No matter how much Fu Yunkai regretted it, it was too late. As they left the hospital, Xiao Tang curiously asked Shen Mo, “Professor Shen, how did you know that Su Bi wasn’t drowned by Su Hong, but by Fu Yunkai instead?”
Shen Mo glanced at Jiang Xiaosi. She seemed unusually downcast today—was it because she felt guilty about Su Bi’s death?
“I simply deduced it from common sense. Fu Yunkai was already the prime suspect. There were no witnesses, and he didn’t provide any testimony. When a close relative is murdered, aside from sadness, there’s usually anger too. Su Hong’s reaction—insisting that we quickly catch the killer—was the normal response. Of course, we can’t rule out the possibility that Fu Yunkai was grieving too much. But from start to finish, all he could say was Su Bi’s name and phrases like ‘don’t leave me.’ That’s a typical emotional breakdown after a crime of passion. What I didn’t expect was that Fu Yunkai killed Su Bi over such baseless suspicions. Perhaps jealousy and possessiveness weren’t the main reasons. On the surface, he seemed successful, but deep down, he was fragile. Over the years, Su Bi was likely his entire emotional support. If Su Bi were to leave, he would crumble.”
Jiang Xiaosi walked with her head down, listening to Shen Mo analyze the case. She loved being by his side, helping with investigations, and she loved listening to him lecture in class because those were the only times he spoke a lot—without being so cold.
Over the years, with Jiang Liu’s care and indulgence, there was little she wanted that she didn’t get. Perhaps that had led to her blind optimism and confidence. She always felt like there was plenty of time, that Shen Mo treated her differently, and that the two of them were destined to be together. She had waited a thousand years without growing up, just for this encounter with Shen Mo. How could they not end up together?
But now, Su Bi’s cold, lifeless body lay between her and Shen Mo. Jiang Xiaosi had never hated her inhuman nature more than she did now.
Xiao Tang and Jiang Liu exchanged words of thanks, and then Xiao Tang drove them back. Lin Qiang stayed at the hospital to continue the investigation. In the car, Jiang Xiaosi glanced at Shen Mo beside her, while Shen Mo stared straight ahead. Even Xiao Tang could sense the strange atmosphere, and Jiang Liu definitely noticed it too, as he frowned slightly.
At that moment, Shen Mo’s phone rang. The ringtone was a sound Jiang Xiaosi had recorded herself, mimicking the ding of a telephone. She had purposely made it simple enough that Shen Mo wouldn’t change it. And surprisingly, he had tolerated it for two years.
Xiao Tang held back a chuckle, straining to listen to Shen Mo’s conversation. Over the past two years, Shen Mo’s “phone-phobia” had improved a lot.
“Where?”
“Okay.”
Still, his conversation was brief—just three words—before he hung up, leaving Xiao Tang disappointed.
“We’re not going back to the university.” Shen Mo said, instructing Xiao Tang to turn the car around and head to a French restaurant near the Tuoguxiang bar street.
“Are you meeting someone?” Jiang Xiaosi asked.
Shen Mo nodded lightly, his lips barely moving.
When they arrived, Shen Mo got out of the car just as a taxi pulled up behind them. Stepping out of the taxi was none other than Yu Shuixin, who walked up to Shen Mo with a bright smile and naturally took his arm as they walked into the restaurant together.
For the first time, Jiang Xiaosi noticed how the traditionally elegant Shen Mo, standing beside the graceful Yu Shuixin, exuded a noble, fashionable charm.
“Is that Professor Shen’s girlfriend?” Xiao Tang asked, his mouth agape in disbelief.
Jiang Xiaosi watched as they walked farther away, disappearing into the restaurant. Their backs were so perfectly matched that she suddenly felt lost. Shen Mo knew she liked him, yet he didn’t avoid showing this in front of her. Did her feelings mean nothing to him?
Yu Shuixin had just returned and was staying at Shen Mo’s place. They were probably out for dinner. But Jiang Xiaosi knew that Shen Mo didn’t even like Western food. She envied Yu Shuixin—envied that she understood Shen Mo’s past, while Jiang Xiaosi had met him too late and didn’t know him deeply. She also envied that Yu Shuixin could hold Shen Mo’s hand so freely. Jiang Xiaosi hadn’t touched even a strand of Shen Mo’s hair in a long time. Over the past two years, she felt like her once free-spirited heart had been locked inside a small box. She had thought that getting her diploma would be like getting the key, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
On the way back, Jiang Liu kept glancing worriedly at Jiang Xiaosi. Seeing her chatting normally with Xiao Tang about Su Bi’s case, he didn’t say anything. After returning, Jiang Xiaosi started revising her thesis draft. The next day, she skipped class and stayed up three nights in a row to finish her thesis.
