setting sun. They didn’t head home. This morning, Bei Ye had informed her that there a rock concert would be held at Xinghai Park in the evening, and asked her whether she was interested in attending. Chen Nian had agreed. Parking his motorcycle in the parking lot, Bei Ye strolled into the park with Chen Nian. The park was extremely crowded. The two www.asianovel.com

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youths were akin to two parallel lines; however, no matter how many people squeezed between the two youths, they never lost sight of each other. As they passed by a hotdog stand, Bei Ye purchased two hotdogs. Bei Ye stuffed one hot dog to Chen Nian alongside a bottle of iced red tea, his movements rough and choppy. All this while, Bei Ye deliberately averted his gaze, still refusing to spare Chen Nian even a single glance. Chen Nian gazed at the back of Bei Ye’s head. Without uttering a single word, she trailed after him, walking whilst she ate. More and more people were streaming in to the park. The stagehands had already begun to to set up the sound system. Chen Nian wasn’t stupid; she knew the meaning of Bei Ye’s silence. She knew that he was angry. She too, felt guilty for his anger. Chen Nian mulled over various topics she could raise in order to break the ice before finally settling on one, “You’re not performing?” Bei Ye lowered his head and looked at her. The eyes of the youth were akin to the gradually darkening sky behind him, its dark mysteries unfathomable by the ordinary man. Chen Nian’s heart skipped a beat. Carefully averting her gaze, she continued in a quiet voice, “Your, guitar.” “I play for leisure.” His distant voice rang out as he turned his attention back towards the stage. In other words, it’s nothing to boast about. Undeterred, Chen Nian praised Bei Ye in a small voice, “You were very good, the previous time, when I heard you, play. Very, very good.” www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye’s facial expression remained cold and distant. However, a small, quiet grin formed on the other side of his face which Chen Nian was not privy to. Chen Nian saw that Bei Ye remained unmoved, and thought internally, “Ah, this youth is so difficult to please. I need to try harder to coax him into a better mood. Perhaps I should ask him to play for me on another occasion.” Just as Chen Nian was about to open her mouth, a series of glaring drum beats blasted from the speakers – the concert was about to begin! The atmosphere in the park was instantly ignited. The youths raised their hands in the air, shouting and shrieking as they shook their bodies to the music. The music blasted into the night, its deafening volume seemingly desirous of causing the stars in the sky to collapse onto the scene. Chen Nian couldn’t decipher even a single word; the singers on the stage were howling and wailing into their mikes with all their might, as though they were anguished ghosts desperate for revenge. The overly loud music filled the entire park as Chen Nian was squeezed by the crazed crowd in all directions. Before she knew it, Bei Ye had disappeared. Chen Nian started looking for Bei Ye. One song ended. A second song ended. Chen Nian no longer knew where she was – perfume, body odour, and unidentifiable smells overwhelmed her as she slowly made her way through the crowd, a thin sheen of sweat gradually forming over her body. Bei Ye was nowhere in sight. Chen Nian didn’t know how many songs the band had played. Gradually, Chen Nian grew frantic. www.asianovel.com

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The guitarist was howling into the mike, “I managed to barge into your life, but I’m unable to walk into your heart; I……” The deafening melody of the song came to a grinding halt. The drummer was still clashing awa at his drums, and the background music was still blasting from the speakers, but the mike had been snatched away from the guitarist. “Hey.” It was a single word, but Chen Nian recognized that familiar voice instantaneously. Chen Nian jerked her head towards the direction of the stage; separated by the sea of people, she stared wide-eyed at the blindingly bright youth on top of the stage. “Little stutterer,” Bei Ye’s low, velvet voice rang out through the microphone, his silky voice echoing across the park like a dream, “Come to the side of the stage.” On the huge screen, Bei Ye’s dark eyes stared at her as he repeated, “Little stutterer, come to the side of the stage.” The crowd which had been crazily gyrating their bodies to the music gradually settled down, as though the magic spell which had previously been casted over every single one of them had now been lifted. The guitarist on top of the stage snatched the microphone from Bei Ye’s hands, and shoved him in annoyance. Undeterred, Bei Ye immediately pushed the guitarist back. The two males were at the peak of their youths, and were extremely prideful – as a consequence, the fight naturally broke out between the two of them. When some stagehands tried to tear the two youths apart, they became unintentional casualties from the fight. Ah, look! There’s a fight going on, how exciting! The crowd below www.asianovel.com

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was whipped into a greater frenzy, and leapt on top of the stage to join the fight. Chen Nian jumped up, and immediately sprinted towards the direction of the stage. The crowd was akin to a rice paddy filled with rice shoots. Chen Nian tried to push them away, separate them, knock them away with all her might, pumping all her energy into her legs as she flew towards the stage. Chen Nian pressed forward without second thought, as though she was sprinting across spacious and empty grasslands. Bolts of lighting were tearing across the sky more frequently than ever. The fight on stage evolved as more and more people pitched into the fight. Chen Nian ran towards the stage, and began to shout blindly, “Bei Ye!!” Frantic, she cried out, “Bei Ye!!” All of a sudden, she saw him – just as Bei Ye, too, saw her in that very precise moment. As streaks of lighting began to flash across the sky, an increasing number of people began to swarm onto the stage, as though they were fish struggling in shallow waters. Chen Nian glanced around, and began to dash towards a less populated corner of the stage. Taking her lead, Bei Ye began sprinting towards that corner as well. As they met at the edge of the stage, the two youths reached their hands out to each other simultaneously, gripping each other’s hands as tightly as they could. Bei Ye leapt off the stage, the two youths dashing into the night. Upon reaching the entrance of the park, the two youths hurriedly jammed their helmets onto their heads, speeding off the very moment they sat themselves on the motorcycle. The roads were entirely devoid of people at this late hour. The www.asianovel.com

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police cars drove past them from the opposite direction, their bright red and blue lights reflecting off the helmets of the two youths. Chen Nian shivered in the night breeze, her eyes wide with raw excitement. The raging wind was akin to a pair of moist hands which were tightly suffocating her. Speed and adrenaline rushes were things that youths their age constantly craved for. Confused and dazed, the youths frequently invested all their energies into attaining their goals. Chen Nian’s arms tightly circled Bei Ye’s waist as bright neon lights rushed past them in a flurry. On reaching the huge tree below Bei Ye’s house, the speeding motorcycle came to a sudden halt; the wind that had been whipping past the two youths, the sound of the wheels grating against the concrete road – everything came to a standstill. In the darkness of the night, Chen Nian was pressed extremely tightly against Bei Ye’s back. He didn’t move, tacitly allowing her arms to continue circling his body; She didn’t move either, staunchly refusing to let go of him. After the initial rush of excitement, a pervasive sense of hopelessness and loneliness gradually wrapped itself around the youths; The melody of the band seemingly drifting past the two youths, I managed to barge into your life, but I’m unable to walk into your heart. But, in actuality, the lyrics do not convey a great sense of melancholy. After all,

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Some people are only able to walk into your heart; but they can never ever walk into your life.

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Chapter 13 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

“Together with you, I want to idle away the time, Be it lowering our heads and watching the fish swim by, Or walking away after leaving the tea cups on the table, Ignoring the beautiful shadows they cast. I even want to idle away the sunset, Taking a casual stroll with you, killing the time Till the stars gradually fill up the entire night sky. I even want to idle away the time when the wind arrives, Sitting quietly in the corridor, entranced, Till the sorrowful clouds in your eyes Have been blown away, out of the window I have squandered by world, it has passed me by.” Chen Nian sat quietly on the rooftop, basking in the warm glow of the setting sun. Her sweet voice filled the entire rooftop as she quietly recited various poems. Bei Ye sat beside her as he concentrated on strumming his guitar. The gentle breeze blew across the rooftop, playfully ruffling the numerous papers and the hair of the youths. Having completed her recital, Chen Nian turned to look at Bei Ye. Just then, Bei Ye had succeeded in managing to strum a complicated stanza. Turning his head to gaze at her, he pronounced his verdict, “You improved.” Lowering his head, he continued strumming his guitar, beginning to practise another stanza. As he wasn’t entirely familiar with the stanza, he repeated the stanza several times. The youths were busy practising. The aroma of delicious food from the alley below wafted into the noses of the two youths. One could easily find the entire city’s delicacies in the alley – Steamed pudding, fried beancurd skin, deep www.asianovel.com

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fried sesame rice cake, and sweet potato pastries. Chen Nian expressed her amazement, “Before I met you, I never knew, that Xi Cheng had, such a place. Xiao Mi said, that the red bean bun, is the best red bean bun, she ever ate.” Bei Ye turned to look at her. Chen Nian explained, “Xiao Mi is, my deskmate.” Bei Ye asked, “Will you two continue to be friends in the future?” Chen Nian nodded her head in seriousness, “Yes.” “Why are you so confident? After graduation, everyone is bound to scatter, each pursuing his or her own dreams.” “Xiao Mi would also, come to Beijing. We promised to meet there.” Bei Ye fell into a deep silence. Suddenly realising the deeper meaning of her words, Chen Nian lowered her head dejectedly. Gradually, an irrepressible idea began to form in her head; the words rushed to the edge of her lips and she slowly opened her mouth. However, before the words could tumble out of her lips, the very thought of what she was contemplating frightened her, and she swallowed the words in a hurry. Reigniting the conversation, she enquired, “Is this, your hometown?” “No.” Bei Ye replied, “I’m not from Xi Cheng. My mum and I moved here when I was younger. After we arrived, she simply left me to fend for myself at the welfare centre.”

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Chen Nian didn’t know how to continue the conversation. “What about you? Were you born in Xi Cheng?” “Yes. But my mum went to Zhu Hai, to work.” Bei Ye didn’t respond, and simply continued to strum his guitar, the lone, solitary notes hung quietly in the air, unable to form a simple melody. Chen Nian gently swung her legs from the edge of the roof. Gazing at the railway track far into the distance, she began to recall that special day when the two of them decided to run away from home. Gradually, a restless desire began to bubble up inside of her. “Bei Ye?” “Hmm?” Placing her hands firmly at the edge of the rooftop, Chen Nian leaned forward and gazed at the sprawling town beneath her. Just as Chen Nian was about to keel over and fall into the concrete jungle beneath her, she suddenly jerked her head up and declared aloud, “I can’t wait.” “What can’t you wait for?” “I can’t wait, to leave this place, to leave my hometown… I want time to pass, even faster.” “Why do you want to leave?” “If I leave, to a faraway land, I’d be able to mature into an adult.” “Why do you want to mature into an adult?” “I don’t want, to be a weakling. Those who are young, are all weaklings.” Chen Nian continued, “When I’m an adult, I will www.asianovel.com

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be able to protect myself.” Bei Ye’s strumming came to a sudden stop, pausing for a mere second before resuming. Bei Ye glanced at Chen Nian’s side profile, his fringe falling gently onto his forehead, “There are people willing to protect you.” “No.” Chen Nian shook her head, “Danger is always lurking; one can never be… fully protected by others.” One can only rely on oneself. Youths always have hearts filled with the desire to mature into adults; they tremble with feelings of anxiety and restlessness; they are akin to arrows that, despite being on the edge of release, are obstinately held back by the hands of the archer. Chen Nan gazed into the distance, a look of determination forming on her face. Bei Ye simply stared at Chen Nian, the same look of determination forming on his face as well. Finally, Bei Ye said, “You will definitely be able to find a better place.” You will grow up, and develop into a better person. “What about you?” Chen Nian turned her head to look at him. “It’d be the same wherever I go.” Bei Ye smiled, his slightly forlorn expression not escaping Chen Nian’s eyes. “Do you want……to leave your hometown?” “Are you asking whether I want to leave this place?” Bei Ye continued strumming his guitar, the melodious notes smoothly flowing from his fingertips. “Yes.” “I want to.”

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“When?” “As soon as possible.” Chen Nian lips curved into a gentle smile. It won’t be long before they would be able to leave this place. “I cannot continue staying here much longer.” Bei Ye announced. Before Chen Nian could truly contemplate Bei Ye’s words, he had already continued in a calm, and distant tone, “I’m reaching my tolerance limit. I hate every single person who lives here.” Thoughts of Bei Ye’s parents suddenly barged into Chen Nian’s mind, and the memory of Bei Ye being mocked and bullied by various youths flashed before her eyes. Quietly, she replied in a gentle tone, “I too…..dislike every single person here.” The words quietly tumbled out of her mouth, her agreement ringing loud and clear in Bei Ye’s ears, as though her agreement with him was sufficient to transform them into similar people, into people who stood beside each other on the same battlefield, into two youths who stood side by side, their shoulders touching each other as they faced the harsh and cruel world together. Upon hearing Chen Nian’s agreement, Bei Ye fell into silence once more. I hate this city. Thankfully, I wasn’t able to meet you earlier – if I had met you earlier, I would have fallen in love with every single person in this city. And that would have killed me. As his fingers flew across the guitar, the deep, melodious voice of the youth gently flowed out of his lips. www.asianovel.com

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“That bright laughter reminded me of those flowers of mine; those flowers that bloomed for me, in every quiet corner of my life. Once, I thought that I would always stay by her side, guarding her and protecting her. But we have long separated, I can no longer find her amidst the crowd.” The days where the two youths were able to sit side by side were numbered. Deep down in their hearts, the both of them knew that their separation was imminent. Chen Nian raised her head, the breeze gently caressing her hair as she gazed at the azure blue sky. Beep…… The sharp shrill of the bird trainer’s whistle pierced Bei Ye’s quiet melody, causing a huge flock of white pigeons to fly past the two youths. When the familiar sound of the train engine rang out, the two youths stood up and made their way down the emergency stairwell. As Chen Nian hadn’t been paying attention to the steps beneath her, she unintentionally took an infirm step, and was about to crash onto the floor when Bei Ye hurriedly scooped her back into his arms and softly reminded her, “Be careful.” Whispering into her ears, his deep, soft voice was akin to a gentle morning melody. Chen Nian flushed, her face reddening in embarrassment as she held tightly onto Bei Ye’s arms. Bei Ye arms remained encircled around her as he lowered his head slightly amd gently kissed her earlobes. Trembling, Chen Nian squeezed her eyes shut. His kiss, his breath – they wormed their way into her ears, causing her to shiver in excitement. Chen Nian felt her face burning up. His kiss was like a small slab of honey. She was happy and delighted; and yet, she was also fearful and sad. www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye fetched Chen Nian to an area near school. Hopping off the motorcycle, Bei Ye continued to trail behind Chen Nian, quietly gazing at her as she walked into the school compound. As per their usual custom, Chen Nian turned back and returned Bei Ye’s gaze. Their eyes were filled with unspoken troubles that were buried deep in their hearts. It was Saturday. As Chen Nian had to continue attending classes, Bei Ye had no activities that day. However, he wasn’t in the mood to hang out with his friends, and simply returned home. Chen Nian had tidied his house to the point where there wasn’t a single dust mote to be seen. Lying on the bed, Bei Ye inhaled Chen Nian’s remnant scent. The graduation exams were nearing, and Chen Nian was about to depart from his life. But he was already so used to having her around. What was he going to do when she left? A unexplainable sense of restlessness began to descend from the ceiling, smothering Bei Ye till the point of suffocation. Frowning, Bei Ye hopped off the bed. Seating himself at the table, he flipped the Bible open. Chen Nian had flipped through the Bible on numerous occasions as she was practising her narration. Bei Ye casually glanced through the contents of the Bible, sifting through the thin, fragile pages without much care; just as he closed the Bible, his force unintentionally causing a single page to be torn off. The Gospel of Matthew. Bei Ye simply stuck the page back into the Bible. Turning back to his room, he caught a unusual sight out of the corner of his eyes – the two ducklings in the shoebox had died, and the rats had consumed their inner organs. Bei Ye efficiently disposed of the ducklings and the shoebox, his heart filled with complicated feelings. He would purchase two new ducklings tomorrow – hopefully, Chen Nian wouldn’t discover that the two sets of ducklings were different. www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye dozed off unintentionally, only waking when it was nearly evening. Hurriedly hopping off the bed, Bei Ye hastily put on a new set of clothes and sent a text message to Chen Nian. All of a sudden, he heard small rustling noises outside the shutter doors. Leaving his mobile phone on the Bible, he strode over to the shutter doors and heaved them upwards, only to come face to face with a beautiful woman. It was his mum. A cold, frosty expression settled over his face. Momentarily stunned, the woman froze for a short while. She hadn’t expected Bei Ye to be in at this hour of the day. Gently smiling at Bei Ye, she explained, “I came to retrieve some stuff.” Bei Ye remained silent, and simply turned his body sidewards, allowing her to walk past him. Entering the house, the woman headed straight to the cupboard and started stuffing her clothes into her luggage. When she walked into the bathroom, her sharp eyes spotted Chen Nian’s female undergarments and Chen Nian’s skirt. Dragging her luggage out, she joked with Bei Ye, “You found yourself a girlfriend?” Bei Ye didn’t respond, and simply stared at the mulberry tree outside his house. “You little rascal – you look exactly like your dad; no wonder you have little trouble landing yourself a girlfriend.” The woman reached out her arms to pinch Bei Ye’s cheeks, but her arms were mercilessly pushed away by Bei Ye. “Tsk, you have the same, stubborn temper as your dad.” Bei Ye’s expression had frosted over, his gaze as cold as a glacier. The woman knew that Bei Ye hated to hear her speak about his father. Shutting her mouth, she headed towards the shutter doors. www.asianovel.com

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Having taken a few steps, the woman turned back and retrieved a couple of notes from her purse, “Here, take them.” “No.” The woman’s arm lingered in the air for a short period of time. She didn’t force Bei Ye to take the money, and simply tucked the money back into her purse. All of a sudden, she spoke up, “Your uncle sneakily gave you some money, didn’t he?” Bei Ye chose not to answer. “I’m your custodian. If he wanted to pass you some money, he should have passed them to……” On seeing Bei Ye’s gaze turn colder than before, the woman stopped mid-sentence, picked up her luggage and left. Lowering the shutter doors, Bei Ye stomped on the shutter doors, causing it to crash onto the ground with a loud clang. Lowering his body, he locked the shutter doors swiftly and headed down the stairwell. The woman’s voice drifted across the empty grounds of the abandoned steel mill, easily finding its way into Bei Ye’s ears, “…….Keke, you think I’m dirty? Where did you think your nephew came from?……” Bei Ye didn’t bother about that woman. He wouldn’t even bid goodbye to her when he leaves for Beijing at the end of the month. Trooping down the stairwell, he hurriedly fastened his helmet, ignited the engine and zoomed off into the sunset. …… Chen Nian sat on the steps of the school gates. The text message contained two, short words, “I’m late.” Carefully placing the mobile phone in her bag, she propped her head up with her arms and patiently waited for Bei Ye. www.asianovel.com

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“Why are you sitting here? Aren’t you going home?” Chen Nian raised her head. It was Xu Miao. After Xu Miao resumed schooling, she became much more obedient. With an uncomfortable expression forming on her face, Xu Miao muttered under her breath, “I’m sorry about what happened in the past.” Having completed her sentence, Xu Miao ran into her father’s car – her parents had been monitoring her rather closely after the bullying incident had been exposed. As the sun began to set, Chen Nian remained seated at her original spot. Bei Ye still hadn’t arrived; As the stream of students trickling out of school gradually diminished in size, Chen Nian overheard the discussion of a few passer-bys, “Oh dear, did you see the accident over there? It’s so scary! Nowadays, motorcyclists are……” Stunned, Chen Nian flew down the steps. “Sorry to interrupt, but did you mention an accident?” “A motorcyclist met with an accident at the intersection between Lan Xi Road and Xue Fu Road – he’s pretty young too! My guess is that he’s still a student.” “Color?” Chen Nian blabbered in anxiety, “Motorcycle, color?” “I think it’s red and black.” Chen Nian broke out in cold sweat. Without second thought, she fished out her mobile phone and began dialling Bei Ye’s number. In Bei Ye’s kitchen, where the glow of the setting sun bathed the entire room with a golden sheen, Bei Ye’s mobile phone silently vibrated on the black leather cover of the Bible. Chen Nian dashed to Lan Xi Road. As she ran past a florist, the employee unintentionally splashed her with dirty water. However, www.asianovel.com

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even before the employee could apologise for his mistake, Chen Nian had already zoomed past him without a care. Chen Nian was entirely drenched in sweat by the time she reached the intersection. Frantically weaving through the crowd, Chen Nian managed to squeeze to the front. The accident scene was a disastrous mess – but, the motorcycle wasn’t the motorcycle she knew, and the motorcyclist wasn’t the motorcyclist she knew either. Expending much effort to squeeze out of the crowd, Chen Nian heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. The sweat caused her uniform to stick to her back. She had to return to the entrance of the school to continue waiting for Bei Ye. Having walked a distance away from the crowd, Chen Nian heard the familiar sound of a motorcycle engine from behind her. Turning around, she saw Bei Ye on his motorcycle, speeding towards the school compound. Chen Nian was about to flag Bei Ye over when she was suddenly dragged backwards by a huge force. Before Chen Nian even realised what was going on, the perpetrator had already covered Chen Nian’s mouth and dragged her into a dark and dingy alley. The motorcycle zoomed past Chen Nian’s eyes. Bei Ye stopped at a street not far from school, and dashed to the entrance of the school compound. He saw a few scattered students streaming out of the school entrance, but Chen Nian was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, he reached into his pocket for his mobile phone, only just realising that the sudden appearance of the woman had caused him to forget his mobile phone. Recalling Chen Nian’s mobile number with ease, he headed to the nearby convenience shop where he could call Chen Nian with the payphone. He dialled Chen Nian’s number, but nobody picked up. Biting his lips, Bei Ye sprinted into the school compound, blatantly ignoring the security guard’s attempts to stop him. Bei Ye headed www.asianovel.com

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directly to Chen Nian’s classroom – only to find the student on cleanup duty obediently sweeping the floor. Chen Nian was nowhere to be seen. The security guard continued to chase after Bei Ye, but Bei Ye had already dashed out of the school compound before the security guard could catch up with him. Returning to the convenience store, Bei Ye tried to dial Chen Nian’s number once more with the payphone. This time, Chen Nian’s mobile phone had been switched off. The youth returned the phone to its original position. His hands began to tremble in fear. His face dark with frustration, Bei Ye strode over to the security guardhouse and asked, “Where’s the female student who always sits on the steps of the school gates?” The security guard had chased after Bei Ye till he was out of breath, and was extremely furious with Bei Ye, “Which school are you from? How dare you enter the school compound without permission……” “I’M ASKING YOU A QUESTION!!!” Bei Ye roared. Taken aback, the security guard stared at Bei Ye before pointing in the direction of Lan Xi Road, “She left in a hurry not long ago……” Bei Ye dashed down the stairs. The sun had set completely. Wei Cai and her group of seven friends grabbed Chen Nian by her hair, dragging her into a deep, dark corner of the alley. They insulted her, slapped her, kicked her, and rammed her face into the cold and filthy ground beneath them. www.asianovel.com

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The frenzied group of youths vented all their dissatisfactions with her on her battered body – their dissatisfaction with her stuttering, her beauty, her quiet nature, her excellent results; their dissatisfaction with her exposure of their dirty deeds, their dissatisfaction with her strong and stubborn nature, which prevented her from getting intimidated by them; Perhaps, it wasn’t just their dissatisfaction with her – they also vented their unhappiness with the teacher’s scolding, their unhappiness with their parent’s chiding, their dissatisfaction with the boring and numbing state of their lives, their dissatisfaction with their hopeless and bleak futures. The relentless torment and venting of the youths felt like an eternity. Propping her up by her arms, they began to tear at her clothes. Chen Nian struggled violently, using all her might to hold onto her school uniform. However, it was in vain. The group of females abused her with vulgarities, they slapped her face, boxed her head, and even kicked the area between her legs. Despite the presence of the occasional passer-by, the group of females continued their abuse without any fear. There was nothing that could inspire a sense of fear in this group of crazed youths. Chen Nian’s shoulder was exposed to the world. Chen Nian held on tightly to her clothes, and began to shout for help – Please, save me! But the passer-bys simply averted their gazes, and hurried away. Memories of Hu Xiao Die flashed before her eyes. It was as though Chen Nian could see Hu Xiao Die standing in the distance, staring at her without a single expression on her face. Her skirt was torn into shreds, and the numerous textbooks that were scattered on the ground had innumerable footsteps imprinted on it. Darwin’s face was crushed into the mud. www.asianovel.com

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Outside, a youth named Bei Ye ran with all his might on the pedestrian road, as though he was zooming past the innumerable lies and cruelty inflicted by others during one’s youth. He still harboured a small flame of hope, Don’t freak out. He told himself sternly. It’s going to be alright. You will definitely be able to find her. Loud, mocking laughter erupted from the group of females. They tugged at the red string threading the key that was hanging on Chen Nian’s neck, and dragged her white and pale body through the alley, continually insulting her, as though they were butchers dragging a piece of meat. “Come and look at the bi***! Come and look for free!” They didn’t view Chen Nian as a youth who was as young as them, they didn’t even view her as a human being; rather, they viewed her as an animal, a beast. They revealed her, allowing her pale and frail body to lie exposed to the gaze of the males who were passing by. They allowed her to be the object of cruel jokes made by these males, and allowed her to be photographed and videoed by the very same males. Like crazed, rabid dogs, Wei Cai and her friends tore at her undergarments. Chen Nian curled herself into a ball, trying her best to hang onto the remaining piece of cloth that covered her body. Amidst the struggle, the words of the Bible which she had previously recited came to her mind. As her tears flowed down her cheeks, she sobbed, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Rip…….They tore her final piece of cloth away from her, leaving www.asianovel.com

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her cold and naked. Chen Nian cried out, “Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us out debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” The raucous laughter of the surrounding females rang loud and clear, “Free viewing of the bi***!” “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one……” In the name of love, Amen. But, Is there a possibility, That love doesn’t exist in the world?

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Chapter 14 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

“Together with you, I want to idle away the time, Be it lowering our heads and watching the fish swim by, Or walking away after leaving the tea cups on the table, Ignoring the beautiful shadows they cast. I even want to idle away the sunset, Taking a casual stroll with you, killing the time Till the stars gradually fill up the entire night sky. I even want to idle away the time when the wind arrives, Sitting quietly in the corridor, entranced, Till the sorrowful clouds in your eyes Have been blown away, out of the window I have squandered by world, it has passed me by.” Chen Nian sat quietly on the rooftop, basking in the warm glow of the setting sun. Her sweet voice filled the entire rooftop as she quietly recited various poems. Bei Ye sat beside her as he concentrated on strumming his guitar. The gentle breeze blew across the rooftop, playfully ruffling the numerous papers and the hair of the youths. Having completed her recital, Chen Nian turned to look at Bei Ye. Just then, Bei Ye had succeeded in managing to strum a complicated stanza. Turning his head to gaze at her, he pronounced his verdict, “You improved.” Lowering his head, he continued strumming his guitar, beginning to practise another stanza. As he wasn’t entirely familiar with the stanza, he repeated the stanza several times. The youths were busy practising. The aroma of delicious food from the alley below wafted into the noses of the two youths. One could easily find the entire city’s delicacies in the alley – Steamed pudding, fried beancurd skin, deep www.asianovel.com

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fried sesame rice cake, and sweet potato pastries. Chen Nian expressed her amazement, “Before I met you, I never knew, that Xi Cheng had, such a place. Xiao Mi said, that the red bean bun, is the best red bean bun, she ever ate.” Bei Ye turned to look at her. Chen Nian explained, “Xiao Mi is, my deskmate.” Bei Ye asked, “Will you two continue to be friends in the future?” Chen Nian nodded her head in seriousness, “Yes.” “Why are you so confident? After graduation, everyone is bound to scatter, each pursuing his or her own dreams.” “Xiao Mi would also, come to Beijing. We promised to meet there.” Bei Ye fell into a deep silence. Suddenly realising the deeper meaning of her words, Chen Nian lowered her head dejectedly. Gradually, an irrepressible idea began to form in her head; the words rushed to the edge of her lips and she slowly opened her mouth. However, before the words could tumble out of her lips, the very thought of what she was contemplating frightened her, and she swallowed the words in a hurry. Reigniting the conversation, she enquired, “Is this, your hometown?” “No.” Bei Ye replied, “I’m not from Xi Cheng. My mum and I moved here when I was younger. After we arrived, she simply left me to fend for myself at the welfare centre.”

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Chen Nian didn’t know how to continue the conversation. “What about you? Were you born in Xi Cheng?” “Yes. But my mum went to Zhu Hai, to work.” Bei Ye didn’t respond, and simply continued to strum his guitar, the lone, solitary notes hung quietly in the air, unable to form a simple melody. Chen Nian gently swung her legs from the edge of the roof. Gazing at the railway track far into the distance, she began to recall that special day when the two of them decided to run away from home. Gradually, a restless desire began to bubble up inside of her. “Bei Ye?” “Hmm?” Placing her hands firmly at the edge of the rooftop, Chen Nian leaned forward and gazed at the sprawling town beneath her. Just as Chen Nian was about to keel over and fall into the concrete jungle beneath her, she suddenly jerked her head up and declared aloud, “I can’t wait.” “What can’t you wait for?” “I can’t wait, to leave this place, to leave my hometown… I want time to pass, even faster.” “Why do you want to leave?” “If I leave, to a faraway land, I’d be able to mature into an adult.” “Why do you want to mature into an adult?” “I don’t want, to be a weakling. Those who are young, are all weaklings.” Chen Nian continued, “When I’m an adult, I will www.asianovel.com

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be able to protect myself.” Bei Ye’s strumming came to a sudden stop, pausing for a mere second before resuming. Bei Ye glanced at Chen Nian’s side profile, his fringe falling gently onto his forehead, “There are people willing to protect you.” “No.” Chen Nian shook her head, “Danger is always lurking; one can never be… fully protected by others.” One can only rely on oneself. Youths always have hearts filled with the desire to mature into adults; they tremble with feelings of anxiety and restlessness; they are akin to arrows that, despite being on the edge of release, are obstinately held back by the hands of the archer. Chen Nan gazed into the distance, a look of determination forming on her face. Bei Ye simply stared at Chen Nian, the same look of determination forming on his face as well. Finally, Bei Ye said, “You will definitely be able to find a better place.” You will grow up, and develop into a better person. “What about you?” Chen Nian turned her head to look at him. “It’d be the same wherever I go.” Bei Ye smiled, his slightly forlorn expression not escaping Chen Nian’s eyes. “Do you want……to leave your hometown?” “Are you asking whether I want to leave this place?” Bei Ye continued strumming his guitar, the melodious notes smoothly flowing from his fingertips. “Yes.” “I want to.”

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“When?” “As soon as possible.” Chen Nian lips curved into a gentle smile. It won’t be long before they would be able to leave this place. “I cannot continue staying here much longer.” Bei Ye announced. Before Chen Nian could truly contemplate Bei Ye’s words, he had already continued in a calm, and distant tone, “I’m reaching my tolerance limit. I hate every single person who lives here.” Thoughts of Bei Ye’s parents suddenly barged into Chen Nian’s mind, and the memory of Bei Ye being mocked and bullied by various youths flashed before her eyes. Quietly, she replied in a gentle tone, “I too…..dislike every single person here.” The words quietly tumbled out of her mouth, her agreement ringing loud and clear in Bei Ye’s ears, as though her agreement with him was sufficient to transform them into similar people, into people who stood beside each other on the same battlefield, into two youths who stood side by side, their shoulders touching each other as they faced the harsh and cruel world together. Upon hearing Chen Nian’s agreement, Bei Ye fell into silence once more. I hate this city. Thankfully, I wasn’t able to meet you earlier – if I had met you earlier, I would have fallen in love with every single person in this city. And that would have killed me. As his fingers flew across the guitar, the deep, melodious voice of the youth gently flowed out of his lips. www.asianovel.com

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“That bright laughter reminded me of those flowers of mine; those flowers that bloomed for me, in every quiet corner of my life. Once, I thought that I would always stay by her side, guarding her and protecting her. But we have long separated, I can no longer find her amidst the crowd.” The days where the two youths were able to sit side by side were numbered. Deep down in their hearts, the both of them knew that their separation was imminent. Chen Nian raised her head, the breeze gently caressing her hair as she gazed at the azure blue sky. Beep…… The sharp shrill of the bird trainer’s whistle pierced Bei Ye’s quiet melody, causing a huge flock of white pigeons to fly past the two youths. When the familiar sound of the train engine rang out, the two youths stood up and made their way down the emergency stairwell. As Chen Nian hadn’t been paying attention to the steps beneath her, she unintentionally took an infirm step, and was about to crash onto the floor when Bei Ye hurriedly scooped her back into his arms and softly reminded her, “Be careful.” Whispering into her ears, his deep, soft voice was akin to a gentle morning melody. Chen Nian flushed, her face reddening in embarrassment as she held tightly onto Bei Ye’s arms. Bei Ye arms remained encircled around her as he lowered his head slightly amd gently kissed her earlobes. Trembling, Chen Nian squeezed her eyes shut. His kiss, his breath – they wormed their way into her ears, causing her to shiver in excitement. Chen Nian felt her face burning up. His kiss was like a small slab of honey. She was happy and delighted; and yet, she was also fearful and sad. www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye fetched Chen Nian to an area near school. Hopping off the motorcycle, Bei Ye continued to trail behind Chen Nian, quietly gazing at her as she walked into the school compound. As per their usual custom, Chen Nian turned back and returned Bei Ye’s gaze. Their eyes were filled with unspoken troubles that were buried deep in their hearts. It was Saturday. As Chen Nian had to continue attending classes, Bei Ye had no activities that day. However, he wasn’t in the mood to hang out with his friends, and simply returned home. Chen Nian had tidied his house to the point where there wasn’t a single dust mote to be seen. Lying on the bed, Bei Ye inhaled Chen Nian’s remnant scent. The graduation exams were nearing, and Chen Nian was about to depart from his life. But he was already so used to having her around. What was he going to do when she left? A unexplainable sense of restlessness began to descend from the ceiling, smothering Bei Ye till the point of suffocation. Frowning, Bei Ye hopped off the bed. Seating himself at the table, he flipped the Bible open. Chen Nian had flipped through the Bible on numerous occasions as she was practising her narration. Bei Ye casually glanced through the contents of the Bible, sifting through the thin, fragile pages without much care; just as he closed the Bible, his force unintentionally causing a single page to be torn off. The Gospel of Matthew. Bei Ye simply stuck the page back into the Bible. Turning back to his room, he caught a unusual sight out of the corner of his eyes – the two ducklings in the shoebox had died, and the rats had consumed their inner organs. Bei Ye efficiently disposed of the ducklings and the shoebox, his heart filled with complicated feelings. He would purchase two new ducklings tomorrow – hopefully, Chen Nian wouldn’t discover that the two sets of ducklings were different. www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye dozed off unintentionally, only waking when it was nearly evening. Hurriedly hopping off the bed, Bei Ye hastily put on a new set of clothes and sent a text message to Chen Nian. All of a sudden, he heard small rustling noises outside the shutter doors. Leaving his mobile phone on the Bible, he strode over to the shutter doors and heaved them upwards, only to come face to face with a beautiful woman. It was his mum. A cold, frosty expression settled over his face. Momentarily stunned, the woman froze for a short while. She hadn’t expected Bei Ye to be in at this hour of the day. Gently smiling at Bei Ye, she explained, “I came to retrieve some stuff.” Bei Ye remained silent, and simply turned his body sidewards, allowing her to walk past him. Entering the house, the woman headed straight to the cupboard and started stuffing her clothes into her luggage. When she walked into the bathroom, her sharp eyes spotted Chen Nian’s female undergarments and Chen Nian’s skirt. Dragging her luggage out, she joked with Bei Ye, “You found yourself a girlfriend?” Bei Ye didn’t respond, and simply stared at the mulberry tree outside his house. “You little rascal – you look exactly like your dad; no wonder you have little trouble landing yourself a girlfriend.” The woman reached out her arms to pinch Bei Ye’s cheeks, but her arms were mercilessly pushed away by Bei Ye. “Tsk, you have the same, stubborn temper as your dad.” Bei Ye’s expression had frosted over, his gaze as cold as a glacier. The woman knew that Bei Ye hated to hear her speak about his father. Shutting her mouth, she headed towards the shutter doors. www.asianovel.com

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Having taken a few steps, the woman turned back and retrieved a couple of notes from her purse, “Here, take them.” “No.” The woman’s arm lingered in the air for a short period of time. She didn’t force Bei Ye to take the money, and simply tucked the money back into her purse. All of a sudden, she spoke up, “Your uncle sneakily gave you some money, didn’t he?” Bei Ye chose not to answer. “I’m your custodian. If he wanted to pass you some money, he should have passed them to……” On seeing Bei Ye’s gaze turn colder than before, the woman stopped mid-sentence, picked up her luggage and left. Lowering the shutter doors, Bei Ye stomped on the shutter doors, causing it to crash onto the ground with a loud clang. Lowering his body, he locked the shutter doors swiftly and headed down the stairwell. The woman’s voice drifted across the empty grounds of the abandoned steel mill, easily finding its way into Bei Ye’s ears, “…….Keke, you think I’m dirty? Where did you think your nephew came from?……” Bei Ye didn’t bother about that woman. He wouldn’t even bid goodbye to her when he leaves for Beijing at the end of the month. Trooping down the stairwell, he hurriedly fastened his helmet, ignited the engine and zoomed off into the sunset. …… Chen Nian sat on the steps of the school gates. The text message contained two, short words, “I’m late.” Carefully placing the mobile phone in her bag, she propped her head up with her arms and patiently waited for Bei Ye. www.asianovel.com

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“Why are you sitting here? Aren’t you going home?” Chen Nian raised her head. It was Xu Miao. After Xu Miao resumed schooling, she became much more obedient. With an uncomfortable expression forming on her face, Xu Miao muttered under her breath, “I’m sorry about what happened in the past.” Having completed her sentence, Xu Miao ran into her father’s car – her parents had been monitoring her rather closely after the bullying incident had been exposed. As the sun began to set, Chen Nian remained seated at her original spot. Bei Ye still hadn’t arrived; As the stream of students trickling out of school gradually diminished in size, Chen Nian overheard the discussion of a few passer-bys, “Oh dear, did you see the accident over there? It’s so scary! Nowadays, motorcyclists are……” Stunned, Chen Nian flew down the steps. “Sorry to interrupt, but did you mention an accident?” “A motorcyclist met with an accident at the intersection between Lan Xi Road and Xue Fu Road – he’s pretty young too! My guess is that he’s still a student.” “Color?” Chen Nian blabbered in anxiety, “Motorcycle, color?” “I think it’s red and black.” Chen Nian broke out in cold sweat. Without second thought, she fished out her mobile phone and began dialling Bei Ye’s number. In Bei Ye’s kitchen, where the glow of the setting sun bathed the entire room with a golden sheen, Bei Ye’s mobile phone silently vibrated on the black leather cover of the Bible. Chen Nian dashed to Lan Xi Road. As she ran past a florist, the employee unintentionally splashed her with dirty water. However, www.asianovel.com

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even before the employee could apologise for his mistake, Chen Nian had already zoomed past him without a care. Chen Nian was entirely drenched in sweat by the time she reached the intersection. Frantically weaving through the crowd, Chen Nian managed to squeeze to the front. The accident scene was a disastrous mess – but, the motorcycle wasn’t the motorcycle she knew, and the motorcyclist wasn’t the motorcyclist she knew either. Expending much effort to squeeze out of the crowd, Chen Nian heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. The sweat caused her uniform to stick to her back. She had to return to the entrance of the school to continue waiting for Bei Ye. Having walked a distance away from the crowd, Chen Nian heard the familiar sound of a motorcycle engine from behind her. Turning around, she saw Bei Ye on his motorcycle, speeding towards the school compound. Chen Nian was about to flag Bei Ye over when she was suddenly dragged backwards by a huge force. Before Chen Nian even realised what was going on, the perpetrator had already covered Chen Nian’s mouth and dragged her into a dark and dingy alley. The motorcycle zoomed past Chen Nian’s eyes. Bei Ye stopped at a street not far from school, and dashed to the entrance of the school compound. He saw a few scattered students streaming out of the school entrance, but Chen Nian was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, he reached into his pocket for his mobile phone, only just realising that the sudden appearance of the woman had caused him to forget his mobile phone. Recalling Chen Nian’s mobile number with ease, he headed to the nearby convenience shop where he could call Chen Nian with the payphone. He dialled Chen Nian’s number, but nobody picked up. Biting his lips, Bei Ye sprinted into the school compound, blatantly ignoring the security guard’s attempts to stop him. Bei Ye headed www.asianovel.com

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directly to Chen Nian’s classroom – only to find the student on cleanup duty obediently sweeping the floor. Chen Nian was nowhere to be seen. The security guard continued to chase after Bei Ye, but Bei Ye had already dashed out of the school compound before the security guard could catch up with him. Returning to the convenience store, Bei Ye tried to dial Chen Nian’s number once more with the payphone. This time, Chen Nian’s mobile phone had been switched off. The youth returned the phone to its original position. His hands began to tremble in fear. His face dark with frustration, Bei Ye strode over to the security guardhouse and asked, “Where’s the female student who always sits on the steps of the school gates?” The security guard had chased after Bei Ye till he was out of breath, and was extremely furious with Bei Ye, “Which school are you from? How dare you enter the school compound without permission……” “I’M ASKING YOU A QUESTION!!!” Bei Ye roared. Taken aback, the security guard stared at Bei Ye before pointing in the direction of Lan Xi Road, “She left in a hurry not long ago……” Bei Ye dashed down the stairs. The sun had set completely. Wei Cai and her group of seven friends grabbed Chen Nian by her hair, dragging her into a deep, dark corner of the alley. They insulted her, slapped her, kicked her, and rammed her face into the cold and filthy ground beneath them. www.asianovel.com

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The frenzied group of youths vented all their dissatisfactions with her on her battered body – their dissatisfaction with her stuttering, her beauty, her quiet nature, her excellent results; their dissatisfaction with her exposure of their dirty deeds, their dissatisfaction with her strong and stubborn nature, which prevented her from getting intimidated by them; Perhaps, it wasn’t just their dissatisfaction with her – they also vented their unhappiness with the teacher’s scolding, their unhappiness with their parent’s chiding, their dissatisfaction with the boring and numbing state of their lives, their dissatisfaction with their hopeless and bleak futures. The relentless torment and venting of the youths felt like an eternity. Propping her up by her arms, they began to tear at her clothes. Chen Nian struggled violently, using all her might to hold onto her school uniform. However, it was in vain. The group of females abused her with vulgarities, they slapped her face, boxed her head, and even kicked the area between her legs. Despite the presence of the occasional passer-by, the group of females continued their abuse without any fear. There was nothing that could inspire a sense of fear in this group of crazed youths. Chen Nian’s shoulder was exposed to the world. Chen Nian held on tightly to her clothes, and began to shout for help – Please, save me! But the passer-bys simply averted their gazes, and hurried away. Memories of Hu Xiao Die flashed before her eyes. It was as though Chen Nian could see Hu Xiao Die standing in the distance, staring at her without a single expression on her face. Her skirt was torn into shreds, and the numerous textbooks that were scattered on the ground had innumerable footsteps imprinted on it. Darwin’s face was crushed into the mud. www.asianovel.com

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Outside, a youth named Bei Ye ran with all his might on the pedestrian road, as though he was zooming past the innumerable lies and cruelty inflicted by others during one’s youth. He still harboured a small flame of hope, Don’t freak out. He told himself sternly. It’s going to be alright. You will definitely be able to find her. Loud, mocking laughter erupted from the group of females. They tugged at the red string threading the key that was hanging on Chen Nian’s neck, and dragged her white and pale body through the alley, continually insulting her, as though they were butchers dragging a piece of meat. “Come and look at the bi***! Come and look for free!” They didn’t view Chen Nian as a youth who was as young as them, they didn’t even view her as a human being; rather, they viewed her as an animal, a beast. They revealed her, allowing her pale and frail body to lie exposed to the gaze of the males who were passing by. They allowed her to be the object of cruel jokes made by these males, and allowed her to be photographed and videoed by the very same males. Like crazed, rabid dogs, Wei Cai and her friends tore at her undergarments. Chen Nian curled herself into a ball, trying her best to hang onto the remaining piece of cloth that covered her body. Amidst the struggle, the words of the Bible which she had previously recited came to her mind. As her tears flowed down her cheeks, she sobbed, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Rip…….They tore her final piece of cloth away from her, leaving www.asianovel.com

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her cold and naked. Chen Nian cried out, “Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us out debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” The raucous laughter of the surrounding females rang loud and clear, “Free viewing of the bi***!” “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one……” In the name of love, Amen. But, Is there a possibility, That love doesn’t exist in the world?

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Chapter 15 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

“I figure life’s a gift and I don’t intend on wasting it. You don’t know what hand you’re gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you…… to make each day count.” In the darkness of the movie theatre, the young Leonardo DiCaprio was reciting his lines fluently on the silver screen. The 3D glasses successfully hid Chen Nian’s eyes from view. — A few hours ago. Bei Ye swiftly shut the shutter doors and hastily drew the curtains before turning back to Chen Nian, “What happened?” “Yesterday, they hit me, they scolded me, and they stripped me of my clothing. Several times, they took photos, and recorded videos of me. She told me, to retrieve it from her today. I went to the hill behind the school building, but she wouldn’t give it to me. She said she’d show the video to me. She even said that she would upload it on the Internet, and that since so many people recorded it, it’s useless even if I report it to the police — She told me that she’d never let me off the hook. — That what happened yesterday, would happen a second time, and a third time… She threatened me and started to beat me. I tried to resist her, so I shoved her back…… I knew that I had to meet her today, so I brought a knife, thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could scare her, into leaving me alone. But she wasn’t scared in the slightest, I warned her not to come over, but she wouldn’t listen…… We began tussling…… we rolled around on the field. I didn’t know what happened next, I wasn’t thinking, I really wasn’t thinking, she just…… www.asianovel.com

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I’m wrong, I shouldn’t have gone to meet her by myself.” But because of the series of incidents that occurred after she exposed the truth of Hu Xiao Die’s suicide, she no longer trusted Zheng Yi nor the law. Raising her head to gaze at Bei Ye, tears began to form in her eyes, “I’m sorry, please save me. Please send me to the police station, I’m scared, I don’t dare to give myself up to the police. I’m afraid my mum would find out about it.” “We’re not going.” Bei Ye said firmly. “…….” “Why do we have to?” Bei Ye’s eyes reddened, “Why?!” “Why do we have to hand you over to the police? Do you want the police to continually analyse the video recordings they took of you, repeatedly asking you about your feelings over and over again, interrogating your motives – whether you truly injured Wei Cai as a form of self-defence, or whether you’re simply using self-defence as an excuse to commit murder? Do you want to come face to face to those who have hurt you, and be forced to confront them about what happened to you? Do you want to get into endless squabbles and tussles with the parents of your perpetrators? Do you even hope to sit for your graduation exams?!” “……” Mum is going to hear about this, she’ll definitely learn about the inhumane torture and hurt they inflicted on her. Her mum will definitely cry. After his temporary outburst, Bei Ye collected himself swiftly, “Are you sure she’s dead?” www.asianovel.com

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“……” Stunned, Chen Nian stared at Bei Ye blankly before shaking her head slowly, “I ran away immediately after I hurt her.” “I’ll go and take a look. But no matter what happens, this can wait till after your exams are over. Now, hand the knife to me.” The blood on the knife had dried. Bei Ye strode over to Chen Nian, and wrenched the knife from her tight grip. “Take off your clothes.” Bei Ye instructed. Chen Nian remained unmoving. Bei Ye stripped Chen Nian of her clothing, and dragged her to beneath the shower head. Turning on the shower, the water began to pour down on Chen Nian’s body, slowly cleansing the dried blood stains on Chen Nian’s body. Bei Ye gathered Chen Nian’s clothes and shoes, and was about to place them into the washing machine when he discovered his own shirt amongst Chen Nian’s clothes. It turned out that just this morning, Chen Nian was unable to locate a undershirt whilst she was wearing her uniform – thus, Bei Ye had passed her one of his undershirts to her for her use. Turning back swiftly to glance at Chen Nian, Bei Ye saw that Chen Nian was still staring at the wall, blank and confused. Angling his body such that he completely blocked Chen Nian’s line of sight, Bei Ye hastily removed his shirt from the pile of clothes and stuffed it into the drawer beneath the basin. As he opened the drawer, he discovered a special object that his mum had previously bought. Glancing at that foreign object, several ideas formed in his head. Bei Ye shut the drawer carefully. Returning to the washing machine, he was about to switch the www.asianovel.com

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machine on when several thoughts crossed his mind once again. Retrieving Chen Nian’s clothes from the washing machine, he began to remove every single item from her pockets, and stored them carefully in a huge plastic bag. The soft yellow light shone on the two quiet youths. Chen Nian had already removed all traces of the bloodstains from her body. Bei Ye squat on the ground, his gloved hands holding a brush and a bottle of detergent as he began to scrub every nook and cranny of the toilet meticulously. “Chen Nian, go out.” Bei Ye told her gently. Chen Nian remained rooted at her original spot. “I’m done for.” Chen Nian’s voice trembled, “Bei Ye, I’m done for.” — Chen Nian felt the popcorn box by her elbow. Turning her head to look at Li Xiang, she grabbed a handful of popcorn from the box and stuffed it in her mouth. It tasted like wax. — “You’re not done for.” Bei Ye removed his gloves and straightened his body, the warm water drenching the hair of the two youths, trickling down their faces. Bei Ye strode over to Chen Nian, and cupped her face in his hands. His black eyes blazed with determination as he stared into her eyes, “Nothing’s going to happen to you, I promise.” “Tell me, you……” Bei Ye paused, scrambling for an appropriate word, “Where did you hurt her?”

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Chen Nian shook her head, “……I forgot.” “How many times did you stab her?” “……I forgot.” “How deep?” “I don’t know……All I know is that I hate her, and that I really hoped that she would disappear – but despite all that, I never wanted her to die.” Chen Nian began trembling once more, “Youths like them — why aren’t they disciplined, why does nobody care about them……It shouldn’t be like this……It never should have been like this……” Bei Ye tightened his hold on Chen Nian’s face, and stared into her eyes. “Did anyone see you on your way back?” “No.” Aside for the alley nearby the abandoned steel mill, the areas surrounding the rest of the steel mill were all abandoned. “Where is she now?” Chen Nian gazed at him. “I’m going to go take a look. Your strength is rather small, so it’s likely that she merely suffered a small injury. It’s not so easy to die.” Bei Ye was abnormally calm and collected. “I’ll go with you……” “No, I’ll go by myself. If something truly happened, I’ll notify you immediately.” “But……” “There won’t be a problem. Don’t you trust me?” “I do.” www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye strode forward, gently grabbing Chen Nian’s drenched hair and pressing her into his arms. Lowering his head, he pressed his cheeks tightly against hers. All of a sudden, Chen Nian’s mobile phone rang. The two youths separated in shock. Turns out, it was Li Xiang on the other end of the line: “Chen Nian, Titanic 3D is currently screening in the theatres. I managed to obtain two movie tickets – do you want to go catch the movie together?” “I……want to revise.” The moment Chen Nian completed her sentence, she saw a frown forming on Bei Ye’s face. Undeterred, Li Xiang continued his persuasion, “Titanic 3D will no longer be screening by the time we finish our graduation exams. Such a classic movie is rare to come by – just take it as a short period of relaxation.” Bei Ye grabbed hold of Chen Nian’s shoulders, his gaze encouraging her to accede to Li Xiang’s request. Chen Nian’s lips trembled, and she gently shook her head. She wasn’t stupid – she knew that Bei Ye was simply being too cautious and wary, that he had already begun to prepare an alibi for her, to prove that she wasn’t at the crime scene. At the other end of the line, Li Xiang was still trying his best to persuade Chen Nian, “Chen Nian, Titanic is such a classic movie. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the movie as well……” In the narrow and dilapidated bathroom, the dim yellow light bathed the two youths in its glow. The two youths stared at each other, their gazes interlocking with each other’s, each knowing full well what the other party was thinking. Grabbing her by the shoulders, Bei Ye nodded slowly, and firmly. www.asianovel.com

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—— The movie felt like an eternity. Chen Nian sat in the cold, dark cinema, feeling as though she was sitting in her grave. Finally, the movie was about to come to an end – in the sea, Jack and Rose both hung onto a piece of floating wood for dear life. The youthful male made the female climb onto the floating wood whilst he continued to drift in the water. Their future together was akin to the dark night in the Arctic Ocean – icy cold, and bleak. “I love you, Jack.” “Don’t you do that, don’t say your good-byes. Not yet, do you understand me?” “Listen, Rose. You’re gonna get out of here, you’re gonna go on and you’re gonna make lots of babies, and you’re gonna watch them grow. You’re gonna die an old……an old lady warm in her bed, not here, not this night. Not like this, do you understand me?” “I can’t feel my body.” “Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever happened to me… it brought me to you. And I’m thankful for that, Rose. I’m thankful. You must do me this honor. Promise me you’ll survive. That you won’t give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise.” “I promise.” At long last, the female loosened the male lead’s grip on the wooden board, and invested all her energy into swimming towards the bright future; the suave male lead gradually sunk into the Arctic www.asianovel.com

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Ocean, quietly swallowed up by the depths of the ocean. Strolling out of the cinema, Li Xian saw Chen Nian’s red-rimmed eyes. “Did you cry?” Chen Nian lowered her head, shaking it obstinately, “I didn’t.” “Girls tend to cry when they watch this movie.” Li Xiang continued. Li Xiang raised his hand in an attempt to pat her shoulder as encouragement. However, before he could act on his intention, he decided against it, and retracted his outstretched hand. Instead, he shook the box of popcorn playfully, “I didn’t know that you were such a small eater – look, there’s still a huge box of popcorn left.” Chen Nian replied feebly, “I don’t like snacks.” “No wonder you’re so skinny!” Glancing at his watch, Li Xiang continued, “It’s pretty late, why don’t I send you home?” The moment Chen Nian reached home, icy sheets of rain began to pour from the sky. Despite having waited for a period of time, Bei Ye still hadn’t arrived. Chen Nian fished out her mobile phone, and was about to dial Bei Ye’s number when she discovered, to her surprise, that her mobile phone was entirely devoid of Bei Ye’s details. Puzzled, Chen Nian was about to delve further into the issue when she heard a loud knock on her door. Frightened, Chen Nian inched closer to the door, only to hear Bei Ye’s low voice ring out, “It’s me.” Chen Nian opened the door without a moment’s hesitation, and let www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye into her house. He was entirely drenched from the rain, and the raindrops flowed from his raincoat onto the floor. Passing him a towel, she asked in a small tone, “How is she?” “She should be fine.” Bei Ye responded. “Fine?” “I went to the hill behind your school building. Despite searching the entire hill, she was nowhere to be found.” “Did you go to the wrong place? I should have, accompanied you on your trip.” “No, I went to the right place. I saw the blood stains, but she wasn’t there.” Startled, Chen Nian asked hesitantly, “You’re……you’re not lying to me?” “I’m not lying to you. It’s true.” Bei Ye continued, “There were very little bloodstains – it was most likely a minor injury. Now that I think about it, when you returned in the afternoon, there were very little bloodstains on your clothes as well.” Chen Nian gazed at Bei Ye, perplexity, confusion and reliance evident in her eyes. “Since her injury was rather minor, my guess is that she simply walked off by herself.” Bei Ye continued in a calm tone, “You weren’t sure about how many stabs you gave her, or how deep the stabs were either – my guess is that you were simply too anxious, so you inevitably exaggerated the seriousness of your acts.” “Is that the case?” Chen Nian furrowed her brows, “But……She www.asianovel.com

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would go to the police, she……” “She won’t.” Bei Ye interrupted Chen Nian, wiping the raindrops off his hair. Removing his raincoat, he hung the raincoat on the clothing rack, “She’s always getting into fights, and has suffered way more injuries than this – but have you ever seen her go to the police? Furthermore, the moment she goes to the police, she would inadvertently expose the incidents when she, along with her group of friends, bullied and targeted you. There are so many of them, and some of them are still schooling – the moment she exposes their dirty past, these students would inevitably be expelled. In any event, if she had truly gone to the police, do you think you’d be standing her right now?” Chen Nian gave a cursory “oh” in response, and continued gazing at Bei Ye, the clouds of confusion still evident in her eyes. “Don’t beat yourself up over this incident.” Bei Ye coaxed her softly, “The wounds that you inflicted on her are truly minor – she’d suffer way more serious injuries if she fought with other people.” Chen Nian still remained seemingly perplexed. After some time, she slowly lowered her head, and retrieved a mobile SIM card from her bag. Bei Ye took the mobile SIM card from Chen Nian, and swiftly cut it into pieces with a scissors; Chen Nian pointed towards the bin, “The rubbish bin is right there.” Bei Ye shook his head gently, “I’ll throw this outside.” She raised her head and gazed into his eyes. Bei Ye rubbed her hair gently, the loose threads from the red string hanging on his wrist softly brushing past her cheeks.

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“She’s fine. Don’t think so much. Just focus on your studies, and prepare for the exams.” Chen Nian nodded her head mechanically. The wind and rain continued raging outside the house, causing the light bulb hanging above the two youths to oscillate from side to side. The shadows of the two youths swayed from side to side, frail and uncertain. Bei Ye sat on the edge of the bed, waves of fatigue rolling off his body. Raising his head, he spotted Chen Nian staring blankly into the distance. After gazing at her for a short period of time, he asked softly, “Was the movie nice?” “Ah?” “I asked, was the movie nice?” “– It wasn’t nice.” Chen Nian shook her head vigorously. “It had a tragic ending, so I didn’t like it.” “Tragic ending?” “Yes. The male lead, gave the female lead, the opportunity to live. In the end, the male lead, sacrificed himself.” “What about the female lead? What happened to her?” “She got married, gave birth to numerous kids, and lived to a ripe old age.” “That sounds pretty good.” A tiny smile formed on Bei Ye’s lips. “What’s so good about that?” Chen Nian protested. Bei Ye raised his head to look at her. He opened his mouth, as though he was about to say something. However, no words came out from his mouth, and at long last, he simply closed his mouth; Bei Ye www.asianovel.com

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simply looked at Chen Nian calmly, his gaze determined and gentle, as though his eyes were the openings of a deep and old well. Chen Nian stood erect at her original spot, her gaze interlocking with his. All of a sudden, she was overcome with an irresistible urge to cry. Gazing into each other’s eyes, the two youths perceived and understood the other’s desperate struggle to live, the hurt the other party suffered, and the hopeless love each possessed for the other party. But there was nothing they could possibly say – because even if they voiced out their struggles and declared their love for each other, it would not help their situation in the slightest. The tiny and frail shoulders of the two youths were beginning to crumple under the excessive weight placed on them; they were still so young, but in this raging and bitter world, they only had each other to rely on. One begins to wonder, whether meeting each other was a lucky incident, or an unlucky incident. Gazing at each other, Bei Ye broke into a tiny, small smile. He raised his arms outstretched towards her; Little Stutterer, come to me. Chen Nian rubbed the tears from her eyes, obediently closing the gap and seating herself on his lap. Tightly encircling her arms around his neck, she was like a kid who was hugging her most beloved toy. Chen Nian rested her head on his shoulder, and tightened her grip further, inhaling the scent of rain from his neck. Hugging her as tightly as he could, Bei Ye gradually fell backwards, toppling onto the bed. It was as though, they could no longer hear the raging winds and torrential rain outside. www.asianovel.com

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The two youths each other as tightly as they could, both fervently wishing in their hearts, that time could stop at this very instant.

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Chapter 16 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. How do we translate this quote by Oscar Wilde?” The English teacher stood behind the podium, his sharp, bespectacled eyes sweeping across the classroom. “Can someone volunteer to translate this sentence? What about Chen Nian?” Chen Nian was about to rise from her seat when the English teacher waved his hand at her, “You may remain seated.” Chen Nian replied softly, “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” “That’s absolutely correct. We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” The English teacher repeated the translation once more, and pushed his spectacles up before continuing, “ question.” It was the fourth day after the stabbing incident. Everything was as per normal. Wei Cai never sought Chen Nian out for revenge. As the rainy season neared its end, the weather gradually grew hotter and hotter. Bei Ye purchased a small electric fan for Chen Nian. Chen Nian hung it underneath her desk, the electric fan whirring silently as it provided her with much-needed comfort. The English teacher was still going through the questions on the worksheet when a familiar figure appeared at the entrance of the classroom. On seeing the form teacher’s skinny figure, Chen Nian’s heart skipped a beat – only to hear him announce, “Zeng Hao, could you excuse yourself for a minute?” www.asianovel.com

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Zeng Hao left the classroom. Chen Nian redirected her attention to the English teacher. Not long after, Zeng Hao returned to the classroom, hints of delight barely concealed beneath her mask of normalcy. After class, Xiao Mi poked Zeng Hao’s back, “Zeng Hao.” “Yes?” Zeng Hao turned back to look at Xiao Mi. “Why did the form teacher look for you? Did something good happen to you?” Chen Nian opened a packet of Pocky biscuits. “May I have some?” Zeng Hao reached over and grabbed a single Pocky stick. Xiao Mi reached for a Pocky stick as well, commenting as she munched on the Pocky stick, “Nian, you seem to have plenty of snacks recently.” Several classmates began to gather round Chen Nian’s table, each grabbing a Pocky stick from her. Before long, the packet of Pocky was depleted. “Wei Cai’s missing.” Zeng Hao shrugged her shoulders as she nibbled on her biscuit, unable to hide her gleeful expression from her face. Surprised, Xiao Mi continued asking, “Why would the form teacher look for you if Wei Cai is missing?” Zeng Hao rolled her eyes, “They’re just going through the motions and asking me about her whereabouts as a symbolic step – after all, everybody knew that I was a victim of the bullying Wei Cai and her friends inflicted on me. At that time, they all persuaded me not to overcomplicate matters, and to simply think of it as a prank between classmates. Now, seeing that I’m the first one to be questioned by them, www.asianovel.com

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they must have reversed their viewpoint on the incident.” Zeng Hao let out a cold, short laugh before continuing, “I’m not the only one who had been targeted by Wei Cai – students from neighbouring schools have been targets of her bullying as well! Am I the only one who hates her? In any event, I can’t be bothered about what happened to her – she deserves to be missing.” Chen Nian raised her head, and warned Zeng Hao, “Don’t be so sure about that. What if, she had simply gone away for a short recreational trip? She might return, after a few days.” Zeng Hao pouted, “I hope she never returns. Ever.” Xiao Mi chimed in, “Ah, our form teacher is going to have a head full of white hair soon.” “Why should he grow any white hair?” Zeng Hao retorted, “Wei Cai has already been expelled from school; the responsibility of monitoring her now lies with her parents, so the school has nothing to do with Wei Cai. ly, the school administrators didn’t want to admit that their students were involved in such a huge scandal, so they tried various ways and means to resolve the incident amicably. Now, they’re probably thanking the heavens that Wei Cai is no longer connected to them – otherwise, the reputation of the school would go down the drain.” Chen Nian spotted Xu Miao standing behind Zeng Hao, and nudged Zeng Hao indiscreetly; Zeng Hao turned around, an awkward expression flashing across her face upon seeing Xu Miao. Turning back to Chen Nian, Zeng Hao stuck her tongue out in an attempt to diffuse the situation. The topic came to a halt. Evening time. Chen Nian headed to the entrance of the school, and saw Bei Ye www.asianovel.com

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waiting in his usual spot, on the street opposite the school compound. But…… Bei Ye wasn’t looking at her; instead, Bei Ye was staring at Xu Miao, a strange, cold smile forming on his lips. It was only when Xu Miao hopped into her parents car did Bei Ye turn to look at Chen Nian. Puzzled, Chen Nian mulled over Bei Ye’s odd behaviour before coming to the conclusion that she must have seen wrongly. On spotting Chen Nian, Bei Ye began to walk towards Chen Nian. Chen Nian continued to walk by herself. After the previous incident, Chen Nian often felt ill at ease, and had to frequently turn back to look at Bei Ye in order to feel a sense of security. Just as she turned her head to look at Bei Ye, she heard Li Xiang’s voice ring out, “Chen Nian!” Chen Nian’s gaze flew towards Bei Ye, only to see Bei Ye staring at her. Stuffing his hand in his pockets, he took a small, deliberate step to the side – only to ram into Li Xiang’s shoulder when Li Xiang ran past him. Bei Ye reeled slightly from the impact. “Oh, sorry!” Li Xiang turned back, apologising brightly to Bei Ye before continuing to run towards Chen Nian. Chen Nian quietly glanced at Li Xiang before turning back and continuing to walk ahead. Sensing the strained atmosphere, Li Xiang hurriedly explained himself, “I’m heading to my aunt’s place for dinner again.” “Oh.” “Chen Nian, I heard that Wei Cai’s missing.”

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“Is that so?” “Maybe she fought with her parents and ran away from home.” Li Xiang mulled over it before continuing, “I suppose it’s good that she left. That way, she can no longer affect you.” Upon hearing this, Chen Nian’s sensitive nature caused her to raise her head, and she cut him off, “I have no, connection with Wei Cai. The way you said it, made it sound like, I would be extremely happy, if she disappeared. She didn’t, affect me. It’s probably more accurate, to say that she affected Zeng Hao.” Li Xiang was momentarily stunned. After coming back to his senses, he began to apologise, “That’s true.” His apology hung awkwardly between the two of them as they continued walking side by side. Just then, Li Xiang unintentionally cast a backwards glance. His smile faltering slightly, he lowered his head and warned Chen Nian under his breath, “Chen Nian, I’ve seen this person before. He had previously followed you before.” “Ah?” “Don’t turn back!” But Chen Nian had already turned back. The very next moment, Li Xiang grabbed Chen Nian’s hand and dragged her forward into a run, “Run! We have to ditch him!” Chen Nian stared at Bei Ye in surprise – but before she could react, she had already been dragged off by Li Xiang. Chen Nian struggled against Li Xiang’s grip the entire way, but Li Xiang was simply too strong. Grabbing Chen Nian by the hand, he dragged her across entire streets before turning back to check that “the mysterious stranger” was no longer following them. After www.asianovel.com

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ascertaining that they were no longer being followed, Li Xiang gradually came to a stop. Chen Nian wrested her hand out of Li Xiang’s grip. Bending her body, Chen Nian tried to catch her breath. “Why did you start running!” Chen Nian was extremely unhappy. Chen Nian rarely showcased any emotion, so it was extremely rare for her to reveal her negative emotions; Li Xiang rationalised Chen Nian’s odd behaviour away by assuming that she was in a bad mood today. Lowering his voice, he tried to explain to her as patiently as he could, “I was afraid that someone was tailing you.” “Who?” Breathing heavily, Chen Nian stared at him, “Who!” “… He didn’t follow us after all.” “There’s so many people, in school.” Chen Nian was drenched in sweat, and her face was flushed, “Of course there would be people walking in the same direction!” “That’s true. But, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I’m sorry.” Li Xiang smiled at her apologetically. Chen Nian turned away, averting her gaze, “It’s alright.” Chen Nian bid Li Xiang goodbye at the intersection and began to wait for Bei Ye. Her inexplicable feelings of unhappiness and anger with Li Xiang only began to subside when she spotted Bei Ye in the distance. However, Bei Ye didn’t stop as he strolled past her. Instead, he merely cast a quick glance at her as he walked past her. Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Nian fell into step next to Bei Ye, the two youths separated by a distance of roughly two to three persons.

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Ever since that day, Bei Ye no longer used his motorcycle to fetch her to and fro from school. Chen Nian no longer returned to her own home; neither did she stay in school in the afternoon to revise her work. Nowadays, she simply returned to Bei Ye’s home during the afternoon break – as long as she was not in school, Bei Ye’s presence was essential for her to feel a sense of security. When the two youths arrived at the abandoned fields surrounding Bei Ye’s home, Chen Nian closed the gap between her and Bei Ye, and stared at him with her innocent and wide eyes. She was waiting for Bei Ye to speak up, to ask her how was her day in school. But Bei Ye remained silent. He didn’t even spare her a single glance. After some time, Chen Nian spoke up, “Are you unhappy?” “No, I’m not.” Casually plucking out some green foxtails by his feet, Bei Ye returned the question, “What about you?” “Ah?” “Are you unhappy?” “I’m not unhappy either.” Chen Nian shook her head in response. The fiery golden orb hung on the horizon beyond the abandoned field. Unable to repress her curiosity, Chen Nian inquired, “Why did you, knock into him, just now?” “Who?” “– Li Xiang.”

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Bei Ye snorted, “What an odd name.” “Why did you knock into him?” Chen Nian persisted, demanding an answer from Bei Ye, “I saw you, you did it on purpose.” “I don’t like him, so I knocked into him.” Bei Ye turned his body slightly towards Chen Nian. Leaning down and brushing the green foxtail against the tip of her nose lightly, he teased, “Do you intend to seek revenge for him?” “……” Chen Nian’s face reddened in embarrassment. After a momentary silence, she continued asking, “Why do you, dislike him?” Bei Ye let out a short laugh before glancing at Chen Nian coolly, “Don’t you already know why?” Lowering her head, Chen Nian tried to rub the sweat off her palms, “But I don’t, like him. Not, in that way.” “If that’s the case, who do you like?” Bei Ye asked. Chen Nian felt her face burn up. The long stalks of grass swayed lightly in the wind. Chen Nian didn’t answer; but at the very next moment, Bei Ye felt a small and soft hand worm its way into his palm, as though it was a small, tiny fish that managed to worm into the mud – although the mud had long been prepared for such ‘attacks’, it was still caught unawares by the little fish, which succeeded in creating a small hole in the mud and filling it with water, thus providing the dry and cracked mud with some much-needed moisture. The youth held Chen Nian’s hand tenderly as he led her across the vast and wild field, both of them gradually making their way towards the setting sun. www.asianovel.com

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Strolling into the grounds of the abandoned steel mill, stalks of flowers capable of being made into earcuffs caught Bei Ye’s attention. Bei Ye plucked two flowers and carefully hung them on Chen Nian’s ears. Pinching Chen Nian’s earlobes, he made a sudden observation, “You don’t have any earholes.” “I was planning to, pierce my ears, after exams ended.” “Okay.” “Will you go with me?” “Of course.” Bei Ye leaned towards Chen Nian, his lips lightly brushing past her cheeks, as though he was a kid tasting his favourite cotton candy. Bei Ye continued, “When you finally pierce your ears, I’ll give you a pair of earrings as a present.” “……Thank you.” “I haven’t given you the earrings yet.” “I can thank you in advance, it doesn’t mater.” The two youths walked towards their home, their fingers tightly interlaced together. Bei Ye’s mobile phone rang. Frowning, he picked up the call, his tone cold as ice, “I already told you – don’t look for me during afternoon and night.” Chen Nian knew that Bei Ye’s friends were on the other end of the line. Nowadays, Bei Ye was only able to spend time with his friends when Chen Nian was in school; and after the incident, Bei Ye only became more protective of her than ever. Bei Ye hung up on his friends. Chen Nian suggested, “Tonight, let’s try to cook something www.asianovel.com

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for dinner.” Bei Ye smiled indulgently, “Sure.” Stepping into the grounds of the abandoned steel mill, Chen Nian discovered two thick, long ropes hanging from the mulberry tree. Chen Nian gazed at the ropes, and turned to look at Bei Ye with a questioning look in her eyes. Bei Ye answered, “I’m building a swing for you; you can sit on the swing every single day after examinations end. I’ve also sprayed huge amounts of insecticide on the tree, so you won’t be bothered by annoying bugs when you’re sitting on the swing.” Chen Nian gave a small, gentle nod. Upon reaching Bei Ye’s home, the two youths discovered that they had no more rice or instant noodles. Instead, they were only left with a handful of spaghetti noodles. Chen Nian set some water to boil, and threw the noodles into the pot. Turning to Bei Ye, she asked, “Is this enough for the both of us?” “It doesn’t seem to be enough. Let’s add two eggs.” Bei Ye cracked two eggs into the pot. Chen Nian began raiding Bei Ye’s fridge, “Oh, there’s some Chinese cabbages and some mushrooms left! Ah, there’s some tomatoes as well!” Removing these vegetables from the fridge, Chen Nian threw them all into the pot of boiling water. Finally, Chen Nian and Bei Ye managed to produce a pot full of vegetables and noodles. The two youths didn’t even bother placing the soupy noodles into a huge bowl, and simply placed the pot on the table. Grabbing two pairs of chopsticks, the two youths sat themselves on the chairs and began eating directly from the pot. It was surprisingly delicious. In the heat of the summer, the two youths ate hot, tasty noodles www.asianovel.com

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for dinner as beads of sweat began forming on their forehead. The electric fan whirred in the background, providing much needed comfort. “Do you like it?” Bei Ye asked. Chen Nian nodded her head happily. Bei Ye pushed the bottle of beer towards her, “Try some.” Chen Nian grabbed the bottle carefully, and took a small sip. As she slowly gulped down the bitter liquid, her eyebrows began to knit together tightly. Bei Ye stared at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Is it tasty?” Chen Nian pressed her lips together, and replied, “No, it isn’t.” As she gazed at Bei Ye, her lips began to curve into a smile. “Why are you smiling?” Curious, Bei Ye asked. Chen Nian shook her head gently, “There isn’t any particular reason.” “Are you happy?” Staring blankly into space, Chen Nian mulled over the question before slowly nodding her head. In a low voice, Chen Nian replied softly, “Happy.” Bei Ye responded with a single ‘Oh’ before lowering his gaze and staring at the noodles in the pot, his lips unknowingly curving into a small, blissful smile. Chen Nian returned the question to him, “Are you happy?” “I’m happy too.” www.asianovel.com

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Having gobbled up the noodles in its entirety, Bei Ye asked, “Are you full?” Chen Nian nodded, “I’m full.” As if on cue, the heavenly scent of freshly baked bread began to waft from the alley, finding its way into the noses of the two youths. Bei Ye stood up, “Do you want some?” “……Yes.” Laughing aloud, Bei Ye hopped out of his window. Before long, he returned to the house with freshly baked bread and an extra lollipop in tow. Removing the lollipop from its packaging, Chen Nian hurriedly placed it in her mouth. As she turned from the table, she spotted the Bible on the drawer. Paling slightly, she walked over to the drawer and hastily hid the Bible from view. Turning back to Bei Ye, she commented as casually as she could, “Wei Cai’s missing.” “Oh.” Bei Ye replied, his facial expression betraying no hint of any emotion. Sticking the straw into the small box of milk, he pushed the milk to Chen Nian. “Where would she have gone to?” “Who knows? There are so many people out there who are unhappy with her. Her whereabouts is none of our business.” “Oh.” But if the Police began to investigate Wei Cai’s disappearance, it would nevertheless cause a huge disturbance. Frowning, Chen Nian stood up all of a sudden, and made her way to the bathroom. On entering the bathroom, she began rifling through the drawers and the clothing pile; Bei Ye didn’t make any attempt to stop Chen Nian, and simply sat at the table whilst drinking his milk. www.asianovel.com

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Wrenching open the bottom drawer beneath the sink, Chen Nian discovered that it was entirely void of any objects; having searched the bathroom as thoroughly as she could, she inquired, “Where’s the clothes?” “Hmm?” “That day, the clothes that I wore.” “I burnt them.” “You burnt them?” Slightly surprised at Bei Ye’s cautious nature, Chen Nian pressed on, “But wouldn’t you have, been discovered, when you were burning the clothes?” “I know of a place where rubbish gets incinerated every single day.” On seeing Chen Nian open her mouth once more, Bei Ye interrupted her train of thought, “Don’t you have to revise your schoolwork today?” “I do.” As Chen Nian returned to the table, Bei Ye hooked up the table lamp for her. The two youths sat on opposite ends of the table; as Chen Nian tackled question after question, Bei Ye flipped through his comic books, only raising his head occasionally to glance at her. Once in a while, Bei Ye would head over to the window to chase the noisy crickets away. With that, the two youths passed their long summer nights quietly, peaceful and content. Day after day, the two youths relied and depended on each other. One summer night, Chen Nian closed her books as the familiar screech of the train began to ring. The torrential rain hadn’t poured down that night, and the house was filled with a peaceful silence.

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Chen Nian commented, “It didn’t rain, tonight.” Bei Ye strolled over to the window, and peered out, “The rainy season is about to end……” Pausing, he gazed at the night sky, “Little Stutterer,” “Hmm?” Chen Nian turned to look at him. “Come and take a look.” Bei Ye urged. Chen Nian walked to the window. Sticking her head out of the window, she began to gaze at the canopy of luminous stars in the inky night sky. Bei Ye hopped onto the windowsill, and stretched his hand out to Chen Nian. Gladly placing her small hand in his outstretched palm, Chen Nian clambered up the window sill and hopped onto the small cement ledge outside the window. With Bei Ye’s help, she managed to reach the emergency stairwell easily and began making her way to the rooftop. The two youths sat side by side on the rooftop, their shoulders gently touching each other’s as they admired the starry night sky, their gazes devout and sincere. The canopy of stars was so breathtaking, so beautiful, that the two youths were overcome with an irresistible urge to cry. All of a sudden, Chen Nian was reminded of the sentence which she had previously studied in English class. “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” Bei Ye lowered his eyes and turned to look at her. Puzzled, Chen Nian expressed her confusion, “I don’t really understand what that sentence means.” “Bei Ye,” Chen Nian asked softly, “What does it mean, when they say ‘looking at the stars’?” “To me, it means this very moment. Right here, right now.” www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian still remained puzzled and confused, the bewilderment evident on her pale face. The corners of Bei Ye’s lips curved up to form a small, gentle smile. “Hopefully, you’ll be able to comprehend the meaning of this sentence one day.” “Will I?” “You will.” Bei Ye replied in a determined tone. “Do you believe that you would?” “I do. You said I would, so I definitely would.”

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Chapter 17 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

Self-revision period. The form teacher waltzed into the classroom, and rapped on the podium with his knuckles. The students raised their heads from their revision materials, and focused their attention on the form teacher. On successfully gathering the students’ attention, the form teacher launched into a speech warning the students about protecting oneself and being wary of strangers. “Especially female students,” The form teacher cautioned, “Try not to go to places where there’s very little people, and try not to linger around in empty parks and mountainous areas. If you must, go in a huge group – and try your best not to head out at night.” Curious, a student asked, “Did something happen?” The form teacher reassured the class, “Nothing happened – but I thought it’d be good to warn the class about safety measures since the graduation exams are nearing.” Having clarified the situation, the form teacher continued his lecture by reminding students about having clean eating habits and hygiene issues. But the sensitive youths continued to scrutinise and analyse the form teacher’s every word, and every emotion; when the form teacher left the classroom, the entire classroom began to buzz in excitement. “Something happened. Something definitely happened.” “Did you notice the form teacher’s tone? ‘Especially female www.asianovel.com

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students.’ – Ah, I bet it has something to do with that.” “What’s ‘that‘?” “Don’t you know? I mentioned it before – the rapist who goes around committing sexual assaults in a huge raincoat! You guys brushed it off so easily before, surely you guys believe me now?” “Oh—-” Understanding dawned on the various students. Chen Nian wasn’t concerned in the slightest, and placed a dried plum in her mouth. Zeng Hao, who was seated in front of Chen Nian, turned back and sprawled on Chen Nian’s desk. Angling her head to keep Chen Nian in view, she signalled for Chen Nian to close the distance between them. Chen Nian shifted herself closer to Zeng Hao, as did Xiao Mi. When the three of them were sufficiently close, Zeng Hao blurted, “I think that there’s a high possibility that the person our form teacher was referring to is Wei Cai.” Chen Nian and Xiao Mi were instantly shocked. Zeng Hao contiued, “I’m sure of it. I’m not lying to you two – I’ll even swear on my examination pass.” Th dried plum began to dissolve in Chen Nian’s mouth, overwhelming Chen Nian’s tastebuds with its sourness. Carefully, Chen Nian inquired, “What happened…to her?” A look of hesitation flickered across Zeng Hao’s face, as though she felt awkward about what she was going to say next. “She was first raped, then murdered.” Chen Nian: “……” Xiao Mi exclaimed, “Are you sure about this? You’re telling us this based off some rumours, aren’t you?!”

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“It’s true!” Zeng Hao retorted, “Do you remember the huge storm that happened one week ago? It was one of the last storms that occurred at the end of the rainy season. In any event, the rain caused the San Shui bridge to collapse.” Everybody knew about this piece of news. The San Shui bridge was a metal bridge that collapsed recently. However, as it was located in a deserted and isolated location, there were no deaths and injuries resulting from its collapse. Given the minimal impact it had, it wasn’t good gossip material, and wasn’t something that the graduating batch of students were concerned with. “When the workers went into the water to clean up the debris, they discovered a single shoe. Initially, they simply thought that it was a piece of rubbish, and threw it aside. It was only later when they discovered……” Xiao Mi interrupted, “The shoe belonged to Wei Cai?” “Exactly! After Wei Cai disappeared, the Missing Persons poster was put up everywhere. Even the clothes and shoes that she wore that day were displayed on the web.” “What happened next?” “Of course the workers reported the incident to the Police! The Police began to scour the area, and finally found a female corpse in the muddy bank beside the river, about 1 km away from the San Shui bridge.” Xiao Mi pressed on, “She was buried in the muddy bank?” “Yes – and when the police uncovered her corpse, she was entirely naked without a single piece of clothing on her!” “But — that doesn’t necessarily mean that she was raped and murdered.” www.asianovel.com

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“You probably don’t know this, but…” Lowering her voice, Zeng Hao whispered to Chen Nian and Xiao Mi, “there are quite a couple of girls in Xi Cheng who have already been, you know, that. It’s just that the culprit has yet to be caught.” Everybody knew what Zeng Hao was referring to. Chen Nian suddenly recalled the time she went to San Shui Bridge, and Zheng Yi’s reminder for her to be especially careful when she was heading to and fro from school. Doubtful, she inquired, “Even then, how do we know that the corpse is actually Wei Cai?” “Where do you think Wei Cai disappeared to? I have a feeling that the corpse is Wei Cai. It’s definitely her.” Zeng Hao said confidently. If the corpse was truly Wei Cai, and she had died in such a nasty fashion, she must have endured insufferable pain before she died. Chen Nian chewed on the dried plum, a terrible and grotesque sense of happiness rising in her heart. On sensing her sense of happiness, Chen Nian immediately surveyed her own heart, and felt overcome with a sense of embarrassment and shame. Afternoon break. Chen Nian sat cross legged on the cool bamboo mat. As Bei Ye sprinkled small droplets of water on the area surrounding the bamboo mat in an attempt to lower the temperature of the room, Chen Nian told him the rumours surrounding Wei Cai. Bei Ye simply gave a cursory “oh” in response, and didn’t bother engaging Chen Nian further in the topic. The electric fan messed up his fringe, causing his fringe to cover his eyes, effectively shielding his expression from view. “Do you suppose, it really is Wei Cai?” Chen Nian asked. “How am I supposed to know?” Bei Ye raised his eyes to look at www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian, “I’m not the police.” Having sprinkled the water, the room felt marginally cooler than before. Bei Ye sat himself on the bamboo mat and told Chen Nian, “Let’s sleep.” Chen Nian lay on the bamboo mat and closed her eyes; Bei Ye lay on the mat beside Chen Nian, and gently shut his eyes as well. The electric fan whirred quietly, the gentle wind grazing across their skins and offering them some much-needed comfort. After some time, the heat gradually dissipated. When Bei Ye carefully placed a pillow cover on Chen Nian’s tummy, Chen Nian opened her eyes. On seeing Chen Nian stare at him with her eyes wide open, Bei Ye asked in a low, muted voice, “Did I wake you up?” Chen Nian shook her head, and continued gazing at him. “What’s the matter?” Bei Ye asked. Chen Nian finally spoke up, her voice quivering slightly, “That day, when you went to the hill behind the school building – was Wei Cai really missing by the time you arrived?” “Yes.” “If so, why did you return home so late, that day?” “I combed the entire hill very carefully.” Chen Nian opened her mouth; ultimately, no words came out of her mouth, and she simply stared at Bei Ye quietly. She had a pair of eyes that spoke volumes, but at this very moment, her gaze was void of any message. She appeared to be extremely troubled and confused, but at the same time, she had no idea what she was confused about. A distant smile formed on Bei Ye’s lips, “Do you think that I’m www.asianovel.com

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lying to you?” “That’s not it.” Chen Nian protested weakly. “Let’s sleep.” Bei Ye suggested once more. Chen Nian shut her eyes, as did Bei Ye. When Bei Ye and Chen Nian woke up from their afternoon nap, Bei Ye made arrangements to send Chen Nian to school. Just as the two youths exited the abandoned steel mill and ventured onto the wild, grassy area surrounding the mill, a bright, youthful voice rang out from behind them, “Bei Ye!” It was Bei Ye’s friends – Da Kang and Lai Zi, youths who, like him, were extremely tall and skinny, and who frequently played hooky with him as well. Chen Nian instantly hid herself behind Bei Ye, grabbing onto Bei Ye’s shirt as tightly as she could. She was trembling – Bei Ye could feel it. After that incident, she had begun to fear all youthful hooligans, except for him. “Bei Ge[1] –” “Xiao[2] Bei –” [1] Ge is directly translated into older brother; and [2] Xiao means little, young. By addressing Bei Ye as Brother Bei and Little Bei, the two friends are showing their affection for him and how close they are to him. The two youthful hooligans ran over to Bei Ye, “Let’s go skate at the half-pipe!” “You guys go ahead, I’d join you guys shortly.” The wind rustled across the grassy plains, whipping strands of Chen Nian’s long black hair and her white, clean skirt into view. “What’s going on with you recently? What have you been www.asianovel.com

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busy with?” When Da Kang tried to peer over Bei Ye’s back, Bei Ye swiftly stepped to the right, completely blocking Chen Nian from view. Da Kang raised his eyes in surprise, only to see the harsh warning in Bei Ye’s eyes. It was as though Bei Ye was staring at an enemy. Stunned, Da Kang stared blankly at Bei Ye – he had grown up together with Bei Ye, and Bei Ye had always treated him as a brother. This was the very first time Bei Ye was so hostile towards him. The two brothers stared at each other – stalemate. On sensing the hostility brewing between his two friends, Lai Zi stepped forward and tugged at Da Kang’s arm. In a small voice, he tried to defuse the situation, “Let’s go skate first, we can always talk later.” Da Kang glanced at the two shadows beside Bei Ye’s feet, a short shadow and a tall shadow had formed, and were stuck together, like two inseperable figures; Da Kang was extremely unhappy, and wanted to leave Bei Ye with some harsh words in order to express his unhappiness and dissatisfaction with Bei Ye’s absence the past few days. In the end, Da Kang only managed a sarcastic asnarl, “Guess you’re exactly like those guys, huh? Gals before pals.” Stalking back in the direction he had originally come from, he shrugged Lai Zi’s hand off, “You — Get lost too!” Lai Zi turned to look at Bei Ye, and was about to chide him when he noticed Bei Ye’s gaze. Swallowing his words, he said feebly, “I’ll call you later.” And then, Lai Zi ran off too. Bei Ye reached behind him, and grabbed Chen Nian’s hand gently. Chen Nian’s palm was drenched in sweat, and she was gripping his shirt so tightly that he had to expend a fair amount of effort to loosen her grip. Chen Nian’s face was deathly pale, and she lowered her head, refusing to look into Bei Ye’s eyes. “Is that person……you friend?”

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“Not anymore.” Bei Ye held her hand gently, before slowly tightening his grip. She too, gradually tightened her grip, the strength of the two youths tying them together tightly. Slowly traversing the wild plains, the two youths walked on in silence. Certain things were best left unsaid. The red string continued to hang around his right wrist. It was a meaningless object, but because of his love, it became very precious to him. Slowly, he tightened his grip on her. However, ultimately, he had no choice but to loosen his grip on her. They had reached the main road, and could no longer stroll alongside each other. When it was time to cross the road, Chen Nian waited at the curb for the light to turn green, whilst Bei Ye waited beneath the shade of the tree, five metres away from her. Chen Nian felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning back, she discovered Zheng Yi standing right behind her. Instinctively, Chen Nian wanted to glance at Bei Ye’s direction, but she didn’t. “Officer Zheng……” “Chen Nian,” Zheng Yi smiled gently, “Why are you running about in the afternoon?” As he had previously sent Chen Nian to and fro from school, he knew that Chen Nian often stayed in the school compounds during afternoon break. Chen Nian replied, “I……I return home sometimes during afternoon break.” “Ah, sprawling on your desk mustn’t be very comfortable.” The light turned green. Jabbing his chin in the direction of the road, Zheng Yi continued, “Let’s go.” www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian followed him, her heart pounding in her chest as an uneasy sensation crawled up her spine. After some time, she asked carefully, “Why……are you……in the area?” “Oh, I came to look for you. I didn’t expect to see you here, I thought you were in school!” “Why are you looking for me?” As a car made a sharp right turn and cut into Chen Nian’s path, Zheng Yi pulled Chen Nian’s arm and tugged her backwards. Her skin was slightly cool. Within moments, she had freed herself from his grasp. Hazily sensing a barrier between the two of them, Zheng Yi simply accounted for it by assuming that it was because the two of them hadn’t met for a long time, and that she was suffering from a lot of stress in school. Reigniting the conversation, he asked, “Graduation exams are nearing, aren’t they? How’s your preparation? Have you been well?” “Same…old.” “Yes, just tackle the examinations head on with a calm and collected heart.” After some time, Zheng Yi reminded Chen Nian, “In the future, go home early as soon as possible, and try not to head to isolated places alone.” Ah. Zheng Yi finally started on his main point. Chen Nian nodded, “Our teacher…already reminded us to be careful.” “That’s good to hear.” Zheng Yi nodded his head. Lowering his head, Zheng Yi mulled for some time before continuing, “Try to stay away from boys your age, and don’t be so quick to trust them. More importantly, don’t go into a boy’s home alone. If you ever encounter a dangerous situation, stay calm, and don’t agitate the other party.” www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian’s heart tightened. With a guilty conscience, she regarded Zheng Yi warily. Does he know about Bei Ye’s existence? Speedily collecting her thoughts, Chen Nian overturned her initial suspicions – based on what Zheng Yi said, it seemed that the police had managed to lock down a suspect pool. Raising her head, Chen Nian was about to enquire further when she realized that her questions concerned confidential information which Zheng Yi would be unable to divulge. Shutting her mouth, she lowered her head and continued walking. On reaching the entrance of the school, Zheng Yi paused, “Could you wait for a moment?” Jogging to the convenience store, he bought an ice-cream for Chen Nian. Chen Nian accepted the icecream, the iciness helping to soothe her warm palm. Zheng Yi broke into a bright smile, and encouraged her, “All the best for your studies. I’ll be slightly busier during this period of time, so I wouldn’t be able to drop by often. I’ll treat you to a meal when examinations end!” Chen Nian responded, “Sure.” Zheng Yi left. When Chen Nian gazed at his retreating back, she spotted Bei Ye in the distance. He was standing erect beneath the plane tree, the broken streams of sunlight shining on him through the leaves of the plane tree. Chen Nian stood on the steps of the school entrance, her ice-cream in her hand. She couldn’t go over to him; neither could he come over to her. After casting a single glance at Chen Nian, Bei Ye turned and left. It was as though he had never been present. A stream of broken sunlight continued to illuminate him gently. Chen Nian returned to school. www.asianovel.com

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As the time for class neared, the entire classroom began buzzing in surprise. Somehow, various students had received news that the identity of the corpse discovered in the muddy bank near the river had been ascertained. It was Wei Cai. Zeng Hao’s eyes were extremely bright as she blabbered to Chen Nian, “Finally! She went down to accompany Xiao Die. — Oh, that’s not right. Xiao Die must have gone to Heaven but Wei Cai would definitely be in hell.” There wasn’t a single person that feared a dead person; thus, one would be able to express one’s hatred and unhappiness without fear of any backlash. As Xiao Mi had been sighing the entire afternoon, Chen Nian enquired, “Are you alright?” Xiao Mi replied glumly, “I’m slightly troubled.” “Is it because of Wei Cai?” “Yes.” Xiao Mi nodded, “Even though she was detestable, somehow, I do feel a sense of pity for her now. As much as I disliked her, I’d rather she be alive than dead.” Conversely, Chen Nian couldn’t figure out what she truly felt about Wei Cai, and she had no idea whether it was better for Wei Cai to be alive or dead. In front of Xiao Mi, Chen Nian was overcome with a deep sense of shame and hopelessness – although the two of them were best friends, there were ultimately some things that separated the two of them, and she had absolutely no idea how to cross that barrier and confess everything to Xiao Mi. “I don’t understand this world.” Xiao Mi finally concluded dejectedly. When Hu Xiao Die had committed suicide, she had said the exact same thing in her bewilderment and confusion. www.asianovel.com

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As Xiao Mi wasn’t feeling rather down, she went to the washroom to wash up whilst Chen Nian returned to the classroom; upon reaching the classroom, Xu Miao came over and sat on Hu Xiao Die’s seat before turning back to look at Chen Nian, “Wei Cai gave me a call on the day she went missing.” Chen Nian gazed at her emotionlessly. Xu Miao sighed, “She told me about what happened to you, and that she was going to meet you at the hill behind the school building. She invited me to “admire” your flustered and panicked state, and tried to convince me that since she was going to meet you during Physical Education class, my parents wouldn’t be able to discover even if I had gone.” Chen Nian continued staring at Xu Miao, her expression frozen in place. “I didn’t want to continue being like Wei Cai, so I rejected her. In the past, I used to think that bullying people was a “cool” and “fun” thing to do – but having thought about it carefully, I realised that it was a really stupid thing to do.” Chen Nian said, “Thankfully, you didn’t go.” Xu Miao felt rather awkward and embarrassed, “Nowadays, I get disciplined by my dad and mum every single day. I’m ashamed whenever I think back on what I did in the past. But Chen Nian, that day, when you met Wei Cai, she didn’t bully you any further, did she?” In her eyes, Chen Nian was simply a weak and helpless creature that could only ever be the target of bullying. The thought that Chen Nian was a suspect didn’t even cross her mind. The vivd image of Wei Cai’s taunting and proud expression as she displayed the video in front of her flashed across her eyes. That day, www.asianovel.com

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Wei Cai had insulted her, threatened her, and frightened her, claiming that the bad luck and bullying that she had suffered thus far would continue to be inflicted upon her. Gently shaking her head, Chen Nian answered calmly, “No, she didn’t.” “Oh.” Xiao Miao closed the distance between her and Chen Nian, and whispered to her, “Don’t tell anyone else that you met Wei Cai in private that day. Otherwise, you’d have to sit through countless interrogation sessions. If that’s the case, you wouldn’t have any time to study and prepare for the graduation exams.” Chen Nian nodded her head. However, the news of Wei Cai’s death was like a winged dove, and had already spread through the entire school compound within half a day. When Chen Nian left the classroom for Physical Education class, she overheard the younger students discussing the matter animatedly. “Hey, have you ever watched the American drama series ‘Criminal Minds‘?” “No, is it any good?” “It’s super good, go look for it on the Internet! Let me tell you – Wei Cai is the breaking point for the serial rapist. The raincoat man has now further evolved in his criminal ways – from now on, whenever he assaults females sexually, he would definitely murder them after the deed.” “Ah? Is that really true? You aren’t fibbing, are you?” “It’s true! The television serials all say so. The sense of excitement he feels whenever he rapes the females is no longer sufficient to satisfy his perverted desires. Now that he’s murdered a person, it’s like opening a Pandora’s box – www.asianovel.com

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he would only be able to feel satisfaction and happiness by continually murdering more and more people.” “That’s so scary!! But you’re really amazing, you could totally be an expert in the future!” “But of course – that’s my ambition.” Many students were in the midst of discussing Wei Cai’s death. However, before night could even descend, some students had already begun to playfully light the candles in various classrooms. Increasingly, more and more youths began joining in and lighting the numerous candles. They hopped around playfully, laughing and jumping, their boisterous mood seemingly infectious as an increasing number of students began to chatter and buzz in excitement. Finally, the discipline master stepped in to chide the students when the lighted candles nearly caused a fire hazard. As such, the prayer event was cancelled. Sometimes, Chen Nian truly felt, That school was, in actuality, an odd and unique zoo, where every single youth was like a flower, a blade of grass, or even a tree. Some youths were beautiful, whilst others were ugly; some youths alternated between being beautiful at times, and ugly during other times; They were like kudzus and pine trees, always competing with each other for sunlight and rainwater, struggling to survive at the expense of the other; they were like lichens and moss, both requiring the other’s help to achieve a common benefit; but more often than not, they were like trees and shrubs, each managing to find a location each is comfortable with, and each minding his or her own business. And for those who were unable to survive school – how could they ever expect to survive society at large? www.asianovel.com

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Chapter 18 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

“Lichen is an amazing organism.” Xiao Mi exclaimed to Chen Nian. Chen Nian was cleaning her desk. As the graduation exams were slightly more than a week away, she began to clear her books from her desk. “Don’t you agree? Lichen can only be produced from algae living among the filaments of a fungus in a mutually symbiotic relationship – the algae produces food for the fungus by photosynthesis whilst the fungus gathers moisture and nutrients from the environment. If you separate the fungus and the algae, both would be unable to survive independently, and would eventually die.” Zeng Hao, who had originally been packing her bag, turned back on hearing Xiao Mi’s words, “Xiao Mi, you have such plentiful and abundant feelings, it’s really a pity that you didn’t enter into a relationship when we’re still young and schooling. Well, you still have a couple of days left – do you want to hop onto the train before it’s too late?” Xiao Mi kicked Zeng Hao’s chair in protest, “There’d be better boys waiting in University.” “Not necessarily.” Zeng Hao’s eyes subtly shifted in another direction. Xiao Mi noted the change in Zeng Hao’s gaze, and laughed, “You’ve already set your sights on someone, haven’t you?” Zeng Hao didn’t bother hiding her admiration, and admitted freely, www.asianovel.com

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“When the graduation examinations are finally over, I’m going to pursue Li Xiang.” “Ah! Then you should try to enter Beijing’s universities as well!” As graduation neared, the impending separation began to loom over the students, and everyone began to fervently wish that there would be no lack of familiar faces in their new environments. “Sure! I don’t want to stay in this district anymore, I hate the people here.” Zeng Hao replied. Regardless of whether it was the deceased Hu Xiao Die, her, or Chen Nian – the memories and images of the bullying they suffered, and the coldness and indifference of their classmates, remained vivid in her mind. Zeng Hao: “When I’m in University, I’m going to learn how to dress myself properly and how to put on make up. I’m going to try to participate in more extracurricular activities and get to know a wider circle of friends.” Xiao Mi too, had great hopes for University, and turned to look at Chen Nian, “Nian, when we’re in University, you’d be the undisputed department belle.” Chen Nian raised her eyes lazily to look at Xiao Mi, “Because I would be the only girl in the Department of Mathematics or the Department of Physics?” Zeng Hao burst out laughing, and pinched Chen Nian’s face playfully, “You’re such a dork!” Chen Nian subtly turned her face away. Xiao Mi couldn’t contain her laughter either, “I take back my words – you’re not going to be the Department belle, you’d be the School Belle! School Belle! — Nian, if you select an Engineering school, you’d have a ton of suitors. Have you ever thought about your ideal type?” www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian carefully placed the Oxford Advanced Learner’s English Chinese Dictionary in her school bag, and zipped it up. In a soft voice, she replied, “If I commit murder, he commits arson.” Zeng Hao: “……” Xiao Mi: “……” Chen Nian continued slowly, “But I won’t murder anybody, and I don’t want him to commit arson either.” Zeng Hao pushed Chen Nian’s hand gently, “Your jokes are always so cold. Basically, your ideal type is someone who would love you to the point where he would willingly die for you, isn’t it? But there’s nobody like that in the present day and age!” Xiao Mi chimed in as well, “Yeah, tell us seriously – what’s your ideal type?” “Someone who treats me as a…… little child. Wherever I go, he would……follow. If I’m not within his line of sight, he would feel anxious and uneasy; and if he’s not within my line of sight, I too……would feel anxious and uneasy.” “Nian, you and your boyfriend sound like the clownfish and the sea anemone!” Xiao Mi laughed, “Or the lichen?” “NO! NO! NO!” Zeng Hao shook her head vigorously. “Chen Nian, with this kind of mindset, the happiness and bliss in your relationship will not be long lasting. Equality is extremely important in a relationship, the relationship between you and your significant other is not one of father and daughter, nor is it one of brother and sister; you will need freedom and space. It’s not healthy for the two of you to be so interdependent on one another. You have to try to change your mindset.” www.asianovel.com

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“Oh.” Chen Nian replied. Having cleared their desks, the three students strolled out of the classroom. Zeng Hao suddenly suggested, “Since we have a holiday tomorrow, why don’t we go to the Wen Qu Xing Temple to pray? We can even call Li Xiang along!” Curious, Xiao Mi enquired, “You believe in Bhudda?” “Well, to be honest, I’m more interested in climbing the hill in order to reach the temple. We can even shop along the market stalls lining the streets leading to the temple! We can grab lots of food there.” “Stop right there – the weather’s so hot now, be careful and don’t overeat. After all, examinations are nearing. We can always eat tons of good food after examinations end.” “Well then, we could always go to the amusement park after we have climbed the hill.” “That sounds great! I want to play whack-a-mole! — Nian, why don’t you come along as well?” Chen Nian saw the familiar figure hovering on the street opposite the school compound. Shaking her head gently, she rejected the offer, “No, it’s alright.” “Why don’t you come along as well? It’d be fun if everyone goes.” Zeng Hao tried to persuade Chen Nian. Using a nasally voice, Chen Nian began to fib, “I think I’m coming down……with a cold. I want to eat some medicine and rest the entire day tomorrow.” “Ah, then you should probably stay at home and rest well! Remember to take your medicine – if you really do come down with a cold, you’d probably need an entire week to www.asianovel.com

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recover. If that’s the case, you can forget about revising in the days leading up to the exams.” “Yup.” Chen Nian nodded her head weakly. Chen Nian bid Xiao Mi and Zeng Hao farewell at the entrance of the school gates. Walking towards the direction of Bei Ye’s home, she only stopped when she was some distance away from the school compound. Bei Ye caught up with her immediately. Sagging under the heavy weight of her school back, Chen Nian’s back was slightly bent as she walked forward, as though she was carrying the shell of a snail. The cloth around the shoulder straps of her bag were drenched, and clung onto her skin. Bei Ye stepped forward, and took her school bag from her. Chen Nian straightened her back, and followed alongside Bei Ye. In a quiet voice, Chen Nian said, “I don’t have class tomorrow.” Bei Ye responded, “For the entire day?” “Yup.” “Do you want to stay home to revise your work, or would you rather head out to play?” He asked. “Head out to play.” “Okay.” The two youths continued walking on their separate paths silently. After some time, Bei Ye asked, “That person you met on the streets in the afternoon – is that the police officer you know?” www.asianovel.com

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“Yes.” “Why did he come looking for you?” “He said, I must be careful and wary, when dealing with boys around my age. He also said–” Bei Ye interrupted, “What else did he say?” Chen Nian continued, “He said, that I should not go, to another boy’s home, alone. And to stay away from deserted and isolated areas.” Bei Ye fell into silence. After some time, on detecting that Chen Nian was waiting for him to continue the conversation, he glanced at Chen Nian, “He told you all that — and yet, you still follow me home?” Chen Nian lowered her head, and pressed her lips tightly together, “So what if I choose to follow you home?” The corners of Bei Ye’s lips curved up into a slight smile. Chen Nian: “Everyone said that, Wei Cai was first…… before she was murdered. There were a few similar cases previously as well. They speculate that the murderer is the same man who committed those sexual assault cases. Someone young, around our age.” Once again, Bei Ye didn’t respond to Chen Nian’s speech. After a while, Bei Ye suddenly raised his head and asked, “Aren’t you afraid? That I’m, in actuality, the culprit?” Chen Nian shook her head without a moment’s hesitation, “I’m not afraid.” Bei Ye turned his head towards her, his black eyes boring into hers, “Even if the culprit really is me — you’re still not afraid?” www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian looked at him calmly. Shaking her head firmly once more, she repeated, “Not afraid.” Speechless, Bei Ye gazed at her quietly. After some time, he sighed, “Silly girl.” Chen Nian plucked a strand of green foxtail and played with it as she followed in Bei Ye’s footsteps dutifully. Cocking her head to one side, she playfully used the green foxtail to lightly brush against Bei Ye’s palm. Surprised, Bei Ye retracted his hand and turned back to look at her. Gazing at her like how an adult would gaze at an impish and playful child, he snorted in disdain and continued walking ahead. Chen Nian happily caught up with him, and used the green foxtail to brush against his palm once again. Amused, Bei Ye asked, “What are you doing?” “Where are you going to bring me tomorrow?” “You’d find out when we reach.” “Oh.” Chen Nian fell into step beside Bei Ye. She was still using the green foxtail to brush lightly against him palm. Bei Ye was used to the sensation by now, and simply let Chen Nian continue her childish actions. “The place where we’re going – is it fun?” “What do you think?” Bei Ye answered her question with another question. “It’d be fun.” She answered firmly. “How do you know it’s going to be fun?” Intrigued, Bei Ye asked. “I just know.” www.asianovel.com

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Smirking, Bei Ye retorted, “Why, are you a deity?” “I’m not a deity, but I just know.” Many years later, when Chen Nian had matured into an old and frail granny, she could still vividly recall every single conversation she had with Bei Ye. She was a man of few words, and so was Bei Ye. Most of the time, the two of them remained silent as they walked towards their destination – as though they were two strangers who didn’t know one another. Even the occasional exchanges that they had, were silly and boring; strangely, however, Even after many, many years had passed, Chen Nian could still clearly recall every single emotion and feeling she experienced whenever she conversed with Bei Ye. It was like ripples across the smooth and calm lake. —– Zheng Yi had just returned from an investigation outside. Just as he strode into the office, his colleagues called him over, “Hurry up – Leader Pan’s meeting is starting now.” Swiftly putting down his glass of water, Zheng Yi hurried over to the meeting room. Senior Yang was responsible for investigating the two cases of rape that had occurred in the past month, and was currently briefing the team, “……During the rainy season, two victims were raped in the night when they were alone and in an deserted area. As the rain was quite loud, it successfully masked the rapist’s approaching footsteps. Additionally, their umbrellas caused their field of vision to be more limited than usual.” The forensic scientist chipped in, “At that time, the suspect was wearing a raincoat, and he had masked his face as well. Bits of the plastic raincoat were found in the nails of the www.asianovel.com

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victims – they were probably leftover from the struggle.” Senior Yang continued, “According to the victim’s description, it is a very ordinary and common raincoat. We have not found any clues to date. — The two victims also mentioned that the rapist had used a knife to threaten them into succumbing. Furthermore, during the assault, the impression that the rapist gave the was that he was rather young, tall and skinny. According to our analysis, the suspect is likely to be between 17 to 19 years of age, and is most likely of the same age as the victims. However, because both victims had reported the incident too late, we are unable to retrieve more helpful clues from the two incidents.” Another officer interjected, “After these two cases, no other new cases have been reported.” Senior Yang continued, “Because the victims are relatively young, I suspect that some of them chose to remain silent.” Leader Pan asked, “What about the corpse we discovered? What do you all think about that?” Zheng Yi carefully made his way to a corner of the meeting room, and gently sat himself on a chair. Senior Yang replied, “We think that it’s likely that the two culprits are, in actuality, the same person.” Senior Yang glanced at the forensic scientist. Taking the cue, the forensic scientist spoke up, “The autopsy report indicates that minor bruising and injuries on the deceased’s wrists, shoulders, and thighs. Furthermore, the genitalia of the victim showed signs of injury; signs of tearing were observed in the victim’s vagina. However, no ejaculation was found in the victim’s body; the perpetrator is likely to have used a condom. These injuries are highly similar to the injuries www.asianovel.com

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suffered by the victims in the two sexual assault cases. However, due to the humid and hot weather, and the fact that the victim had been buried in the mud, it is very difficult to accurately determine the victim’s time of death. More likely than not, her time of death is estimated to be in the middle of this month, from 10th of May to 16th of May. As the victim had disappeared on 12th of May, the timeframe can be narrowed to 12th of May to 16th of May.” “Zheng Yi, any views?” “As both parents of the deceased were working, they had no time to monitor their child; thus, they have absolutely no idea what time she left the house on 12th of May, or where she had gone that day. On the day of her disappearance, she only made one call the entire day – to her friend, Xu Miao.” “Xu Miao?” Senior Yang asked curiously, “Isn’t that the girl who was also involved in the bullying incident the previous time?” “Yes. I have already questioned Xu Miao about the deceased’s disappearance. That day, the deceased had called her and invited her out to play. However, Xu Miao rejected the invitation as she as in school that day. Xu Miao also told the deceased not to contact her in the future.” Zheng Yi paused slightly before continuing, “ly, the deceased and Xu Miao were the best of friends, and were involved in innumerable fights together. However, after the previous bullying incident when the deceased and Xu Miao were brought into the police station, Xu Miao’s parents began to monitor her extremely closely, and made it a point to fetch her to and fro from school. They even conducted random checks to make sure that Xu Miao wasn’t playing truant. This essentially meant that the Xu Miao had cut off all contact from the deceased.” At this point, Zheng Yi was suddenly reminded of Xu Miao’s words www.asianovel.com

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from before – “Thankfully, I listened to my Dad and Mum and stopped my nonsensical activities. Otherwise, I’d be unlucky too.” Puzzled, Zheng Yi asked, “What do you mean by that?” “Oh, I didn’t mean anything in particular. It’s just a gut feeling that I had, but it turned out to be wrong.” “What gut feeling?” “Mm, I felt that she was murdered, because somebody hated her.” At that time, Zheng Yi hadn’t managed to respond before Xu Miao continued, “But, I head that she had been raped. Which was why I said, my gut feeling wasn’t accurate.” Zheng Yi glanced at his colleagues seated around the table, and piped up cautiously, “I feel, that we shouldn’t be too quick to tie these two cases together. There’s a point in the murder case which I’ve been bothered by.” “Which point?” Senior Yang asked. “The deceased’s clothes and shoes – where have they gone?” Zheng Yi asked. “Why did the culprit take special care to remove the deceased’s clothes and shoes? The deceased is a local, and she has various relatives and friends here – so that effectively eliminates the possible reason of the culprit wanting to remove items which helps with identification of the victim.” The room lapsed into silence as the officers mulled over the issue. After some time, Senior Yang responded, “Adopting a psychological analysis, removal of the victim’s clothes represents the culprit’s desire to further humiliate the victim.” www.asianovel.com

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Zheng Yi latched onto the loophole, “Does that point towards the possible existence of a personal grudge between the victim and the culprit?” Senior Yang paused for a while before shaking his head, “Not necessarily. Another reason could be that the culprit simply harbours an enmity towards females in general. This hatred towards females is very common in serial rapist cases.” “Then–” But before Zheng Yi could complete his sentence, the forensic scientist had already cut him off. “There was another point we mentioned earlier which you might not have caught,” Forensic scientist Zhu clarified, “The deceased, Wei Cai – similarly, there were bits of raincoat found underneath her nails as well. We compared the material of the raincoat with those found in the two sexual assault cases, and found that they came from the same raincoat.”

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Chapter 19 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

Zheng Yi was momentarily stunned. The facts spoke louder than his eloquence. Nodding his head, he lowered his voice, “Understood.” “Besides that, we also discovered some synthetic fibres underneath her fingernails – these fibres probably came from objects such as sanitary masks.” Forensic Scientist Zhu continued, “The deceased only suffered from one fatal stab wound, which pierced her liver. Based on the angle of the wound, it appears that the suspect was much taller than the deceased, and a rough gauge of the suspect’s height would range from 178cm to 185cm.” The captain knocked on the table sharply, and reminded the team, “This point is still under debate. Keeping in mind that the murder happened alongside the rape, the deceased could very well have been lying on the ground when she was murdered. If we use the angle of the deceased’s wound to narrow the suspect’s height, we may very well end up eliminating the suspect from our pool of candidates.” “Yes.” Flipping the autopsy report open, photos of the deceased Wei Cai flashed before Zheng Yi’s eyes. Wei Cai’s wrists, shoulders, and thighs, all reflected bruises and wounds commonly suffered during self-defence. It also proved that she put up a struggle against her perpetrator. After the meeting ended, Zheng Yi dragged Senior Yang into his very own office, and poured a glass of water for him, “Stressed – if www.asianovel.com

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we’re unable to resolve the case soon, we’d most likely drown to death from all the saliva that would be spat at us.” “There are some special cases, where simply relying on the traditional methods of investigation is insufficient.” Senior Yang drank a mouthful of water, “Sometimes, we have to rely on what I talked about during the previous meeting –” “Criminal psychology.” Zheng Yi completed Senior Yang’s sentence for him. “Precisely.” Senior Yang responded, “Let’s use this case as an example – why do you think the rapist committed the rape? There could be four types of reasons for the rape: First, power driven criminal, where the criminal committed the rape to satisfy his strong desire for power and control; second, the emotionally driven criminal, where the criminal committed the rape in order to build extremely intimate relationships; third, the venting criminal, where the criminal committed the crime in order to unleash all his inner rage, unhappiness and dissatisfaction; fourth, the curious criminal, where the criminal committed the crime in order to satisfy his curiosity about sexuality – such criminals are often youthful criminals committing a standalone crime.” Zheng Yi nodded, “I took a look at the report you wrote. In the report, you mentioned that after your interview with the two victims, your preliminary determination was that the criminal in this present case is one who is driven by his desire to vent.” “Yes. The power driven criminal tends to be in an older age group; the emotionally driven criminal tends to be extremely meticulous and detailed, and because of their desire for a relationship, they would often take the victim’s feelings into consideration and communicate with them.” www.asianovel.com

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“A youth who is a venting criminal.” Zheng Yi murmured to himself. “I’m not surprised that our venting criminal’s crimes escalated from rape to murder. After all, he’s enraged and he’s encountered innumerable obstacles in his life, and he’s desperate to vent all his frustrations; and yet, the victim struggles against him, trying her best to defend herself. She would probably humiliate him, and scold him. The criminal, now experiencing a new wave of obstacles once more, gradually escalates into murdering the victim. Furthermore, the criminal used a knife to stab the deceased to death – the stabbing action itself is an action which has strong underlying connotations of venting.” “Yes.” Zheng Yi nodded his head once more before continuing, “Rapists who specifically target youthful girls are often in a similar age range as his victims.” “Yes.” Senior Yang flipped his notebook open and placed it in front of Zheng Yi, “This is the suspect’s profile which I came up with after looking at all the clues.” Zheng Yi glanced at the notebook, memorising the points written on the notebook. 1. The suspect’s age ranges from 17 years old to 19 years old, and s a taciturn and introverted person. The suspect is extremely cautious and relatively smart. He desires to blend in with his group of similarly aged friends, but encounters huge difficulty in doing so; 2. The suspect possesses relatively good looks (The people near the crime scene didn’t notice anything unusual, and good looking strangers tend not to raise any alarm bells.) 3. The suspect had discontinued his studies, or studies in a technical school with little to no discipline (his victims are all from high schools that are commonly viewed as ‘good’ and ‘normal’). 4. The suspect frequently plays truant, and would often loiter in the vicinity of various schools in www.asianovel.com

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order to observe his victims; 5. The suspect is extremely familiar with the area where the rapes took place. As such, it is more likely than not that he lives nearby, or that he frequently scopes out the area before committing his crimes. From this, it is pertinent that the suspect is extremely meticulous and organized; 6. The suspect has a unharmonious family, and his relationship with his mother is especially strained (When the suspect rapes his victims, he frequently insults them and tortures them). The strained relationship could be due to the following reasons: (a) He was abused by his mother; (b) He was abandoned or neglected by his mother; and (c) His mother has innumerable sexual partners, or is a prostitute. Zheng Yi sighed, “I’m amazed at your analysis – but even so, it’s still terribly difficult to arrest the suspect successfully.” Senior Yang replied, “Don’t fret. Let’s comb through Wei Cai’s case a few more times – I’m sure we’d be able to find some critical clues that would reduce the size of the suspect pool.” “That’s true.” Zheng Yi returned the notebook to Senior Yang, “The suspect has a vehicle, and given his young age, the possibility of him owning a car is simply too small. However, it is extremely difficult to transport corpses using a bicycle, and thus his vehicle is most likely a motorcycle.” ———————————————————— The two youths woke up extremely early the next day. They scurried too and fro within the house, wearing their clothes, combing their hair, brushing their teeth, and washing their faces. The number of times they went out to play by themselves were simply too little. Chen Nian stared at her reflection in the mirror, gently combing her hair meticulously and tying it up into a neat ponytail. After www.asianovel.com

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ascertaining that no stray locks of hair were sticking out, she placed the comb on the table and walked out of the room. As it was early in the morning, the temperature was neither too hot nor too cold, and was settled at comfortable level instead. Bei Ye and Chen Nian sat by the table, quietly eating their pastries. Both of them did not exchange a single word. Gradually, the narrow and small room grew stuffy, as though the entire room was a pressure cooker that was gradually warming up. The two youths set off. When Bei Ye shut the shutter doors, Chen Nian stood beside him, unable to keep herself from tiptoeing in excitement. The two youths trooped out of the abandoned steel mill; their footsteps were light as they walked across the field of wild grass. At long last, they reached the train tracks. Bei Ye stopped walking, and turned to glance at the morning sun. Bei Ye suddenly lowered his body and lay on the ground, propping his legs on the train tracks. After a few minutes, he turned to look at Chen Nian, and wordlessly patted the ground next to him, indicating for Chen Nian to lie beside him. Chen Nian didn’t question him, and simply lay her body next to him and used his arm as a cushion. The sky was a nice, cool shade of azure blue. Occasionally, a lone bird flew across the sky. Chen Nian too, propped her legs on the train tracks. “Are we suntanning?” Bei Ye answered lazily, “We’re waiting for the train.” “Waiting for the train?” “The train will arrive in twenty minutes.” www.asianovel.com

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“When the train arrives, are we simply going to …… look at it?” Bei Ye turned his head to stare at Chen Nian, the humour unmistakeable in his eyes, “We’re going to ride the train.” “But we didn’t buy the train tickets?” “It doesn’t matter.” Bei Ye replied. Ah, if Bei Ye said it didn’t matter, then it wouldn’t matter that they didn’t have any tickets. Raising her eyes to stare at the unbroken sea of blue, Chen Nian gradually shut her eyes in contentment. The wind grazed across her cheeks, and the entire world was silent. Just as the two youths were about to fall asleep, the train tracks beneath their feet began to tremble violently. The two youths opened their eyes immediately, and turned to look at each other. Bei Ye pulled Chen Nian up in one swift motion. The huge, metallic train could be seen from a distance away. It was the green train that was headed towards the countryside, and was of a slower speed compared to other trains. Chen Nian stared at the train unblinkingly for a few moments before finally discovering the oddity – “The train isn’t go to stop?” “It won’t stop.” Bei Ye replied. “If that’s the case, how are we going to hop onto the train?” “Even if it doesn’t stop, we’ll still manage to get on the train.” Having completed his sentence, Bei Ye stretched his hand out towards Chen Nian. Chen Nian’s heart began to beat rapidly, and she timidly placed her hand on his, carefully wrapping her fingers around his huge, warm palm. www.asianovel.com

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“Hey, Little Stutterer.” “Yes?” “Do you ever think about dying?” Momentarily stunned, Chen Nian turned to look at Bei Ye’s side profile. Returning her gaze to the train tracks that were trembling violently in front of her, she said in a low voice, “I did think about it before.” “Me too.” Bei Ye replied quietly. The two youths began to shudder lightly, their hands intertwined with each other’s in an unbreakable grip. “Do you want to die at this very moment?” “A part of me wishes to die now, but another part of me doesn’t want to.” “Me too.” Bei Ye’s low voice rang out, “But, what if, you’re going to die together with me?” “That’s why I said, a part of me wishes to die now.” She turned her gaze towards him, further tightening her grip on his hands. The hands of the two youths were tightly intertwined, as though their hands were a knotted rope. They were trembling, their eyes fixated on the metal tracks. Bei Ye asked, “Are you ready?” Chen Nian nodded, “Ready.” The train zoomed past them in a hurry, causing a huge gale as it rushed along the tracks. www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye hollered, “Let’s go!” Chen Nian shouted alongside Bei Ye, “Let’s go!” With their hands tightly intertwined, the two youths ran after the train as they sped against the wind. As they ran alongside the train, a metallic ladder hanging on the side of the train finally appeared in view. Bei Ye turned towards Chen Nian and hollered, “Jump!” Chen Nian was unable to muster sufficient courage to slam her body into that metallic wall. Using a single arm, Bei Ye grabbed hold of the metallic ladder and hopped onto the ladder. His other hand still kept Chen Nian’s tiny palm tightly in his grip. “Jump up!” Chen Nian shook her head vigorously – she was afraid. “I’ll catch you.” With that, Chen Nian took a deep breath, and hurled herself onto the ladder. Without missing a single beat, Bei Ye stretched his arms out to catch her, his arms encircling her waist with ease. The two youths slammed onto the metallic ladder from the force of Chen Nian’s jump. Chen Nian hurriedly grabbed hold of the ladder, and sneaked a glance at Bei Ye. The two youths stared at each other, their chests heaving from the exercise and their stunned and surprised faces displayed no emotion. All of a sudden, the two youths burst into laughter. They speedily ascended the ladder, and reached the roof of the train. The turquoise river wound its way through the rolling fields. Beads of sweat had barely begun to form on the faces of the two youths before they were speedily removed by the never-ending gusts of wind that blew past the two youths. As the train neared a small village, it gradually ground to a temporary halt. Chen Nian and Bei Ye stealthily clambered down the train and ran www.asianovel.com

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away, their hands interlocked in an unbreakable grip. It was an extremely tiny village. A few concrete houses stood a distance apart from each other, each house separated by huge, rolling wheat and paddy fields. The two youths wandered aimlessly across the huge, rolling fields of wheat, before finally walking past a huge lotus pond. Chen Nian reached for a lotus leaf, and playfully shook the leaf, causing the clear water droplets on the leaf to divide into a few smaller droplets. The owner of the lotus pond was a burly male. Steering his wooden boat from the centre of the pond, he began to near Bei Ye and Chen Nian; on the boat, innumerable lotus seedpods and lotus flowers were stacked on top of each other, forming a nice, small mountain. Drawn towards the lotus seedpods, Chen Nian couldn’t tear her gaze away from it. A small smile formed on Bei Ye’s lips, and he turned towards the owner of the lotus pond, inquiring, “Are you intending to sell these lotus seedpods at Xi Cheng?” The owner replied honestly, “Yes, I am. How about this – I’d sell some to you guys at a cheap price. A dollar for each seedpod.” It was truly inexpensive. Bei Ye bought seven seedpods, and held them in his hand. The seven seedpods drooped from their stalks, their bobbing motion resembling the heads of seven birds struggling to free themselves from their owner’s grasp. The owner generously offered, “I’d give you two two lotus flowers for free.” Chen Nian squat by the lotus pond, and reached out to grab two lotus flowers from the wooden boat. Gently lifting a pink lotus and a white lotus from the boat, she raised them to her nose and took a slight whiff. The scent of the freshly bloomed lotus flower wafted into her nose. www.asianovel.com

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The two youths resumed their stroll across the rolling fields, popping lotus seeds into their mouths as they basked in the warmth of the afternoon sun. The freshly picked lotus seeds were extremely tender and fresh, and felt like a gentle stream of pondwater. “The sun would get hotter after a while.” Bei Ye commented. Repeatedly strolling by the shore of a lake, he finally stooped down and grabbed a huge lotus leaf after a series of meticulous selections. Removing the stalk of the lotus leaf, he handed the leaf to Chen Nian to serve as a small umbrella. Chen Nian retrieved it from Bei Ye, and immediately raised it above her head to block the sun. “Look, there’s some water chestnuts!” Bei Ye squat beside the paddy fields, and retrieved a huge stack of leaves. Easily finding some water chestnuts hidden within the leaves, he easily opened them in one swift motion; Chen Nian lowered herself next to Bei Ye, and observed, “It’s so small.” Bei Ye removed the tender white meat from within the shells, and encouraged her, “Try it.” Chen Nian lowered her head, gingerly eating the water chestnut. As she retrieved the water chestnut, her soft, gentle lips brushed against Bei Ye’s fingers. Although Bei Ye maintained a neutral expression as he returned the leaves to the paddy fields, his heart trembled quietly, as though a ripple had formed in an initially still pond. “It’s really sweet.” Chen Nian gave Bei Ye a gentle smile. It was extremely fresh and refreshing, unlike those sold on the streets. This was the true taste of summer. The two youths continued walking along the fields whilst using the lotus leaf as a shield from the blazing sunlight. Heading into the www.asianovel.com

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fields, they plucked some cucumbers and tomatoes, popping them into their mouths immediately; removing their shoes, they waded into the paddy fields and allowed their bare feet to sink into the mud. They napped in stables filled with straw. When they finally woke up, the mud on their feet had long hardened, allowing them to easily remove the hardened chunks of mud. As such, they continued their exploration. The path along the fields was narrow, and the two youths were unable to walk side by side. Bei Ye took a discreet step backwards, allowing Chen Nian to walk in front of him whilst he followed her from behind. He didn’t reach for her hand. The remainder of the path that lay ahead of them was too narrow; there was simply no space for him to stay by her side. He carefully counter her footsteps, his gaze fixated on her back view. The two youths continued walking tirelessly, as though they were going to walk till the ends of the earth. But, despite the long day, neither of them were the least bit tired. When the silver moon hung high in the sky, and innumerable fireflies rose from the fields, the two youths finally made their way home. The metallic train snaked across the wilderness as it bathed in the gentle moonlight. The two youths clambered onto the roof of the train, and seated themselves properly. The night breeze was extremely strong, and slightly cold. The two youths sat next to each other on the roof of the train, staring at the blanket of stars that shone like broken diamonds. “It looks like it’s going to rain.” Chen Nian commented. “It does.” “Will it rain?” www.asianovel.com

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“I’m not sure.” “What if it starts to rain?” Chen Nian queried. “Then, the two of us could soak up the rain and become drenched chickens.” Bei Ye replied. “But, what if it doesn’t rain?” Chen Nian persisted. “If so, we’ll look at the stars.” Chen Nian turned to look at Bei Ye, and gazed straight into his eyes. Slowly reaching out his hand, Bei Ye gently stroked Chen Nian’s cheeks, before carefully cupping her in his palms, and kissing her tenderly. Chen Nian slowly shut her eyes. The roof of the train was so far from the ground, that one would be able to grab one or two stars simply by reaching out one’s arms. Looking at the stars – the meaning of this phrase is embodied by this very day itself.

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Chapter 20 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

7 more days till graduation exams. During Physical Education class, nobody remained in the classroom to revise; instead, the entire class flocked down to the fields to exercise in an attempt to relax. The form teacher constantly reminded the class to stay away from sports like tennis and basketball, as they could very well injure their hands in so playing. Thus, the entire class was restricted to jump rope and jogging. Zeng Hao dragged Li Xiang, Xiao Mi and Chen Nian over to play badminton. After some time, Chen Nian grew tired of playing badminton, and left the group to jog around the field. Before she realised it, she had already arrived at the isolated corner where the special youth had once leapt over the school gates to stand in front of her. As she neared the corner, her sharp eyes discerned the sleeve of a white t-shirt peeking out from beyond the gates. Surprised and elated, she ran to the gates and grab hold of the metal railings, “Why are you here?” Bei Ye stretched out his index finger, and ran his fingers over hers before replying, “I know that you’re having Physical Education lessons now.” “There’s still 7 days to graduation exams.” “I know.” “If we factor in the days where graduation exams are taking place, which are a grand total of two days, we could stay by each other’s side after ten days!” www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye gave a quiet chortle, “Right now, we’re already staying by each other’s side every single day.” “……Oh.” Chen Nian nodded her head. The warm afternoon glow filtered down through the leaves of the trees. Bei Ye tore his gentle gaze away from Chen Nian’s face, and finally settled on a figure that had appeared behind her, cool frostiness beginning to form in his eyes. Lowering his voice, he murmured, “Someone’s looking for you.” Before Chen Nian could react to the sentence, he had already disappeared beyond the gates. Chen Nian turned her head behind, only to see Zheng Yi strolling over from a distance away. Chen Nian perfectly understood that if Zheng Yi resorted to looking for her at this hour of the day, it must be concerning something way more serious than simply warning her about the rapist at large. Shaking off the dust on her clothes, Chen Nian began to walk towards Zheng Yi. There were a couple of exercise contraptions located in a corner of the field. Chen Nian headed straight for elliptical machine, and hopped onto it. Meanwhile, Zheng Yi sat on the sit-up bench next to her, silently watching her exercise on the elliptical machine for a period of time before finally speaking up, “Chen Nian?” “Yes?” She answered in a casual tone. “Do you remember me telling you previously, that you should come looking for me the minute you encountered any trouble?” “I remember.” Chen Nian lowered her head, her legs pumping rhythmically on the elliptical machine, as though they were a pendulum clock. “But you never once came to look for me.” Zheng Yi let out a short, bitter laugh. www.asianovel.com

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“I……” Chen Nian shook her head, “I didn’t encounter any …… difficulty.” “No difficulties? Wei Cai and her group of friends were constantly bullying you – why didn’t you tell me that?” Zheng Yi had finally discovered the connection between Wei Cai and her. Chen Nian paused momentarily, before resuming her rhythmic motion on the elliptical machine. “Even if I chose to confide in you …… how would that have helped the situation?” She returned the question to Zheng Yi. “I could ……” Zheng Yi couldn’t bring himself to continue his sentence. The very reason why Chen Nian was relentlessly tormented and bullied was because she had told him the truth about Hu Xiao Die’s death. And because of numerous other reasons, he was unable to protect her and to guard her from harm. At this very moment, Zheng Yi was seized by memories of sending Chen Nian to and fro from school – her thankful and expectant gaze whenever she ran to him from the alley near her house, the look of trust and reliance every single time she gave him every single time before she stepped into the school compound – all these no longer existed in the present day and age. The sun blazed down, raining down heat on the people beneath it. Beads of sweat began to form on Zheng Yi’s forehead. “What did they do to you?” “They insulted me, and slapped me.” “What else?” “That’s it.” “That’s it?” Zheng Yi locked his gaze onto Chen Nian’s side profile. www.asianovel.com

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The pendulum clock finally ceased its motion. Chen Nian turned towards Zheng Yi, and asked in a quiet voice, “If not, what else do you think happened?” Initially, Zheng Yi had a huge ton of things he wanted to say to Chen Nian – but after listening to Chen Nian’s words, he was over come with a overwhelming sense of deflation, and he couldn’t bring himself to say a single word. The school bell rang, signalling the end of Physical Education lesson. Chen Nian hopped down from the elliptical machine, and headed back towards the classroom. Zheng Yi returned to the police station with a heavy heart. On reaching the police station, his colleagues informed him that there has been a minor breakthrough in Senior Yang’s criminal profiling, and that the police officers have already begun to single out youths who fit into the specific criminal profile – namely, those who frequently play truant, those who have an antagonistic relationship with their parents, and those who own a motorcycle, etc. However, despite their attempts to narrow down the suspect pool as much as possible, there were still about 20 to 30 youths who fit the criminal profile. Xiao Yao placed the photographs of the 20 to 30 youths in front of Zheng Yi. Zheng Yi felt mildly put off by the easy manner in which this group of youths were labelled as suspects, and pushed the photographs aside in irritation. Easily discerning Zheng Yi’s unhappy mood, Xiao Yao enquired, “There’s no progress on your front?” Zheng Yi took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. After some time, he finally spoke up, “Wei Cai has a friend named Luo Ting. I always had a vague feeling that she was hiding something with respect to Wei Cai’s murder; thus, I stopped her a few times to question her. Although she was www.asianovel.com

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rather tight-lipped at the start, she eventually confessed that Wei Cai had bullied and abused a girl the day before Wei Cai died.” “How did they bully and abuse that girl?” “They hit her and insulted her……” Zheng Yi’s furrowed his eyebrows, “Luo Ting said that she left early, so she didn’t know exactly what had happened after she left.” “Have you questioned the victim of the abuse?” “Yes. She refused to say what happened.” “Have you tried asking the people who lived around the area where the abuse happened?” “I’ve sent people to investigate that specific area.” Zheng Yi replied wearily, “We’re still looking for witnesses to the abuse.” “Hmm…… Do you think that this incident is linked to Wei Cai’s death?” “I don’t know.” Zheng Yi replied in a clipped tone, rubbing his face and his neck vigorously with his hands. He could feel an insane desire bubbling within him – he wanted to figure out the truth behind Wei Cai’s death; he wanted to know exactly what abuse Chen Nian had suffered. This heavy desire weighed on him, overwhelming him to the point that he feels that he was going to break any minute. “Have you been overworking yourself lately? Your emotions don’t seem to be extremely stable.” “Yes! I’m extremely unstable now! Wei Cai, Luo Ting – and the whole bunch of female hooligans – all of them should have been incarcerated at the earliest opportunity!!” Unable to repress his infuriation any longer, Zheng Yi raised his head and www.asianovel.com

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punched his desk forcefully. Xiao Yao lapsed into a stunned silence. A deathly silence settled between the two colleagues. Realising his momentary lapse in control, Zheng Yi moderated his voice level, declaring as calmly as he could, “Even if nobody reported this incident of abuse to the police, I will nevertheless uncover the truth behind this incident.” “And? What happens after you uncover the truth?” This question was too cruel for Zheng Yi to bear. As a police officer, “uncovering the truth” often entails some form of punishment being meted out to the criminal offender who had perpetuated the crime. However,even if the truth was uncovered, there was nothing that could be done for this incident of abuse. A mangled sense of fury and hatred rose in Zheng Yi’s heart, “Why can’t the law…..” “Zheng Yi! Keep your emotions in check!” Xiao Yao whispered to him urgently. “They are underaged children! What would you have the law do? Incarcerate every single one of them? They’re still young!” “Being a child does not entitle them to rise above the law!” “No, it doesn’t. But would incarceration truly solve the problem? They’re still so young – they have yet to form a stable, concrete identity for themselves, and their personalities are still in the midst of formation. As adults, we are the ones that are solely responsible for the formation of their personalities, because the factors that contribute to personality formation (society, school environment and family) are societal constructs created by us adults. No matter which country you’re in, whether you’re in the West www.asianovel.com

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or in the East, the law will always be lenient towards children, because they always have an opportunity to rehabilitate.” Zheng Yi let out a short, bitter laugh, “I know. My university lecturer mentioned this before.” His criminal law professor once mentioned that the unique characteristics and personality ‘possessed’ by underaged offenders are often superficial and false in nature; even if an underaged offender commits the exact same crime as a mature offender, their trains of thought when committing the crime are extremely different. In fact, many underaged offenders have yet to truly form a criminal personality when they commit various crimes. The absence of a criminal personality was the exact reason why rehabilitation and education could pull these underaged offenders back from the brink they were tethering upon; conversely, severe punishment and the lack of forgiveness would inevitably push them over the brink, and result in them growing to become greater menaces to society. But, What about the victims? Zheng Yi ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He couldn’t bring himself to imagine how the victim felt when confronted with the leniency afforded to underaged offenders – after all, despite being a police officer, he himself was unable to control his emotions and unhappiness. If there was no punishment, how could their evil deeds be forgiven? How could the frustration and hatred of the victim be appeased? “Even then, we can’t eliminate the possibility that some children would be able to change; whereas the others would never be able to transform into better people. For the www.asianovel.com

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children that belong in the latter category, we ought to……” Zheng Yi continued protesting. “Who’s capable of judging whether an underaged offender is capable of change? Who? You? Me? Or perhaps, Senior Yang? If we simply rely on subjective human standards and perceptions to mete out punishments, both you and I would not be in this profession, for we would witness too many ‘injustices’ occurring every single day.” Xiao Yao cut Zheng Yi off before he could finish his sentence. Zheng Yi’s lips slowly curved into a bitter smile. Perhaps, humans simply needed to learn whilst there are times when we need to invest our entire energies into accomplishing a certain objective, there are other times when we simply simply need to learn how to accept our inabilities and helplessness. It was just that, right now, He was still unable to accept his inability to change the situation. Lowering his head, he slowly shook his head from side to side, “Xiao Yao, have you ever experienced the feeling of letting down a person who trusted you with her entire heart?” “That feeling …… could really kill me.” Zheng Yi’s voice was extremely low, as though it had broken into a million pieces. ………………….. It was the end of school. Leisurely strolling across the wild fields, Bei Ye enquired out of curiosity, “Why did the police officer come to look for you again?” “He came to ask me about Wei Cai.” Chen Nian spotted a huge patch of pale blue Veronica Persicas, and bent down to pluck a few www.asianovel.com

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heart shaped fruits. “What exactly did he ask?” “He……” Chen Nian pondered over the incident with Zheng Yi, “He seems to be onto something.” Bei Ye: “Oh.” Chen Nian passed him a bunch of Veronica Persicas, “Do you know how to play with these?” Bei Ye retrieved the Veronica Persicas from Chen Nian, and used his thumb and his index finger to pinch the fruit. With a sharp crack, the fruit exploded from within. That night, Bei Ye didn’t have much to say. However, Chen Nian didn’t mind in the slightest – after all, the both of them were originally quiet people who exchanged very few words. After dinner, Chen Nian revised her homework for a fair amount of time before crawling into bed. Ever since she moved into Bei Ye’s home, Chen Nian slept extremely soundly. In the middle of the night, she vaguely felt Bei Ye open his window – the night breeze blew into the room and grazed her skin gently. It was more comfortable compared to the electric fan. After some time, Chen Nian was once again roused by the sound of water coming from within the bathroom. Chen Nian sat up on the bed groggily, and glanced at the bathroom. A beam of soft, yellow light shone from within the bathroom, effectively tearing the darkness of the room apart. Rubbing her eyes, Chen Nian staggered towards the bathroom and peered within. She recognized Bei Ye instantly. Bei Ye was topless, and seemed to be washing something vigorously in the basin. The youth’s hair was entirely drenched, and water droplets fell www.asianovel.com

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from his hair as his body shook with the force he exerted whilst washing the unknown object. His fringe fell over his eyes, effectively serving as a cover for any emotion that his eyes potentially betrayed. “Bei Ye……” Chen Nian’s gentle voice rang out quietly. Bei Ye froze momentarily before whipping himself around, effectively covering the unknown item with his body. His dark, silent eyes stared at her piercingly. “What are you doing?” Chen Nian asked, confused. “……” After a few moments of silence, Chen Nian took one step into the bathroom. “Hey!” Bei Ye’s voice was filled with warning. Chen Nian stared at him obstinately. “I’m washing my undergarments.” Bei Ye smirked, “You want to come take a look?” Stunned, Chen Nian stared at him wordlessly for a few minutes. After a few minutes, she came to a sudden realisation, and hurriedly lowered her head and ran back to the bed in embarrassment. Bei Ye let out a silent sigh of relief. Using his long legs, he easily shut the bathroom door. Turning back to glance at the basin, he discovered that the dark red liquid that was originally in the basin had already been washed away by the water that was flowing from the running tap. Bei Ye turned off the lights in the toilet and crawled back into bed. Chen Nian lay on the bed, the white moonlight gently illuminating her frail physique. Knowing full well that Chen Nian wasn’t asleep, Bei Ye gathered her gently in his arms, his arms encircling her waist. His www.asianovel.com

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body fitted tightly with hers, as though the both of them were two bows that fitted each other snugly. Chen Nian caught the distinct scent of beer, and asked him in her quiet manner, “You went drinking?” “A little.” Turning herself round to face him, Chen Nian wrapped her arms around Bei Ye and returned his hug. The two youthful bodies hugged each other tightly, their dark, black eyes gazing at each other. They could feel each other’s every single breath – their bodies shivered with mixed feelings of fear and anticipation, their bodies entire in sync with each other. Bei Ye grazed his nose over her dark brows, her long eyelashes, and the tip of her nose. On reaching her lips, he slowly pressed his own lips against her, quiet and gentle. The cool night breeze grazed over their skins, causing a shiver to run up their spines. Chen Nian returned Bei Ye’s kiss, slowly but passionately. The soft clothing that originally hid Chen Nian’s body from view gradually began to loosen. The body of the youthful girl was like a slab of smooth, yellow butter. He ran his fingers up her spine, as though he was caressing a precious pearl. The two youths hugged each other tightly, as though they were the only measure of sweetness and happiness left in each other’s world. At the end, the two youths began to tire, and fell asleep in each other’s embrace. Before sleeping, Bei Ye suddenly opened his eyes and asked Chen Nian, “Where’s the keys to your house?”

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“It’s in my bag.” “I’ll send you home tomorrow. I’ll help you shift your books back as well. This place is simply too small.” “Alright.” …… 6 more days to graduation exams. The passing of time began to feel arduous and painful, and an uneasy sense of restlessness began to settle over the entire student population. Except Chen Nian. Chen Nian remained calm as ever, her heart at peace as she continued her revision slowly and methodically. During class time, the students engaged in animated discussions about the latest television series and the ever-mysterious raincoat man in order to divert their attention from the upcoming examinations. Chen Nian munched on her gummy bears whilst she packed her table. Her desk was almost entirely empty by now, with only a few reference books left in the small corner of her desk. During the afternoon break, Chen Nian hurriedly headed towards the entrance of the school gates. Spotting Bei Ye from a distance away, she flew down the steps and began to run towards him. Similarly, Bei Ye had just begun to run towards her when a police car drove up beside her. Zheng Yi stepped down from the police car. It was clear that he was looking for her. Chen Nian tore her gaze away from Bei Ye. Without sparing Bei Ye a single glance, she lowered her head and sat in the police car. Upon reaching the police station, Zheng Yi brought Chen Nian into the interrogation room.

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As Zheng Yi hadn’t managed to string a complete sentence within his head, he went to pour a cup of water for Chen Nian and himself. As the water began to fill the cup, the jarring witness testimony rang in his head, “…… there were several people walking past who saw them beat that girl up. They stripped her of her clothes and dragged her around, parading her for all to see. There were innumerable people who stood by, watching the debacle unfold……” The icy cold water began to overflowing, jolting Zheng Yi back to reality. The rest of his colleagues remained outside the interrogation room. He alone went in to question Chen Nian. Chen Nian was dressed in her school uniform. She sat quietly in the interrogation room, waves of loneliness and isolation rolling off her frail body. Her head was lowered, and she seemed extremely tired. Zheng Yi pushed the cup of water towards her, “Chen Nian?” “Yes?” She raised her head and gazed at him. She wasn’t nervous; neither was she confused. This made Zheng Yi even more uncomfortable – he simply didn’t know where to start, “What’s going through your mind right now?” “Right now? It’s about time, I reached home.” She pronounced each syllable slowly and clearly. “Home?” “Yes.” The girl nodded her head. “If I, wasn’t here; I would have, been home.” She lowered her head once more, twisting her fingers into a knot. It appeared that Chen Nian no longer had anything to say. Zheng Yi: “……”

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“Chen Nian,” He exhaled deeply, “Wei Cai and her group of friends – what exactly did they do to you?” “Wei Cai?” “Yes.” “She hit me. A single slap.” “What else?” Zheng Yi persisted, “What happened after that?” “I forgot.” Chen Nian shook her head from side to side. “I don’t……remember.” She returned his gaze, her eyes wide with confusion. Zheng Yi was at a loss for words, and turned back to gaze at his colleagues standing outside the interrogation room. When his gaze returned to Chen Nian, Chen Nian was staring at the blazing afternoon sun outside the window, her brows slightly furrowed. She was muttering to herself under her breath, “After lunch, it’s time for an afternoon nap. Sprinkle water, near the bamboo mat.” Zheng Yi rose from his seat and walked out of the interrogation room, shutting the door behind him. Senior Yang: “Selective memory loss? Its a form of self protection after suffering an extreme attack – should we locate a psychologist to counsel Chen Nian?” Xiao Yao: “You mean you want to awaken Chen Nian’s memory?” Senior Yang: “Luo Ting left the scene early; when she left, Wei Cai and a few other girls and boys which she didn’t recognize were still abusing Chen Nian. The suspect could very well have been part of the group that was abusing www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian. Although Luo Ting doesn’t have any impression with respect to those guys, perhaps Chen Nian would have some form of impression of them.” “That’s true.” “She’s about to take her graduation exams.” Zheng Yi interjected all of a sudden. “Ah?” “She’s about to take her graduation exams.” Zheng Yi repeated once more, his voice forcefully ringing out in the silent hallway.

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Chapter 21 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

“Chen Nian?” “Hmm?” Chen Nian appeared to be rather distracted; she continuously glanced at the blazing sunlight outside the window, and had to be constantly reminded by Zheng Yi and his fellow officers to redirect her attention back to them. Turning to them, she would gazed at them with her dark, black eyes, her clear and upright gaze seemingly asserting that her words contained nothing but the truth. “Do you hate Wei Cai?” “I’m alright.” “What do you mean by ‘alright’?” “If you didn’t mention her, I would not, think about, this person.” This answer left the police officers speechless, and Zheng Yi was at a momentary loss of words. Having answered the questions, Chen Nian turned her head towards the window once again. It was now 12:30PM. It was the hottest period of the day, the sunlight blazing down in its fiery glory, easily shattering the air into small, minuscule crystals. Senior Yang persisted, “What about now? Now that you’ve been reminded of Wei Cai, do you hate her?” Disrupted once again, Chen Nian turned her direction towards Senior Yang, “I’m alright.” “Only ‘alright’?” www.asianovel.com

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“I have, already forgotten, how she, looks like.” Chen Nian’s stutter seemed to have worsened. Like the other officers, Senior Yang was momentarily stunned, and was unable to formulate an appropriate response. In the deathly silence of the interrogation room, Chen Nian’s clear voice rang out, “I heard, that, the faces of those who died, who gradually, fade, from people’s memories. But those, who are still, alive, their faces would, always remain crystal, clear, in people’s memories, even if, they haven’t met, for many years.” Zheng Yi appeared to be intrigued by Chen Nian’s comment, and seemed to ponder over her comment whilst the other police officers simply brushed it aside. All of a sudden, Senior Yang interrupted the conversation, “Where were you the day Wei Cai went missing?” Chen Nian slowly raised her eyes, and gazed directly into Senior Yang’s eyes, “Which day?” On realising that his usual tactic of catching suspects off guard through sudden interruption hadn’t worked on Chen Nian, Senior Yang sighed internally before continuing the conversation, “The day after you were bullied and humiliated by Wei Cai.” “I was in school.” Chen Nian replied. “Why didn’t you take medical leave?” “I need to, revise. Time was, running out.” The officers were incredulous at her answer; yet, there was nothing the police officers could say in response to her answer. “You were in school the entire day?”

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“Yes.” There was no way Chen Nian could have lied about her presence in school – a simple trip to the school office would easily verify her alibi. “Where were you at night?” “I was at the movie theatre.” “You went to watch a movie?” A glimmer of suspicion flashed in Senior Yang’s eyes. “You chose to watch a movie at that time? What about our revision? Did it suddenly become unimportant to you?” In the face of Senior Yang’s aggressive and pointed questions, Chen Nian took her time to formulate her reply, “Because, it was …… a classic movie.” “You went to the movie theatres by yourself?” “No.” “Who did you go with?” “My classmate.” “What is the name of your classmate?” “Li, Xiang.” “Who suggested going to the movie theatres?” Zheng Yi interrupted the questioning. “He did.” Chen Nian replied. This was something that was extremely easy to verify as well. Once again, the group of police officers lapsed into a momentary silence. Exchanging meaningful glances with each other, the officers realised that they had no other questions for Chen Nian. www.asianovel.com

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Senior Yang strode out of the interrogation room, and commented, “This young girl is simply too calm.” Zheng Yi responded immediately, “What are you hinting at?” “Nothing.” Senior Yang replied in a casual tone, “One’s demeanour and disposition is frequently influenced by one’s environment, one’s personality, and one’s experiences. More accurately, it is often influenced by encounters one recently experienced.” Xiao Yao interjected, “This means, that Chen Nian’s overly calm disposition could be a result of her being in a state of extreme self-protection which she is unable to extricate herself from?” “Yes.” Senior Yang nodded gravely. The officers had only questioned Chen Nian about her whereabouts before Wei Cai’s disappearance out of convenience – after all, Chen Nian was already in the police station to shed light on the bullying Wei Cai inflicted on her. Based on Chen Nian’s responses, Chen Nian didn’t appear to be involved in Wei Cai’s disappearance. “In any event, do remember verify Chen Nian’s answers with Chen Nian’s teachers and that boy named Li Xiang. We need to ensure that she isn’t lying. — Separately, with respect to the group of 23 suspects, we need to think of further means to shrink the suspect pool.” Having instructed his group of officers, Senior Yang headed back to his office. Zheng Yi remained rooted on the spot. After some time, he turned back towards the interrogation room, and opened the door. Chen Nian remained seated in her original spot, her gaze fixated on the bright beams of sunlight shining outside the window. The cup of water in front of her remained untouched. It was such a hot and humid day. It was impossible for Chen Nian not to feel thirsty. www.asianovel.com

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Zheng Yi gently rapped on the door. “Chen Nian, you may take your leave now.” Zheng Yi led Chen Nian to the canteen, where the two of them had their lunch. Zheng Yi specially bought a bottle of water for Chen Nian. On receiving the bottle, Chen Nian immediately opened the bottle cap, easily downing half the bottle in a single shot. After lunch, Zheng Yi walked Chen Nian home. “Chen Nian.” Zheng Yi spoke her, the his tone careful and gentle. “Yes?” “You can always talk to me about things that are troubling you.” “Nothing’s troubling me.” Chen Nian shook her head. Glancing at Chen Nian’s lowered head, wisps of melancholy wormed their way into Zheng Yi’s heart. Ultimately, however, Zheng Yi kept his mouth shut, and didn’t pursue the point – instead, he simply reminded her to remain focused on revision for the upcoming examinations. Chen Nian nodded her head in response. As Chen Nian ascended the stairwell to her home, she suddenly remembered that Bei Ye had taken the keys to her home. However, on reaching her home, she discovered that her keys were inserted in the keyhole of her gate. Ah, if Bei Ye dared to leave her keys in such an open area, it necessarily meant that Bei Ye was somewhere nearby, watching over her. Upon coming to this realisation, Chen Nian immediately raised her head and began looking around frantically for Bei Ye. However, he was nowhere to be found. The bright rays of the summer sun trickled down onto the city, its glow causing the entire city to glimmer like fish scales. The bright sunlight pierced Chen Nian’s eyes, and she unwillingly lowered her eyes and rubbed them gently. In that very moment, her heart ached www.asianovel.com

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terribly, and she pursed her lips together in a grimace. After some time, a sense of serene calm returned to her heart, and she opened the door and entered her home. Her books had all been returned to their original spots, along with her clothes. She could no longer return to Bei Ye’s place. The both of them had to be strangers from this point forth. There were two huge shopping bags placed on her table. The two bags were filled with vegetables, groceries, noodles and innumerable snacks. Chen Nian strode over to the refrigerator and jerked it open – in the fridge, freshly bought fruits, milk, fruit juice and frozen dumplings lay in neat rows. Her bed and the electric fan had also been cleaned. Chen Nian turned on the electric fan and opened the windows in her bedroom. Innumerable trees and buildings stood erect outsider her window. With the windows wide open, Chen Nian gently lay down on her bed and gazed at the scenery outside. Gradually, Chen Nian felt a sense of security settling over her, and she fell asleep. After all, there would always be someone out there, watching over her. On waking up from her afternoon nap, Chen Nian went to the fridge and grabbed a cold drink, along with some grapes. Having ate the grapes, she made her way to school. Just before she entered the school compound, however, she turned back, casting a final glance behind her before stepping into the compound. Bei Ye stood upright at the end of the road leading up to Chen Nian’s school compound, patiently waiting for her to enter her school compound. On seeing Chen Nian turn back to glance at him, Bei Ye let out a deep sigh before turning and leaving. Chen Nian’s journey to school was no longer fraught with danger as it was in the past, but it had long become his habit to trail behind www.asianovel.com

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her, guarding her every step to school and protecting her from harm. And before he even realised it, it had already transformed into his hope, the highlight of his day. Just then, Bei Ye received a call from Da Kang inviting him to head out to play. Initially, Bei Ye wanted to reject Da Kang’s invitation, but decided to invite Da Kang to his home after some thought. By the time Bei Ye returned home, Da Kang was already waiting beside the shutter door, a green foxtail hanging from his mouth. With his helmet in hand, Bei Ye opened the shutter door and entered his home; Da Kang trailed after Bei Ye, noisily shutting the shutter doors behind him. The room was still humid and moist, but Da Kang raised his eyebrow in surprise, “Your house appears to be cleaner?” Bei Ye replied in an even, calm tone, “The house was packed yesterday.” “Who did? The small girl who previously hid behind your back?” Da Kang responded, sarcasm and unhappiness dripping from his voice. A distant, self-mocking smile formed over Bei Ye’s lips, “I dumped her a long time ago.” “Oh?” Da Kang’s eyebrow arched even further, “Why?” “Noisy, and annoying.” “Oh.” Da Kang nodded understandingly. However, Da Kang nevertheless found it amazing that Bei Ye had actually managed to put up with the girl for such a period of time – after all, having grown up with Bei Ye, he had never ever seen Bei Ye express interest in any single female. All the females who had expressed their interest in him were also easily rejected by Bei Ye – as such, Bei Ye’s handsome face was unfortunately wasted by him in such a manner. In any event, since Bei Ye dumped the girl a long time ago, it must www.asianovel.com

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mean that Bei Ye wasn’t interested in her either. Da Kang plopped himself down on Bei Ye’s bed, and stretched his long limbs out wide. Bei Ye furrowed his brows as he glanced at Da Kang, and was about to tell Da Kang to get off the bed when he remembered that it was Da Kang’s habit to lay on his bed every single time he came over. Swallowing his words back with some difficulty, Bei Ye turned his gaze away from Da Kang and glanced elsewhere. In any event, he had already changed the bedsheets and pillows after Chen Nian left. “Bei Ye, you know, Lai Zi mentioned that he was leaving for Guang Zhou to explore and carve a road out for himself – but what is there in Guang Zhou to explore?” Bei Ye grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge. Easily ramming the bottle caps off along the sides of the table, he handed a single bottle to Da Kang. Retrieving the bottle of beer from Bei Ye, Da Kang took one huge gulp before continuing his rant, “Isn’t he just mad over me telling him off after the quarrel that day? I can’t believe he really left for Guang Zhou. Although he doesn’t lose his temper easily, he’s exactly like a wrathful woman when he loses his temper, and it’s nearly impossible to appease him. A few days ago, Lai Zi actually called me in the middle of the night to bid me a final goodbye – does he really intend on severing all ties with me? Ah, did he call you as well?” Bei Ye nodded his head in a noncommittal manner. Da Kang took another swig of beer, and continued the conversation, “What about you? Where do you intend on going? Are you going to stay in Xi Cheng, or are you going to leave?” “I’m leaving.” Bei Ye replied. www.asianovel.com

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“Where to?” Bei Ye lapsed into a momentary silence, before replying in a quiet voice, “To Beijing.” “Wow, sounds extremely high class.” Da Kang responded sarcastically. Bei Ye drank a gulp of beer, blatantly ignoring Da Kang’s comment. “All of you are leaving – I’m the only one left behind in Xi Cheng.” Sorrow crept into Da Kang’s voice as he continued rambling, “I really thought that the three of us would always be brothers who stuck by each other. I never once thought that we would all separate and head into different directions after we grew up. In the past, the lady in charge of the welfare centre always told us that things would get better after we grew up – but what’s so f***ing good about growing up? “Yeah,” Bei Ye agreed, “What’s so f***ing good about growing up?” The moment those words left Bei Ye’s lips, Da Kang immediately reversed his initial position, and began to encourage Bei Ye, “It’s alright – just leave if you have to. Go out and explore the greater world out there. But, don’t forget me when you’ve struck it big.” “Sure.” Bei Ye replied, “If I do leave in the end.” He was like a tree – even though he wanted to fly, he had grown innumerable roots before he even realised it. “Ah,” Da Kang finally recalled an important matter, “Has the teacher given you a call? We need to collect our graduation certificates.” www.asianovel.com

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“The teacher called.” Bei Ye gave Da Kang’s butt a small kick. On receiving the hint, Da Kang lazily shifted his body to one side of the bed, giving Bei Ye some room to lie on. Bei Ye toppled onto the bed, using his arm as a makeshift pillow, “What’s so great about that certificate? Why should I even expend the effort to collect it?” “Our graduation certificate is important! After all, it is proof that at the very least, we did learn a specialised skill. Nowadays, many university students cannot even compared to specialised skill workers like us.” “Oh, please.” Bei Ye mocked Da Kang, “You actually believe that nonsense?” “It’s true! I even managed to land myself a job! I’m going to set up a company by myself if I managed to save enough money after a few years. Unfortunately, I’m not like you – I don’t have a wealthy uncle and aunt who are unable to bring themselves to abandon you despite their constant refusal to acknowledge your existence.” Bei Ye didn’t respond to Da Kang’s comment. Annoyed at himself for speaking without thinking, Da Kang tried to diffuse the situation by changing the topic, “Hey, by the way, have you heard about the raincoat man? I heard that the criminal is actually around our age.” Bei Ye turned his head to look at Da Kang, “Why do you say that?” “Well, when I retrieved my graduation certificate with a few other of our friends yesterday, there were a couple of odd men seated in the teacher’s office who began to scrutinise us the moment we stepped into the office. Based on their gaze and their aura, I suspect that they’re actually police officers.” Da Kang let out a cold snort, “The form www.asianovel.com

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teacher’s really sneaky too – he called all the hooligans in to collect the certificates together, and treated us as though we’re all suspects, f***.” Bei Ye didn’t respond to Da Kang’s rant. The breeze from the electric fan caused wisps of his fringe to fall into his eyes. He shook his head a few times out of irritation. Undeterred by Bei Ye’s silence, Da Kang continued the conversation, “Hey, remember to collect your graduation certificate.” “I know.” …… Chen Nian saw Zheng Yi once again as she was doing clean up duty after school had ended. However, this time round, he wasn’t looking for her – instead, he was looking for Xu Miao. As Xu Miao walked past Chen Nian, she handed her broom to Chen Nian, “Ah, you were originally scheduled for clean up duty, not me. I guess I’ll make a move then.” Chen Nian remained rooted at her original spot, unmoving. The school building was mostly void of people at this hour. As such, although Zheng Yi and Xu Miao had walked a distance away, Chen Nian could still hear every single word they exchanged. “…… After you cut off all contact with Wei Cai, she understood that you no longer wanted anything to do with her. However, I checked Wei Cai’s call log, and I discovered that despite not having attempted to contact you for over a week, Wei Cai suddenly decided to call you the day she went missing. Why do you suppose she suddenly called you that day?” “Didn’t I already explain this to you the previous time?” Xu www.asianovel.com

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Miao’s voice was extremely soft. Zheng Yi reassured Xu Miao, “I’m not suspecting that you were involved in Wei Cai’s death. I just feel that you’re hiding something from me.” What Xu Miao was hiding, was, in actuality, what Wei Cai had told her over the call: Location – The hill behind the school building; The person due to arrive – Chen Nian. Chen Nian didn’t doubt Zheng Yi’s ability for a single minute. From the very first moment her gaze collided with his, she instantly knew that this young officer wasn’t like other normal officers – he was extremely capable and passionate about his job. Chen Nian tiptoed to the corridor and peered at the empty school compound beneath her. Zheng Yi tall physique was accentuated by Xu Miao’s tiny frame, and the two of them waked as they talked, before finally stopping beside the flower patch. After some time, Xu Miao exited the school compound and boarded her father’s car. Zheng Yi too, left the school compound after Xu Miao. Chen Nian stood quietly at the corridor of the school building, peering over the railing in silence. An eerie sense of danger crept up her spine, and she felt a near physical force push her over the railing onto the grounds below. Jerking back in fear, she whipped her head around – only to discover that the entrance of the classroom was wide open; the empty classroom was filled entirely with tables and chairs, without a single person in sight. Chen Nian once again gazed at the school compound, and as her gaze drifted to the street across the school compound, she saw a solitary white figure standing erect at the convenience shop opposite the school compound.

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Chen Nian ran back into the classroom. On recalling the exchange that took place between Xu Miao and Zheng Yi a few minutes ago, her hands and legs began to tremble uncontrollably. Haphazardly throwing the brooms aside, she hurriedly grabbed her bag and sprinted down the stairwell and out of the school compound. She didn’t even bother waiting for Bei Ye. Chen Nian was flying across the innumerable roads. She didn’t take her usual route; instead, she selected random roads which she rarely used, and ran around blindly, as though she was trying to rid herself of a tail who had been persistently following her around. Chen Nian blindly charged ahead, only stopping when she reached the familiar field of wild grass. The setting sun shone dimly in the evening sky, resembling a giant yellow yolk. Before long, Chen Nian heard rapid footsteps ringing out from behind her. Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Nian began sprinting forward with all her might. However, no matter how energy she pumped into her two skinny legs, he still managed to catch up with her. Easily catching up with Chen Nian, Bei Ye grabbed Chen Nian by the wrist, forcing her to come to a halt. With his brows furrowed, he questioned her, “Where are you going?” Chen Nian tried to wrench her wrist out of Bei Ye’s grasp, but Bei Ye’s grip was like an iron shackle which she couldn’t get rid of no matter how hard she tried; Bei Ye began to drag Chen Nian back where she came from, towards the direction of her home, but Chen Nian was overcome with a fervent desire to head in the opposite direction, towards the direction of his home. “What’s wrong?” Bei Ye’s brows were tightly knitted together. “I want to go home!!” Chen Nian shrieked at Bei Ye as she struggled futilely against his grip.

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Bei Ye surveyed their surroundings quickly. On ensuring that nobody else was in the vicinity, Bei Ye loosened his grip on Chen Nian’s wrist and turned towards her, his voice determined and soothing, “Your home is in that direction.” “I want to go home!” Chen Nian repeated herself, at a louder volume this time round. Bei Ye fell into silence, his dark gaze taking in her anxiety, her frustration, and her fears. Gently stroking her cheeks, his soft, gentle voice rang out quietly as a small smile formed on his lips, “You understand what I mean, don’t you?” I understand, Bei Ye, I understand. But…… “We can’t hide it forever.” A small smile formed on Chen Nian’s lips as well, as she told Bei Ye gently, “I killed Wei Cai. We can’t hide it forever.” Before she even managed to complete her sentence, Bei Ye grabbed the back of Chen Nian’s head, pressing her tightly into his embrace. “That’s nonsense.” He pressed his face tightly against hers, “Listen to me. When I found Wei Cai on the hill behind your school building, she wasn’t dead.”

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Chapter 22 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

The sky was a brilliant shade of red and orange as the setting sun cast its amber rays over the cloudless sky. The gentle evening breeze grazed the thick foliage of the mulberry trees, causing the tree leaves to rustle restlessly. Bei Ye sat on the swing, his eyes inevitably following Chen Nian’s tiny figure as she swept the fallen leaves from the abandoned grounds of the steel mill. “I noticed that, an object is missing from the drawer beneath the basin,” Chen Nian asked uncertainly, “They said, Wei Cai had been ……, but I suspect that she wasn’t. Did you, perhaps, use that object ……” Bei Ye raised his eyes to meet Chen Nian’s gaze. The two youths fell into silence. Bei Ye bit onto his lower lip gently. After some time, he spoke up, “In any event …… I subsequently discovered that Wei Cai had truly been raped. That day, after you injured her with the knife, Wei Cai was subdued by the raincoat man who had been stalking her, and raped.” Chen Nian gripped the broom tightly, “Are you speaking, the truth?” “It’s Lai Zi.” That day, Chen Nian tensed up unnaturally upon seeing Lai Zi. At that very moment, Bei Ye realised that Lai Zi could have been amongst the group of males who bullied and hurt Chen Nian that night along with Wei Cai. “I’ve broken off all contact with Lai Zi. He has now fled to the other districts. The previous two cases of rape were also committed by him.” www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian remained silent. “Don’t you remember? There were a few times when I had to help him to clean up his mess. Once, you were even at my house when he reached out to me for help.” “He was the one who murdered Wei Cai?” Chen Nian asked hesitantly, the suspicion unmistakeable in her voice. “Yes.” Chen Nian’s brows furrowed together slightly; Bei Ye rose from the swing. Walking over to Chen Nian, he grazed his fingers over her cheeks. Chen Nian gazed at him silently, her brows gradually unknotting themselves. Lowering his head, Bei Ye cupped her face gently in his hands and whispered in a ow voice, “You must believe this – that you didn’t kill anybody. That everything would turn out fine.” Chen Nian shivered quietly, “I didn’t kill anybody.” “That’s right. You didn’t.” “You didn’t too either, did you?” Chen Nian stared at him obstinately. Bei Ye broke into a gentle smile, and gave a small, gentle nod. But Chen Nian’s heart remained clouded with worries and fears. She knew that Bei Ye was hiding something from her, that it wasn’t anything good, and that it was a disastrous piece of news. She believed in Bei Ye, but at the same time, she felt that he wasn’t being entirely truthful with her, and that his reassurances were filled with truths and lies. However, she had no way of differentiating which parts were true, and which parts were lies. She was overcome with a strange sense of uneasiness, just like he www.asianovel.com

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was. After all, they were still two young, immature youths – they were afraid and fearful of the uncertain future. And yet, like the fields of wild grass who struggled to live despite the harsh conditions and lack of care, they would simply grit their teeth and struggle through what was to come. That evening, the two youths clambered onto the window sill, hopped onto the cement ledge and sprinted up the emergency stairwell. On reaching the rooftop, the two youths sat side by side on the edge of the roof, their feet dangling beneath them as they gazed at the innumerable households in Xi Cheng. The sun had already dipped beyond the horizon, its remnant glow gradually fading away. Chen Nian was overcome with an inexplicable feeling, that calamity was about to befall the both of them. All of a sudden, Bei Ye’s voice rang out, “Little Stutterer?” “Yes?” “What’s your greatest wish?” “You know my greatest wish already, don’t you?” “I do. But I would still like to hear you say it aloud.” Chen Nian said her greatest wish aloud, and turned to look at him. “Did you hear what you said?” “I heard.” “Good. You will definitely meet someone like that in the future.” Bei Ye paused before continuing, “But please remember, that I was first.” Chen Nian felt as though there was a huge rock on her chest, www.asianovel.com

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which she couldn’t rid herself of no matter how hard she tried. In a quiet voice, she asked him n return, “What about you, Bei Ye?” “Hmm?” “What’s your greatest wish?” Bei Ye slowly told Chen Nian his greatest wish, his voice steady and calm. As Chen Nian listened to his wish, her eyes gradually reddened in the night breeze. She wanted to gaze at him, to look into his eyes – but Bei Ye had already lowered his eyes, instead choosing to gaze at the buildings beneath his feet. Strumming his guitar, Bei Ye requested in a strained voice, “Little Stutterer, could you recite a poem for me?” Chen Nian began to recite his designated poem aloud: “I want to live with you, In a small and unknown town. I want to enjoy the neverending sunsets with you, Along with the unceasing clanging of the city bells. In the hotel in this small town, The ancient grandfather clock chimes, Weakly, and softly, Like the time that is gradually dripping away. Occasionally, when evening arrives, the sound of A flute Drifts from a certain room in he hotel room. The flutist leans against the window, The tulips in full bloom outside his window. Even if you cannot bring yourself to love me at this very instant, I wouldn’t take it to heart.” A single drop of tear made its way through the darkness of the night and splashed onto the book Chen Nian was holding; Bei Ye turned his head to gaze at Chen Nian’s lowered head. After gazing for a long period of time, a gentle, indulgent smile formed on his lips. He didn’t say a single word and instead chose to continue strumming his guitar. As he strummed his guitar, his gaze fell onto the red string that had been tied onto his wrist. www.asianovel.com

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I want to live with you, in a small and unknown town. I want to enjoy the neverending sunsets with you, along with the unceasing clanging of the city bells. But if it’s an unattainable dream, then let me transform into a key. Thread the red string through the key, and hang the red string from your neck – only then would I be able to stay somewhere close to your heart. Fishing his key out of his pocket, Bei Ye placed the key firmly onto Chen Nian’s palm and reminded her carefully, “Remember not to let anybody else see this key.” It’d cause you a ton of trouble. Chen Nian wrapped her fingers around the key and clenched her fist tightly. Raising her eyes to meet his, she replied softly, “I know.” Both of them knew, at the bottom of their hearts, that their peaceful days were about to come to an end. The next day, when Bei Ye and Chen Nian left for school, Bei Ye instructed Chen Nian, “Do you remember the alley where we first met? Wait for me at the corner of that alley at 6PM tonight. Don’t go too early – make sure you reach only at 6PM.” “Why?” “Don’t worry, just do as I say.” Chen Nian didn’t press Bei Ye any further. It was only when Chen Nian arrived in school did she discover the drastic development in the solving of Wei Cai’s murder. The police had begun to comb the hill behind the school building for clues relating to Wei Cai’s death. During class time, when Chen Nian headed to the front of the class www.asianovel.com

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to hand up her assignment, Xu Miao tagged along behind her. In a low voice, Xu Miao apologised profusely to Chen Nian, “I’m terribly sorry, Chen Nian. I didn’t reveal anything, but that police officer is simply too sensitive – he managed to discern Wei Cai’s train of thought simply from that single call.” It turned out that Zheng Yi had always been particularly concerned about the significance of Wei Cai’s call to Xu Miao. Xu Miao was, at that period of time, closely watched by her parents – Xu Miao was forced to return home immediately after school, and no longer had the spare time to meet and hang out with Wei Cai. As such, Wei Cai and Xu Miao’s friendship deteriorated extremely quickly, and they hadn’t contacted each other for a long period of time. However, on the day Wei Cai went missing, she gave Xu Miao a call. The call didn’t even last for half a minute. However, from that one single call, Zheng Yi’s theorised that Wei Cai had originally intended to go somewhere near the school compound that day, and that the very sight of the school compound reminded her of Xu Miao. This would thus explain Wei Cai’s sudden call to Xu Miao – Wei Cai probably wanted to ask Xu Miao out for a short meeting or catch up. Zheng Yi even managed to theorise, from that single call, that the place where Wei Cai originally arranged to meet Xu Miao was the hill behind the school building. After all, Wei Cai knew that Xu Miao’s parents were extremely strict with her; thus, meeting outside the school compound was no longer an option. Wei Cai was thus left with no choice but to arrange to meet Xu Miao in the school compound; if so, the only possible option left for Wei Cai was the hill behind the school building, as it was the only corner that wasn’t under surveillance. Chen Nian shook her head quietly, “It’s alright.” Xu Miao continued, “The police officers know about the www.asianovel.com

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bullying that you suffered at Wei Cai’s hands. I hope you’re not too affected by Wei Cai’s sudden disappearance and murder.” “No, I’m fine.” “Ah, I wonder what the current state of the investigations is… I hope that no one else saw you head towards the hill behind the school building. Also, it better not turn out like those television dramas where the police discover a critical piece of evidence which would link you to Wei Cai’s murder and disappearance. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell the police officer that Wei Cai also invited you to meet at the hill behind the school building; I only told them that she was interested in meeting me.” Chen Nian fell into silence. For the rest of the day, she continuously glanced at the direction of the hill behind the school building. What clues would the police be able to uncover? Blood stains? Footprints? Strands of hair? Would the torrential rain and storm that occurred a few days ago successfully remove all such pertinent clues? If the police officers managed to find related evidence linking her to Wei Cai’s disappearance and murder, she would be immediately brought to the police station and interrogated with a higher intensity compared to before. Alternatively, if they managed to uncover crucial evidence proving her involvement in Wei Cai’s disappearance and murder, then she’s doomed. What exactly was Bei Ye doing at this precise point in time? Just as the Bei Ye’s teacher was about to leave the office when he heard the deafening sound of a motorcycle braking outside the office. The brash and unruly youth removed his helmet, secretly unbuttoning his sleeve buttons as he did so. Bei Ye strode over to the www.asianovel.com

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office and gave a short, sharp knock. Before his teacher managed to reply, however, Bei Ye had already entered the office. Glancing at the motorcycle parked outside the office, Bei Ye’s teacher was starkly reminded of the description of the raincoat man which the police officers had circulated previously; although he had a handful of students who fit the description, the police officers hadn’t reverted with any news of the raincoat man even after the previous observation they conducted. Well, who would have thought that another student fitting the descriptor would turn up today? Bei Ye’s family background – with a criminal and a prostitute as parents, it was little wonder that Bei Ye was often excluded and discriminated against by youths of similar ages. He was extremely good looking as well – when he was studying, he had innumerable girls who flocked after him, craving for his attention. However, Bei Ye was always extremely short and irritable with them. It was as though Bei Ye possessed a deep hatred for females in his bones. “Teacher.” Bei Ye’s voice was slightly cool, and he didn’t bother disguising the impatience in his voice. “Oh.” The teacher collected his thoughts, “Are you here to collect your graduation certificate?” The teacher began rummaging in his drawer, “You have been skipping classes quite a fair bit recently, haven’t you?” Bei Ye didn’t bother answering his teacher’s questions. Finally, the teacher managed to locate Bei Ye’s graduation certificate. The teacher was about to continue his conversation with Bei Ye when Bei Ye impatiently wrenched the graduation certificate from his teacher’s hands. Just as Bei Ye reached for his graduation certificate, the sleeves on his uniforms flapped open, revealing a few fresh fingernail scratch marks, as well as a newly scarred knife wound.

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It was only then that Bei Ye’s teacher realised the oddity of Bei Ye wearing a long sleeved shirt in such hot weather. Bei Ye’s teacher hurriedly retracted his gaze from Bei Ye’s arm, and continued the conversation as if he hadn’t noticed the odd wounds on Bei Ye’s arms, “Once you’ve graduated, remember to find a good job for yourself.” Bei Ye smirked at his teacher coldly before turning and leaving the office. Covered in cold sweat, the teacher slowly sank onto his office chair as his legs gave way beneath him. It was only when the ostentatious revving of the motorcycle faded into the distance did the teacher compose himself sufficiently to call the police station. Chen Nian had kept her phone by her side the entire day. Although the phone hadn’t vibrated a single time the entire day, Chen Nian wasn’t anxious or fearful in the slightest. However, she wasn’t calm and collected as well. What if the police officers managed to discover some clues on the hill behind the school building? What if those clues led them to her? Would Zheng Yi call her? Or would the police officers simply arrive at her doorstep, ready to arrest her within a moment’s notice? The moment the school bell rang, signalling the end of school, Chen Nian sprinted out of the school compound. Zheng Yi wasn’t waiting for her at the gates of the school compound. This meant that the police officers hadn’t made any new discoveries today that linked her to Wei Cai’s murder. But what about tomorrow? What about the day after tomorrow? Bei Ye was conspicuously missing from the gates of the school compound as well. However, Chen Nian wasn’t worried in the slightest as they had agreed to meet somewhere else today. Panting heavily from the physical exertion, Chen Nian ran towards the alley where they first met. It was still 10 minutes from 6PM when Chen www.asianovel.com

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Nian arrived at the designated corner. Chen Nian circled the area a few times using haphazard and strange routes. She was afraid that someone was following her – but at the same time, she didn’t know why she felt the need to hide and conceal herself. When it was nearing 6PM, she ran to the corner of the alley where she and Bei Ye first met. The alley was void of people at this hour. Chen Nian stared at her wristwatch. It was 5:59PM, and was ten seconds away from 6PM. She was like a refugee who had escaped from her country, and was waiting for the rescue boat that would only come at dawn. One second, two seconds …… All of a sudden, the familiar loud sound of a motorcycle engine pierced the eerie silence. Chen Nian instantly whipped her head towards the direction of the sound, the delight and happiness unmistakeable in her eyes. It was the look of a lost child who finally managed to locate her closest kin. However, the youth on the motorcycle did not reduce the motorcycle’s speed; instead, the youth pressed his body even closer to the motorcycle, stomping on the pedal with all his might. The motorcycle rushed towards Chen Nian. Within the blink of an eye, the youth had already scooped Chen Nian onto the motorcycle and driven off, leaving the passer-bys in the dust. Having been thrown onto the motorcycle like a rucksack, the books in Chen Nian’s bag toppled onto the road, leaving a short, messy trail behind the motorcycle. The motorcycle continued zooming forward, the uneven motion of the vehicle easily contributing to the waves of nausea overcoming Chen Nian. After some time, the motorcycle came to a sudden halt. www.asianovel.com

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Before Chen Nian could even gather her senses however, Bei Ye had already thrown her over his shoulders and started striding towards his house. The motorcycle, the thick, lush foliage of the mulberry trees, the setting sun, the lonely swing, the stairwell, the shutter doors – all these items flowed past Chen Nian’s vision like a steady stream. Once again, the two youths have returned to the dark, musky and humid house. Bei Ye threw Chen Nian onto the bed and turned to stare at her. Without a moment’s hesitation, Bei Ye heaved himself onto Chen Nian, using the weight of his body to pin her underneath him. Clasping Chen Nian’s face in an iron grip, Bei Ye began to kiss Chen Nian wildly, his actions rough and violent. Bewildered, a sense of anxiety began to form in the depths of Chen Nian’s heart. The setting sun took cover behind the innumerable clouds, its weak rays barely able to pierce the curtains of Bei Ye’s room. The entire room to be cloaked in a silent darkness. Although Chen Nian couldn’t see the expression etched on Bei Ye’s face, she could feel his entire body trembling uncontrollably, as though he was a bowstring that had been fully pulled back, taut and tight. “The police will arrive anytime now.” Bei Ye grabbed hold of Chen Nian’s collar, and began to tear at it with all his might. The fragile cloth easily ripped apart under Bei Ye’s brute force. Chen Nian’s heart began to tremble. Shocked, she raised her eyes to meet Bei Ye’s gaze. At that very moment, she understood. You lied to me? Chen Nian’s mouth hung agape; and yet, not a single sound came out from her mouth – somehow, she had transformed into a mute. Frantic, she began to shake her head profusely. www.asianovel.com

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“Listen to me, I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry.” Bei Ye began to choke up, and he expended all his force in keeping Chen Nian’s head still; glancing at the red string that was tied around his wrist, he hurriedly removed it and began tying it around her wrist, “I’m so sorry, I thought it was perfect. I thought nobody would ever find out.” He thought, that as long as nobody found Wei Cai’s corpse, nobody would ever discover that she had been murdered. He had tidied up the crime scene and tried to remove all the clues that could potentially lead to Chen Nian – he buried the blood stains with mud and soil; he transported Wei Cai’s corpse to the isolated San Shui Bridge, and hid her copse within the mud. But, just as he was in the midst of hiding Wei Cai’s corpse, the red string that hung from his wrist came loose. As he tried to retie the red string securely onto his wrist, one of Wei Cai’s shoe fell into the gushing river below. That night, the torrential downpour easily covered up Bei Ye’s motorcycle tracks; but, it also prevented him from going down to the river to pick up Wei Cai’s stray shoe. Even if one had made all the possible plans and preparations in the world, there would always be a term called “accident”. And who would have ever thought that, the San Shui Bridge would collapse amidst the torrential downpour one night? “This is an accident that was destined to happen. I couldn’t have prevented it no matter how hard I tried. I’m not sad.” His gaze bored into Chen Nian’s eyes, his tone filled with the determination and resolution of a person due to die. Because, it was precisely this accident – this accident that was destined to happen – which allowed me to meet you. It’s fair.

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“No.” Chen Nian shook her head vigorously, “No! There’s …… bound to be another …… way……” Chen Nian resisted Bei Ye’s grip, her voice strangled and muted. “No.” Bei Ye furrowed his eyebrows, a deep crease forming over his forehead. Tears began forming in his eyes, and he pressed his forehead against Chen Nian’s. Manically staring at her, Bei Ye continued, “It’s not Lai Qing – it’s me. I’m the raincoat man.” Chen Nian didn’t fall for Bei Ye’s bluff. Not even a single second. Shaking her head resolutely, she stated calmly, “No. You’re not.” “It’s me.” “No.” “It is.” “No.” “Yes!” “No!” “……” “……” Bei Ye was at the end of his rope. “You recall that night? The night when you woke up and saw me washing some items in the basin? Do you know what I was washing?” Bei Ye leaned close to Chen Nian, and whispered a single sentence to her. His secret. Chen Nian’s eyes widened in shock, and a muffled, strangle cry erupted from her throat. She began to punch Bei Ye ferociously with her tiny fists as she shook her head vigorously from side to side. www.asianovel.com

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“Who allowed you to do all these things for me? Who allowed you to do so?!” She grabbed his collar and began to shake him furiously, just as he grabbed her collar. It was as though the two youths were on the brink of strangling each other to death. Bei Ye wrapped a strip of white cloth around Chen Nian’s mouth, effectively muting her desperate, strangled cries. In a low, quiet voice, he warned her, “Do you want to go down the path of destruction together with me? If you don’t want to lose the bright future ahead of you, listen to my instructions and do as I say. Do you understand?” Chen Nian bit on the white cloth, and continued shaking her head as a sign of protest. Bei Ye began to kiss Chen Nian’s face in earnest. All of a sudden, the setting sun emerged from the cover of the clouds, and the room was once again bathed in its glow. The setting sun cast its rays on the two youths, the sudden brightness piercing the skin of the two youths as though it was a sharp razor knife. Tears began to form in Chen Nian’s eyes. The sharp wail of the police siren pierced the tense silence in Bei Ye’s room. It was time to say goodbye. Bei Ye loosened the white cloth around Chen Nian’s mouth, and instructed her, “Scream for help.” Chen Nian refused to budge, stubbornly keeping her mouth shut. Hardening his heart, Bei Ye bit down on Chen Nian’s neck as viciously as he could, as though he had no qualms about tearing off a piece of her meat. The intense pain caused tears to flow out of Chen Nian’s eyes; and yet, not a single sound escaped from her tightly www.asianovel.com

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shut lips. Tears began to form in Bei Ye’s eyes; Bei Ye tried to blink his tears away, but it was all in vain. The wail of the police sound grew louder. There was no time left. Bei Ye hurriedly grabbed Chen Nian by the collar and began to plead. “Little Stutterer, ever since I was born, I was a piece of trash, a piece of rubbish that nobody wanted. My entire life is doomed for normalcy, I would never be able to achieve success in anything I do; but you – you still have Beijing. I’m not destined to be that special person in your life, and I will never ever transform into someone worthy of you. So please remember this – you have nothing to lose by losing me. As for me, I don’t have a choice. When I fall in love with a person, all I want to do is to protect her and hide her away, so that nobody would be able to touch her, nobody would be able to scold her, and nobody would be able to inflict harm on her; nobody would be allowed to say nasty things about her – not even a single word. — That’s all I want to do.” The sharp screeching of vehicles braking rang out from the empty grounds of the abandoned steel mill. “When I’m not around, you must be strong. You must remember to stay strong.” On finishing his sentence, Bei Ye once again pinned Chen Nian onto the bed, his gaze savage and vicious, “Shout for help!” Chen Nian bit her lips together, and simply returned his stare. Bei Ye began to rip Chen Nian’s clothes, easily shredding her clothes into pieces, “Shout for help!” Her lips remained glued together, and her eyes began to redden. www.asianovel.com

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Footsteps – the police was clambering up the stairwell. Frantic, Bei Ye’s eyes began to redden as he stared at Chen Nian. With trembling hands, he flicked his lighter and held the flame near Chen Nian’s neck. Chen Nian curled her body up and began writhing in pain beneath his iron grip. He was serious – he was like a lunatic, sparing no expense in forcing her to comply with his instructions. The pain caused tears to stream down Chen Nian’s face, but she remained obstinately silent as she fixed her desperate and wounded gaze on Bei Ye. The two youths pinned each other with their charged glares, each filled with desperation and resolution. If their gazes were knives, they would have hacked each other to death. As they wrestled each other on the bed, the shabby curtains fell from Bei Ye’s window, causing the entire room to be bathed in the soft, yellow glow of the setting sun. The forceful knocks on the shutter door caused the entire door to tremble violently. The police was about to burst through the door anytime now. The police began to issue instructions from outside the shutter door, “Open the door!” “Surrender now!” “You have been surrounded!” Amidst the chaos and the confusion, Bei Ye wrapped his hands gently around Chen Nian’s face. A thin layer of perspiration had formed over her face. The gazes of the two youths collided with each other’s. In that moment, tears began to stream uncontrollably down her face, blurring his face from view. The corners of the youth’s lips began to curve downwards. His heart was so heavy he felt incapable of smiling. Ultimately, however, he managed to curve his lips into a tiny smile, and he www.asianovel.com

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gazed at Chen Nian gently. His throat began to quiver, as though he had a lifetime’s worth of dying words stuck in the passage of his throat. After some time, however, he only managed to squeeze out a single sentence, “Little Stutterer, when you’re all grown up, please don’t forget about me.” It was as though a knife had been driven directly into Chen Nian’s heart. Her lips began to quiver, and her shoulders began to shake uncontrollably. Scrunching her face tightly together, a piercing cry of pain and suffering erupted from her throat. “Ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The police officers broke down the shutter doors in that very instant, and rushed into the house. The youth began to hug the girl with all his might, as though he was a drowning man clutching on to his final straw. He forcefully bit down on her lips. She too, bit on his lips ferociously, causing their mouths to be filled with the metallic taste of blood. The police officers surrounded the two youths, but there were unable to separate the two, who were seemingly glued to each other. Bei Ye gripped her neck with both of his hands – from the outsider’s point of view, it was as though he was about to strangle her to death; “Let go of her!” “You have been surrounded!” “Bei Ye! Surrender now!” The police officers all knew his name. “Call for reinforcements!” The two youths continued tussling with each other, biting each other and gripping each other as tightly as they could; blood began to flow from their lips. At long last, the two youths were finally separated. Chen Nian was www.asianovel.com

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like a rag doll who had been wrested from Bei Ye’s arms. It was as though the officers had ripped off a piece of meat from Bei Ye’s chest. A female police officer hurriedly stepped forward and took Chen Nian in her arms, sheltering her from Bei Ye’s piercing gaze. Chen Nian stared at Bei Ye, the desperation, fright and fear evident in her gaze. The police officers kicked Bei Ye violently, and pinned his arms behind his back. They grabbed his head and shoved his head onto the floor. Like the very first time they met, his face was thrust into the dirt and dust on the floor. Innumerable pairs of hands and legs pinned Bei Ye onto the floor, rendering him immobile and defenceless. With a distinct clicking sound, the police officers placed his wrists in handcuffs. With his face planted on the ground, Bei Ye nevertheless continued to gaze at Chen Nian unblinkingly, as though he wanted to imprint Chen Nian’s image in his memory. “What are you looking at?!” A police officer slapped Bei Ye’s head whilst rebuking him. However, Bei Ye’s gaze remained determined and stubborn. Taking Chen Nian into her arms, the female officer began to soothe and comfort Chen Nian, “Don’t worry, you’re safe now.” This single sentence caused Chen Nian to fall onto the ground as she burst into tears. …… ……

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— Little Stutterer, what’s your greatest wish? All I wish for, is for there to be a person who would protect me from harm, and spare me from confusion and hardship; For me to be able to face this world without fear before I grow up; That’s all I wish for.

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Chapter 23 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

“I don’t know anything.” Chen Nian’s eyelids were drooped, her entire being radiating fatigue and weariness. Wrapped in the customary blue shirt worn by the Police, Chen Nian’s petite frame resembled a fragile ice cream stick left in the ice cream packaging after one has polished off the entire ice cream. Sat right opposite her were three police officers – Zheng Yi, Senior Yang, and Xiao Yao. Also present was a female lawyer who had just been appointed to protect Chen Nian. “In other words, you do not have any impression of the suspect, do you?” Xiao Yao asked gently. After all, the person whom she was questioning was a frail, helpless girl who had just been through one of the worst scares in her life. Chen Nian stared into empty space for a long time, quiet, and unmoving. She lowered her head slightly, and fixated her gaze onto the cold, concrete floor. Chen Nian rubbed her eyes stubbornly, and when she finally looked towards the officers, her eyes were bloodshot. “Am… am I at….fault?” “That’s not what I meant”. Xiao Yao comforted Chen Nian immediately. Taking a quick glance at Senior Yang, Xiao Yao continued, “We suspect that the suspect has a habit of stalking and tailing his victims.” Chen Nian slumped into her chair, an expression of confusion etched on her face. It was as though the traumatic experience had inadvertently caused her reaction time to slow exponentially. After a www.asianovel.com

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long period of time, Chen Nian opened her mouth and inquired, “Wh…Why?” Xiao Yao paused. According to Senior Yang’s analysis, the raincoat man was extremely cautious and meticulous, and appeared to have a good understanding of his victims before he perpetrated his crimes against them. And one of the easiest and most efficient methods of gaining a good understanding of strangers is to stalk them. However, it was not necessary to divulge such gritty details to the young girl. “This is simply one of our numerous lines of inquiry.” Xiao Yao finally said. “The suspect is likely to have stalked or tailed you previously, which is why we’re asking whether you have any impression of the suspect.” “Can you recount the details of the incident once more?” Xiao Yao softened her voice as much as she could. “Don’t be afraid, we’ve already managed to capture the suspect. He will definitely bear the punishment inflicted by the law.” Chen Nian fell into a momentary silence before slowly nodding her head. Zheng Yi, who had been quietly observing Chen Nian’s and Xiao Yao’s exchange the entire time, finally spoke up. “Take your time to recount the incident. There’s no rush.” Chen Nian turned to look at Zheng Yi. His gaze, as usual, was unfathomable. She was unable to decipher his thoughts. Chen Nian began to describe the entire incident once more. She was returning home from school when, all of a sudden, she was seized and thrown onto the perpetrator’s motorcycle. He clamped his hands on her mouth, and brought her to the abandoned [factory]. There, he threw her onto his bed, and started tearing manically at her clothes. The police arrived shortly afterwards.

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Senior Yang and Xiao Yao had no further questions. Zheng Yi, however, asked Chen Nian once more, “You don’t have any impression of the suspect prior to the incident?” Chen Nian shook her head resolutely. “What about this phone number?” Zheng Yi placed a string of numbers in front of Chen Nian. “Do you have any impression of this phone number?” Chen Nian glanced at the string of numbers placed before her. After some time, Chen Nian shook her head once more. “But based on your phone records, it appears that someone had previously utilised this phone number to send you a text message. You have also dialled this phone number previously.” Zheng Yi said slowly, his unfathomable gaze fixated on Chen Nian. “Is that so? I don’t…. don’t recall.” Chen Nian responded. “When did … did this happen? “The day before Wei Cai went missing.” Chen Nian furrowed her brows, and appeared to retreat into the recesses of her mind. Finally, Chen Nian unfurrowed her brows. “He was the… the one who initiated contact…and texted me first. He… he told me that he was…. late. As I was…. unable to recognize the mobile number… that sent the text… I… I tried calling to clarify… but nobody picked up the phone…. Since nobody responded… I ignored the message… thereafter.” “How did the suspect know your mobile number? And why did the suspect send you a text message?” “I don’t know.” Chen Nian looked extremely perplexed. “Shouldn’t… shouldn’t you ask the suspect… instead?” www.asianovel.com

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That’s not right. Chen Nian’s phone records showed that, once, many days before the suspect texted Chen Nian out of the blue, a conversation had taken between Chen Nian and the suspect. And the person who initiated that very first conversation, was Chen Nian. Zheng Yi stared intently at Chen Nian. Just when Zheng Yi was about to expose Chen Nian’s lies, Chen Nian appeared to be struck by a sudden thought, and piped up, “I… I think I do…. have a vague impression… of the suspect.” “What?” “There…there was this one time… At the road side… Someone asked to borrow my… mobile phone to… make a call. I…I think it was him… but I’m not entirely…. sure.” Chen Nian’s latest revelation corresponded with the findings of Zheng Yi’s investigation. Based on the phone records, Bei Ye and Chen Nian had only contacted each other thrice – one text message, and two missed calls. Chen Nian’s explanation appeared to be extremely reasonable. After all, just the mere thought of Chen Nian and Bei Ye being good friends is ludicrous. One was an excellent high school student with a bright future ahead of her, whilst the other was a lowly hooligan, ready to embark on whatever odd jobs he was able to find after graduating from technical school. There was nothing in common between the two youths – so why would they have any reason to interact with each other? Chen Nian felt like she was in a trance, her ears ringing with Bei Ye’s plea. “You must remember to stay strong.” Xiao Yao placed the transcript of Chen Nian’s interrogation and a pen before Chen Nian, and indicated for Chen Nian to sign off on the www.asianovel.com

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transcript. Chen Nian glanced at the red string tied around her wrist, and ever so slowly, she picked up the pen. Placing the tip of the pen at the bottom of the transcript, Chen Nian began to ink her signature onto the transcript. Chen Nian. Chen – her family name; Nian – being true to one’s heart. Chen Nian gazed at her signature. The longer she looked at the word “Nian”, the less it looked like a Chinese character, and the more foreign it became. Zheng Yi exited the isolated interrogation room, walking along the hallway before coming to an eventual stop. Puzzled, Senior Yang turned back to look at Zheng Yi, “Why are you staring off into space?” “It’s nothing.” Zheng Yi frowned absentmindedly. “It’s just that I thought we would be able uncover crucial pieces of evidence at the crime scene. After all, Wei Cai must have struggled whilst she was being stabbed, and it would be highly unlikely that the perpetrator would be able to leave the crime scene without a trace.” “But Wei Cai has been dead for almost an entire month now.” Senior Yang responded. “I understand – but based on my investigations, it appears that not many students frequent the crime scene. I thought some evidence might have been preserved given the lack of human traffic.” Zheng Yi sighed. “I guess it’s less important now – after all, we still managed to capture the perpetrator based on the criminal profile you produced for us.” “You sure do have a lot of insights. But – put these thoughts aside for now, and focus on resolving this matter as soon as possible.”

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Bei Ye’s interrogation was progressing very smoothly in the other isolated interrogation room. The police officers managed to discover some crucial pieces of evidence in the area Bei Ye stayed in; a yellow raincoat which had been partially burnt, and a shirt containing smudges of Wei Cai’s blood on it. However, they were still unable to locate the murder weapon for now. Bei Ye made no attempt to cover up any of his wrongdoings. “What is your impression of the very first victim whom you raped?” “I don’t have much impression of her. If I recall correctly, she had pretty big breasts.” Bei Ye had a stoic expression on his face, but readily answered all the questions that had been thrown at him. “It was my first time, so I was very anxious. She was very scared, and did not try to resist me. She kept begging me not to hit her.” Bei Ye’s version of events corresponded seamlessly with the results of Senior Yang’s and Zheng Yi’s investigation. When the police officer questioned Bei Ye about the second victim, Bei Ye’s version of events reflected the results of the investigations conducted by the police officers once more. In addition, Bei Ye even offered the police officers information about additional victims whom had been undiscovered up till that point in time. There was no question about it. Bei Ye is the raincoat man. “Why did you wear a raincoat when you carried out your crimes?” “It’s not because of the weather.” “So why did you wear a raincoat?” www.asianovel.com

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“In order to avoid leaving any evidence at the crime scene.” Bei Ye stated matter-of-factly. “I was worried that the victims would put up a fight, and claw off some form of evidence from my clothes in the ensuing struggle.” What a cautious and meticulous criminal. Finally, the police officers turned to the topic of Wei Cai’s death. “When did you start taking notice of Wei Cai? The victims whom you targeted prior to Wei Cai all had innocent and obedient images; conversely, Wei Cai was neither obedient nor innocent.” “I always bumped into Wei Cai when I hung out on the streets. Wei Cai’s dressing style was very mature, and I gradually grew to be interested in her. I thought there was no harm in switching it up and trying someone wilder.” “Were you tailing Wei Cai on the day she disappeared?” “Yes.” “We need further elaboration on the circumstances surrounding Wei Cai’s death. Please also explain why you changed your modus operandi – prior to Wei Cai, you had always perpetuated your crimes under the cover of the night.” Bei Ye lowered his eyelids momentarily before meeting the interrogation officer’s gaze once more. “Originally, I wanted to stalk Wei Cai until I managed to figure out the usual routes and locations she takes or hangs out in. I would then wait for an opportune moment to strike once it was night time. However, Wei Cai was always surrounded by friends once it was night time, and it was near impossible to catch her alone then. As such, when I finally caught her in the secluded hill behind her school, I thought that it was a good opportunity www.asianovel.com

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for me despite the bright daylight.” Zheng Yi’s gaze was glued onto Bei Ye. Bei Ye’s answers were extremely fluent and comprehensive. “So, you committed the crime at the hill behind Wei Cai’s school?” “Yes.” “…. Continue.” “I overhead Wei Cai speaking to her friend on the phone; it seemed like she was requesting for her friend to come out to the hill and meet her. However, based on the bits and pieces of conversation which I could hear, her friend did not seem inclined to meet Wei Cai at all. I thought then – it was now or never.” Bei Ye had offered the police officers a critical piece of evidence which proved that he was the criminal. Aside from Wei Cai, the person whom Wei Cai was speaking to over the phone, and the criminal who had been tailing Wei Cai, no one else should have been privy to the conversation between Wei Cai and her friend. Senior Yang interjected, “Please reiterate what Wei Cai said during the phone conversation you described earlier.” Bei Ye recounted the conversation with ease. There were no deviations between the information he offered, and the information which the police had obtained. “Why did you murder Wei Cai?” After all, the perpetrator never had a habit of murdering his victims after he had completed his crimes. “It was never my intention to kill Wei Cai. I wore a mouth mask that day, but Wei Cai managed to tear off my mouth www.asianovel.com

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mask during the struggle. Wei Cai identified me immediately, and threatened to report me to the police. At that point in time, I didn’t have time to think about the implications, and simply acted out of instinct.” Indeed, the post-mortem examination conducted by the forensic pathologist revealed that there were various fibres found under Wei Cai’s fingernails, and such fibers corresponded with the material of mouth masks typically used by people. ‘How many times did you stab Wei Cai?” “Once.” “Where?” “I think it was here.” Bei Ye gestured to the area where his liver was located. Bei Ye’s version of events was entirely consistent with the various results of the investigations conducted by the police officers. Bei Ye continued his narration, explaining that he panicked once he realised that Wei Cai was dead. He knew that the consequences would be unimaginable the moment Wei Cai was found to be murdered. As such, he took the opportunity to dispose and bury her corpse at the deserted San Shui bridge on a stormy night. All of a sudden, Zheng Yi, who had been silent throughout Bei Ye’s entire interrogation, interjected. “Why did you strip Wei Cai’s clothes off her?” Bei Ye turned to look at Zheng Yi, and responded without missing a beat. “I idealistically thought that Wei Cai’s corpse would only be discovered after a long period of time – maybe after one year has passed, or maybe after the end of two years. If Wei Cai’s corpse is fully clothed when they discovered her, it would provide clues pointing towards the season and the www.asianovel.com

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time period when she was killed.” Bei Ye’s explanation caused Senior Yang and Xiao Yao to look at Bei Ye in a new light – it was shocking that this youth was able to take such great care to cover up his tracks even in moments of panic. Zheng Yi continued to stare at Bei Ye, trying to decipher any sort of clues, or any flicker of emotion from Bei Ye’s face. However, the youth seated right in front of him maintained a blank face during the entire interrogation session; he was neither clam nor anxious, neither cold nor warm. It was as though Bei Ye had morphed into a unmoving statute – aside from the words spilling out of Bei Ye’s mouth, his entire being, his entire body, provided no clues for the police officers to decode. “What happened to Wei Cai’s clothes?” “I burnt them.” “Where did you burn the clothes?” “By the river. I drenched the clothes with a spare can of motorcycle engine oil, and scattered the remaining ashes into the fire once the clothes were destroyed.” There were no other gaps which the police officers required to clarify. The entire recount was complete. “What about the murder weapon?” “I threw the murder weapon into the river as well.” “Precise location?” “At the old pier south of the river.” Xiao Yao meticulously transcribed Bei Ye’s confessions. The police www.asianovel.com

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would dispatch a team to retrieve the murder weapon in due course. Zheng Yi once again requested for Bei Ye to describe the material and size of the murder weapon – unsurprisingly, Bei Ye’s answers corresponded with the forensic pathologist’s findings set out in the autopsy report. Hit by a sudden thought, Zheng Yi asked Bei Ye, “Why did you bury Wei Cai in the marsh upstream? “I picked that location by chance. After all, the San Shui river is extremely secluded, and there is hardly any human traffic there.” A sarcastic smile formed on Bei Ye’s lips, “I thought she would never be discovered. Ever.” Zheng Yi fell silent at Bei Ye’s words, his heart clouded with a sense of unease and worry. The only reason why Wei Cai’s corpse had been wonderfully preserved for twenty odds days despite the sweltering heat, was simply because Wei Cai had been buried in the marsh, which served as a natural protective seal over Wei Cai’s corpse. To the forensic pathologist, it was as though they had found a treasure trove chock full of information, as they were able to obtain large amounts of evidence from Wei Cai’s immaculately preserved corpse. Was the location really picked by chance? Having concluded their interrogation regarding the circumstances surrounding Wei Cai’s death, the police officers progressed to the next topic. Zheng Yi launched the first question, “How did Chen Nian come to your attention?” “She stutters.” “What?” “Once, whilst I was hanging with my friends by the www.asianovel.com

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roadside, I overheard someone speaking with a stutter. That got me curious, so I turned to look at the person. She’s quite attractive.” As Bei Ye recounted, his blank expression was gradually replaced with an annoying smirk. Ah, the notorious hooligan Bei Ye was back. “Why did you bring Chen Nian back to your house? Prior to Chen Nian, your modus operandi was to perpetuate your crimes against your victims outside your home, so why did you tweak your routine this time round?” “My old routine was getting boring and unexciting. I wanted to enjoy the thrill of kidnapping her in broad daylight, and locking her up within the confines of my home. She looked like an extremely obedient girl who could be easily bullied, so it seemed like she would cause me minimal trouble even if I were to lock her up.” Yes – he originally thought of her as an extremely stupid student who was not only unable to keep up with her studies, but was also unable to defend herself against the numerous bullies. Someone who was rather compatible with him. Subsequently, he discovered that she was extremely bright, and that she was extremely resilient in nature. Ah, she was more compatible with him than he originally thought. Zheng Yi turned to take a quick glance at Senior Yang. Senior Yang thought that the gradual change in Bei Ye’s mindset was unsurprising, and was typical of criminals who gradually seek greater challenges as they gradually commit more crimes. Zheng Yi continued his questioning, “Were you intending on killing Chen Nian?” “Depends.”

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“Depending on?” “I’ll keep her alive if I’m happy.” “Why? Chen Nian saw your face too; she’d be able to identify you with ease.” If that was the motivation for his murder of Wei Cai, why not Chen Nian too? Bei Ye paused momentarily before straightening up and looking into Zheng Yi’s eyes. “She won’t report me to the police.” “Why?” “I overheard the conversation between Wei Cai and her friend – and it so happens that they were talking about Chen Nian. Chen Nian was bullied on such a regular basis that she was already used to the abuse. It would be near impossible for her to report to the police – after all, it’s not like she would receive any protection just by reporting the incident to the police.” Bei Ye replied quickly, only slowing down when he spoke about Chen Nian’s plight. Bei Ye’s words were akin to bullets which were fired callously and unforgivingly at Zheng Yi’s heart, one bullet after the other. It was as though Bei Ye knew about him and Chen Nian, and that Bei Ye was intentionally describing to him the hopelessness Chen Nian experienced every single day. But how would that be possible? He didn’t even know Bei Ye prior to this incident; he must simply be over imagining things. Zheng Yi quickly cleared his train of thought, “When Wei Cai was speaking to her friend over the phone, did she mention anything else, other than the bullying inflicted on Chen Nian?” “No.” “Did Wei Cai mention anything about someone coming to www.asianovel.com

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meet her at the hill behind the school building?” Bei Ye looked at Zheng Yi. “No.” Zheng Yi decided to switch up the line of questioning. “Do you have Chen Nian’s mobile number?” “Yes.” “How did you manage to obtain her mobile number?” Upon hearing Zheng Yi’s question, a carefully stored memory crystallized in Bei Ye’s mind. That day, he had, just before Chen Nian entered the school compound, snatched her mobile phone away from her, and used her mobile phone to dial his mobile number before storing his mobile number in Chen Nian’s phone and returning it to her. “You can call me whenever you encounter any form of trouble, no matter big or small.” After that incident, however, he had secretly removed his contact details from her mobile phone, hoping to remove all traces and clues that pointed towards their friendship. At that time, Chen Nian had saved his name in her mobile phone as “Xiao Bei Ge [1]”. He could still remember the feelings of surprise that engulfed him when he saw her moniker for him. “I stopped her by the roadside. I lied that I had forgotten to bring my mobile phone out that day, and requested to borrow her mobile phone to make a short call.” “Who did you call?” “I called myself, obviously.” Bei Ye looked at Zheng Yi and raised a single eyebrow. “If not, how would I be able to obtain her mobile number?” “You sent her a text message – what did you mean by www.asianovel.com

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that?” “It was nothing, I just wanted to send her a random message to see how’d she respond.” “Did she call you in response?” “Yes.” “Why didn’t you pick up the phone?” “My phone was on silent, so I hadn’t realized that she called me.” “Even then, why did you not return her call when you saw the missed call from her? If you were interested in her as claimed, why did you not continue probing her further?” “My mum dropped by to look for me then. I was in a terribly foul mood after my mum left, and felt that it was meaningless to tease Chen Nian further, so I didn’t return her call.” Upon hearing his response, Zheng Yi lapsed into a momentary silence. The truth of Bei Ye’s answer can be easily verified, as they would be able to easily establish whether the purported ‘visit’ was true by simply questioning his mother. Since Bei Ye brought up the topic of his mother, Senior Yang took the opportunity to pursue this line of questioning. “How much do you know about what your mother does for a living?” Bei Ye raised his eyes to look at Senior Yang, a deep crease forming over his eyelids as he bore his gaze right through Senior Yang. Bei Ye’s lips curved slowly curved upwards, easily forming a derisive, mocking smirk. “The entire city knows what my mum does for a living, so why would I be any exception? In fact, I have witnessed firsthand what she does for a living – the www.asianovel.com

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rest of the city merely hears about what she does, while I am the only one who has actually what she does.” An awkward silence settled over the interrogation room. The police officers were feeling pricks of pity, and even embarrassment, for Bei Ye. Senior Yang, had, during the course of his career, encountered many youths like Bei Ye with negligent and even abusive parents. With a slightly heavy heart, Senior Yang sighed internally. After all, the extremist and wayward behaviours of problematic children are more often than not a result of the neglect and abuse they received from their parents. “Do you hate females?” “I suppose you could say that.” “Describe the thoughts that were running through your mind when you raped the female victims.” “I didn’t think too much. I only knew that raping them was something which I wanted to do.” “Do you think this ‘desire’ which you have is a result of your mother’s influence on you?” “How would I know?” “What do you think about your mother?” “I wish she was dead.” Senior Yang paused momentarily before continuing. “What about your father?” “He died a long time ago.” “I’m asking what do you think about your father?” www.asianovel.com

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“It’s pretty good that he’s dead.” “You haven’t even met you father before.” “Yes, but he played a crucial part in my mother giving birth to me.” Another momentary pause. “You despise your very own existence?” Senior Yang asked softly. “Yes. There isn’t any reason for my existence.” With a criminal father who was convicted for rape, and a mother who works as a prostitute for a living, it was not difficult to imagine the difficult and harsh environment which Bei Ye grew up in. “What about the people around you? What do you think about them?” “They are strangers to me. I don’t care about them.” “What about those who bullied you and mocked you?” “They can all die for all I care.” After some time, Senior Yang finally managed to complete interrogating Bei Ye about his background, the welfare centre responsible for him, his impression of his father, mother and other people who were approximately his age, and his views towards society. It was as though a character named ‘Bei Ye’ had been stripped of his external layer of protection and skin, and his inner thoughts and feelings lay bare for all to see. The evidence was indisputable. Although Senior Yang was no stranger to tragedies caused by negligent and abusive parenting, he could not help but feel a sense of pity at the terrible hand Fate had dealt Bei Ye. www.asianovel.com

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Finally, Senior Yang asked, “Do you admit that you are the raincoat man, and that you have committed the crime of rape against XX and XX, the crimes of rape and murder against Wei Cai, and the crime of attempted rape against Chen Nian?” “Yes.” Bei Ye responded. Under the supervision of Bei Ye’s lawyer, Ciao Yao organized the transcript of Bei Ye’s interrogation and confession, and placed the transcript and a pen before Bei Ye. Bei Ye took the pen and, without a moment’s hesitation, inked his signature at the bottom of the transcript. With that, the investigation of the identity of the raincoat man was conculuded. Zheng Yi looked at Bei Ye, a variety of mixed feelings warring in his heart. Before Bei Ye left the interrogation room, Zheng Yi asked, “Did you ever regret what you did?” Bei Ye remained silent. Just when Zheng Yi thought Bei Ye was not going to provide him with an answer, Bei Ye countered, “Would regret help me to obtain a reduced sentence?” [1] Ge – The Chinese word for ‘older brother’. As earlier mentioned, Chen Nian had started to address Bei Ye as Xiao Bei Ge because she relies on him and looks towards him as a source of protection and comfort, like how an older brother would shelter his younger sister and keep harm at bay.

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Chapter 24 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

“I know this person.” Li Xiang anxiously indicated towards Bei Ye’s photograph. “It’s him!” “You’ve seen this person before?” “He’s been stalking Chen Nian for some time now.” Zheng Yi exchanged a glance with Senior Yang and the form teacher. The form teacher confirmed with Li Xiang once more, “You’ve taken a close look at the photograph? Are you sure it’s him?” “Of course I’ve looked at the photograph closely. I’ve seen him twice, and on both occasions, he was acting in a furtive and suspicious manner whilst trailing behind Chen Nian. Chen Nian didn’t even realize that she was being stalked!” Li Xiang launched into a detailed account of the two stalking incidents. When Li Xiang concluded his testimony, Zheng Yi nodded at Li Xiang, indicating that Li Xiang was free to leave. Senior Yang opened his notebook and began recording the information which they have obtained from Li Xiang. With Li Xiang’s testimony, the police officers now have a new piece of objective evidence on hand which pointed towards Bei Ye’s guilt. Afterwards, Xu Miao was summoned to provide her testimony as well. Xu Miao mentioned that she had seen Bei Ye once at the entrance of the school – he had been brazenly staring at me, his lips curved upwards in a deprecating smile. The special attention showered onto her by Bei Ye had caused Xu Miao to wonder if Bei Ye was interested in her. www.asianovel.com

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Xu Miao concluded, “He must have been looking for his next target….” As the police officers continued the questioning of the various students, they began to amass an increasing number of eyewitness accounts testifying that Bei Ye had continuously hovered around the area surrounding the school, and that he was frequently found staring at various girls. In some instances, Bei Ye had even made several attempts to stalk such girls. The news of the arrest of the raincoat man spread like wildfire within the student population. When the students who had been selected and summoned for questioning by the police officers returned to their respective classrooms, they would be quickly surrounded by the wave of students clamoring for greater amounts of detail and information regarding the arrest of the raincoat man. In the midst of all of the hullabaloo, Chen Nian sat quietly at her desk and focused on her revision. It was as though she couldn’t hear all the excited and noisy chatter around her. Chen Nian glanced at the calendar – there were only two days left till the graduation exams; but, at this precise point in time, she could no longer muster any excitement or enthusiasm for the graduation exams. All of a sudden, she overheard her classmates’ discussion about the raincoat man. “The raincoat man is currently being detained at the police station, but he’s not allowed to have any visitors.” “Oh well. It’s not like he has any parents, so there isn’t anyone who would be the least bit interested in visiting him.” “What? What happened to his mum? Did she pass away too?” A classmate let out a cold, derisive chortle before responding, www.asianovel.com

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“Now that I think about it – isn’t there a saying ‘Like father, like son,’? Little wonder the son of a rapist turned out to be a rapist.” “And the son even went to get himself an upgrade – into a murderer!” Ah, speech is truly one of the most amazing things on earth. Although the classmates were commenting on the case in quiet, hushed tones, like civilized and educated people, the callous and cruel words which were actually utilized served as knives and daggers, easily chilling one to the bone. Unable to bring herself to hear more, Chen Nian hurriedly stood up and began making her way out of the classroom. Just as she was about to exit, Li Xiang stepped directly into her line of sight. Walking towards Chen Nian, Li Xiang heaved a huge sigh of relief, “Chen Nian, do you remember me telling you that there was a boy who was following you? To think you didn’t believe me then!” Chen Nian’s face had turned ashen. The entire school knew that she was a poor, fragile victim who had nearly gotten raped by the raincoat man. Wave after wave of students came to offer words of comfort and encouragement; however, it was also these very students who would, after offering Chen Nian words of comfort, commence their inquisition about the details of her ‘kidnapping’ and her subsequent rescue. The care, sympathy and concern which her fellow schoolmates had for her plight was real; but at the very same time, the curiosity and prying nature of the very same schoolmates was also real. Chen Nian refused to answer any of the questions which had been posed to her. Xiao Mi was unable to bear Chen Nian being battered by unending questions, and frequently served as a bodyguard responsible for asking all such ‘reporters’ to leave Chen Nian alone. www.asianovel.com

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Li Xiang was about to comment on the case once more when he caught Xiao Mi glaring at him from behind Chen Nian’s back. Belatedly realizing his lack of tact, Li Xiang shut his mouth awkwardly before re-opening his mouth to apologise to Chen Nian. Chen Nian paid Li Xiang no heed, and simply strode out of the classroom. However, Chen Nian was simply unable to find a safe and peaceful haven no matter where she went – just as Chen Nian stepped out of the classroom, she spotted Zheng Yi, Senior Yang and other police officers right down the corridor, exiting from the makeshift interrogation room that was her form teacher’s office. The police officers appear to have spotted her as well – it was too late to hide. Zheng Yi gestured to Senior Yang and his fellow police officers, indicating for them to return to the police station before him. Zheng Yi walked over to Chen Nian, and took a close look at Chen Nian. To him, Chen Nian looked like her usual calm and collected self. Although she didn’t look particularly bright and energetic, she didn’t look especially down and outcast either. As per his usual routine, Zheng Yi inquired about the state of Chen Nian’s revision. Chen Nian responded to each of Zheng Yi’s questions slowly, without a single inflection in her voice. Finally, Zheng Yi ran out of questions to ask. “I know it’s hard, but try your best not to let the recent incident affect you too much. Focus on preparing for the upcoming graduation exams, but at the same time, make sure that you’re not giving yourself too much pressure.” Chen Nian lowered her head and nodded slightly. Zheng Yi was suddenly transported to the time when he fetched Chen Nian to and fro from school on a daily basis. During that period of time, he was usually the one who continually and tirelessly www.asianovel.com

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generated various streams of conversation, whilst Chen Nian simply nodded or shook her head in response. Yes, even during that period of time, Chen Nian was not someone who frequently vocalized her thoughts or responses. But the silent Chen Nian then, is different from the silent Chen Nian now. During that period of time, Zheng Yi could always sense Chen Nian’s feelings of contentment and repressed happiness despite her silence; however, the present Chen Nian seemed to be a stale pool of water, her heart incapable of any emotion. Lowering his head, Zheng Yi fixed his gentle gaze onto Chen Nian’s face. Chen Nian’s ponytail was no longer as neatly combed as it previously was; there were many tiny, small strands of stray hair which escaped Chen Nian’s rubber band, causing Chen Nian to resemble a drooping sunflower. Sensing that Chen Nian didn’t seem inclined to carry on the conversation, Zheng Yi bade his farewell, “I’ll be making a move then; I’ll treat you to a meal once your graduation exams are over.” However, Chen Nian spoke up just then. “That person…” Chen Nian bit her lips hesitatingly. Zheng Yi didn’t rush Chen Nian in the slightest, and simply waited patiently for Chen Nian to gather her thoughts. “Will he.. be incarcerated?” “Definitely. In fact, if it wasn’t for the fact that he’s just a minor, he could be jailed for life, or even dealt the death penalty.” Locking his eyes with Chen Nian, Zheng Yi replied affirmatively. “That’s… a pity then.” Zheng Yi continued reassuring Chen Nian, “Although Wei Cai is www.asianovel.com

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dead, I will continue to keep an eye on Luo Ting and the rest of the group.” Chen Nian didn’t respond, her pale face blank and expressionless. As Zheng Yi walked down the stairway to the ground floor, he couldn’t help but feel waves of self-contempt wash over him. As the police officer who had been tasked with resolving the “conflict” between Wei Cai and Zeng Hao, and the bullying case of Hu Xiao Die, he was unable to discipline and restrain Wei Cai, Luo Ting and their group of friends from perpetuating further abuse, no matter how hard he tried. Even now, he was still powerless – indeed; it was not him that succeeding in restraining Luo Ting and her group of friends, rather, it was Wei Cai’s death that jarred them into obedience. “Officer Zheng!” A bright, cheery voice rang out. Zheng Yi turned his head, and saw Zeng Hao jogging towards him. Zeng Hao had a very good impression of Zheng Yi, and greeted him cheerfully. Zheng Yi greeted her in return, and encouraged her to study hard for the upcoming graduation exams. At the end of their conversation, Zheng Yi brought up Chen Nian once more, “How is Chen Nian coping during this period of time? Has she been very affected by the incident?” “Well, anyone who has been through such a traumatic incident would surely feel affected by it. It’s just that Chen Nian has always been rather quiet and reserved, so it’s easy to mistake her post-incident silence for normalcy.” After mulling over Chen Nian’s stoic nature, Zeng Hao added, “Chen Nian is a person who is very adept at masking her own emotions.” Zheng Yi nodded his head to indicate that he understood what Zeng Hao was trying to express. “Since you both are classmates, and graduation exams are nearing, I hope you’d be able to www.asianovel.com

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encourage Chen Nian from time to time, and inject some positivity into her life. I’m sure you’re well placed to offer her words of support, since both of you are survivors of bullying incidents.” “I know. I stand together with Chen Nian.” Zeng Hao promised Zheng Yi without a moment’s hesitation. “But, the bullying which Wei Cai inflicted onto Chen Nian didn’t seem to traumatize Chen Nian very much.” “Why do you say that?” “Based on my gut feel, I guess.” Zeng Hao responded. “Before Wei Cai went missing, there was a period of time when Wei Cai and her group of friends were constantly targeting Chen Nian. This was post my ‘reconciliation’ with Wei Cai. At that time, I felt extremely guilty and miserable and apologized to Chen Nian. However, Chen Nian told me that there was someone who was protecting her.” Stunned, Zheng Yi asked, “When did Chen Nian say this?” … Pangs of guilt and sorrow gnawed incessantly at Zheng Yi’s heart. He didn’t know whether Chen Nian was referring to him when she told Zeng Hao that she had a protector, but he was certain that he had failed tragically in his mission to protect her from harm. He could clearly feel the intangible defenses which Chen Nian now erected against him. He knew that he was merely steps away from concluding and resolving the entire case, but he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that, despite all the damning evidence, despite all the clues that pointed towards Bei Ye’s guilt, something wasn’t quite right. Finally exiting the building, Zheng Yi stood under the blazing hot www.asianovel.com

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sun and took a deep breath. Excited, youthful laughter rang out from the numerous classrooms located within the Mathematics Building. Raising his head, Zheng Yi could see the innumerable students warring with their Mathematics textbooks, their eyes darting rapidly between their textbooks and the practice questions which they were tackling. He could see scrap paper drifting through the wind, each scrap paper filled to the brim with the students’ scribbling. The youths laughed with abandon, teasing each other without a care in the world. Ah, the greatness of youth. … Zheng Yi conducted another search on Bei Ye’s house. However, despite the hours of searching, he was unable to obtain any other new pieces of evidence other than a few strands of what appeared to be Chen Nian’s hair. However, given that Chen Nian had been forcefully kidnapped by Bei Ye to his home, the discovery of Chen Nian’s hair was unsurprising to say the least. Zheng Yi even leafed through Bei Ye’s books – Bei Ye didn’t own many books, and of those which he owned, a large part of them were comic books. Based on the limited selection of books at Bei Ye’s house, Zheng Yi could easily infer the types of books which Bei Ye generally read. Looking at the array of books placed before him, Zheng Yi could feel his niggling suspicion, that Bei Ye had purposefully selected the marsh as a burial spot in order to preserve the corpse, starting to lessen. Bei Ye was simply a kid after all, and could have easily overlooked the fact that the marsh would serve as a natural protective seal over Wei Cai’s corpse. Maybe, just maybe, Bei Ye had simply selected the location by chance as per his confession.

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Zheng Yi suddenly thought of the time when Senior Yang told him about a case about a murderer who had opted to bury his victim’s corpse with asphalt in a bid to cover up his crime. Little did the murderer know that the asphalt would help to substantially slow down the process of the corpse’s decay; eventually, the evidence which had been preserved on the corpse pointed towards the murderer’s guilt and resulted in his capture. Indeed – although the net of Heaven has large meshes, nothing escapes it. In reality, criminals are frequently caught offguard by the unexpected closing of the net of Heaven and sudden retribution. Just like Bei Ye in the present case – when he selected the marsh as a burial spot, he simply focused on the fact that there was little to no human traffic in the area surrounding the marsh, and failed to see how the marsh could also function as a preservative. Just as Zheng Yi returned to the police station, he bumped into Senior Yang leading the first two rape victims out of the station. When the two victims were out of earshot, Zheng Yi asked, “How did the criminal identification exercise go?” “Well, both victims said that Bei Ye’s build is really similar to the person who had raped them.” Zheng Yi paused momentarily, “Can I take a look at the transcript of their criminal identification exercise?” Zheng Yi quickly surveyed the transcript of the first two rape victims, and saw that both transcripts merely read as follows: … It seems to be him… It was quite chaotic during that period of time, so I’m not able to say for sure… After all, the incident occurred quite some time back…. his build is quite similar to the rapist…” Zheng Yi emphasized, “Both victims were only able to say that Bei Ye “seems” to be the rapist.”

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Senior Yang gazed at Zheng Yi pensively, before hooking his arm around Bei Ye’s shoulders. “Zheng Yi – you seem to have a couple of reservations in respect of the present case.” Zheng Yi replied Senior Yang truthfully, “I just find the smooth progression of the case really strange. We encountered so much difficulty assembling the clues and narrowing our suspect pool for the first part of the case; only to experience the total opposite during the later half of the case, with huge amounts of evidence being unleashed upon us like running tap water.” “It’s just your lack of experience.” Senior Yang said matter-offactly. “There are many cases in this world which we are unable to explain with common sense. There are suspects who are so hardy that we are unable to obtain any clues no matter how many times we interrogate them, or how many times we search the various crime scenes. Conversely, there are other suspects who possess a lackadaisical attitude towards their crimes, and are willing to confess in entirety the moment the police officers arrest them.” “I know that. Everybody has a different attitude in life.” Zheng Yi responded. “But Senior Yang, I just can’t seem to shake this feeling that we should conduct a thorough sweep of the hill behind the school building. After all, we were only halfway through the previous sweep when we got interrupted by the sudden capture and arrest of Bei Ye.” “You want to conduct a sweep of the entire hill?” Senior Yang raised his eyebrows at Zheng Yi questioningly. “We brought Bei Ye to the hill behind the school building three days ago, and he has already pinpointed the exact location where he murdered Wei Cai. Now, our colleagues in the forensics team have excavated and analysed a portion of the blood-stained soil located within the area pinpointed by Bei Ye, and have www.asianovel.com

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informed us that such soil contained a strand of Bei Ye’s hair. Bei Ye must have unknowingly dropped that strand of hair into the soil when he was trying to cover up Wei Cai’s blood stains. Don’t you see? The evidence is damning!” Zheng Yi stared at Senior Yang with his mouth agape; try as he might, he was unable to formulate a respectable rebuttal to Senior Yang’s lengthy dissertation. At long last, Zheng Yi muttered to himself, “But, what if there are other locations on the hill which we should be searching?” Failing to catch Zheng Yi’s muttering, Senior Yang clarified, “Sorry, what ws that?” “Nothing.” Senior Yang could tell that Zheng Yi was still feeling uncomfortable about the ‘conclusion’ of the case, and continued his persuasion. “In addition, we managed to locate the knife that had been thrown into the river. The forensics team have confirmed that the wound found on Wei Cai’s body matched the knife perfectly. However, because the knife had been abandoned in the lriver for a long period of time, we are unable to find any other additional pieces of evidence of the knife aside from some minor blood stains. The forensics team is currently conducting an analysis on the blood stains – we are hoping to be able to determine whether the blood stains are human blood, and, with any luck, we’d be able to further determine the blood type of such blood stains. — Bei Ye was caught in the act trying to rape Chen Nian; and on top of that, he has fully confessed to his crimes, so why do you still have so many reservations about Bei Ye being the criminal whom we have been looking for?” “There’s still one last thing which I’m still unable to fully understand.” www.asianovel.com

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“What is it?” “Bei Ye is so meticulous that he even considered the tiniest and minutest of details when committing his crimes – such as removing Wei Cai of her clothes in order to avoid giving the police officers clues which pointed towards the season and the time period when Wei Cai was killed. So why did he keep the blood-stained shirt and the raincoat in his possession?” “He didn’t keep them, remember? He tried to dispose both the blood-stained shirt and the raincoat, but we managed to locate both items in the rubbish bins a few blocks away from the abandoned steel mill. Both items were partially burnt as well, and our forensics team put in a great deal of effort to recover whatever minimal evidence they could.” “But… don’t you think the items were too hastily disposed? After all, they were located merely a few blocks away from Bei Ye’s home.” “I questioned Bei Ye on this as well. Bei Ye explained that he had accidentally missed out the blood-stained shirt when he was initially destroying the evidence relating to Wei Cai’s murder. When he subsequently realised his mistake, a long period of time had already passed since the commission of the crime. As the police officers didn’t seem to be getting any closer to discovering the identity of the criminal, he began to let down his guard and took the convenient option of disposing the blood-stained shirt and raincoat in the vicinity of his house.” This explanation made sense as well. However, Zheng Yi just couldn’t get rid of the unshakable feeling that there was something off about Bei Ye leaving behind such critical pieces of evidence, instead of destroying all the relevant evidence in their entirety. www.asianovel.com

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But, perhaps Senior Yang was right. He was simply overthinking things. The case was soon to be closed. The rainy season had now passed completely, and the weather was getting hotter by the day. On the 7th of June, the temperature reached an all-time high at 38 degrees Celcius. In order to help the students to focus on their graduation exams, the school maximized the fan speed of the airconditioners and fans in the examination hall. Each and every single police officer was diligently working towards the closure of Bei Ye’s case, with the exception of a sole police officer – Zheng Yi. Zheng Yi commenced a fresh investigation of the passersby who witnessed Chen Nian being bullied by Wei Cai, and the male youth who had disappeared along with Wei Cai. Zheng Yi’s gut feeling told him that Wei Cai’s disappearance was inexplicably linked to the bullying incident; but, unfortunately, the entire bullying incident seemed to be hidden in a misty shroud, the details hazy and unclear. In addition, Zheng Yi also began an earnest investigation into Bei Ye’s circle of friends. The classmates in Bei Ye’s class had long gone their separate ways, whilst Bei Ye’s teachers had nothing but poor reviews and critiques of Bei Ye’s performance. The description of Bei Ye rendered by his teachers fit the criminal profile provided by Senior Yang to a tee – isolated, cold, emotionless. But Zheng Yi still managed to locate a handful of Bei Ye’s classmates, as well as the lady at the welfare center who had originally been responsible from Bei Ye – and from them, Zheng Yi was ale to discover that Bei Ye had two friends who were closer to him than the rest: Da Kang, and Lai Zi. www.asianovel.com

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Lai Zi had gone to Guangdong, whilst Da Kang remained in Xi Cheng, having managed to find a job in a car repair shop. 8th of June. Zheng Yi appeared at the entrance of the car repair shop, bearing the full brunt of the unforgiving heat of the afternoon sun. When Da Kang finally understood the reason for Zheng Yi’s visit, his face turned livid red, and he started to chase Zheng Yi unceremoniously out of the car repair shop. “All you police officers are just biased against people like us!” “What rapist? Bei Ye would never do such a thing! The criminal profile which you speak of – I know a ton of people who would easily fit into that profile, so why don’t you arrest all of them and throw them in jail as well? It’s because of Bei Ye’s parents, innit? Just because Bei Ye’s father is a criminal, does it mean that Bei Ye is a criminal as well?!” Zheng Yi placed his hands on Da Kang’s shoulders in a bid to calm him down. “Bei Ye has already admitted to being the raincoat man.” Da Kang replied without missing a beat, “Even so, that must be a result of you guys pressuring him into admitting something he didn’t do!” “This isn’t the ancient times – police officers are not allowed to utilise torture when interrogating suspects. Look, I’m only here to meet you because I wish to discover the truth of the entire matter.” Unfortunately, despite Da Kang’s insistence that it was impossible for Bei Ye to be the raincoat man, Zheng Yi was unable to obtain any objective evidence from Da Kang which pointed towards Bei Ye’s innocence. Zheng Yi even asked Da Kang for his whereabouts during the specific time periods during which Bei Ye had purportedly committed the various crimes, but Da Kang had not been with Bei Ye during such time periods, and was therefore unable to provide an www.asianovel.com

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alibi for Bei Ye. Undeterred, Zheng Yi tried another line of questioning. “What about the other friend named Lai Qing? Could you ring him up for me?” “Lai Zi?” Da Kang gave the metal screw a good, hard twist. “I’ve lost contact with him a long time ago. He stopped talking to me after we quarreled.” Da Kang said crossly. Zheng Yi had a rather vivid impression of Lai Zi, as Lai Qing had been one of the twenty, thirty suspects whose characteristics corresponded with Senior Yang’s criminal profile of the suspect in the present case, and Senior Yang had recorded and compiled his basic characteristics, such as his height and his weight into a small suspects manual. Come to think of it, Lai Qing, Da Kang, and Bei Ye all had similar build. Zheng Yi stepped out of the car repair shop, his heart heavy from the total lack of progress. Just then, a strange, odd, thought flashed through his mind. Hurriedly returning to the car repair shop, he fished out a digital photograph and displayed it on his mobile phone. Flashing the photograph in front of Da Kang, he inquired, “Have you ever seen this girl before?” Da Kang wiped the beads of sweat off his brow, inadvertently smudging his forehead with a large, black, streak of oil. Da Kang narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the photograph. On Zheng Yi’s mobile screen, there was a photograph of a young, skinny girl dressed in her clean, white school uniform, her hair swept up in a neat ponytail. “I’m not entirely sure whether it’s her.” “Her?” “Yup. I think I’ve seen this girl before.” Da Kang responded. www.asianovel.com

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“Xiao Bei said that he owed her monet. A lot of money.”

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Chapter 25 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

8th of June. Noon. The area immediately outside the school compound was swamped with parents waiting for their children to finish their graduation exams. Zheng Yi also formed part of the immense crowd. Glancing at the anxious and nervous expressions of the parents surrounding him, Zheng Yi reflected upon himself, and felt mildly amused. Da Kang hadn’t been able to provide any useful clues after all – although Da Kang did tell Zheng Yi that Bei Ye seemed to have been involved with another girl, Da Kang hadn’t even properly met and seen that girl before. With the clanging of the bell which signalled the end of the graduation exams, students began to rush out of the school compound like a flood. Zheng Yi was mildly taken aback – in the past, whenever Zheng Yi came to fetch Chen Nian from school, it would have been relatively late in the evening, and the school compound would be void of students. The students had just completed the Integrated Science examination. Majority of the students had worried expressions etched onto their faces. The students who did not have any parents waiting for them simply headed home on their own, whilst those whose parents had come to fetch them were frantically sieving through the crowd, trying their best to locate their parents. Gazing at the vast throngs of students before him, Zheng Yi felt his eyes starting to blur. Just then, he spotted Li Xiang, who had been waiting outside the school compound along with the rest of the parents. Li Xiang hadn’t participated in the Integrated Science www.asianovel.com

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examination, and had spent his afternoon strolling in the area outside the school compound. As Zheng Yi had originally intended to call Li Xiang up for further questioning this afternoon, he waved Li Xiang over to him. Li Xiang said told him that since he had nothing much to do, he had decided to drop by the school compound to experience the atmosphere of the graduation exams. “Officer Zheng, are you waiting for Chen Nian?” Zheng Yi nodded his head. “Please don’t tell me you’re looking for her to question her about the case of the raincoat man again.” Li Xiang looked at Zheng Yi exasperatedly. “No, I’m not.” Zheng Yi smiled. “What’s with that expression on your face – it’s as though my visiting of the school compound arouses intense feelings of annoyance and irritation in you.” Li Xiang ran his fingers through his hair abashedly. “That’s because there’s bound to be bad news every single time you visit.” “Well – I’m not here to bring Chen Nian any bad news; I’m here today to treat her to a meal.” Li Xiang reminded Zheng Yi tirelessly, “Remember not to ask her about the graduation exams. Generally, students get annoyed whenever others ask them about anything related to their examinations.” Zheng Yi promised, “Sure.” “By the way, what course of action will the police be taking against Luo Ting and her crew?” www.asianovel.com

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Zheng Yi felt at a momentary loss of words. At present, the police officers did not have adequate evidence on hand to prosecute Luo Ting and her crew. However, once the police officers have amassed sufficient evidence which points towards Luo Ting’s guilt, they will mete out the appropriate punishment against them. Whilst such punishment would not be as traumatic or painful as the bullying which they had originally inflicted on Chen Nian, the aim of punishment in the criminal justice system was never retribution. In addition to whatever punishment that would be meted out towards Luo Ting and her crew, Zheng Yi intended to request for the group of bullies and their parents to undergo counselling and psychological treatment – he had earlier promised himself that, no matter how long, and how much effort it took, he would personally supervise each and every single counselling session, in order to ensure that the bullies and their parents were receptive and accepted the psychological treatment. Zheng Yi didn’t respond to Li Xiang’s question, and simply reassured Li Xiang, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” Recalling the questions which he was planning about to ask Li Xiang later this afternoon, Zheng Yi felt that it was an opportune moment for him to speak to Li Xiang now. “Li Xiang.” “Yes?” “You mentioned that you’ve accompanied Chen Nian twice on her way home from school?” “That’s right.” “Do you consider yourself as someone who is frequently sensitive and aware of his surroundings?? “Sensitive? Not really, I’m pretty careless and oblivious to what’s going on around me most of the time.” www.asianovel.com

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Zheng Yi inquired, “If that’s the case, how did you manage to discover that the person who was stalking Chen Nian? After all, you’ve only accompanied her twice.” Slightly taken aback by Zheng Yi’s question, Li Xiang paused momentarily before responding, “Because the stalker actually bumped into me once whilst I was walking with Chen Nian.” Bei Ye actually bumped into Li Xiang? Zheng Yi furrowed his brows slightly. All of a sudden, Zheng Yi recalled Xu Miao’s testimony – that Bei Ye had been brazenly staring at Xu Miao at the entrance to the school compound, with his lips curved upwards in a deprecating smile. Why was Bei Ye acting so flagrantly and blatantly whilst he was scoping out his next target? Li Xiang was about to depart when Zheng Yi asked once more, “I recall you testifying that you brought Chen Nian out to watch a movie recently?” “Are you referring to the movie I watched with Chen Nian the night Wei Cai disappeared? I’ve been questioned by other police officers on the coincidental timing of the movie as well.” Li Xiang replied honestly. “The person who initiated the movie gathering was me; not Chen Nian.” “I know, my colleagues have informed me about this as well.” Zheng Yi continued. “Just wanted to check whether that was the first time you and Chen Nian went out to watch a movie.” “Yes, that was the first time we went to watch a movie together.” “Why did you suddenly decide to invite Chen Nian to watch a movie with you?” www.asianovel.com

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“I didn’t think too much about it, to be honest. I just thought it would be quite fun to watch it together – after, it’s not every day that the movie theatres screen classic movies such as Titanic.” Li Xiang had explained his motivations and the minute details about the movie gathering in an extremely thorough fashion, and there didn’t seem to be anything further which Zheng Yi could question Li Xiang about. However, an image of Chen Nian’s tiny and frail frame formed in Zheng Yi’s mind, and he couldn’t stop himself from pressing further, “Weren’t you the slightest bit worried that Chen Nian might reject your request?” “What?” Zheng Yi continued, “Given Chen Nian’s personality, it seemed rather likely that she would refuse to watch Titanic with you. You’re quite brave to decide to ask Chen Nian anyway, despite the high likelihood of rejection.” “Oh.” Li Xiang chuckled. “To be frank, the idea of asking Chen Nian out for a movie had long formed and taken root in my mind, but I could never find the courage to do so. One day, however, I overheard Chen Nian and Xiao Mi discussing Titanic. As Chen Nian mentioned that it would be really difficult to get tickets for Titanic, I thought that Titanic might be a movie which she might be interested in watching.” “I see.” Zheng Yi responded. Li Xiang left. Before long, Chen Nian appeared at the entrance of the school compound. The numerous youths miling around Chen Nian enthusiastically ran towards their parents upon exiting the school compound, whilst Chen Nian quietly and silently made her way towards the general direction of her home. www.asianovel.com

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Just then, Chen Nian spotted Zheng Yi in the crowd. Surprised, Chen Nian remained rooted to the spot for a short while before she changed her direction and headed towards Zheng Yi. Zheng Yi smiled widely, his white and shiny teeth flashing brightly under the glare of the afternoon sun. “I decided to drop by since it was on the way. Come on now, I’ll treat you to a meal.” Chen Nian gave a quick, small nod, and began to walk in-step with Zheng Yi. Zheng Yi’s brain was filled with innumerable thoughts, each jostling with the others in order to gain a dominant position in his brain. He had been unable to obtain any further clues regarding Bei Ye’s case; he was also able to uncover any further evidence which would reveal the exact suffering which Chen Nian had endured. He wasn’t sure the present conclusion reached by the police officers on the case involving the raincoat man was, indeed, the entire truth regarding the case, or whether, there were still stray pieces of crucial evidence lying around in hidden spots which he had been unable to discover. The Chen Nian who was silently walking beside him resembled a wild, lonely spirit with no signs of life. The Chen Nian in the past was never so lifeless; even if she remained silent and chose not to speak a single word, she was warm, vibrant, and filled to the brim with the energy of life. The drastic change in Chen Nian’s demeanour made Zheng Yi extremely anxious to uncover the truth about what Wei Cai inflicted on Chen Nian. They didn’t go too far, and simply settled for a restaurant opposite the school compound. The afternoon sun was scorching. Zheng Yi switched on the electric fan which had been fixed onto the wall, allowing the electric fan to generate a gentle, cool breeze in Chen Nian’s direction. Chen Nian slowly gathered the stray hairs stuck on her neck, and began to tuck them into their rightful place. www.asianovel.com

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Zheng Yi racked his brain for a conversation topic, but was unable to come up with anything. As such, he asked, “How were the graduation exams?” Zheng Yi felt that Chen Nian was not someone who would feel annoyed by questions regarding the graduation exams. Chen Nian raised her eyes to look at Zheng Yi, “It was fine.” “Did you encounter any difficulty whilst answering the exam questions?” “Not, really.” “That’s good to hear.” Zheng Yi broke out into a small smile. “Whilst I was standing outside the school compound, I overheard many students complaining about the difficulty of the examination paper.” Chen Nian pursed her lips slightly. “Perhaps, they are trying to offer some form of comfort to each other, or, they may be trying to, instil a sense of confidence, in each other. After all, there is still another examination which we are required to sit for in the afternoon.” “Is that so?” Zheng Yi beamed at Chen Nian. “I think so.” Chen Nian fixed her clear, pure gaze onto Zheng Yi. Zheng Yi felt his heart skip a beat. At the very moment, Zheng Yi inexplicably heaved a sigh of relief, and he felt his body starting to relax. He had simply been overthinking the entire situation. Chen Nian was extremely poor, so it was impossible for Chen Nian to loan anybody any money; less say loaning a huge amount of money to Bei Ye. In contrast, Bei Ye’s bank account always had more than sufficient amounts of money which had been wired to him by his www.asianovel.com

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various uncles and aunts. As a result, Bei Ye had cultivated relatively careless spending habits. The collision with Li Xiang, the coincidental timing of the movie date, the partially burnt raincoat which had been discovered near Bei Ye’s home – there was no reasonable explanation which could link all these separate, disparate incidents together. Zheng Yi refused to delve further into his thoughts, and focused on washing the chopsticks with the hot water which had been placed in front of him. Chen Nian stared at Zheng Yi for some time, before asking softly, “Did you wait very long for me?” Zheng Yi raised his head. Before he could formulate an answer, he remembered that he had earlier told Chen Nian that he had simply “dropped by as it was on the way”. Smiling, he replied, “No, it as a pretty short wait.” The chopsticks were finally clean. He passed one set of chopsticks to Chen Nian. “Thank you.” Chen Nian retrieved the chopsticks from Zheng Yi, and started to eat. Examinations were extremely trying on the brain; the constant thinking required Chen Nian to utilise large amounts of energy, and caused her to be extremely hungry. “The examination in the afternoon – it’s the English examinations, right?” “Yes.” “You’re pretty strong in English, aren’t you?” Zheng Yi continued, whilst placing a large piece of steamed pork in Chen Nian’s bowl. “I’m alright.” Chen Nian stuffed huge amounts of rice into her mouth, and nodded her head slightly. www.asianovel.com

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Zheng Yi watched silently as Chen Nian scooped large amounts of food into her mouth, his lips curving into an adorable smile. Glancing at the bright red string on her pale wrist, he commented, “The color of the string on your wrist – it’s really pretty.” “Yes.” Chen Nian responded. “The red string helps to keep me safe.” Having finished their meal, Zheng Yi proceeded to buy a cup of lemonade for Chen Nian as they began walking in the direction of Chen Nian’s house. Chen Nian walked silently beside Zheng Yi as she sipped on the cool and refreshing lemonade. The gentle afternoon breeze helped to cool the beads of sweat which had formed on their foreheads. Turning to Chen Nian, Zheng Yi offered, “I would be able to get a few days of rest once we manage to conclude the case of the raincoat man. You should have finished your examinations by then, so if you need someone to accompany you on your holiday, please feel free to look for me.” Chen Nian nodded her head, “Okay.” When they reached the traffic junction, Zheng Yi bade his farewell, “Go back early – Try to get some rest before the English examination.” “Okay.” “Remember to set your alarm before you nap. Don’t be late for your examination.” “Okay.” Chen Nian raised her head and gazed at Zheng Yi. Zheng Yi was momentarily stunned. He could see the obvious, unmistakeable gratitude in Chen Nian’s gaze. Chen Nian had always been a grateful person; she had always been someone who would remember the tiny, minute things that others did for her. www.asianovel.com

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“I’ll get going.” Chen Nian raised her hand, and waved it gently at Zheng Yi before she turned and left. The harsh rays of the afternoon sun beat down on Xi Cheng, playing relentlessly over the lush, green foliage whilst casting dark, grey shadows onto the ground. Zheng Yi remained at his original spot as he gazed at Chen Nian’s gradually diminishing figure, the corners of his lips unknowingly curving upwards to form a tiny, small smile. All of sudden, he was overwhelmed by an irrational urge to follow in her footsteps, to silently guard her until she reached home safely. As soon as the thought formed in his head, he raised his feet and readied himself to chase after her. But just then. At the very moment Zheng Yi raised his foot. A cold, chilling shiver shot up his spine. Because, at that very moment, Zheng Yi finally understood the feelings of a person who constantly followed in another’s footsteps, the feelings of a person who tirelessly fixated his gaze on another’s back. Zheng Yi had finally found a reasonable explanation which linked all the separate, disparate incidents together – Bei Ye’s motivation was incorrect! Bei Ye had never stalked Chen Nian; Bei Ye had been protecting and guarding Chen Nian from the very beginning! Zheng Yi stood rigidly erect under the bright, strong rays of the afternoon sun, his entire body covered in a sheen of cold sweat. … Zheng Yi knew that he should take the opportunity to chase after Chen Nian, and clarify the entire situation for once and for all, but he didn’t. His feet were planted firmly on the ground, and he couldn’t muster even the slightest bit of energy to lift them and chase after www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian. Just then, the familiar tune of his mobile phone rang out. “Zheng Ge [1], we need you to return to the police station immediately. We just discovered an extremely important video.” “What is it about?” Zheng Yi inquired. The other party on the line went silent for a long time, before finally formulating a response. “Just… just come back as soon as you are able.” Upon reaching the police station, Zheng Yi rushed into the small conference room where majority of the police officers working on the case of the raincoat man were gathered. Just as he was about to reach towards the door handle, Xiao Yao opened the door and stepped out into the corridor, her eyes brimming with tears. Glancing into the conference room, Zheng Yi saw that all his male colleagues had red rimmed eyes. Lowering his voice, Zheng Yi’s voice trembled as he asked once more, “What is it about?” One of his male colleagues clenched his fists extremely tightly, the pale, blue veins inadvertently bulging out. “They beat her up, scolded her, and stripped her naked for all to see. They dragged her bare body out into the streets, and… and constantly asked passerbys to ‘purchase’ Chen Nian as though she was a prostitute…” Zheng Yi grit his teeth in anger. “… Subsequently, a few male youths came by, and joined Wei Cai and her crew… They brought Chen Nian into the bushes and…” Zheng Yi strode into the conference room, his face void of any www.asianovel.com

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expression. Senior Yang stepped in front of Zheng Yi, effectively hindering Zheng Yi from stepping forward any further. “Don’t watch. We have already sent various police officers out to arrest those who had participated in the bullying.” Unable to control his anger any further, Zheng Yi ferociously shoved Senior Yang away, causing Senior Yang to slam into the door of the conference room. Zheng Yi’s face contorted into an unnatural shade of green, his eyes gradually becoming bloodshot as his chest heaved with rage. Zheng Yi stared coldly at each of his colleagues in turn before stepping into the conference room and slamming the door shut with a loud thud. An eerie, deathly silence settled over the corridor and those who were standing in it; on the opposite side of the door, Zheng Yi crouched into a law squat, trying his best to repress the anguished sobs that were relentlessly wracking his entire body. … Bitterness. Anguish. Hatred. These feelings raged through every single police officer who witnessed the horrific events which Chen Nian had been subjected to. But, the profession which they were in required them to maintain their impartiality and their sense of cool at all times. After half an hour, Zheng Yi spoke up. “Two things – one, Chen Nian has a motivation to commit murder. Two, we may have misconstrued Bei Ye’s motivation to kill.” Senior Yang, Xiao Yao, and the rest of Zheng Yi’s colleagues shared the same train of thought as well. Xiao Yao piped up, “But Bei Ye has already admitted to all of the crimes committed by the raincoat man – including Wei www.asianovel.com

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Cai’s murder.” Zheng Yi responded, “Yes. Unless there is some unknown connection between Chen Nian and Bei Ye; something we have yet to discover, that inextricably links the both of them together.” “One is an excellent high school student, whilst the other is a lowly hooligan – although there doesn’t appear to be any apparent linkages between the both of them, we should nevertheless call Chen Nian up once more for questioning. We would also need to subject Bei Ye to another round of questioning.” Senior Yang directed the group of police officers in front of him. “As we had already submitted the report setting out our findings to our seniors, we have to effect the amendments to the report as soon as possible, before it’s too late. Everybody – let’s proceed with full blast ahead. Can someone locate Chen Nian and bring her in right now?” “Don’t look for Chen Nian. Let’s start with Bei Ye instead.” Zheng Yi interjected. … Bei Ye was seated in the interrogation room once again, with his hands cuffed to the table and a blank expression on his face. Senior Yang presented the new information directly in front of Bei Ye. “We found a video. We know what exactly what Wei Cai did to Chen Nian the day before Wei Cai went missing.” Bei Ye remained silent and expressionless, seemingly unaffected by the new revelation. “We think, that Chen Nian has a motivation to murder Wei Cai; rather, your motivation for killing Wei Cai may not be as simple as you have described. Bei Ye, is your relationship www.asianovel.com

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with Chen Nian really that as you have described? That you guys are strangers, and that she is merely your target?” “I’ve already confessed everything that I know.” Bei Ye responded. Zheng Yi realised that, compared to the previous time when Bei Ye was interrogated, he was even colder and closed off to the police officers during the present interrogation. But aside from that, Zheng Yi was unable to detect any other flicker of emotion from Bei Ye. Senior Yang launched into an entirely new round of questioning, speeding through the questions like a bullet train. “Why did you rape the first two victims?” “There’s no particular reason why. I just wanted to do it.” “Why did you kill Wei Cai?” “Wei Cai managed to tear off my mouth mask and identify me.” “Why did you change your modus operandi – prior to Wei Cai, you had always perpetuated your crimes under the cover of the night?” ” Wei Cai was always surrounded by friends once it was night time.” “Why did you select Chen Nian as your new target?” “She stutters. Once, I overheard someone speaking with a stutter. That got me curious, so I turned to look at the person. Turns out that Chen Nian is quite attractive.” Senior Yang went through the entire list of questions which they had asked Bei Ye previously, and even tried changing the sequence in which the questions were asked. But it was of no use – Bei Ye’s www.asianovel.com

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answers to the questions remained the same. No matter which method Senior Yang and the police officers used, whether it was the lie detector, or asking seemingly unrelated questions, they were unable to discover any cracks or incongruities in the version of events which Bei Ye presented to them. Since there were no discrepancies in his version of events, it was more likely than not that Bei Ye was indeed the criminal. Just when Senior Yang was about to conclude the questioning for Bei Ye, Zheng Yi suddenly voice out. “Is there another possibility?” Bei Ye turned towards Zheng Yi, and locked his gaze with Zheng Yi’s. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew, from the very start, what Wei Cai had inflicted onto Chen Nian. You wanted to exact revenge on Chen Nian’s behalf.” “You cried?” Slightly startled by Bei Ye’s sudden change in topic, Zheng Yi stared at Bei Ye for an entire three seconds before proceeding. “What is your true motive in killing Wei Cai? Is your relationship with Chen Nian truly what you have described to us? Is there another secret relationship between the two of you which remains unknown to us?” Bei Ye countered, “Why did you cry? Do you like her? Does your heart ache for what she had to go through?” Zheng Yi shot up from his chair, a loud screech ringing through the entire interrogation room as the metal legs of the chair scratched against the floor. Zheng Yi peered down at Bei Ye, their gazes interlocked. www.asianovel.com

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The tension in the air was so thick, one could cut it with a knife. “Today is the 8th of June.” Zheng Yi said finally. “I know.” It was already afternoon. Chen Nian had one final examination to take. Zheng Yi bent his body towards Bei Ye, placing his arms on the table in order to prop himself up. With a cold, heavy aura, Zheng Yi pressured Bei Ye. “You lied to Chen Nian, hid things from Chen Nian, and protected Chen Nian to this extent – was it simply to ensure that Chen Nian could sit for the graduation exams in peace? When you discovered that the police officers were beginning to comb the hill behind the school compound for clues, you decided to collect graduation certificate and, during the collection of the certificate, “unintentionally” reveal various clues which pointed towards you as Wei Cai’s murderer. Was it to ensure that the attention of the police officers were diverted towards you, thus allowing Chen Nian to escape our scrutiny?” Nobody else in the interrogation room understood what Zheng Yi was talking about, or his train of thought, but Zheng Yi was willing to bet that the youth seated right in front of him knew precisely what he meant. But Bei Ye simply said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Bei Ye, do you know how we manage to determine whether a deceased person has any self defense wounds on him at the time of death?” Bei Ye simply looked at Zheng Yi silently. “When people struggle, they tend to use their entire body www.asianovel.com

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to put up a fight – especially their hands and feet. As such, although no obvious wounds may have been caused from the struggle, their bodies would nevertheless be peppered with various “hidden” wounds; in particular, their hands and the area between their thumb and their index finger. For instance, when you accidentally knock into a hard object with your kneecap, there may be no obvious wounds at the start; however, by the next day, a bruise would have formed around the area which had experienced the collision.” Having finished his explanation, Zheng Yi proceeded to suggest a new, radical theory – something which he wasn’t entirely convinced about either. “Could it be, that Wei Cai’s “self-defense” wounds, weren’t a result of the purported struggle between the both of you when you tried to “rape” her? Could it be, that the wounds found on Wei Cai’s hands, her legs, and her neck were simply a result of Chen Nian’s struggle against her the day before Wei Cai disappeared? Bei Ye, from the video clip we saw, Chen Nian had struggled against and resisted Wei Cai during the course of the entire incident; the force which Chen Nian exerted against Wei Cai was more than sufficient to inflict onto Wei Cai various “hidden” wounds which could be easily mistaken as “self defense” wounds.” Having heard Zheng Yi’s entire speech, Bei Ye simply maintained his stand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Zheng Yi inhaled sharply. “We will ask Chen Nian these questions again. If, the entire incident had transpired exactly how you said it did, then there is no issue. But, if you are hiding something from us, do you think Chen Nian would be able to withstand the pressure from the interrogation without cracking in the slightest?” Bei Ye locked his gaze with every single police officer in the interrogation room. Staring at the group of adults standing before www.asianovel.com

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him, Bei Ye pursed his lips obstinately, and opted not to say anything. Senior Yang didn’t want to waste any more time on Bei Ye, and instructed the rest of the police officers. “Bring Chen Nian in for questioning now.” Upon hearing Senior Yang’s instructions, Bei Ye turned pale. Zheng Yi turned to look at Senior Yang, a startled expression plastered onto his face – he had forgotten that the rest of the police officers were present in the interrogation room when he was suggested the possibility of Chen Nian cracking under the pressure of questioning. Zheng Yi cast a quick gaze at his watch. It was still early; Chen Nian should still be waiting to enter the examination hall. This wasn’t what he wanted; he never wanted to interrupt Chen Nian during her graduation exams. However, before he could stop Senior Yang, Senior Yang had already begun to head towards the exit of the interrogation room. Zheng Yi started after Senior Yang, but before he raised his foot, he turned to look at Bei Ye one last time. The corners of Bei Ye’s lips had turned upwards to form a cold smirk. All of a sudden, Bei Ye raised his voice. “The location of the last corpse.” Senior Yang halted in his footsteps, and turned to look at Bei Ye. “What?” “Give her another three hours.” Bei Ye said matter-of-factly. “In exchange, I will tell you the location of the last corpse.” [1] Ge – The Chinese word for ‘older brother’. ‘Ge’ is often used between by a younger person to address an older, unrelated male as a sign of respect.

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Chapter 26 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

When the bell which signaled the end of the final graduation exam rang out, the students collectively heaved a huge sigh of relief, and immediately proceeded to pepper their schedules with all sorts of activities, ranging from karaoke, to playing computer games, to playing pool. Just as Chen Nian was about the exit the school compound, she caught a glimpse of a tall, slender male donning a white t-shirt standing just right across the road. Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Nian flew down the steps leading towards the exit of the school compound, frantically shoving the numerous students enjoying a quiet and thankful reunion with their parents along the exterior of the school compound out of her way, and recklessly navigated the stream of traffic which separated her from the tall, slender male. Upon reaching the tall, slender male, she grabbed hold of the hem of his t-shirt and gave it a quick tug. The tall and slender male turned back to look at her. It wasn’t him. Just then, the tall and slender male lifted his head slightly, and directed his gaze towards the person who had appeared behind Chen Nian. Chen Nian let the hem of the white t-shirt fall from her sweaty grip, and slowly turned back. It was Zheng Yi, along with numerous other police officers dressed in casual attire. Parked right next to them was a police car. Chen Nian sat herself down in the police car. She had left one prison cell, only to enter another prison cell. “Who is he?” Senior Yang indicated at the tall, slender male who www.asianovel.com

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Chen Nian had ran towards moments earlier. “I mistook him for somebody else.” Chen Nian’s face had resumed its signature blank, calm and collected expression. “Who did you think it was?” “A classmate of mine.” “Does your classmate resemble Bei Ye?” “Everybody resembles each other to a certain extent.” A frosty expression settled over Chen Nian’s face. Outside the police car, innumerable students milled about in their school uniforms. In the interrogation room, Chen Nian and the officers stared at each other in muted silence. As Chen Nian had continually refused to provide the police officers with the contact details of her family members, and had exhibited extreme revulsion towards her form teacher and other teachers in school, Zheng Yi did not notify the school about Chen Nian’s second round of interrogation, and had instead invited the female lawyer who had been present for Chen Nian’s previous round of interrogation. Zheng Yi started, “Do you know why we called you in today?” “I don’t know.” Chen Nian shook her head resolutely, the ends of her ponytail brushing lightly against the collar of her school uniform. Senior Yang exchanged glances with Zheng Yi, his stern gaze warning Zheng Yi not to believe the words uttered by Chen Nian, but to proceed with the questioning as planned. However, just as Zheng Yi opened his mouth to continue with the interrogation, the sharp, horrendous images from the video they had watched hours earlier flashed across his mind – the beating; the www.asianovel.com

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stripping; it was as though Chen Nian was just a piece of meat for all to share. Zheng Yi shut his eyes tightly, a sense of acute helplessness engulfing him from within. For a long time, Zheng Yi simply sat across Chen Nian, unable to bring himself to utter another word. Senior Yang shot a quick glance at Zheng Yi before continuing the interrogation. “We have recently discovered a video recording, which showed the entire ordeal Wei Cai and her friends put you through the day before Wei Cai went missing.” Across the table, Chen Nian remained as still as a log. “I’m sure you knew that there were a few perpetrators who were photographing and recording the entire bullying incident, so why did you tell us previously that you don’t remember what Wei Cai and her group of friends did to you?” Senior Yang persisted, “I’m going to ask you once more – did you really forget what Wei Cai and her friends put you through?” Chen Nian turned quietly towards Senior Yang, her sharp, judgmental gaze seemingly piercing through his entire being. “Do you wish for me to retain such memories?” Senior Yang was at a momentary loss of words before recovering, “Why did you choose to hide the incident from us?” Chen Nian didn’t respond to Senior Yang’s question, and simply countered with another question, “Would you like to hear me describe the incident in small, excruciating detail? Each and every single physical and verbal abuse I suffered at their hands? How strong or weak the guys were? The order of the persons who bullied me?” Deathly silence.

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The pale, white skin of the youthful girl seated in front of them seemed to glow in the dark room, the black pupils of her eyes akin to the dark night. Her white school uniform was wrinkle free and unblemished, and was akin to the full moon – clean, pure and icy. But Zheng Yi knew that the Chen Nian seated in front of him was no longer the youthful Chen Nian of the past. Senior Yang finally responded, “The perpetrators who appeared in the video – no matter male or female, we will ensure that each and every single one of them is arrested and punished appropriately.” Chen Nian remain unmoved. Chen Nian stared silently at the police officers seated across her, just as they stared at her quietly and wordlessly. The futile words offered by Senior Yang offered little to no comfort, and was utterly meaningless to her. But the interrogation had to continue. “Why didn’t you report the incident to the police?” “Maybe I didn’t want those videos to become evidence, to be repeatedly analysed and surveyed by police officers such as yourselves. Or maybe…” Chen Nian raised her eyes and looked at each of them straight in the eyes, “I didn’t want to be the subject of the pitiful and sorrowful gazes which each of you are giving me right now.” Xiao Yao lowered her eyes without a moment’s hesitation. “Or maybe…” Chen Nian continued, “I felt that, even if I were to turn to the police, there was nothing the police could do to protect me.” Zheng Yi felt as though he had been on the receiving end of a good, hard slap. Hu Xiao Die, Zeng Hao… He had been responsible www.asianovel.com

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for Chen Nian’s safety and protection in the cases involving Hu Xiao Die and Zeng Hao, but he had failed her on both counts – utterly and miserably. “In any event, in your eyes, I am nothing but an object, a mere piece of evidence. You don’t view me as a normal human being.” Chen Nian gently stroked the bright red string tied around her pale wrist. “That’s not……” But what else was there to say? Senior Yang interrupted, “It’s different this time round. The offences which Wei Cai and her group of friends committed against you – these offences are punishable by law, and may even result in incarceration for them.” “Oh? Is that so?” Chen Nian responded flippantly. It was as though Chen Nian couldn’t care less about what happened to the perpetrators who had inflicted such horrible pain on her. “Having gone through such horrible pain and suffering, do you harbour any hatred for Wei Cai?” “I don’t know.” “Why would you say that you don’t know?’ “It seems to be unnecessary and pointless to hate a person who is already dead.” Chen Nian’s response was similar to the response she had previously given when asked about her feelings towards Wei Cai. Nobody knew whether Chen Nian’s calmness and peacefulness was a result of her forcing herself to forget the horrific incident that had happened to her, or whether Wei Cai’s disappearance had truly helped in Chen Nian’s release of all the negative emotions she had previously harboured against Wei Cai. www.asianovel.com

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“Do you know Bei Ye?” “No.” “Why did Bei Ye choose to protect you?” “I don’t know.” Chen Nian replied in a clipped, icy tone. “In order to ensure that you had sufficient time to sit for your graduation exams, Bei Ye offered to provide us with more damning evidence which we have yet to uncover. What do you think is a reasonable explanation for Bei Ye’s behaviour?” “I don’t know.” Chen Nian’s default response to nearly all the questions which had been flung at her by the police officers was simply “I don’t know.” Even when confronted with questions such as “Do you think Bei Ye harbours romantic feelings for you? Romantic feelings so strong, to the extent where he would commit a crime on your behalf?” Chen Nian simply responded with her standard reply, “I don’t know.” Senior Yang probed, “You claim to be unaware, but we find this extremely hard to believe.” Chen Nian countered without skipping a beat, “Why are you questioning me about something Bei Ye did? Why would I have any understanding, or awareness, of Bei Ye’s train of thought?” The police officers had no rebuttal to Chen Nian’s counter. Bei Ye’s interrogation room. The police officers here were similarly www.asianovel.com

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rebuffed, making little to no progress. “Why did you murder Wei Cai?” “Because Wei Cai tore off my mouth mask and identified me.” “Did you kill Wei Cai out of vengeance, due to the harm and the suffering which she had inflicted on Chen Nian?” “No.” “Was Chen Nian the one who injured Wei Cai?” “No.” “Do you harbour romantic feelings for Chen Nian?” “I don’t have any romantic feelings for her.” “You offered to provide us with damning evidence – evidence which we have yet to uncover, just so that Chen Nian had sufficient time to sit for her graduation examinations. Can you explain the rationale and your motives for undertaking such a course of action?” “I’m bored. The thought happened to cross my mind all of a sudden, so I simply acted on it.” “Bored? Simply acting on a sudden thought that crossed your mind?” “Look – ever since I was born, I have been someone who acted rashly and spontaneously. I have no ambition, no goal, no pursuits in life – and so, I have no sense of restraint, and I simply act in accordance with how I feel at any particular point in time, be it raping or murdering somebody. It’s that simple – there is no specific, convoluted reason why I offered www.asianovel.com

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you what I did, I just wanted to do it, so I did.” “So your sudden good treatment of Chen Nian – it’s something you wanted to do at the spur of the moment, so you did it?” “Ah.” “The one who murdered Wei Cai – is you?” “Yes.” “Why did you murder Wei Cai?” This question had been posed to Bei Ye innumerable times. Bei Ye stared the police officers interrogating him straight in the eyes, his gaze filled with unmistakeable iciness and contempt, and enunciated as slowly as he could, “Because. She. Tore. Off. My. Mouth. Mask. And. Identified. Me.” “Do you know about the bullying and harm which Wei Cai inflicted on Chen Nian before the day Wei Cai went missing?” “No.” “Did you kill Wei Cai out of vengeance, due to the harm and the suffering which she had inflicted on Chen Nian?” “No.” “Do you admit and confirm that you are the raincoat man?” “Yes.” “The corpse which had been newly discovered, what is the name of the victim?” “Lai Zi.”

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“The full name of the deceased?” “Lai Qing.” “What is your relationship with the deceased?” “He was my friend.” “Why do you know the location of Lai Qing’s corpse?” “Because I killed him.” “Why did you kill him?” “Because he discovered my identity.” “What identity?” “He discovered that I was the raincoat man.” “So you killed him, because he discovered that you were the raincoat man.” “Of course. Why should I keep him alive? To rat on me?” Bei Ye let out a cold, short laugh. Bei Ye’s lawyer, who had been seated next to Bei Ye during the entire interrogation session, lowered his head onto his palms, and used his fist to prop his head up. He was at his wit’s end. “Lai Qing was your childhood buddy who grew up with you?” “Yes.” “But you nevertheless went ahead with your decision to kill him. Why?” “Because, only the mouth of a dead person would be www.asianovel.com

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capable of keeping secrets.” The youth replied nonchalantly. The stories of the two youths melded together seamlessly – there were no loopholes to be found. Senior Yang and the police offices filed out of the investigation room, and gathered for a short discussion. Two youths, separated by a sole, singular wall between the two of them, each seated in their separate interrogation rooms, unfrenzied, calm and silent; neither of them knowing that the other was within arm’s reach. Two youths, both testimonies standing up to the pressure of scrutiny, and both offering no signs of cracking under the intense pressure of interrogation; it was either the two youths had nerves of steel and an impenetrable psychological barrier, or they were both simply telling the truth. But, human beings often had an uncanny sixth sense; an underlying gut feeling; an intuition – especially police officers. A unshakable sense of strangeness and oddity settled over Zheng Yi’s heart. However, aside from Zheng Yi, the remainder of the police officers were more inclined to simply believe both Chen Nian’s and Bei Ye’s testimonies. Xiao Yao persuaded Zheng Yi, “But Bei Ye knows the location of the corpse of a victim which we have yet to receive any notice of to-date; he even killed his friend in order to cover up his own tracks!” “I know – but what if?” Zheng Yi stared at the two youths seated behind the transparent glass windows of the interrogation rooms. All of a sudden, Zheng Yi raised his finger and jabbed in Bei Ye’s direction, “What if, Bei Ye killed his friend, just so that he would be able to prove that he is the raincoat man?”

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The case theory proposed by Bei Ye was so ludicrous, so absurd, that no other police officer had even contemplated such a case theory. “What are you saying?!” “What if, the only reason why the blood-stained shirt wasn’t fully burnt and destroyed, was to prove that he was the murderer; and the reason why the raincoat wasn’t fully burnt and destroyed, was to prove that he was the raincoat man?” “So, what you’re saying is, Bei Ye isn’t the raincoat man, but is trying all ways and means to prove that he is the raincoat man?” Senior Yang looked at Zheng Yi incredulously, and fired back, “Why on earth would Bei Ye do that?” “In order to mask the true motive behind Wei Cai’s murder.” Zheng Yi rattled off his response without missing a beat, “Because, if Bei Ye isn’t the raincoat man, he would have no motive, no motivation to murder Wei Cai. If Bei Ye isn’t the raincoat man, he would be unable to serve as a shield and divert our attention from the real person who really harbored a murderous intent towards Wei Cai – Chen Nian. Because of Chen Nian, because Bei Ye wanted to shield Chen Nian!” Unable to contain himself any longer, Zheng Yi hollered desperately, “We are dealing with two separate cases here – the case of the raincoat man and the case of Wei Cai’s murder is two separate caes!” Senior Yang rebutted Zheng Yi, “What you’ve just said is nothing but conjecture on your part – although we have the video evidencing the suffering which Wei Cai inflicted onto Chen Nian, we do not have any clear, solid evidence which www.asianovel.com

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points towards the ‘murderous intent‘ which Chen Nian purportedly harbors towards Wei Cai. What’s more, why would Bei Ye need to shield the real person who really harbored a murderous intent towards Wei Cai? Just because that person is Chen Nian?! In any event, why do we care about the person whom Bei Ye is purportedly ‘protecting’? So long as he is the one who murdered Wei Cai, why do we care about his motivations or intentions for the murder?” Unable to come up with any logical response to Senior Yang’s barrage of questions, beads of cold sweat began to form on Zheng Yi’s forehead. Furrowing his brows, innumerable thoughts raised across Zheng Yi’s mind when, all of a sudden, he was struck by a frightening, alarming thought. Whipping his head to gaze at Chen Nian, a chill slowly crawled up as spine as he uttered, “Unless…” “Unless what?” “Unless Chen Nian is a joint criminal!” Zheng Yi’s face was an unnatural shade of ashen white, as he began to rattle uncontrollalbly, “Stripping Wei Cai naked, was not because he wanted to prevent her clothes from providing us with clues that pointed towards the season and the time period when she was killed. Rather, it was because Wei Cai’s uniform contained crucial pieces of evidence – such as the bloody hand print of the joint murderer!” The minute Zheng Yi had completed his iteration of his case theory, his head began to clear, and he was suddenly awash with inexplicable feelings of regret. Senior Yang and the remainder of the police officers stared at Zheng Yi with their mouths agape. Anxious, Xiao Yao rebuked Zheng Yi, “Zheng Yi! The conjectures which you had just voiced aloud goes against the chain of evidence which we currently have on hand! You must www.asianovel.com

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focus and rely on the evidence to guide your investigations and the formulation of your case theory, and not your feelings! The way you’re handling the investigation right now is really unfair!” The sky had already darkened, and the police station had started to switch on their lights in preparation for the impending darkness. The case was about to close. The grandfather clock in the corridor creaked as it chimed. Zheng Yi’s eyes drifted away from the police officers standing in front of him as he stared into space, various images from the past flashing before his very eyes – Chen Nian, Bei Ye, every answer they had given, every single expression which had appeared on their faces. On the other side of the transparent glass windows of the interrogation rooms, Bei Ye’s expression was one of calmness. So was Chen Nian’s. Why? “Why did you murder Wei Cai?” “Because Wei Cai tore off my mouth mask and identified me.” “Having gone through such horrible pain and suffering, do you harbour any hatred for Wei Cai?” “I don’t know.” “I’ll pick you up after school?” “There’s no need to trouble yourself. I’m fine now.” “Do you consider yourself as someone who is frequently sensitive and aware of his surroundings?”

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“Not really… the stalker actually bumped into me once whilst I was walking with Chen Nian.” “Weren’t you the slightest bit worried that Chen Nian might reject your request?“ “I overheard Chen Nian and Xiao Mi discussing Titanic…Chen Nian mentioned that it would be really difficult to get tickets for Titanic.” “Chen Nian told me that there was someone who was protecting her.” “Yup. I think I’ve seen this girl before… Xiao Bei said that he owed her money. A lot of money.” Whether all these disparate incidents were critical clues pointing towards an unfathomable truth, or whether it was his own imagination going into overdrive and drawing random links, there was only one way to find out. Zheng Yi lifted his feet, and strode towards Chen Nian’s interrogation room. Chen Nian had just inked her signature at the bottom of the transcript of her interrogation, and was about to leave. Rushing into the interrogation room, Zheng Yi grabbed the transcript and the ballpoint pen from Chen Nian’s hand before hauling Chen Nian up from her seat, as though Chen Nian was a tiny, hapless chicken. Dragging Chen Nian out of the door of her interrogation room, Zheng Yi forcibly kicked the door of the second interrogation room wide open, and shoved Chen Nian in. The force caused Chen Nian to slam into the wall of the interrogation room, her hair in a haphazard disarray; at that very moment, Bei Ye raised his head, their gazes interlocked, neither managing to find any words to say, Zheng Yi instantly dragged Chen Nian out of Bei Ye’s interrogation room, and slammed the door shut with a loud thud, severing all www.asianovel.com

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connection between Chen Nian and Bei Ye. Bei Ye and Chen Nian had only exchanged a single glance, but that was enough, because, Love, is something which one is unable to hide; even if one shuts his or her mouth as tightly as one could, one could never mask it from one’s gaze. …… ……

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Chapter 27 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

Late night. The police officers, the youths who were being interrogated – each and every single one of them was exhausted to the bone. It was a competition; and everyone was fighting tooth and nail in order to emerge victorious in this competition of perseverance and grit. Two youths – both had extremely frail and fragile outer appearances, and yet, they were filled with bones and nerves of steel. Rubbing his red rimmed eyes, Senior Yang suggested to Zheng Yi, “In order to prove that your conjecture is correct, we have no choice but to use this one last method.” “Which method?” “The Prisoner’s Dilemma.” The Prisoner’s Dilemma is a theory which theorizes that, where there are two or more persons who had jointly committed an offence and are unable to communicate with each other, each person would be more inclined to tell the truth or “betray” each other by exposing the other person’s involvement in the crime (out of self-interest) as they are unable to trust the other person, and/or under circumstances where they have been informed that the other person had already confessed. Nobody would be able to emerge unscathed and remain steadfast under such psychological stress. www.asianovel.com

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The interrogations swiftly commenced. Chen Nian sat in her solitary interrogation room, her entire being seemingly pale and white-washed. The crimson red string on her wrist stood out boldly, as though she had suffered a bloodied cut. The police officers filed into the interrogation room expressionlessly. Before Chen Nian had time to reconfigure the expression on her face into her default expression of blankness, Senior Yang slammed a pile of documents onto the table in front of her. Staring at her severely, Senior Yang announced, “Bei Ye has confessed.” Chen Nian looked at Senior Yang silently, waiting patiently for Senior Yang to complete his sentence. Not even a single flicker of fear, surprise or anxiety flashed across her face. “Chen Nian, Bei Ye has confessed.” Senior Yang repeated. “He has confirmed that both of you are joint criminals.” Chen Nian shook her head slowly, “That’s not true.” “The day Wei Cai disappeared – although it seems as though Wei Cai had only gone to the hill behind the school compound for the sole purpose of meeting Xu Miao, that’s not true. In actuality, she had only requested to meet Xu Miao as she happened to be in the area – to meet you. There was also no need for Wei Cai to reach you via your mobile number, as she had already informed you one day prior to meet her there. As the time for the meeting coincided with the timing of your Physical Education class, it was extremely convenient for you to head to the hill behind the school compound, meet Wei Cai, and injure her there. Subsequently, once you’ve managed to stab Wei CAi, you returned to class and innocuously commented on the difficulty of obtaining tickets for Titanic. Having overhead your comment, Li Xiang asked you out to watch the movie, to which you readily www.asianovel.com

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agreed. You then requested for Bei Ye to dispose of the incriminating evidence during your time at the movie, thereby creating a perfect alibi for yourself.” “That’s not true.” Chen Nian shook her head. The harsh light from the ceiling lamp in the interrogation room beat down on Chen Nian, casting dark shadows beneath her eyelashes. “We have simply reiterated Bei Ye’s confession, word for word. He has already confessed to us your involvement in Wei Cai’s murder. Chen Nian, if you still refuse to co-operate with us, you will be penalized and will receive a more severe sentence in the future.” Stay strong. You must remember to stay strong. Chen Nian raised her head, and fixed her icy gaze at the police officers seated in front of her. After having pondered for some time, Chen Nian asked, “Are you guys, trying to help me reduce my punishment?” “Of course – we are all trying to help you.” “If, as you’ve indicated, you are intent on helping me, and you happen to have in your possession irrefutable evidence on my involvement in Wei Cai’s murder, then why does my confession matter?” Chen Nian countered, “Why can’t you just pretend that I’ve confessed to my crimes, and assist me accordingly?” Flabbergasted, the police officers were unable to formulate any arguments to refute Chen Nian. Forcing himself to continue, Senior Yang asked, “Can we take that as an admission to your involvement in Wei Cai’s murder?” “No.” www.asianovel.com

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“No?” “I don’t know why he said what he did, but I don’t know who he is.” Chen Nian said. “Bei Ye just confessed that both of you are joint criminals. Just three hours ago, in order to ensure that you had sufficient time to sit for your graduation exams, he had offered to provide us with more damning evidence of his guilt.” Chen Nian simply shook her head once more. “Perhaps he said what he did out of boredom, or perhaps, he chose to say what he did as he felt discontented that he failed in his attempt to rape me, and wanted to ensure that I too, was implicated in this entire mess as his accomplice. On the surface, his offer to provide you with further evidence seemed to be done purely for my sake; but on second thought, by doing what he did, he would succeed in raising doubts and suspicions regarding my involvement in his crimes, and if I was truly implicated, it would be pointless for me to have sat for my graduation exams. As such, the theory that Bei Ye had offered up further evidence for my sake seems to be inherently self-contradictory, and his confession that we are joint criminals ought not to be believed.” Chen Nian’s train of thought was so logical, and so persuasive, that it caused the police officers interrogating her to break out in a sheen of cold sweat. Her lengthy explanation had raised another possibility in this complicated and seemingly undecipherable case – perhaps Bei Ye was simply angry that he had been caught whilst trying to perpetuate his crime against Chen Nian, and wanted to frame her for his crimes.

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“So, what you’re saying is that Bei Ye’s confession is entirely false?” “Yes.” “Chen Nian, this is your last chance. If you still refuse to confess the truth, Bei Ye would receive a lighter sentence because of his co-operation with the police officers during investigation proceedings; conversely, you would receive a more severe sentence.” “He’s lying,” Chen Nian said calmly. “Are you sure about that?” “Yes.” Chen Nian gazed at the police officers straight in the eye, and raised her voice forcefully, “If you still refuse to believe me, let me speak to Bei Ye – I’m more than willing to confront him about his false accusations.” “Don’t think that we won’t let the two of you confront each other –” “Then let him come!” The blinding white light from the ceiling lamp mercilessly illuminated her ghostly white complexion. The shadows cast on Chen Nian’s face caused her cheekbones to appear as sharp as razors. …… Unable to remain seated any longer, the female lawyer sprung up from her seat. “That’s enough!” The police officers have failed; Chen Nian had managed to withstand the immense pressure and psychological stress they tried to heap onto her.

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The police officers had little choice but to pin their final hopes on Bei Ye. Bei Ye was hauled into the interrogation room once more. The police officers wasted no time, and commenced the interrogation, “Chen Nian has confessed her involvement in the crime – she was present when Wei Cai was injured, and had participated in inflicting injury onto Wei Cai.” “Is she sick in the head?” Bei Ye asked mockingly. Bei Ye’s interrogation was no different from Chen Nian’s interrogation – no matter how many times the police officers threatened him with a more severe sentence, or dangled the opportunity of receiving a lighter sentence in front of Bei Ye, they were unable to pry any new information from Bei Ye’s lips. “So, what you’re saying is that Chen Nian’s confession is entirely false?” “Yes.” “Bei Ye, this is your last chance. If you still refuse to confess the truth, Chen Nian would receive a lighter sentence because of her co-operation with the police officers during investigation proceedings; conversely, you would receive a more severe sentence.” “She’s lying.” “Are you sure about that?” “Yes. If you still refuse to believe me, let me speak to her – I’m more than willing to confront her.” The white fluorescent light shone on Bei Ye’s face, causing his features to appear extremely sculpted and chiseled.

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The gaze in the eyes of the two youths were identical – it was one of resolution, of determination, of resilience. Zheng Yi instinctively felt that, his colleagues had already tried their best – but there was simply no way they could pry open the lips of the two youths seated in the separate interrogation rooms. Perhaps, they could try interrogating Bei Ye and Chen Nian a couple more times. But he knew, that they had absolutely no hope of knocking down their defenses. It was as though the two youths were trapped in an isolated city, surrounded by high, unscalable city walls whose defenses could not be breached. Exchanging a glance with each other, the police officers readied themselves to leave the interrogation room. However, Zheng Yi remained rooted to the spot, stubbornly grasping onto his final bit of “intuition”; when he shoved Chen Nian into the interrogation room to face Bei Ye, the single glance which they had exchanged was so full of raw, pure emotion that it was impossible to fake. Why? Scrutinizing the youth seated in front of him, Zheng Yi caught a flicker of emotion on Bei Ye’s face that was identical to the expression of the female youth seated in the interrogation room next to him; it was an expression of intense, piercing iciness. Why? Why were their defenses so difficult to breach? Why were they so certain, so assured in their conviction that the police officers would be unable to extract anything of use from the other youth who was the subject of a separate, intense interrogation? Why were they so sure that they would not be the subject of betrayal by the other youth? www.asianovel.com

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Zheng Yi’s “intuition” tugged relentlessly at him, urging him to disregard his logic and the innumerable pieces of evidence that have been laid in front of him which pointed towards Bei Ye’s guilt. After all, there was nothing in the evidence presented in front of him which was capable of explaining how two youths who had little to no interaction with each other, was capable of forming such a strong, iron-clad relationship. Two youths – both of whom were so fragile, and so young; and yet, both were able to remain steadfast and staunch in their trust for each other when faced with the immense pressure of interrogation. How could this be possible? The relationship between the two youths – was it an unbreakable bond, a parasitic relationship where each depended on each other for survival? It was as though the two youths were hanging from the same, fragile rope, with two, bleak endings awaiting them – they could both fall into the abyss simultaneously when the rope breaks under their combined weight, or one party could, prior to the rope breaking, choose to simultaneously sever the connection between the both of them to prevent the rope from having to bear both their weights. Was Bei Ye’s sole wish to clear all the obstacles erected between her and a clean exit the single motivating factor that forced Chen Nian to journey on the road which he had carved out for her? The one who fell into the abyss, and the other who managed to survive – in the end, who was the party who had to bear the brunt of the misery? Was the relationship between the two youths truly like that? No, that’s impossible. It was hard to imagine that the two youths being entangled in such an all-consuming, intense relationship.

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Was he wrong? Zheng Yi mulled over Xiao Yao’s earlier rebuke, the internal struggle between his instinct and his logic causing him to near the brink of a meltdown. Senior Yang and the rest of the police officers rose from their seats and exited the interrogation room. The case of the raincoat man and the case of Wei Cai’s murder was progressing exactly how they had expected it to. Only two young males were left in the tiny, cramped interrogation room. Tick tock tick tock. Zheng Yi’s mind raced through all the disjunct clues which didn’t seem to fit perfectly into the police officers’ current case theory, beads of sweat gradually forming on his forehead. The collision between Li Xiang and Bei Ye, Bei Ye’s apparent stalking of Chen Nian, the movie Titanic, the hill behind the school compound…… His thoughts were in an utter state of confusion and chaos; A pressing need for immediate clarity caused Zheng Yi to lean across the table towards Bei Ye, his tone curt and forceful, “Chen Nian is a joint criminal, an accomplice! You lied – your motive for stripping Wei Cai naked was not because you wanted to prevent the police officers from obtaining clues about the season and time period when Wei Cai was killed; rather, you wanted to destroy the crucial pieces of evidence that pointed towards Chen Nian’s involvement that were left on Wei Cai’s clothes – such as Chen Nian’s fingerprints!” Bei Ye stared at Zheng Yi coldly, opting to respond to Zheng Yi’s ramble with a deathly silence. www.asianovel.com

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“Your choice to bury Wei Cai’s corpse in a remote location that was capable of preserving the corpse was not, as we thought, an erroneous, carless choice – no, it had been part of your plan all along! You had no choice but to preserve the “evidence” that was Wei Cai’s corpse, because if you aren’t the raincoat man, and had no motive to murder Wei Cai, and there was a severe lack of evidence pointing towards Wei Cai’s murderer, then Chen Nian would inevitably become a leading suspect in the case of Wei Cai’s murder!” Blurting out his seemingly far-fetched case theory, Zheng Yi’s words simply tumbled out of his lips without any structure or clarity, “The blood-stained shirt, and the raincoat – it was your intention all along to ensure that these two items were only partially burnt and destroyed; because they are critical pieces of evidence which identified you as the raincoat man! Your collision with Li Xiang, as well as your blatant, brazen staring at Xu Miao – all these were done to raise their suspicions about you.” Bei Ye squinted slightly at Zheng Yi, his gaze gradually becoming icier as Zheng Yi continued expounding his case theory. But no – that’s not all. Something still doesn’t feel right. What’s not right? Zheng Yi had always found Bei Ye’s decision to offer up the location of the last corpse in exchange for the police officers giving Chen Nian three hours to sit for her graduation exams irrational and 0dd. After all, even if Bei Ye’s offer did manage to win Chen Nian an opportunity to sit for her examinations, it would be pointless as Bei Ye’s actions would necessarily expose his care and concern for Chen Nian – and the moment the police officers caught wind of Bei Ye and Chen Nian’s relationship, the two of them would be subject to an psychologically strenuous and intense interrogation, during which the police officers would, in all likelihood, be able to uncover more clues www.asianovel.com

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and/or secrets. If Chen Nian was indeed found to be Bei Ye’s accomplice, she would have to bear the applicable punishment, and would no longer be able to attend university. Given all these considerations, why did Bei Ye nevertheless still decide to strike a deal with the police officers? Why? Why was Bei Ye so assured in his conviction that the two of them would be able to ace the interrogation without letting any clues and/or secrets slip? Why was Bei Ye so certain that Chen Nian would be capable of hardening her heart, and remain staunch in insisting upon her innocence despite the suffering that evidently awaited Bei Ye upon confirmation of his guilt? Where did Bei Ye derive his confidence from? Zheng Yi gripped the edge of the table. All of a sudden, Zheng Yi was overwhelmed by a sudden wave of inspiration. Zheng Yi shot up from his seat, “You — you are not the raincoat man!” But Wei Cai’s autopsy report clearly showed that Wei Cai had various bruises and wounds that were commonly suffered during selfdefence – so where did these wounds come from if Bei Ye was not the raincoat man? Unless… his case theory… that Wei Cai’s wounds were a result of Chen Nian’s struggle and resistance against Wei Cai during the entire bullying incident… was accurate? ! Bei Ye is not the raincoat man! But if not Bei Ye, who could it be? Another youth who was similar to Bei Ye. The specific criminal profile rendered by Senior Yang. Bei Ye’s friend who worked in the www.asianovel.com

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car repair shop – Da Kang. Chen Nian, flying down the steps leading towards the exit of the school compound without a moment’s hesitation and recklessly navigating the stream of traffic to reach the tall, slender male donning a white t-shirt standing across the road – only to discover an unfamiliar, foreign face staring back at her. “Da Kang!–” Wait. Not him. Who is the raincoat man? Zheng Yi’s brain was akin to a machine in overdrive, his mind continuously replaying the video which documented the bullying and abuse suffered by Chen Nian. He recalled seeing Lai Qing’s photograph previously; the video that was tirelessly on loop in his brain seemed to feature Lai Qing as one of the perpetrators of the abuse. “Lai Zi! — Lai Qing!” Lai Qing is the raincoat man, and Bei Ye’s wholesome understanding of the crimes and actions of the raincoat man was entirely derived based on Lai Qing’s recount to Bei Ye. That night, Lai Qing had participated in the abuse that was inflicted onto Chen Nian; Lai Qing had violated Chen Nian, and Bei Ye hated him for that. But why, why did Bei Ye choose to impersonate the raincoat man? A sudden, shocking thought slammed mercilessly into Zheng Yi; in that moment, Zheng Yi’s shuddering body and soul seemed to come to an eerie standstill, and his hand, which had been grabbing the back of his neck all this while, gradually fell to his side. Stunned, Zheng Yi gazed wordlessly at the person seated in front of him. As Bei Ye was bathed in the blinding white fluorescent light www.asianovel.com

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typically found in interrogation rooms, the edges of Bei Ye’s silhouette seemed to be melting into the light. The sudden, shocking thought left Zheng Yi in a state of disbelief. A chilling sense of eeriness began to settle over Zheng Yi. No, it couldn’t be – a plan as appalling, as staggering, and as meticulous as this, couldn’t possibly have been formed by a mere youth. Like a patient suffering from a bout of high fever, Zheng Yi was drenched from head to toe in sweat, and was unable to summon any strength or energy. A piercing chilliness began to seep into Zheng Yi’s bones as he turned to stare soullessly at Bei Ye. Barely mustering the final bits of energy he had left, Zheng Yi reached across the table and grabbed Bei Ye by the collar. In an extremely low voice which could only be heard by Bei Ye, Zheng Yi completed the iteration of his case theory, “You had no choice but to impersonate the raincoat man, because only by so doing, would you be able to mask the true reason for Wei Cai’s death. Because, Chen Nian is not a joint criminal, nor was she your accomplice; when you arrived at the hill behind the school compound — Wei Cai was already dead. The person who murdered Wei Cai is Chen Nian! And as for you – you weren’t even at the scene of the crime when it happened! Whilst it is true that you harboured immense hate for Lai Qing, you never truly had the intention to murder him until Wei Cai’s corpse was discovered – because you had to ensure that Lai Qing would be incapable of providing the police officers with any clues which contradicted your testimony; you had to ensure that, subsequent to your capture, the raincoat man would cease in his criminal activities, so that your impersonation would remain undiscovered; you had to www.asianovel.com

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ensure that the real raincoat man would remain silent for the rest of his life! By committing the irreversible crime of murdering Lai Qing, you left Chen Nian with no choice but to journey on the road you carved out for her! Bei Ye, are you insane?!” Zheng Yi grit his teeth together furiously, and shoved Bei Ye back into his seat. Slumping back into his seat, Zheng Yi breathed heavily in an attempt to regulate his breathing. On the other side of the table, Bei Ye slowly massaged his handcuffed wrist. Raising his eyes to gaze at Zheng Yi, Bei Ye’s lips curved into a smile, “Officer Zheng, I truly admire you. But –“

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Chapter 28 Part 1 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

The youth shook his head slightly from side to side, “She didn’t kill Wei Cai.” “Your case theory erred in this respect – she didn’t kill anybody.” Bei Ye repeated himself. “Officer Zheng, I’m certain of that.” But, how was Bei Ye able to reach such a conclusion? When did Bei Ye arrive at such a determination, and who did he speak to in order to reach this determination? Zheng Yi froze, and turned to stare at Bei Ye. Bei Ye returned his stare. Propping himself up from the interrogation table, Zheng Yi strode over to the exit of the interrogation room and swung the door of the interrogation room shut before turning to draw the blinds in the interrogation room and shutting down all surveillance devices and communication devices which linked the persons in the interrogation rooms to those in the outside world. Returning to the interrogation table, Zheng Yi placed himself before Bei Ye, his words spilling out in his hurry, “My case theory and my analysis are both correct, save for one point: Chen Nian didn’t kill anybody. But when you arrived at the crime scene, Wei Cai was already dead, so your initial thought was that Chen Nian was the culprit who murdered her. This resulted in the formulation of the plan which I referred to earlier – the purposeful choice of the burial site for the corpse, the series of actions which allowed you to impersonate the raincoat man. Everything was in place; www.asianovel.com

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everything was going according to your plan. However, it was then that you discovered that the true culprit who murdered Wei Cai was not Chen Nian, but somebody else!” Bei Ye’s lips remained tightly shut, his calm and collected expression betraying no hint of emotion – it was the same front which he put on whilst undergoing the numerous rounds of interrogation. Zheng Yi pleaded, “Bei Ye, please. Please trust me this once.” But Zheng Yi’s pleas were to no avail; Bei Ye’s gaze remained foreign and aloof; the undecipherable emotions in his eyes showed a clear absence of trust. “I know. I know that both of you, are unable to place any trust in me. I don’t have sufficient time to offer an in-depth explanation of the legal process and the criminal system at the present moment, but Bei Ye, I’m the only person who is capable of helping you now, and I want, I truly do, I want to help you! No, I don’t just want to help you – I need to help you!” “Do you know the length of the jail term which will be imposed on you once you admit to the four counts of rape committed by the raincoat man, and Wei Cai’s and Lai Qing’s murder? Even if the court mitigates your sentence on account of your co-operative attitude and willingness to reform, you could still easily face up to twenty to thirty years of jail time! Think about it – you haven’t even spent that amount of time in the world since you’ve been born! And that’s being optimistic – in the worst case scenario, you would be incarcerated for life!” Bei Ye remained mum.

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Zheng Yi continued his persuasion, unrelenting, “And what about Chen Nian? Do you still intend on seeing her, on accompanying her, in this lifetime?” “… Even if I’m not able to see her, or stay by her side, I’m fine with that.” Bei Ye finally opened his mouth. Bei Ye still wore his calm and collected expression, but Zheng Yi could tell, that Bei Ye was not unmoved by his speech. The only way Zheng Yi could get Bei Ye to respond was through the mentioning of Chen Nian. “Don’t you wish to be able to continue seeing her?” Zheng Yi asked, “Don’t you?” “But… It’s impossible. I won’t be able to see her anymore.” “That’s not what I’m asking. My only question to you was whether you wished to be able to continue seeing her. Don’t you? Don’t you wish that you would be able to serve your time in jail as quickly as possible, and return to her side? – Even if you’re no longer able to stay by her side, wouldn’t you at least want an opportunity to look at her from afar, to ensure that no other harm or calamity would befall her? She’s all alone right now – don’t you wish to gain the freedom and the ability to protect her as soon as possible?” Bei Ye pressed his lips together into a firm, straight line. Zheng Yi continued his barrage, “What exactly did you tell Chen Nian? That you gave Wei Cai the killing blow, and that you were responsible for Lai Qing’s death? By forcing yourself into a corner, by implicating yourself in the entire situation with Lai Qing’s murder, you’ve effectively sealed off all possibility of Chen Nian contradicting your testimony, didn’t you?”

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Bei Ye remained silent. “You chose to unilaterally bear the entire responsibility of the entire incident, but, what about her? Yes, Bei Ye, you will have to bear the responsibility, and suffer the requisite punishment for the crimes which you have committed, but please – please do not take on the burden of the crimes which you did not commit! You may think that that’s your way of loving her, but no, it’s not. It’s not love. It’s plain unfairness. You’re trapped in this police station, so you haven’t had the opportunity to really observe Chen Nian in the outside world, but I have. I’ve seen her – it’s as though she’s an entirely changed person. She will suffer in misery for the rest of her life; she will lose her voice, and become a total mute; she will no longer be able to communicate or connect with anybody else in this world. Sacrificing your freedom and your liberty for her – you’re willing to do so, and you may even feel comforted by your own sacrificial, heroic actions. But by so doing, you’re simultaneously sealing off all of Chen Nian’s escape routes! She doesn’t know how to convey the truth of the entire incident – in fact, she may not even be entirely certain about what is, in fact, the true version of events. She doesn’t trust me. She doesn’t trust the police. The only, single thing that she believes in, from the bottom of her heart, are the words which you’ve spoken to her.” Bei Ye’s chest heaved slightly from the turbulent emotions that were racing through his entire being; but even then, he remained silent and taciturn. All of a sudden, Bei Ye’s mind was transported to a distant memory. He had once told her his greatest wish, the one thing which he desired most in this world, and he made her promise that she would help him to fulfil his wish. No matter how difficult, and how www.asianovel.com

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rocky her solitary journey became, she had to stay strong, she had to persevere, and help him achieve his greatest desire. “Bei Ye, since Chen Nian didn’t kill anybody, I swear – I swear that nothing would happen to her.” Zheng Yi was able to pinpoint what Bei Ye was worried about, and infused each word with as much strength and determination he could muster, “I vouch that nobody is listening in to our current conversation; so, on the condition that no harm, or punishment would befall Chen Nian from her involvement in this case, please – please let me help you! Bei Ye, even a terminal patient on the operating table puts up a struggle to live!” “…” Zheng Yi let out a long, heavy sigh. The youth seated in front of him was as resilient and unwavering as a rock. Zheng Yi was at his wit’s end, “You like Chen Nian, don’t you?” In a low whisper, he continued, “So do I.” So, please believe in me. Please believe that I will expend all my energy, and invest all my effort, into ensuring her protection. Zheng Yi’s gaze interlocked with Bei Ye’s, the desperation in his gaze so intense it was as though he was the one who was trapped and drowning. Bei Ye returned Zheng Yi’s. Bei Ye did not shy away Zheng Yi’s pleading gaze, and stared back at Zheng Yi. In the end, Bei Ye simply turned his head away from Zheng Yi, “Thanks Officer Zheng. But there’s just no way out – no matter what you do, you will not be able to save us.” “Why? What do you mean by that?” “I want to speak to my lawyer.” Bei Ye interrupted Zheng Yi’s plea, “I have nothing further to say.” www.asianovel.com

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The interrogation came to an abrupt end. Zheng Yi lapsed into silence. He continued to stare at Bei Ye with his piercing, desperate gaze, but Bei Ye staunchly refused to make any further eye contact with him. After ten seconds of dead-drop silence had passed, the door to the interrogation room opened. Several officers swarmed in to escort Bei Ye out of the interrogation room. As Bei Ye walked past Chen Nian’s interrogation room, Zheng Yi saw Bei Ye turning to cast a quick glance inside – but Chen Nian was no longer there. Bei Ye retracted his gaze, and quietly made his way back to his holding cell. Zheng Yi felt as though he had just completed a full marathon – his energy had been completely sapped, and his legs shook uncontrollably. Stunned and concerned, Xiao Yao asked, “Zheng Yi, why do you look so pale?” Zheng Yi rubbed his face vigorously, and forced himself to lift his spirits, “Where’s Chen Nian?” “She’s outside. I don’t know how to drive, so I’m looking for somebody who would be able to give her a lift home.” “I’ll do it.” Zheng Yi was exhausted from the day’s turbulent events. Neither he nor Chen Nian spoke a single word during the journey from the police station to Chen Nian’s home. Chen Nian radiated a lifeless iciness, causing her to resemble, more than ever, a ghostly spirit. Despite knowing full well that he was unable to breach the defenses of the two youths, Zheng Yi still couldn’t refrain from trying www.asianovel.com

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once more, “Chen Nian, just this once – please; wouldn’t you be able to trust me just this once?” Chen Nian simply said, “You won’t be able to save anybody.” Without turning back to look at Zheng Yi, Chen Nian proceeded to make her way up the stairs. Zheng Yi remained rooted at his spot, his solitary figure standing erect at the vast, empty field under the night sky. Feelings of fatigue and helplessness coursed through him. He was seized by a sudden desire to just lay down on the field, and take a good, long, nap. Just then, Zheng Yi’s mobile rang. It was Xiao Yao. “Zheng Yi, do try to get a good night’s rest. We’re having our final discussion tomorrow regarding Bei Ye’s case, so you will need as much rest as you can get.” Zheng Yi was shocked into sudden clarity. Once the police officers concluded their final discussion tomorrow, they will proceed to make their final, tidying-up amendments to the case file before submitting the transcripts and other evidence to the Prosecutor General’s Office. Once the transcripts have been submitted to Prosecutor General’s Office, Bei Ye’s statement will constitute evidence as proof of his guilt, such that even if Bei Ye opts to recants his statement at a later point in time, his credibility would be undermined. “Xiao Yao!” Zheng Yi pleaded, “You have to help me.” …… 3AM. Meeting room. Xiao Yao was struggling to keep her eyes open. She had, as per Zheng Yi’s request, been reviewing the evidence and statements placed before her once more for new clues, but everything pointed her to the inevitable conclusion that Bei Ye was responsible for the crimes of rape and Wei Cai’s murder. Xiao www.asianovel.com

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Yao was starting to doubt her decision to accompany Zheng Yi on this wild goose chase. Beneath the white fluorescent light, Zheng Yi continued to pore over the evidence and information relentlessly. Propping her tired head up wit one hand, Xiao Yao coaxed Zheng Yi, “Zheng Yi, it’s time to go home and rest.” Zheng Yi showed no signs of having heard her. Zheng Yi suspected that Lai Qing was the raincoat man. After Bei Ye offered up the location of Lai Qing’s corpse, the police officers had conducted a search of Lai Qing’s home to investigate the crime scene and collect evidence relating to Lai Qing’s murder. Leafing through the various stacks of evidence that had been collected, Zheng Yi was disappointed to discover that there was nothing out of the ordinary in Lai Qing’s home which was capable of raising suspicions about Lai Qing’s possible identity as the raincoat man. Zheng Yi was staring at a photograph of a table at the murder scene in Lai Qing’s home when Xiao Yao strode over to him and snatched the photograph out of his hand. Zheng Yi swiftly turned to look at Xiao Yao, his eyes red from exhaustion and fatigue. Momentarily stunned, Xiao Yao gazed at Zheng Yi for some time before sighing helplessly, “Zheng Yi, listen to me. Our intuition is not always accurate; there may be situations where our intuition is pointing us towards the wrong direction.” Upon hearing Xiao Yao’s words, Zheng Yi’s eyes fluttered. Pressing his lips into a firm line, Zheng Yi retorted, “Then why did you bother staying back to help me look through the evidence and documentation?” “Because your recent behaviour is akin to that of a madman!” Xiao Yao retaliated. Turning away from Zheng Yi, Xiao www.asianovel.com

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Yao let out a long, deep breath. Once she felt sufficiently calm, she continued, “Bei Ye’s confession is entirely consistent with the chain of evidence which we currently have on hand. However, you were unable to shake off your intuitive feeling that something is amiss, and, based on your intuition and pure logic alone, you formulated a case theory which posited that Lai Qing, and not Bei Ye, was the raincoat man, and that Bei Ye is only responsible for Lai Qing’s murder. To be honest, having heard your case theory, I do admit that your case theory is logical and reasonable, and that it may very well be possible that your case theory is true. But — aren’t you forgetting one fatal flaw in your case theory? You don’t have a single shred of evidence which supports your theory!” Zheng Yi persisted, “I suspect that the raincoat man, and the one who murdered Wei Cai, is Lai Qing.” “Suspect? Once again, what evidence are you basing your suspicions on?” Xiao Yao rebuked Zheng Yi. “Lai Qing is dead. Dead men tell no tales, so Bei Ye could very well take full advantage of this situation and pin the entire blame onto Lai Qing, but why didn’t he do so?” “Because Bei Ye is afraid that the moment he tells the police officers the truth, he would inadvertently implicate Chen Nian in the present case.” Xiao Yao raised her voice, “If you are right, and the person who murdered Wei Cai is Lai Qing, how would Chen Nian be implicated in this case in any way?!” Finding himself at a sudden loss of words, Zheng Yi repressed his frustration, “I’m trying to figure that out right now.” Xiao Yao gazed at Zheng Yi for a while, before shaking her head tiredly, “Zheng Yi, I think you’re just overly tired. Go home and rest, don’t waste your time any further.” www.asianovel.com

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Rising from her seat, Xiao Yao began to organise her items and shoved them into her bag. Zheng Yi strode over to her and tried to convince her further, but Xiao Yao simply ignored him. “Let’s start our analysis from the beginning. The day after the bullying incident, Chen Nian continued to attend school as though nothing had happened, and even dropped various hints about her desire to watch Titanic when she saw Li Xiang. Chen Nian then took the opportunity to head to the hill behind the school compound during her physical education lesson. She was, in all likelihood, there to meet Wei Cai, and should have inflicted some injuries onto Wei Cai.” Xiao Yao slammed her bag onto the table. Barely containing her anger, she seethed, “Have you even looked at the autopsy report? The forensic pathologist found one single wound on Wei Cai’s body, and it was precisely this wound that was fatal.” “……” Once again, Zheng Yi found himself at a loss of words. “Do you hear yourself? You’re no longer being logical about this entire case! Now I’m really questioning why I listened to you and foolishly wasted my entire night poring over evidence that irrefutably points towards Bei Ye’s guilt.” Heaving her bag onto her slender frame, Xiao Yao strode out of the meeting room. Zheng Yi remained rooted at the spot, as though he was a marble statute. All alone in this cold and empty building, Zheng Yi felt engulfed with a sudden wave of loneliness. He felt like he was the only person in the world who was awake then. Zheng Yi slowly made his way back to his seat. Bending over the www.asianovel.com

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table, Zheng Yi resumed organising the evidence which he had analysed. All of a sudden, Zheng Yi slammed the stacks of paper he had on hand onto the table, the force causing the papers to scatter in different directions. Gasping for breath, Zheng Yi’s feet began to cramp from overexertion. Slumping himself down onto a chair, Zheng Yi stared at the ceiling blankly. Yes – how could he forget that there was only one wound discovered on Wei Cai’s corpse? But if there was only one wound on Wei Cai’s corpse, how could Lai Qing have been the one responsible for murdering Wei Cai if, as per his conjecture, Chen Nian had also hurt and injured Wei Cai? Bei Ye was resolute that Chen Nian was not the murderer; so, was Wei Cai’s murderer Bei Ye after all? No, it can’t be – after all, during his conversation with Bei Ye earlier, other than insisting upon Chen Nian’s innocence, Bei Ye did not refute the rest of his case theory. So, when Bei Ye arrived at the hill behind the school compound, Wei Cai was already dead. God, what on earth is going on?! How are they to continue pushing forward when they’re surrounded by dead ends? The sound of the cleaner entering the meeting room jolted Zheng Yi from his sleep. The sky outside the window was already bright shade of light blue. Casting a quick glance at his mobile phone, beads of cold sweat began to form on Zheng Yi’s forehead – it was already 7:50 in the morning! The final discussion was due to commence at 8AM. And yet, Zheng Yi still had absolutely no clue how to go about resolving all the unanswered questions surrounding Bei Ye’s case. Sprinting to the restroom, Zheng Yi turned on the tap of the sink and continually www.asianovel.com

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splashed his face with the icy cold water. Leaning against the sink, Zheng Yi forced himself to take deep breaths, hoping to calm himself down. But it was to no avail – like a drum, Zheng Yi’s heart continued beating furiously and rapidly. Forget about it. Just go ahead and participate in the final discussion. He’s already done all that he could. It’s time to admit, that perhaps, he was wrong; that the evidence, which pointed irrefutably towards Bei Ye’s guilt, was right. But Zheng Yi’s stubborn, unyielding intuition refused to back down, and continued blaring in his head on repeat, “THIS IS GOING TO BE A WRONGFUL CONVICTION!! THIS IS GOING TO BE A WRONGFUL CONVICTION!! THIS IS GOING TO BE A WRONGFUL CONVICTION!!” Zheng Yi ran his hands through his hair, forcing his exhausted, discombobulated brain to recap, at high speed, all the details of the case which he has managed to gather thus far. Having analysed every single moment of his conversation with Bei Ye last night in the interrogation room, Zheng Yi was convinced that his intuition was right; Bei Ye wasn’t the criminal – there must be something which the police officers had missed. The person who murdered Wei Cai was not Bei Ye; it was someone else altogether. But why wouldn’t Bei Ye give up the identity of the real person who murdered Wei Cai? The one, single thing – the only thing – that Bei Ye wanted, was to protect Chen Nian. He had already swore to Bei Ye that he would expend all his energy, and invest all his effort, into ensuring her protection. In fact, he had even confessed that he liked Chen Nian, so why did Bei Ye remain adamant in his admission of guilt, especially when doing so would expose him to the risk of severe punishment? www.asianovel.com

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Why wouldn’t the both of them trust him just this once! Whipping around to face the door of the restroom, Zheng Yi gave the door a good, hard kick. Just then, the expression etched onto Bei Ye’s face during the final moments of their conversation floated into his mind – a small, vague smile had tugged on the corners of Bei Ye’s lips as Bei Ye turned away from him, “Thanks Officer Zheng. But there’s just no way out – no matter what you do, you will not be able to save us.” Bei Ye believed in him! The shocking realization jolted through Zheng Yi’s body. But, there was still something which was holding Bei Ye back, something which prevented Bei Ye from coming forth with the truth, and instead forced him to bear the accusations and charges which were levelled against him. The epiphany stirred Zheng Yi’s heart. He was determined to untangle all the knots surrounding Bei Ye’s case, and ensure that no unjust punishment befell Bei Ye. Zheng Yi’s good spirits, however, were short lived, and a heartwrenching feeling of hopelessness and sorrow easily replaced his good cheer. After all, despite his renewed, strengthened sense of determination, he was still nowhere closer to solving the case than he was previously. Fear. Fear of being unable to solve the case, of Bei Ye having to bear unjust, disproportionate punishment, began to overwhelm Zheng Yi. Biting his fingers and pacing rapidly from one end of the restroom to the other, Zheng Yi continued to push himself. What course of action should he adopt? Bei Ye had effectively sealed off all possible arguments that he was innocent, and had made this an ironclad case against his guilt. There wasn’t any clue, or any argument which Zheng Yi could utilise to force a breakthrough in Bei Ye’s case. www.asianovel.com

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Why can’t Bei Ye simply confess the truth?? — Wait, time is of the essence right now; he couldn’t afford to waste any time mulling over Bei Ye’s motivations and psychological state. Zheng Yi, you have to switch it up; change the way you’re looking at, and analysing, things; adopt another approach. Bei Ye shouldn’t be the starting point. Chen Nian shouldn’t be the starting point. The point, at which he should begin his analysis, should be… Wei Cai’s true murderer – Lai Qing! Without another moment’s hesitation, Zheng Yi dashed out of the restroom, and flew down the stairs. On reaching the main entrance of the police station, he collided head-first into Senior Yang. “Hey, where are you running off to? The final discussion is about to commence!” Zheng Yi didn’t pause to respond to Senior Yang. Scurrying into his car, Zheng Yi ignited the engine, accelerated, and steered the car away. Upon exiting the police station, Zheng Yi picked up his mobile phone and dialled Xiao Yao’s number. “Xiao Yao, this is the last time I’m asking you to do me a favour. Please help me to drag the final discussion out as much as you can – don’t let the higher-ups submit the case file with Bei Ye’s confession in it. I’m not asking for much, I just need the morning to gather some evidence.” Concerned, Xiao Yao inquired, “Zheng Yi, what is it that you are planning to do now?” “I’m not entirely sure either, but if my conjecture holds water, I’ll definitely be able to discover fresh evidence.” “Zheng Yi, have you gone mad?!” “Please Xiao Yao – I’m begging you!” www.asianovel.com

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“……” “……” “…… I don’t know how successful I would be in delaying the final discussion.” “Thank you.” …… Da Kang had just opened the shutters to the car repair shop when he saw a car speed into the shop and come to a sudden stop right in front of him. Without skipping a beat, Zheng Yi hopped out of the car and asked Da Kang, “Besides the residence that the police officers scoured earlier, does Lai Zi have any other residences or places he stayed at?” “Why are you asking……” “Do you want to save Bei Ye?” Zheng Yi interrupted Da Kang. Noting the grim and severe expression on Zheng Yi’s face, Da Kang didn’t probe any further; instead, he ran towards the front passenger seat in Zheng Yi’s car, “I’ll direct you.” The wheels of Zheng Yi’s car flew across the grey, asphalt road. Da Kang sat erect on the front passenger seat, attempting to hold his breath as best as he could. Besides him, Zheng Yi continually glanced at his watch; Da Kang noted that every single time Zheng Yi glanced at his watch, he would mercilessly stomp on the accelerator. “You… do you truly believe that Bei Ye is not the raincoat man?” Da Kang probed. “Well, he insists that he is the raincoat man.” Zheng Yi let out a cold, sharp laugh. “The raincoat man committed so many incidents of rape, that I’m certain Bei Ye would be able to dig www.asianovel.com

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up a trustworthy, believable alibi if he so wishes to – no matter whether such alibi is only in respect of one incident, or many incidents. But Bei Ye simply refuses to furnish any alibi for himself.” Sensing Zheng Yi’s frustration and fury, Da Kang simply opted to remain mum. “10th of April, 10PM. 21st of April, 11PM. 1st of May, 10PM.” “What?” “Please commit these dates to memory.” Zheng Yi told Da Kang expressionlessly. “I’m not familiar with Bei Ye’s lifestyle habits, and I don’t know anybody in Bei Yes circle of friends. A lot of his friends, including yourself, have graduated and commenced working – try to think of a way, to contact each and every single one of his friends, and ask them whether any of them had been together with Bei Ye, or seen Bei Ye, during the dates and times which I just mentioned.” Da Kang’s eyes lit up with hope, “If we’re able to find at least one person, who is willing to testify that they had been together with, or had seen Bei Ye – does that mean that the police officers will conclude that Bei Ye is not the raincoat man?” “Let’s take one step at a time; for now, focus your energy on locating a person who would be able to prove Bei Ye’s alibi.” “Sure! Oh, hang on — you have to turn left here!” …… The landlord opened the door to Lai Zi’s residence. Stepping into Lai Zi’s residence, Zheng Yi was greeted by dust and a strange, www.asianovel.com

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musty smell. It was an extremely small space, comprising of a single room and a single toilet. Despite the tiny size of the residence, Lai Zi nevertheless managed to make a mess out of it, with various items such as bicycles, old rice cookers, and outdated toy figurines stuffed in every corner of the house. Zheng Yi gestured towards Da Kang, asking Da Kang to stay put outside. Having enclosed his shoes in disposable shoe covers, Zheng Yi proceeded to step inside. “He doesn’t come by very often.” Da Kang peered into Lai Zi’s residence. “He mainly treats this place as a storage location.” Zheng Yi didn’t respond to Da Kang’s comments; his expression did, however, grow noticeably darker. Shuffling around Lai Zi’s numerous belongings, Zheng Yi felt the familiar sense of anxiety and hopelessness start to creep up on him once more. Lai Zi’s residence was way too messy – to the point where he had no idea where to begin his search. Zheng Yi took a deep breath, inhaling the dank, musty air that surrounded him. Striding over to the closet, Zheng Yi yanked the closet door opened. He was instantly stunned by the sight that greeted him. The closet was chock-full of old clothes, with little to no space left for any other items – and yet, an entire half of the hanging rack located on the left side of the closet had been emptied out. Strangely, the rest of the clothes remaining on the hanging rack were still squished together – this indicated to Zheng Yi that the hanging rack had once been squeezed to the brim with clothes as well; but certain pieces of clothing had been intentionally removed in a hurry. Zheng Yi measured the height of the hanging rack with his eyes. The clothing which originally hung here could very well have been several raincoats. Zheng Yi’s hands shuddered involuntarily. He was more convinced www.asianovel.com

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than ever before that his case theory was right — and yet, the sight in front of him could hardly be termed as “evidence”. Just then, Zheng Yi’s mobile phone rang. Glancing at the phone, Zheng Yi picked up the call. It was only then that he discovered that it was already 9AM. “Zheng Yi, I’m afraid I won’t be able to delay the final discussion any longer; the chiefs are keen to wrap up Bei Ye’s case.” Xiao Yao spoke in a low, soft tone. She seemed to have stepped out from the meeting room to give Zheng Yi a call, “Right now, the chain of evidence presented in respect of Bei Ye’s case is extremely robust, and would be more than sufficient to prove his guilt. There isn’t a single loophole in the chain.” “Please, please could you help me speak to the chief, and ask if he would be able to exclude Bei Ye’s confession from the bundle of evidence and case file to be submitted to the Prosecutor General’s Office?” “How is that possible?” “What about asking him to refrain from submitting the case file for now……” “This case has dragged on for far too long; the chief is not likely to listen to my proposal to delay the resolution of the case even further.” “Xiao Yao.” Zheng Yi inhaled deeply, “This case is extremely unique in nature. Due to the minimal physical evidence which we have on hand, testimonial evidence plays an extremely important and key role in this case. And yet – we are unable to obtain Wei Cai’s or Lai Qing’s testimony, because they’re both dead, and the dead are unable to speak! It is against this special backdrop, that Bei Ye’s testimony has become critical and decisive in nature. If we include Bei Ye’s www.asianovel.com

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testimony as part of the case file to be submitted to the Prosecutor General’s Office, Bei Ye would no longer be able to retract his statement without repercussions!” Zheng Yi was squeezing his phone with so much force, it was close to cracking, “Once Bei Ye’s confession of guilt is deemed to constitute evidence of his guilt, every single denial he makes subsequently would have little to no credibility! He may very well have to suffer life imprisonment for the crimes he purportedly committed!” “Are you still counting on Bei Ye to recant his statement? Look, even his lawyer is unable to convince him to retract his statement, and his lawyer was hired by his uncle to defend him. Why is it so hard for you to believe that, the reason why Bei Ye is so staunch in his testimony, is because he is simply speaking the truth?” “I don’t care.” Zheng Yi grasped at the ends of his hair, his entire face flushed in a dark shade of beet red, “But you guys can’t submit the case file to the Prosecutor General’s Office yet. Give me some time – just a little bit more time. I will definitely be able to discover additional evidence.” Zheng Yi was about to hang up on Xiao Yao when, catching sight of the huge, disorganised mess in front of him, he experienced the usual sense of hopelessness once more. “237 Gui Ye Street. Could you help me get various crime scene investigators from the forensics department to come by and assist with the evidence collection?” “They’re all present at the final discussion!” Unable to contain her annoyance, Xiao Yao protested. “Then get the interns from the forensics department to head over!” “I’m hanging up.” www.asianovel.com

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“Xiao Yao!” Zheng Yi hollered, “I saw it – a glimpse, of the truth.” “……” “Lai Qing is the raincoat man. He truly is. You promised me earlier this morning, that you would help – this is the final time I’m begging you, please believe me. Help me get the interns from the forensics department to make their way down here. Please.” “The final discussion is scheduled to end at 11AM. Let’s see what the interns would be able to find by then. Lunatic.” Beep. Beep. Zheng Yi’s slowly lowered his mobile phone, his chest heaving with exertion. Zheng Yi began to scour every corner, every item that was located in Lai Qing’s residence. There was no lack of adult magazines, pornography, sex toys, brand new underwear for females; although all these items served as clues which hinted at Lai Zi’s identity as the raincoat man, Zheng Yi was unable to find a single, concrete piece of evidence that was capable of raising serious doubts in respect of Bei Ye’s “guilt”. Time was slipping away. It was as though Zheng Yi could hear time, walking away from him. Drenched from head to toe in sweat, Zheng Yi forced himself to stop his search. The one, signature item which was capable of identifying the raincoat man was his raincoats; and yet, all the raincoats in Lai Qing’s possession must have been destroyed by Bei Ye. Aside from the raincoats, the raincoat man did not possess any other significant characteristic. www.asianovel.com

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So, he shouldn’t focus his energy on identifying Lai Qing as the raincoat man; rather, he would need to switch his angle of analysis once more, and begin from another point – Wei Cai’s death. Zheng Yi cast a quick glance at his watch. It was already 9:30AM. Zheng Yi paused to organise his train of thought – if Lai Qing was indeed the person guilty of murdering Wei Cai, then he must have been present at the crime scene. Being present at the crime scene, Lai Qing’s clothes and shoes should have been stained with drops of Wei Cai’s blood and mud. The reason why Lai Qing continually donned a raincoat when committing his crimes was, in all likelihood, because he needed to prevent his clothes from staining (and eventually serving as evidence against him). After all, Lai Qing didn’t come from a wealthy background, and wouldn’t have the financial means to dispose, and replace, his clothes and shoes every single time he committed a crime. As such, if Lai Qing’s clothes and shoes were indeed stained with Wei Cai’s blood, and mud from the crime scene, it was likely that Lai Qing would have retained the clothes and shoes, and simply tried to wash the incriminating stains and mud off. , the murder weapon. It is undisputed that the weapon which had been utilised to murder Wei Cai was a knife, which Bei Ye mentioned had been thrown into the river. Wait, he seems to have hit another dead end in his train of thought. The only reason why Bei Ye would meddle with Wei Cai’s corpse, was because he had originally assumed that Chen Nian was the one who murdered Wei Cai. This meant that, at the very least, Chen Nian had injured Wei Cai. But subsequently, Bei Ye became certain that Chen Nian was not responsible for Wei Cai’s death. But if both Chen Nian and Lai Qing had injured Wei Cai, why was it that the forensic pathologist only found one single wound on Wei Cai’s body? www.asianovel.com

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As long as the mystery of a single wound remain unresolved, there was no point in him locating the other pieces of evidence. Standing in the midst of the hot and suffocating room, Zheng Yi began to perspire in earnest, his entire brain preoccupied with the strangest feature of the case – the mystery of the single wound. Zheng Yi was mentally picturing the innumerable wounds which he had had the opportunity to observe throughout his time as a police officer when, all of a sudden, a clear and vivid image surfaced in his mind. This morning, whilst he was struggling with exhaustion and fatigue, Xiao Yao had wrenched a stack of documents and information from his hands. It was at that moment that he caught a glimpse of a photograph of a small, wooden table enclosed in the stack of documents wrested from him. Zheng Yi’s heart began to race. The small, wooden table was located in Lai Qing’s home, and, according to Bei Ye, formed part of the crime scene of Lai Qing’s murder. The small wooden table had various cracks along the surface of the table, and, in one such crack, there had been a tiny wooden toothpick that lay snugly in that crack. Zheng Yi was struck by a sudden thought. The oddness, and the peculiarity of the ‘single wound’ – he should have come to this realization much earlier; it was simply too unbelievable to be true! Striding out of Lai Qing’s residence, Zheng Yi grabbed hold of Da Kang, “Bei Ye and Lai Qing – did they ever purchase, or possess, identical, or similar knives before? Da Kang was momentarily stunned into silence. “Answer the question.” “How do you know?” Before Da Kang could continue his www.asianovel.com

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sentence, however, Zheng Yi caught a glimpse of a team of officers from the forensics department alighting from the police cars parked nearby Lai Qing’s residence, and making their way to the stairwell. Zheng Yi rushed down the stairwell, instructing the team of officers as he made his way past them, “Apartment 301. Please focus on scouring items such as clothes and shoes.” Hopping into his car, Zheng Yi sped back to the police station to confront Bei Ye. Zheng Yi paced impatiently along the empty corridor, unable to calm the raging emotions in his heart. He glanced at his watch. It was already 10:30AM. The door to the interrogation room opened. The security guard stepped outside, and cautioned Zheng Yi, “You’re going to have to wait a little longer. The suspect’s lawyer has yet to arrive.” Zheng Yi paid no heed to the security guard’s warning, and simply rushed into the interrogation room. The security guard hurriedly grabbed hold of Zheng Yi, and tried to hold him back. Zheng Yi turned around to face the security guard, “I’m not going to do anything to the suspect. Please could you consider letting me in first? It’s urgent.” The security guard was Zheng Yi’s acquaintance. Noting the look of grim determination plastered across Zheng Yi’s face, the security guard loosened his hold on Zheng Yi, and let Zheng Yi into the interrogation room. The door of the interrogation room swung shut. Zheng Yi seated himself in front of Bei Ye, his chest heaving slightly from the short tussle outside. Having been in a constant state of anxiety and stress the entire morning, Zheng Yi felt slightly drained. There were also unmistakable signs of fatigue and exhaustion on his face; it was evident that he www.asianovel.com

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had stayed up the entire night. Bei Ye looked at Zheng Yi calmly. Unable to find the right words to say, Zheng Yi remained silent for some time. All of a sudden, Zheng Yi was hit by a wave of sorrow. He simply couldn’t imagine the internal struggle and the despair that Bei Ye felt, for Bei Ye to refuse to grab hold of the opportunity to free himself and tell the truth, even when faced with a lifetime of imprisonment and suffering, simply because Bei Ye couldn’t bear the risk – no matter how minute, how improbable, and how impossible such a risk was – of Chen Nian being implicated in the entire case. Finally, Zheng Yi spoke up, his tone soft and gentle, “Are you worried, that we would accuse Chen Nian unjustly, of a crime which she did not commit?” Bei Ye’s eyelashes quivered slightly. “I’m right, aren’t I? Bei Ye, you’re being way too cautious. Last night, when I confronted you with my case theory of the truth surrounding Wei Cai’s murder and the case of the raincoat man, there was a short moment – just one, short moment – when you wanted to confess and tell me the truth, right? After all, the punishment that awaits you, is a lifetime of imprisonment, of having your freedom stripped away from you, of being trapped in the same, four grey walls every single day for the rest of your life. Any normal person would be scared when faced with such a prospect. When I swore to you, that I would not let anything happen to Chen Nian if she hadn’t killed anybody, you considered telling me the truth at that precise moment. So, you subconsciously continued the conversation with me, and, during that period of time, you expressed your innermost feelings – that you didn’t see a way out; that no matter what I did, you were certain that I would not be able to save the both of you.” www.asianovel.com

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“If you hadn’t expressed your innermost feelings then, the case may very well have been concluded by now, and the case file submitted to the Prosecutor General’s Office – everything would have gone according to your plan. But, Bei Ye, is that what you truly want?” Zheng Yi leaned across the table, his eyes boring into Bei Ye’s, “No, it isn’t. When I swore that I would protect Chen Nian, you wavered. You wanted to confess the truth, to rid yourself of the burden and the baggage of a portion of the crimes which you knew you did not commit. You wanted to serve your time in jail as quickly as possible, and return to her side to accompany her. But, in the end, you still chose to give up. Because you didn’t want Chen Nian to bear even the slightest amount of risk. You couldn’t admit that my case theory was correct; because if you did, then Chen Nian would necessarily be implicated in the case, since I had theorized that Chen Nian had inflicted harm on Wei Cai. And once Chen Nian was implicated, it would be extremely sticky having to deal with the mystery of the ‘single wound’ – after all, the fact that there was only a single wound on Wei Cai’s corpse seemed to intuitively contradict the argument that there were two persons who had inflicted harm onto Wei Cai. Although you knew the entire truth, you were unable to say it, because you lacked concrete, decisive evidence which pointed towards Lai Qing’s identity as the true murderer. Under such circumstances, if you had told us the truth and we chose to believe you, you would be able to wash your hands of the crimes committed by the raincoat man, and the crime of Wei Cai’s murder. But if we chose not to believe in you, Chen Nian would be placed in the danger of having to bear the punishment for a crime which she did not commit.” Bei Ye’s gaze shifted slightly. “Yes, I’ve discovered the reason why there is only a single wound. Bei Ye, I know precisely what you’re thinking.” Zheng www.asianovel.com

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Yi opened his arms, and placed his palms on the opposite ends of the table. “By right, the forensics department should have little to no difficulty in discovering that Wei Cai had suffered ‘two’ wounds – once when Chen Nian wounded her with the knife, and the second time when Lai Qing used an identical knife to wound her at the exact same spot. But, the fact that Lai Qing had used an identical knife to wound Wei Cai, and the fact that Wei Cai’s corpse had already begun to rot, only decreased the possibility of the forensics department making such a finding. Bei Ye, if even a person like me is able to contemplate and acknowledge the possibility of Wei Cai suffering from ‘two’ wounds, don’t you think that the superior, elite persons in the police force would be able to come to the same conclusion, and prevent any miscarriage of justice? Bei Ye, perhaps you felt that my promises yesterday, though earnest, were still insufficient due to my incapability to follow through with my promises. Now that I’ve proven to you, that I’m able to resolve the critical mystery of the ‘single wound’, wouldn’t you please trust me just this once? I swear, I would not let anything happen to Chen……” The sharp ring of Zheng Yi’s mobile phone interrupted his speech. Zheng Yi continued to stare at Bei Ye, but Bei Ye had already cast his eyes downwards onto the table. Swiftly making his way to the corridor outside the interrogation room, Zheng Yi picked up the call. The door of the interrogation room remained half shut. “Zheng Yi speaking.” “Zheng Yi, the final discussion is going to end ahead of schedule.” Shocked, Zheng Yi immediately responded, “Let me speak to the chief.” Xiao Yao didn’t dare to act on Zheng Yi’s instructions, and lowered www.asianovel.com

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her volume, “What are you trying to do now?!” “Let me speak to the chief.” Zheng Yi repeated, his voice calm and steady. Xiao Yao handed her mobile phone to the chief. “Zheng Yi.” The chief sounded extremely annoyed, “I’ve heard all about you, and what you’ve done. You’re still too young; you need to learn how to focus, and base your determinations and conjectures purely based on the chain of evidence……” “Chief! Bei Ye is not the raincoat man.” Zheng Yi interrupted the chief’s rebuke halfway. Despite having rebutted his superior, Zheng Yi’s voice betrayed no hint of fear, instead remaining calm and steady, “Please, I sincerely request that you delay the submission of the case file to the Prosecutor General’s Office for now.” Zheng Yi’s behavior was borderline rude. The chief, however, didn’t take offense, and simply said, “You do not have the requisite qualifications, nor sufficient reasons, to make such a request.” “I do! I will have sufficient evidence on hand shortly. Please, please just give me half a day more – no, wait, I don’t even need half a day, even an hour would be better than nothing. Please!” Through the minor opening between the ajar door and the frame of the door, a pair of composed eyes watched Zheng Yi silently, as Zheng Yi began to bow in earnest, as though the person on the other end of the mobile phone was able to see his bent, desperate frame. Bei Ye collected his gaze. The chief remained firm in his stance, “You are always free to www.asianovel.com

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submit additional evidence to the Judge once you’re managed to discover and adduce such additional evidence.” “Chief, I’m sure you’re able to appreciate the importance of Bei Ye’s testimony!” Zheng Yi was close to shouting at this point in time, “It’s easy to submit additional evidence to the Judge, but it simply doesn’t have the same effect as Bei Ye recanting his own testimony at this point in time! This case is extremely unique in nature – if we submit Bei Ye’s confession to the Prosecutor General’s Office as evidence of his guilt, it will play an extremely critical role in securing his conviction. It’s his entire life we’re talking about here!” Breathless, Zheng Yi continued to plead, “Chief, please. I know, I know for a fact that Bei Ye is not the raincoat man. Please give me an hour, I promise……” “We’re going to end the final discussion shortly.” Zheng Yi recognized that the chief was about to hang up on him, and immediately pronounced, “I swear on my police license!” Deathly silence. Through the minor opening, Bei Ye’s gaze returned to the lean figure standing outside the interrogation room. The lean figure was no longer bent in a pleading position, but stood tall and erect, as though it was making a military salute. Zheng Yi was drenched entirely in sweat, and his hands shook uncontrollably. “Chief, give me some more time. If I’m wrong, I’ll return my police license and quit – without a moment’s hesitation.” …… Zheng Yi returned to the interrogation room, his face covered with dirt and sweat. It was only early afternoon, but his clothes have been repeatedly drenched in sweat and subsequently dried by the breeze. www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye didn’t look at Zheng Yi; instead, Bei Ye stared at the surface of the table in front of him, and appeared to be lost in thought. Before Zheng Yi managed to seat himself down, the door of the interrogation room swung open once more, and Bei Ye’s lawyer entered. The lawyer had been extremely dissatisfied and unhappy from the moment he took on Bei Ye’s case. He had been appointed by Bei Ye’s uncle to help defend Bei Ye, but Bei Ye was so staunch and so stubborn in pleading guilty to the numerous crimes that he was certain that even the most persevering, resolute person in the world would not be able to convince Bei Ye otherwise. With Bei Ye so ready to plead guilty, there was little to nothing that he was able to do to defend Bei Ye. And yet, he still had to bear with the pressure heaped onto him by Bei Ye’s uncle every single day. As such, when he discovered that Zheng Yi had already commenced speaking to Bei Ye despite his absence, he was unable to keep the irritation out of his voice. “Get out. My client doesn’t want to see you. What you’re doing right now is in violation of procedural rules!” Zheng Yi wanted to explain, but the lawyer didn’t give him any chance to do so, and simply started to shove Zheng Yi towards the door of the interrogation room. Just as the two grown men were tussling with each other, a quiet, measured voice rang out. “I want to retract my confession.”

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Chapter 28 Part 2 Source: Dramas, Books & Tea

…… Zheng Yi swiftly sat in front of Bei Ye, but the youth still insisted on one condition, “The would inflicted by Chen Nian onto Wei Cai is not deep. Wei Cai was murdered by Lai Qing, so Chen Nian should not be convicted of any crime.” Before Zheng Yi could even formulate a response to Bei Ye, Bei Ye’s lawyer interjected, “I understand your concern. Don’t worry, if the police officers do level charges against Chen Nian and attempt to prosecute her, I guarantee that I would be more than capable of mounting a successful defense for Chen Nian.” Zheng Yi hesitated before caving, “What I’m about to disclose is not appropriate given my role as a police officer. However – I just wanted to let you know that we do not, at present, have any evidence on hand which proves that Chen Nian had injured or murdered Wei Cai. In particular, we are especially lacking in physical evidence.” Upon receiving Zheng Yi’s confirmation, Bei Ye nodded. He wasn’t responsible for Wei Cai’s murder. By the time he had arrived at the hill behind the school compound, Wei Cai was already dead. He conducted a quick check of Wei Cai’s corpse, and saw that there was only one single wound which had been inflicted onto Wei Cai. It was a very deep cut. Aside from that, he was simply unable to locate any other cuts or open wounds on Wei Cai’s corpse. If Chen www.asianovel.com

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Nian had used a knife to stab Wei Cai, the necessary inference to be made was that Chen Nian had, whilst tussling with Wei Cai, unintentionally murdered her. There was a bloodied hand print on Wei Cai’s shirt. Stretching out his hand, Bei Ye compared the size of the bloodied hand print against his, and immediately concluded that the hand print belonged to Chen Nian. Curious, Zheng Yi asked Bei Ye what he felt upon making such a discovery. Bei Ye responded, He was extremely calm. For the minutest second, Bei Ye wanted to lodge a police report, but that idea was quickly overturned. Involving the police officers meant that Chen Nian’s action of bringing a knife to meet Wei Cai would be placed under extreme scrutiny – the police officers would investigate whether, from an objective point of view, Wei Cai evinced any intention and/or inclination of wanting to murder or cause grievous harm to Chen Nian, and the police officers would, more likely than not, conclude that there was no such intention and/or inclination – so the argument of ‘self-defense’ is unlikely to work. Regardless of whether the police officers discovered that Wei Cai was the mastermind behind Chen Nian’s bullying incident, or questioned Chen Nian’s motives in bringing a knife to meet Wei Cai, both of these clues would cause irreparable damage and harm to Chen Nian’s credibility. Bei Ye hurriedly concocted a plan – to disguise himself as the raincoat man. Without a moment’s hesitation, Bei Ye returned home and retrieved the vibrator which his mum had left in the drawer, and utilised the vibrator to create a false image of Wei Cai having been sexually assaulted. Lai Qing possessed numerous raincoats which were near identical to each other; coincidentally, Bei Ye had earlier borrowed one such raincoat from Lai Qing, and simply hadn’t found the time to return it to Lai Qing. Bei Ye decided to put this particular raincoat to good use, and pressed Wei Cai’s fingernails against the www.asianovel.com

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raincoat, causing several scratch marks to be left on the raincoat. Having created sufficient “evidence” of a struggle between the raincoat man and Wei Cai, Bei Ye proceeded to transport Wei Cai’s corpse to the upper reaches of the San Shui river, and buried Wei Cai within the marsh – he had hoped that the marsh would assist to preserve Wei Cai’s corpse, so that in the event Wei Cai’s corpse was discovered in the future, the police officers would be able to quickly discover that the murderer was a male. However, he had little choice but to strip Wei Cai naked – the shirt had to be removed, as it contained Chen Nian’s hand print. He knew that the torrential downpour that night would cover his motorcycle tracks; he also knew, that there was little to no human traffic in the area surrounding the marsh – the best outcome of his plan was that, Wei Cai’s corpse would remain quietly hidden forever. But, who could have predicted that one of Wei Cai’s shoes would fall into the gushing river below; and that the San Shui Bridge would collapse one night, inadvertently resulting in the construction workers crowding the area near the marsh? Wei Cai’s corpse was discovered, and Bei Ye had little choice but to impersonate the raincoat man. Because, as Bei Ye, he had no motivation to murder Wei Cai, and the police officers were bound to discover the numerous links between Wei Cai and Chen Nian. Only by becoming the raincoat man, could Bei Ye possess sufficient motivation to murder Wei Cai, and focus the police officers’ attention towards himself. Zheng Yi asked when Bei Ye discovered that Lai Zi was the raincoat man. Bei Ye replied – the second time Lai Zi committed rape. At that time, the victim didn’t lodge a police report; subsequently, Bei Ye took advantage of this fact by divulging the victim’s name to the police officers, thus offering further, irrefutable evidence that he was www.asianovel.com

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the raincoat man. At that time, Lai Qing had accidentally sliced himself with the knife. Afraid to head to the hospital, Lai Qing had requested for Bei Ye to assist in the purchase of bandages and various ointments and creams to stop the bleeding. Bei Ye had lashed out at Lai Qing then, and warned him against continuing his crimes. But Lai Qing paid no heed to Bei Ye, and when he committed his crime the third time, he continued to ask Bei Ye to purchase medicine on his behalf. Bei Ye told Zheng Yi, that he could have, in actuality, spared Lai Qing’s life. But, from the moment he discovered Chen Nian’s strange, uncontrollable fear upon seeing Lai Qing, he formed a vague suspicion that Lai Qing was part of the group of perpetrators who had participated in the bullying incident. Additionally, he was worried that Lai Qing may not be able to control himself, and continue to rape other young women in the future. This would then result in suspicions and doubts being cast on Bei Ye’s identity as the raincoat man, and his entire plan would come to nothing. Late one night, Bei Ye met up with Lai Qing. He had no choice – Lai Qing would only cease his criminal acts only when he was dead; and Bei Ye’s impersonation as the raincoat man would only succeed if Lai Qing ceased to commit his criminal acts once Bei Ye was caught. However, Bei Ye discovered, that he was unable to bring himself to murder Lai Qing. Lai Qing had preoccupied himself with playing video games earlier that night, and had just commenced wolfing down his supper when Bei Ye arrived. Lai Qing was extremely excited to see Bei Ye after www.asianovel.com

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such a long period of time, and enthusiastically placed his arm over Bei Ye’s shoulders whilst hollering “Bei Ge[1]”. Although Lai Zi was, in actuality, the oldest amongst the three of them, he had no relatives and friends, and was frequently tormented and bullied in the welfare centre. He only had Da Kang and Bei Ye, and often consulted Bei Ye whenever he encountered a difficult, or sticky problem. Gradually, he began to address Bei Ye as Bei Ge. Although Bei Ye was younger than Lai Zi, Lai Qing’s habit of addressing him as Bei Ge caused him to slowly perceive Lai Qing as a younger brother, and he eventually developed a habit of taking particular care of Lai Qing. He just couldn’t bring himself to murder Lai Qing. Bei Ye wrestled with his inner demons for an extremely long time, before finally deciding to give up on his plan. Turning to Lai Qing, he told him to make a run for it and leave Xi Cheng. He told Lai Zi, that if he continued to stay in Xi Cheng, Lai Zi’s identity as a raincoat man was bound to be exposed one day. Bei Ye persuaded Lai Qing to leave Xi Cheng, and to leave his life of crime, together with his identity as the raincoat man, behind in Xi Cheng. If Lai Zi continued to commit his criminal acts, it was inevitable that he would be caught and apprehended by the police officers one day – that, was the will of Heaven. After all, although Heaven’s net had wide meshes, nothing escapes from it. And even if Lai Zi, being unable to exercise sufficient self-control, one day chooses to continue to rape women, Bei Ye warned Lai Qing against using the raincoat as a disguise; and even if Lai Zi was apprehended by the police officers, Bei Ye stressed that he should never, ever, admit that he was the real culprit in the case of the raincoat man in Xi Cheng. Lai Qing saw the sense in Bei Ye’s advice, and agreed to do as Bei Ye said. Wasting no time, he picked up his mobile phone and bade farewell to Da Kang over the phone. The two youths commenced their final drinking session. www.asianovel.com

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As Chen Nian was still at home, Bei Ye was keen to conclude the drinking session and return home as soon as possible. However, just before he left, Bei Ye made a snap decision to ask Lai Qing – whether, on the night Chen Nian was bullied, Lai Qing had stood by and watched as others tortured her, and whether Lai Qing himself had committed indecent acts against, and assaulted, Chen Nian. However, before Bei Ye was able to ask the question, Lai Qing spoke, “I’ll listen to you. But, I must say, I do think that I have extremely good luck. After all, I don’t leave behind any clues or evidence which point towards me whenever I opt to commit a crime. This explains why I’ve managed to remain hidden and out of the police officers’ radar till now.” Unable to mask the unmistakeable pride in his voice, Lai Qing gloated, “When I was the raincoat man, nobody was able to pinpoint me as the criminal, and even when I subsequently murdered someone, nobody was able to conclusive identify me either.” Jolted from his train of thought, Bei Ye asked, “Murdered someone?” “Yes – Wei Cai.” Lai Qing placed his cup of beer down on the table. He knew that Wei Cai had an extremely fiery temper, and thought that it would be extremely interesting to get it on with someone like her. Furthermore, given that Wei Cai frequently bullied and tormented other people, it was unlikely that she’d turn to the police for help – after all, it’d be extremely embarrassing if word (that she had sought the assistance of the police officers) got out, and she’d lose her standing and reputation amongst their group of friends. At that time, Wei Cai had been injured by Chen Nian, and blood continually seeped out from the wound on her chest. She was about to utilise her mobile phone to call for help when Lai Qing appeared. www.asianovel.com

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Lai Qing swiftly gagged Wei Cai with a piece of cloth and bound her hands and legs together before raping her. After, when he was finally done, Lai Qing readied himself to leave. Just that, at that very moment, the piece of cloth which had been used to gag Wei Cai loosened. Wei Cai lunged herself at Lai Qing and bit down on his sanitary mask, exposing Lai Qing’s true identity. Despite the loose piece of cloth which continued to gag Wei Cai, Lai Qing was nevertheless able to discern from Wei Cai’s muffled words, her promise to castrate him as revenge for raping her. Not having encountered such a situation before, Lai Qing blanked out for a good ten seconds. However, he soon regained his composure, and slowly reinserted his knife into the wound which Chen Nian had inflicted onto Wei Cai, before giving it another good, hard stab. Picking up a tiny, wooden toothpick, Lai Qing utilised the toothpick to stab at a crack in the table. The toothpick pierced the crack in the table for a split second before finally collapsing and lying snugly in the crack. Bei Ge, it’s pretty odd, isn’t it? The curvature, the length, and even the width of my knife, all of it fit Wei Cai’s wound perfectly; it was as though Wei Cai’s wound was a sheath for my knife! We bought that knife together sometime back, and I must say, it truly is my lucky knife! Unfortunately, because the knife got stained with Wei Cai’s blood, I had no choice but to dispose of the knife in the river. You wouldn’t blame me, right? — Ah, the knife really brought me insanely good luck, because subsequently, when I returned to the hill behind the school compound, I discovered that Wei Cai’s corpse had gone missing! I suspect that the girl whom Wei Cai met earlier mistakenly thought of herself as the culprit responsible for Wei Cai’s death, and got her family members and relatives to assist in disposing of the corpse. Bei Ye was unable to describe his feelings at that point in time. www.asianovel.com

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In the end, the true culprit responsible for Wei Cai’s death, is not Chen Nian, but is Lai Qing. Lai Qing continued gleefully, “If the police officers accuse me of murdering Wei Cai, I’ll simply pin the blame onto the girl whom Wei Cai met earlier, and claim that I only committed the lesser crime of raping Wei Cai at a point in time when she was suffering from fatal injuries and bleeding profusely. That girl will have little choice but to be my scapegoat, and take the rap for Wei Cai’s murder. Oh, although there were several bruises on Wei Cai’s corpse, it wasn’t caused by me – those bruises were a result of the struggle the girl against Wei Cai the night before, hahaha!” Bei Ye’s senses felt extremely dulled from the alcohol. Propping his head up with one arm, Bei Ye lapsed into a lengthy silence before continuing, “The night before – what do you mean by that?” “Ah, the night before, I overheard Wei Cai taunting the girl, and challenging the girl to meet her at the hill behind the school compound the next day.” Lai Qing was extremely drunk at this point in time, and simply shook his head whilst chuckling with laughter. “I was walking past a dark and dingy alley when, as luck would have it, I saw a group of girls dragging another girl who was entirely naked through the alley, all the whilst hollering that they were selling the naked girl for cheap. There were a couple of male youths who, out of nervousness, took a few reluctant glances at the girl before leaving, whilst others, like me, felt that it would be a waste not to take advantage of the freebie that had been presented before us. Oh, I even recorded a video of the entire incident, would you like to take a look at it?” Before Bei Ye could respond, Lai Zi had already whipped out his www.asianovel.com

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phone and started to broadcast the video. The arrogant and raucous laughter of the male youths rang out in sharp clarity, none of their words betraying any sense of shame, or pity. “– Bring her over here, I’mma kiss her.” “F***, she collapsed again. Bloody hell, I can’t even get her to stand upright even though I’m using my arms to support her – is she playing dead?” “Did the girls earlier dragging her around inadvertently knocked her into a comatose state? I’ve been touching her all over for a while now, but she’s as unresponsive as a dead pig. Ah, what a let down.” “Oh wow, her boobs are as smooth as baby’s skin.” Bei Ye immediately recognized Lai Qing as the person making the final, lewd comment. When Lai Qing heard his own voice, he began to shake uncontrollably with laughter, and began to enthusiastically recount to Bei Ye, just how smooth and tender the girl’s delicate, porcelain body was, and how, just by merely caressing her frail body, and kissing her, the sexually inexperienced male youths were unable to repress themselves from releasing their fluids. There were a few who were extremely useless and had, during the process of releasing, inadvertently caused a few drops of their bodily fluid to splatter onto their companions’ hands. This very nearly caused the hot-headed youths to engage in a fight, and they eventually departed from the alley cross and crabby. Only he, Lai Qing, was the “best” amongst all of them – he had actually managed to splatter his bodily fluid all over the girl’s face. Lai Qing continued his obscene and vulgar description of the girl’s soft skin ad intricate body. He didn’t know, that the girl was Bei Ye’s www.asianovel.com

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precious and prized treasure, that the girl was someone whom Bei Ye loved deeply, and dearly. He didn’t notice, the gradual reddening of Bei Ye’s eyes; He didn’t know, that on that fateful night, when he reached home and took out his mobile phone to touch himself whilst watching the video of Chen Nian’s frail and naked body, there was another male youth at the other end of Xi Cheng who was forced to clutch a limp and lifeless girl who continually slid down the motorcycle of the male youth as he drove, howling out in sorrow as the rain unrelentingly beat down on them. Perhaps it was due to the alcohol, but when Bei Ye propped himself up from the seat, his skinny frame rocked with minor trembles. Lai Qing was entirely focused on the video, his voice raised in excitement as he hollered at the screen, “Force her mouth open!” He didn’t notice Bei Ye slowly stooping over the toolbox, and eventually grabbing a wrench from within. When Bei Ye finally straightened up and raised his head, silent streams of tears flowed down his face. And, without skipping a beat, Bei Ye raised his arm, and brought the wrench down on Lai Qing’s head. Having finished listening to Bei Ye’s recount of the entire incident, Zheng Yi lapsed into an extended silence. Unable to contain his curiosity, Bei Ye’s lawyer inquired, “Why didn’t you confess earlier? Why couldn’t you simply tell the police, from the start, that Lai Qing is the sole culprit responsible for the crimes of the raincoat man, and for Wei Cai’s murder?” “There’s no need to.” Bei Ye responded matter-of-factly. “The police officers wouldn’t believe me even if I told them.” If Lai Qing was still alive, and Bei Ye so chose to snitch on Lai Qing, www.asianovel.com

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Lai Qing would be placed, once more, in a position which granted him the power to hurt Chen Nian. He would be able to implicate Chen Nian in Wei Cai’s murder, and cause her to undergo countless rounds of unrelenting, stressful interrogations. After all, Chen Nian did voluntarily bring a knife to meet Wei Cai that day – this was an indisputable fact which would be extremely tough to explain and/or justify; Wei Cai’s fierce and demanding parents would never let Chen Nian off the hook, and a deeper analysis of Chen Nian’s motives would result in the discovery of the bullying incident which Chen Nian had suffered at the hands of Wei Cai (resulting, in turn, in a greater number of people learning about the bullying incident). Even if, for whatever reason, Chen Nian managed to craft an acceptable and understandable explanation, the wound which Chen Nian inflicted onto Wei Cai may be the subject of a separate criminal charge – and Bei Ye was simply unable to allow even the slightest blemish on Chen Nian’s records. This was why, even prior to confessing the truth of the entire incident to Zheng Yi, Bei Ye insisted that Chen Nian was not to be convicted of any crime. But, Lai Qing was dead; even if Bei Ye chose to snitch on Lai Qing and pinned the blame onto him, dead men tell no tales – so why would anyone chose to believe in what Bei Ye said? Rather, people were more likely to be believe that Bei Ye was simply divesting himself of the blame in an attempt to mitigate the punishment to be imposed onto him. To make matters worse, Bei Ye was a perfect fit for the criminal profile of the raincoat man which Senior Yang produced – Bei Ye’s mum was a prostitute, whilst his father was a rapist; given that Bei Ye grew up in such a dysfunctional family, it would be nobody’s surprise even if he did turn out to be a criminal. His words, unfortunately, would have little to no credibility. One “single” wound, caused by two different people using identical knives. With Wei Cai’s corpse already showing the initial signs of decay (and increasing the difficulty of forensic pathologist www.asianovel.com

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making a finding of there being, in actuality, ‘two’ wounds) who would still place faith in Bei Ye’s words? Although Bei Ye couldn’t care less about the police officers placing faith (or the lack thereof) in his words, he couldn’t bring himself to let Chen Nian bear any risk. Even if the risk that Chen Nian bore was extremely remote in nature, and was unlikely to materialize into any actual danger, Bei Ye was still extremely averse to the idea. No. Bei Ye would rather grit his teeth and deny all accusations and/or suggestions which implicated Chen Nian – even if so doing cost him a lifetime of freedom. In the end, Chen Nian and Bei Ye’s actions boiled down to two words:- One trusted; whilst the other protected. Zheng Yi couldn’t help but admit, that he had been utterly, and absolutely, defeated by Bei Ye. …… Bei Ye’s lawyer heaved a huge sigh of relief. However, Zheng Yi was unable to relax just yet; although Bei Ye had retracted his confession, Zheng Yi still had to crack his brain over locating and amassing physical evidence which helped to showcase Bei Ye’s innocence. Just then, Zheng Yi’s mobile phone rang once more. Zheng Yi picked up his mobile phone, and heard Xiao Yao’s uncharacteristically soft and quiet voice, “Zheng Yi.” Mildly surprised at Xiao Yao’s sudden change, Zheng Yi responded, “What’s up?” “The interns from the forensic department discovered a pair of shoes in Lai Qing’s apartment – based on their preliminary analysis, the mud that had been left on the shoes appears to contain faint traces of blood stains. They are in www.asianovel.com

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the process of sending the shoes back to the police station for further testing, in order to determine the soil composition of the dried mud, and the identity of the person whose DNA corresponds with the DNA of the newly uncovered blood stains. The chief has already given an order to conduct a new, thorough search of the hill behind the school compound.” Zheng Yi clenched his fists tightly together, and heaved out a deep, labored breath. “Zheng Yi.” Zheng Yi turned towards Xiao Yao, patiently waiting for her to complete her sentence. Upon realizing that Xiao Yao had no intention of continuing the conversation, Zheng Yi asked, “Is anything the matter?” “Nope. It’s just that I was struck by a sudden feeling – that you have a really, really nice-sounding name. [2]” …… …… [1] Bei Ge: Directly translated to Brother Bei. ‘Brother’ is a polite term often used to address people whom one respects and looks up to. [2] As earlier explained, the pronunciation of “Justice” in Mandarin is Zheng Yi. To Xiao Yao, Officer Zheng has really showcased himself as a true personification and symbolization of justice, and has truly lived up to his name.

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Chapter 28 Part 3 Source: Asada Translations

Zheng Yi sat in front of Bei Ye, then the teenager continue to speak. “Chen Nian’s wound to Wei Cai is not deep, Wei Cai was killed by Lai Qing. Chen Nian can’t be convicted.” Before Zheng Yi spoke, the lawyer raised his hand: “I seem to understand what it means. You can rest assured, I can guarantee to help Chen Nian win the lawsuit if the police ask for trouble.” Zheng Yi hesitated for half a moment and said, “The following sentence, in my capacity, should never be said. But – at the moment, the police have no evidence that Chen Nian injured or even killed Wei Cai. Even if she admits that she hurt Wei Cai, we can’t prove it.” Bei Ye nodded. Things are the same as Zheng Yi thought. That day, when Bei Ye went to the hill, Wei Cai was dead. Bei Ye examined Wei Cai and found only one wound. Wei Cai’s jacket left Chen Nian’s blood fingerprint. He compared the size to his hand, knew that it was Chen Nian. Lai Qing had several raincoats of the same type. He borrowed one and didn’t return it, so he picked up some evidence with Wei Cai’s fingers. He also took his mother’s shock and moving stick from the drawer of the bathroom at home and forged the false image of Wei Cai being sexually assaulted. www.asianovel.com

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Bei Ye did not speak much. Zheng Yi asked a few questions and he answered with a few words. Zheng Yi asked: “Burying her in the swamp is that in case of being found, you can keep the forged evidence, so that the police will think that the suspect is the raincoat man?” “Yes. By connecting the raincoat man’s serial case I can also cover up the motive of the crime,” Bei Ye said. “When did you know Lai Qing was a raincoat man? “When he committed a second crime.” The girl did not report the case. He accidentally hurt himself with a knife. He dared not go to the hospital and asked Bei Ye to help him buy gauzes to stop his bleeding. Bei Ye scolded him and told him to stop messing around. But he did it again. Zheng Yi: “Then, when Wei Cai’s body was found, you looked for Chen Nian several times, and think a crisis is coming. To cover up as soon as possible, you get ready to kill Lai Qing to put the raincoat man’s accusation on yourself completely?” Bei Ye nodded: “You’re right.” As Zheng Yi speculated last night, he could have avoided killing Lai Qing. But he feared that Lai Qing would commit another crime in the future, and that the identity of the real raincoat man would be exposed. “But there’s another reason.” Bei Ye said. He perceived anomalies from the instinctive reaction of Chen Nian. He had a vague suspicion that night, Lai Qing was among the passers-by who molested Chen Nian, but he was uncertain. www.asianovel.com

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Late one night, he went to Lai Qing to complete the most important step in his plan. However, he couldn’t do it. Lai Qing is drinking beer and eating barbecue in the middle of the night. Seeing his long lost friend, he hugs his shoulder and calls him “Bei Ge”. He pulls him to drink together. Lai Qing is actually the oldest in the three of them, but he has no relatives or friends. He is always bullied in the welfare home, only Da Kang and Bei Ye cared to him. He always asks Bei Ye about something, and he doesn’t know whether he should call him brother instead. Bei Ye was younger than him, but he was always called Brother instead. He was used to taking care of him. He was too attached. Eventually he couldn’t kill him. Bei Ye said to Lai Qing, run. He told Lai Qing that if he stayed in Xicheng all the time, the raincoat man could not be concealed. He told him to leave, abandon his raincoat identity, and never commit a crime again. It’s providence in the dark that criminals will be caught one day. Don’t wear a raincoat even if you can’t manage to provoke women one day. If you’re caught, don’t confess the raincoat case you committed in Xicheng . Lai Qing listened to him and agreed. At that time, he called Da Kang to say goodbye. They drank together for the last time. Chen Nian was still at home and Bei Ye wanted to leave. Before he left, Bei Ye suddenly wanted to ask him if Chen Nian had been bullied that night, whether he was on the sidelines, whether he was indecent and molested her. www.asianovel.com

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Before Bei Ye can open his mouth, Lai Qing put his hand in his shoulder and said, “I listened to you. But ah, I’m lucky. There’s no trace of what’s going on, and it’s not found out.” He flaunts his tone: “The raincoat man was there after, but the killing was done before hand.” Bei Ye asked, “Killing?” “Yes, it was Wei Cai.” Lai Qing put down his glass and said, “Wei Cai has a hot temper. It must be interesting to do it. She always bullies people and has no face to call the police. Otherwise, she can’t hang around in the bullies circle.” At that time, Wei Cai was injured and her chest was bleeding. She was about to call someone. Lai Qing appeared, blocked her mouth, tied her hands and feet, and violated her. Later, Lai Qing was ready to leave. The cloth strip on Wei Cai’s mouth somehow loosened. She bit off his mask and vaguely swore that she would castrate him. After a short ten-second blank, Lai Qing inserted the knife into Chen Nian’s stab wound and gave it a sharp stab. “Bei Ge, are you surprised? My knife just fits the wound.” Lai Qing holds a bamboo stick for barbecue, pokes at the small gap on the table, and vigorously inserts it. The bamboo stick pierces the gap between the tables. He laughed. “What a lucky knife we bought together. However, with blood, I threw it into the river. You don’t blame me, ok.” “That’s lucky. Later the body disappeared, presumably buried by the family of the girl who think she killed her.” Bei Ye no longer knows what he felt after that. www.asianovel.com

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It wasn’t Chen Nian, it was Lai Qing. “If I were to be found, I would say that I was just raping Wei Cai, who was bleeding to death.” Lai Qing was very proud. “That girl is my scapegoat. She died for it. The bruises on Wei Cai’s hands and feet had been there the night before. Ha-ha-ha.” Keeping his head heavy with alcohol, Bei Ye, after a long silence, asked, “What did you mean the night before?” “The night before, a lot of things happened the night before.” Lai Qing was so drunk that he did not notice Bei Ye’s gaze and laughed. “The night before, when Wei Cai told the girl to go to the back hill the next day to find her, I heard it.” “The night before yesterday, I passed by the alley. Fortunately, a group of girls dragged a girl all over, shouting that she was selling at a low price.” “There are a few embarrassing things to see, some people just peek a bit and go. Some of them are just as shameless as me, and I have also recorded videos. Do you want to watch them? ” Lai Qing touched his mobile phone, played it, and heard the arrogant and shameless laughter and curses of the youth. —— Bring her over to kiss Lao Zi. (T/n: Lao Zi is referring to call himself) —— Fuck, it’s down again. Mom, can’t help it. Did you play dead? —— This woman seems to have been knocked unconscious by the www.asianovel.com

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girls just now. She has not responded after touching for half a day. Like dead pigs, so disappointing. —— Oh, her breast is so springy. The following sentence is Lai Qing’s voice. Lai Qing heard it, laughed, and recalled how delicate her body was. Just touching and kissing a few times would hurt her for thousands of miles. There was useless ones, which was ejaculate on his companion’s hands and made several people fight and break up in displeasure; only Lai Qing was the worst, and he ejaculated on her face. He described the girl’s soft body and skin lightly. He didn’t know that she was Bei Ye’s precious treasure. He did not notice that Bei Ye’s eyes were red. Nor did he know that when he got home that night and took out his cell phone to enjoy himself for the first time, on the other side of the city, Bei Ye held Chen Nian, who had slipped off the motorcycle like a dead woman, and cried in the storm. Maybe because of alcohol, when Bei Ye got up, his thin body was trembling. Lai Qing stared at the screen, his voice was wild as he shouted in the video: “Push her mouth open” He did not notice that Bei Ye stooped down to pick up a wrench from the toolbox. When he raised his head, tears streamed down his face. Bei Ye turned and have his revenge. Zheng Yi listened and remained silent for a long time. When Lai Qing died, the accusation turned out to be deadended www.asianovel.com

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without proof. Some people would think that he was blaming the dead for mitigating his punishment. And Bei Ye is a teenager who conforms to the portrait of the raincoat man. His mother is **** and his father is ****. He should be a criminal. There is no credibility in his words. (T/n: well it’s been censored in the original, so just think it’s a bad person~~) The same wound was stabbed by two people one after another. Who would believe him in such a strange thing? It doesn’t matter if they don’t believe him. But he can’t let Chen Nian take risks. Only for one in ten thousand possible dangers, he would bite and deny it, even at the expense of his life’s freedom. In the end, in for a letter, in for a word. (T/n: in the original, the character is to trust and to protect) Zheng Yi admitted that he had lost to him. … The lawyer was relieved that there was little evidence in the case, mainly a confession. Now that the confession was retracted, the police would have to be distressed. Zheng Yi did not relax completely though. He had to rack his brains to find more promising evidence. At that time, the mobile phone rang again, Xiao Yao’s voice was very light: “Zheng Yi.” He wasn’t familiar with her tone, then saying, “What’s wrong?” www.asianovel.com

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“The intern in the forensic department found a pair of shoes. They found some suspicious blood in the mud on the sole of their shoes. I’ve taken it back for DNA and soil comparisons. The captain said to search the back hill again.” Zheng Yi clenched his fist and takes a long sigh. She said, “Zheng Yi.” Zheng Yi waited for a moment, listening to her silence, and asked, “What’s the matter?” “Nothing. I think your name sounds good.” T/n: Okay finally we know for sure that Bei Ye wasn’t the raincoat man~~ and I feel sad for Chen Nian, really~~ ED: Big oof PREVIOUS INDEX NEXT

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Chapter 29 Source: Asada Translations

Have you ever worked so hard for a person? Standing under the bright sun, Zheng Yi recalls the sentence that Bei Ye said. Across the street, the students in grade one and grade two are having classes. The school is quiet. He glanced at his watch. Chen Nian should be coming out soon. When the phone rang again, Xiao Yao’s voice came: “Zheng Yi, I saw the report you wrote for Bei Ye.” He worked hard to write the report, saying that Bei Ye had a good attitude of pleading guilty and had key assistance and great achievements in helping the police to solve the case of the raincoat man. After Bei Ye turned over his confession, he gave his alibi and many clues about Lai Qing: he hid in Da Kang’s home, hide criminal videos that even Da Kang didn’t pay attention to, including multiple mobile phones with stalking video and indecent video. The one Bei Ye hid was found. When the police asked about the murder weapon, Bei Ye said that he threw it into the river. If the police found Lai Qing’s knife and could prove that there was blood on it, he might have turned over the confession. Now it’s found, but it’s been washed for too long, just barely proving that its type O blood, and Wei Cai is exactly type O. Zheng Yi also found out that his mobile phone was in the back hill by a text message sent by Lai Qing that day. In addition, the forensic www.asianovel.com

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department also found cigarette butts with fuzzy blood fingerprints under the leaves in the back hill. Various new evidences and technical analysis prove that the person who killed Wei Cai was Lai Qing. Although the corpse has been kept for a long time, the forensic medicine has made unprecedented efforts to finally identify that Wei Cai’s sexual assault were done when she’s alive. The case is closed. Zheng Yi is rather calm these days. At the moment, listening to Xiao Yao’s saying that he has literary talent, Zheng Yi said, “That’s what you call for?” “No. Just now, I have trained my thinking and shared it with you. Senior Yang has a huge brain hole.” (T/n: imaginative) “Huh?” Zheng Yi looks at the empty school yard on the opposite side. There was a class reading English, but there is no sign of Chen Nian. “After this case is closed, don’t you play the conspiracy analysis game?” As Zheng Yi knows, they will chat after the case is closed, and open irresponsible logic holes for training divergent thinking. “Senior Yang’s conspiracy theory says that Bei Ye may have used you and deceive you.” “Go on.” “After you finished investigating Bei Ye that night, Bei Ye said that Chen Nian didn’t kill anyone. This may be a transactional psychological hint. He agrees with everything you say, but he doesn’t. At this point, you tend to believe www.asianovel.com

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that he is right because other parts are recognized by him. He awakens and misleads your intuition, using verbal hints to let you go in the direction he wants.” Zheng Yi then said, “And finally, I did my best to pave the way for him to turn over the false confession he planned from the beginning?” “Yes, Senior Yang said, he is not the raincoat man indeed, but his words can not be verified on the death of Wei Cai and Lai Qing. Assuming that Bei Ye is meticulous and highly intelligent, with Lai Qing and Wei Cai all dead. Bei Ye controls the overall situation, and guides two identical knives and Lai Qing’s blood stained shoes, as well as various evidences. Maybe Lai Qing did the sexual assault but didn’t kill Wei Cai, he made up the knife, or Chen Nian’s fault caused Wei Cai to die and Lai Qing took off his pants to the dead Wei Cai. “ (T/n: took off his pants means he did the assault, I feel bad to rewrite it again~~) Xiao Yao said, “Don’t you think Senior Yang’s brain hole is quite impressive? Every time the case is closed, he wins. “ “I’ll play with you next time.” Zheng Yi said that, his mind and eyes was locked into the school. “Yes, but Senior Yang also said that he didn’t think a 17years-old boy could plan such a thing. He would practically be a spy.” “Um.” Zheng Yi narrowed his eyes slightly to determine whether the little spot in the distance was Chen Nian. “But in a word, he is an excellent liar and actor. No matter which scheme he put out, there is no loophole. No matter how high the interrogation intensity is, he can not afford to break. His psychological quality is incredibly firm.”

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“Master of acting? This is exactly the same as what Senior Yang said. But he said that it was Chen Nian. “ “Chen Nian?” It is also incredible that her college entrance examination has been going extremely well. She has been among the top 20 or 30 students in her grade for a long time, and has become the number one in the city. She was frighteningly calm. So many things happened; humiliation, interrogation, scorn, wave after wave; but these things looked it like never happened to her. Zheng Yi did not know if she was as cold and indifferent in front of Bei Ye as she was in front of his teachers and classmates. It shouldn’t be. “What did Senior Yang say?” “Senior Yang said that she was the kind of person who didn’t show any impression when she met brutality. Either she is isolated from the outside world in the simplest way, and only lives in her own world; or she is extremely complex and ruthless in her heart; and she sets hard procedures and cruelly orders herself to execute them correctly like a robot to achieve a certain goal and belief. “ Zheng Yi listens to such cold content, his heart is in pain. The shadow became bigger. It’s Chen Nian. “Senior Yang also said that such a person, like Bei Ye, would expect her to be a good person. Because if she grows up to be a bad person, we may never catch her. “ “They will be a good people.” Zheng Yi said. He saw Chen Nian coming from the school and said, “Xiao Yao, my intuition is calming down. I believe in Bei Ye and Chen www.asianovel.com

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Nian.” Hung up the phone, he looked at the school gate, looked at Chen Nian, suddenly thought, this is the position. Before, every noon and evening, the young man stood here watching, what is the feeling. Summer sun roasts the earth, washing with the hot air, like a sparkling lake. Zheng Yi squints and sees Chen Nian’s white skirt in the steaming heat. She walked down the steps at the school gate, looked at him far away, and did not come to him. Zheng Yi goes over and handed her her iced tea. On the wall of the cup, there are lots of cold water droplets. Chen Nian took it and inserts a straw to drink. The sun was shining through the branches of Chinese parasol trees, and a bit of the light fall through them. Zheng Yi remembered that in this road, the young Bei Ye never had the opportunity to walk with her side by side. He will always watch her back. Zheng Yi asked, “Have you filled it out?” “Um.” “Where is the school?” “Hong Kong.” “Hong Kong?” Zheng Yi asked. “There are scholarships,” said Chen Nian. “A lot.”

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“What subject, mathematics or physics?” “It’s law.” Zheng Yi was stunned again. After a long time, he nodded slowly and said, “Good, law is good.” Chen Nian didn’t answer. Zheng Yi asked again, “When is the train?” “Six in the afternoon, tomorrow.” “So early?” “Uhm.” Zheng Yi said, “When you get there, I’ll write letter to you.” Chen Nian doesn’t say anything. Zheng Yi says, “We’ll have dinner together later, and then we’ll go to the court.” She did gave falsified testimonies, the judge gave the judgement, but no punishment. However, in Bei Ye’s trial, as a witness, she needs to appear in court. When she can see Bei Ye, Zheng Yi thinks she will be happy, but… Chen Nian shook her head: “Later, I will go to the court myself.” Zheng Yi was surprised and won’t allowed it, Chen Nian said, “Are you afraid that I will run away?” “No…… You’re leaving. I want to treat you to dinner. “ Chen Nian mumbled for a moment and said, “I have something to do.” She’ll see Bei Ye later. She needs to prepare.

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“Farewell, there’s no need for a meal,” she said, holding up her tea. “A cup of tea is enough.” Zheng Yi felt another arrow in his heart. After walking half a step, he was afraid that he would never get another chance. “After the judgment, he will have to do serve time but you can still go for visitation.” Chen Nian didn’t say anything. He added: “You go to Hong Kong, and study with peace of mind. Here, I will go to see him from time to time.” After a long time, Chen Nian said, “Thank you.” “No problem.” “Thank you for your persistence. If it wasn’t for you, he would have been plead guilty of something he didn’t deserve. You saved him – and me, too. “ “…” “Officer Zheng, you are a good policeman.” Zheng Yi took a deep breath. No more words. At the cross of the road, he clearly have a lot to say, but not a word to speak. At the cross of the road, she simply said, “I’m going.” Zheng Yi was disappointed. He could only “hm” and nodded. The water on the paper cup condensed into a trickle and fell on the tiles like the drop in his heart.

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She was as quiet and pale as ever. He thought of the time when he sent for her. He was a little soft hearted. He wanted to stretch out his hand and pat her on the shoulder to encourage her, but she didn’t turn away. His hand was hanging in the air, bitter and harsh. To separate, yet there is still a knot in his heart, curiously he asked: “Chen Nian, I heard from Bei Ye, that day when you came back from the back hill, you want to turn yourself in, but he stopped you.” “I didn’t do so.” Chen Nian said. He was surprised. Chen Nian glanced at him and looked back. “Officer Zheng, are you curious? How did I communicate with Bei Ye?” Zheng Yi looks at her. Chen Nian points to her head, and slowly, points to her heart. “Officer Zheng, a lot of what he said is not true. You’re a policeman, don’t you understand? “ Zheng Yi is stunned. People are subconscious. There are two kinds of lies: lies of the mind and lies of the heart. “He always knows what I want to say and what my heart want to say.” Chen Nian said, “It’s the same for me.” Zheng Yi was so surprised. They communicated with their mind and heart, so he knows what the other party thinks with a single glance, so even if she doesn’t speaks, he knows what the other party really thinks, and even can see through the subconscious of the other party who is temporarily in the dark. www.asianovel.com

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“That… when I pulled you to the interrogation room that night, what did his mind said?” Chen Nian did not answer, biting the straw and looking at the front casually. She really has to go. Zheng Yi’s heart was very bitter, and his voice almost choked. “Chen Nian.” “Huh?” “Live well in the future.” “… Which one is good? “ “There is only one life.” “Only once.” Chen Nian said, “But if you are right, one time is enough.” “What if it’s wrong?” Zheng Yi said. “No way.” Chen Nian said. Zheng Yi bits his lip slightly and doesn’t know why. His smile is bitter, gradually he conceded, and said: “I’m sorry, Chen Nian.” The girl shook her head and said, “It’s not your fault.” Zheng Yi’s mind encounter twists and turns, pulling out the arrow in his heart. Relief. However, he didn’t tell her that Luo Ting and other children who left early that night still didn’t receive severe punishment, but got the education and psychological intervention to them so their parents were very cooperative, their families changed, renewed and www.asianovel.com

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full of hope. He can’t tell her yet. He doesn’t know whether she can accept it now or whether the law student can accept it four years later. It is the kindness of the society to be tolerant to children. But when children hurt children, what should adults do? What about the injured child? Why is it that their pain can only become a stepping stone for the growth of other children; a sign of their prodigal son turning back? (T/n: someone who has gone astray turns over a new leaf) Chen Nian left. Zheng Yi watched her figure getting smaller and smaller, and finally disappeard in the crowd. ———————————On the night when she and Bei Ye were interrogated, and on the night when she was all grumpy, Zheng Yi asked her when he sent her home, pretending that he didn’t mean to mention the movie ticket, whether he wanted to hint at Li Xiang and use him to make the alibi. She replied, yes. Zheng Yi asked if she wanted to kill Wei Cai in his mind when he went to the back hill with a knife. She replied, yes. The day after she was humiliated, she was able to show up at school as if nothing had happened, just for an appointment with Wei Cai. And Zheng Yi asked, does Bei Ye know these thoughts? She replied, he is much smarter than you. www.asianovel.com

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That night, she was grumpy, unlike today, she was quiet and covered everything. As Zeng Hao said, she is a very good at hiding, hiding secrets, hiding emotions, hiding her ruthlessness. Zheng Yi knew that she was so frank on purpose that night. He knew that there was a gap between thoughts and actions, and that evil thoughts did not necessarily lead to crimes. She could have argued so that he believed she was still kind, and no matter what kind of suffering she experienced, she never had bad intentions for Wei Cai. But she did not, she let him see her changes, quietly slapped him in the face, stabbed him in the heart, and then let him watch her walked away. When he first met her, she promised to call on him as a policeman. But as a result, she fell into a deeper disaster. If he doesn’t lose her trust, she will call him after stabbing Wei Cai. Tragedy can be avoided. There is everything in the world, but there is no “if”. Fortunately, he didn’t give up on Bei Ye, he tried hard to stick to it, no more mistakes. He can only comfort himself in this way. The sun is so bright that it blinds him. Zheng Yi watched Chen Nian’s small body being surrounded by the gray steel and concrete traffic. For a moment, he seemed to see another person behind her, a young man with a white shirt, following her forever. He knew that she was with him forever.

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And you, have you ever worked so hard for a person? … Yes. But it seems like, it’s too late. Zheng Yi watched her white dress disappear completely and never see her again. He lowered his head and covered his wet eyes with his hands. ED: Bittersweet…. PREVIOUS INDEX NEXT

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Chapter 30 Source: Asada Translations

Chen Nian went home, bathed, washed her hair, and changed into a clean skirt. She found the Oxford Dictionary, turned the pages, and the dried flower earrings drifted out and fell on the table. A thin layer, light pink, transparent, with fine lines on it. She took out the wooden foil bookmark she bought, brushed a very thin layer of paste, pasted the two flowers gently, and put them into a transparent bookmark bag for sealing. The next morning, she returned to school, bought the best tea cup in the boutique and sent it to Zheng Yi at the post office. She went to the gatekeeper. At 11:50 in the morning, the bell rang after class, and the students of grade one and grade two poured out of the school. But for a few days later, she will separated from their lives. She took a look at the position on the opposite side of the street, walked down the steps, and headed home. It was her usual speed. When she came to the corner of the courtyard wall, she habitually looked back. Green trees and flowers, young people in school uniforms are laughing, their youth is soaring. Green light, red light; she walked through the street, walked to the weeds of the wasteland, waited for a while, continued to walk, into the open and quiet garden, walked to the broken house with rolling doors. www.asianovel.com

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Mulberry trees are lush and a swing is hanging in there. From then on, clean shades only belongs to memory. How many sunsets and moons have passed by, a tree and a house are the home of their youth, and in the future, maybe they have their own endings in this world? She walked up the stairs and opened the shutter with her key. She propped the door up by herself, and with a rustle of dust, she walked in and closed it gently. It’s been a long time since she lived in this house. The damp wood in the house smells even worse. But she likes it. She lay on the table for a while, stroking his guitar, thinking about the look in his eyes when she was thrown into the interrogation room. She took out a knife and slowly and forcefully carved a line on the desk where they sat for countless hours: “Xiao Bei Ge, when I grow up, I will come back to protect you.” With a light blow, the sawdust flew. She climbed out of the window and walked around the fire ladder to the top of the building, looking at the city and the railroad tracks. The blue sky is outstanding; she is holding herself on the roof. When the bell rang, the train rushes past and the smell of golden toasts floated up. She came down from the top of the building, stood on the high wall, her feet trembled, took a deep breath and jumped. Pain runs all over the body from the bottom of the foot, straight to www.asianovel.com

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the top of her head. She swayed to her feet, walked slowly to the bakery and bought two newly baked coconut breads. She sat alone at the door and ate slowly. Finally, she stood in the sun, looked up at the window of the young man house, looked enough for a lifetime. Finally, she hung her head and walked slowly, lifting the back of her hand and rubbing her eyes, but she did not cry. There is nothing to cry about. … At the trial, Zheng Yi was shocked. A few hours later, Chen Niang had her hair cut short and her ears were exposed. Almost immediately, he looked at Bei Ye at the other end of the court. His hair was cut short because of his detention. However, it is strange that there is no eye contact since they appear in the same space. It’s like they are strangers. Chen Nian sat in the middle of the court to take questions. “When was the first time you met?” At the entrance of the alley, they were forced to kiss each other before they could see each other’s faces. At that time, she was disgusted and ashamed. At that time, who would know that their fate would be tied up for a lifetime. Who will know that when she sees the bullying, she doesn’t ignore it. When she picks up her mobile phone and dials the police number, www.asianovel.com

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she will be rewarded by a teenager who is willing to give her his life, return her love and give protection for life. “On my way home, I saw a group of people in front of the road…” Chen Nian spoke in a very slow voice, but she didn’t stumble. It seemed that every word came from the bottom of her heart. Her voice was unexpectedly soft and pleasant. She proved that Bei Ye didn’t want to force her. He wasn’t the raincoat man nor he raped her. She proved that Bei Ye drank wine that night. At this time, Zheng Yi found that the red rope wrapped around her wrist was gone. Instead, a red rope was hung around her neck, and a key was worn, hanging over her heart. Chen Nian is particularly beautiful today. The short haircut, with a new light green hairpin behind the ear, revealing white ears and cheeks, like a crooked white moon. The moon is facing the place where Bei Ye is located. In court, she was wearing a school uniform and skirt, which was clean and beautiful. There was a small pocket on the left chest of her clothes, where two newly picked flower earrings and a small purple trumpet flower were placed, which were blooming brilliantly. On her ear, there were two small flowers in the place where there should have been her ears. She… She doesn’t look like a victim or a witness. She’s like a lover coming to an appointment. Pretty face, gentle words.

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Once again, Zheng Yi realized that there was a pattern between Bei Ye and her that outsiders could never understand. Bei Ye never looked at her, neither did she. They are like two parallel lines, each one sad and joyous, not related to each other. Bei Ye’s lawyers tried to defend him, while Bei Ye himself was calm. All kinds of characters testify and report, the facts of the crime are established, and in the face of various charges and evidence chains, young Bei Ye nodded lightly, admitted, and answered again and again: “Yes.” “It’s me.” Chen Nian returned to the seat and looked ahead, like a transparent dessert. Finally, the trial ended smoothly. The judge pronounced: “All stand up!” “Shua” sound. Bei Ye stands, Chen Nian stands, everyone stands. The scene was very quiet: “… Killing Lai Qing, the evidence is solid, confessed,… A good attitude of confession, active confession… To provide clues for the police to solve the raincoat case, and to admit the mistake positively… Minors… Sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. “ Drop hammer. Scattered court. The voice of the people, the noise continues. The police are going www.asianovel.com

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to take the boy away. The figures are interlaced. Chen Nian suddenly looks at Bei Ye. Bei Ye is also looking at Chen Nian for a moment. Only God knows how much I love you. Yes, I can’t hide it. Close your mouth and your eyes will say it. The moment when the eyes collide, they are glued. It’s a farewell, but not an eternal farewell. The eyes of the two youths are can’t bear to part and entwined. They are intimate that hand in hand, hug or even kiss can’t reach. They are an utmost tragic existence. They identify each other in the chaotic figure, through the dim tears, the eyes are so attached, so sad, yet so grateful. She held the key to her chest; he was pulled by the police, retreating slowly, his lips wriggling gently, and said a word silently: study. Looking down at the heart was present; age does not move. Once upon a time, who wrote down a name with a branch in the bright summer sunshine, telling the youth, today’s heart; Once, who lured her to recite a name with her eyes and handed a sweet and sour sugar with the tip of her tongue? Once, who was holding her in the waste plant area to see the magic lighting the lights of thousands of homes; Once, who is running along the steps of the open-air stage in the rain, young hands in the air; Then, who is awake from the memory, found himself sitting in the window of a slow-moving train; Who is in the booth filled with instant noodles, looking out the www.asianovel.com

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window through countless wilderness and big egg yolk, thinking of Darwin, thinking about biological problems, thinking of clownfish, anemones and lichens; Thinking about it, A symbiotic relationship means that two organisms live together in a mutually beneficial way, and if they are missing each other, life will be greatly affected or even die. In June, the grass is overgrown. Chen Nian watched the roof of Bei Ye’s house outside the train window disappear rapidly, and two lines of tears fell like a rain. That day, They sat on the high roof, and she asked: ——What do you want most, Bei Ye? ——I like a person, and I want to give her a good ending. That’s it. (The End) T/n: This is the end of main story, finally~~~ The ending scene is so meaningful and beautifully written~~ I’m so in love with this novel~~ There’s still one extra chapter of Zheng Yi letter for Chen Nian, you shouldn’t miss it ~~ ED: Edited, but not a great one fam PREVIOUS

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INDEX NEXT

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Chapter extra Source: Asada Translations

Chen Nian, I hope you safe and sound. This is the ninth letter I write to you. I want to write first few letters before your reply. Reply it at you wish. It doesn’t matter. I know you’ll see it. I don’t know how you’ve been since I said goodbye that day. I asked Xiao Mi. She said you had a peaceful life. I believe Xiao Mi said the truth. Because you are different from all the girls I have met, Chen Nian. Time passed quickly, and a year passed in the blink of an eye. I used to write you a letter every month, but I was too busy. Everything is fine here in Xicheng. Bei Ye is also very quiet. I told you before. He work and study every day. Last month they did equipment assembly for the assembly plant, and this month they helped the machine tool plant grind parts. He is very clever. He can do all kinds of work at once. He made a contribution again yesterday. He helped the machine tool factory to grind the parts with a record size error reduced to 0.1 μ M. I don’t know any special terms such as machine consumption rate, but their colleagues said that it would save the machine tool factory in millions. Associates also said that Bei Ye is very sensible and has a different attitude from others. Some of them have broken their ways, but he www.asianovel.com

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works hard and seriously, wants to learn something and wants to go out early. He is mature. I heard that his roommate once stole the letter you wrote to him. He came in so long that his only mood fluctuated and he almost fought, but in the end he didn’t. He put up with it. He has always been very good, that is to say, behaved very well, the teachers who teach them culture lessons are the same age as him, very gentle and easy-going but can not pry his mouth open. They told me that Bei Ye is also very serious about the culture class, but he doesn’t respect the teachers and doesn’t greet them when they meet. I joked that he could not see them with his eyes on his head. I went to see him last week. He seems to be growing tall again. Chen Nian, are you growing tall? But he is still so thin, you shouldn’t be the same. By the way, some things have come to achievement. I want to talk to you. Since last year, I have applied for organizing activities to prevent and resist school violence, which is attached great importance to. So far, good results have been achieved. It seems that there are no unsolvable problems in the world, only insufficient attention and effort. So I often think that if someone, like me, paid enough attention and effort when Zeng Hao and Wei Cai got involved in the case, then everything would not happen. Chen Nian, I still owe you. Up to now, I still want to say sorry to you. www.asianovel.com

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Because I made promises easily, because I failed to live up to your trust, because I failed to protect you, so that you have a questioning attitude towards the group I am in, so that later you can’t find the right way when you are in the most helpless situation. But I know, you will lightly say, it’s not my own fault. You are always so calm, yet always see through everything. But Chen Nian, I often think, I’d like to know if you still believe in the truth, the beauty, the goodness and the “belief” itself. If so, I would be very grateful. Zheng Yi 29 October 2016 PREVIOUS INDEX

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