Then, carrying a large suitcase, she headed straight to the principal’s office to bribe him into letting her graduate early. The principal, torn between desire and concern, kindly patted her head with one hand while caressing the antique vase in the suitcase with the other. “Why the rush? You only have a few months left. The diploma isn’t going to run away.”
“The diploma won’t run, but my mentor will.” Jiang Xiaosi said, tugging on the principal’s sleeve and shaking it desperately.
“Alright, alright, I’ll think of something…” The principal kept his eyes on the vase, barely listening to her. “But Xiaosi, even if I let you graduate early, you still have to attend class occasionally, or your mentor will come yelling at me again.”
“Got it! So, I’m officially graduating now, right?”
“You’ve more than earned it. You’ve worked hard these past two years and helped me write so many academic papers. What’s next for you? Grad school or something else?”
“Getting married!”
“Huh?” The principal thought he had misheard.
Jiang Xiaosi had already darted out the door. “Just get everything done this week, okay? It’s urgent! I’ll wear my cap and gown tomorrow, and we can take a picture together—you can help me with the tassel!”
Watching her happy silhouette, the principal shook his head helplessly. “Silly girl, a diploma isn’t the same as a marriage certificate.”
Jiang Xiaosi graduated early, and despite the complicated paperwork, certain connections made everything fall into place. Early one morning, she proudly carried her diploma and degree certificate straight to Shen Mo’s house. Although she had the key, she politely knocked on the door for a while, but no one answered.
There’s no way he’s not home, she thought, taking out her key to unlock the door and wait for him inside. She wondered whether this would be a surprise or a shock to him. She imagined his expression.
Just as she was about to open the door, it suddenly opened from the inside. Shen Mo stood there, his clothes and hair disheveled, his eyes bloodshot—he must have just gotten out of bed.
“Professor!”
“What do you need?” Shen Mo blocked the doorway, clearly not intending to let her in.
“I graduated!” Jiang Xiaosi excitedly held up her degree certificate.
Shen Mo didn’t even glance at it and responded indifferently, “Got it.” He began closing the door.
Jiang Xiaosi quickly stuck her arm in the door to stop it.
“Aren’t you happy? I graduated!”
Shen Mo shot her an impatient look. Did she think graduating early meant skipping the review process and bypassing the thesis defense? Without his approval, not even the principal could issue her a diploma.
“Go prepare for your thesis defense.” Shen Mo said coldly. He didn’t mind letting her graduate early, but he wasn’t going to make it easy.
As Shen Mo tried to close the door again, Jiang Xiaosi ducked under his arm and slipped inside.
The living room was a mess—last night’s dinner was still on the table, and a few beer bottles were scattered on the floor.
“You drank? I thought you couldn’t drink?”
Shen Mo didn’t bother explaining and turned to clean up the table.
Suddenly, Jiang Xiaosi hugged him from behind, startling him.
“Why won’t you ever talk to me properly? Am I that annoying?”
It had been so long since Shen Mo had felt Jiang Xiaosi’s warmth this close. His body stiffened slightly, and after a long pause, he didn’t know what to say. Finally, with a hint of scolding in his voice, he said, “Jiang Xiaosi, let go…”
“I’ve graduated. You promised me.”
“I never promised you anything.”
“You said I had a chance…”
Before Jiang Xiaosi could finish, Shen Mo coldly interrupted, “But I refuse.”
“Why?”
“There’s no reason.”
“Is it because of Shuixin?” Jiang Xiaosi tightened her arms around his waist, resting her face against his back, trying to hear his heartbeat, to feel his true emotions.
“It has nothing to do with her.”
“Then why did you let me stay…”
“The message wasn’t from me.” Shen Mo said flatly. “Chen Anyuan sent it.”
Jiang Xiaosi recoiled as if she had been burned, taking a step back. Shen Mo turned to face her, and she realized just how small she was—still just as small as before. Today, she was wearing flats, and she hadn’t grown at all in two years.
Suddenly, she didn’t know what to say. Shen Mo’s expression was so calm. She couldn’t believe he could say something so hurtful in such a casual way. Jiang Xiaosi suddenly realized she might have been wrong all along—maybe everything she had seen was just an illusion. She had been living in a fantasy, deceiving herself into believing that Shen Mo’s occasional tenderness, his inexplicable kisses, and his seemingly genuine attempts to keep her close meant something real.
She didn’t feel like crying, or even heartbroken—just incredibly embarrassed. She wasn’t stupid. Shen Mo’s recent behavior, along with Yu Shuixin’s presence, had prepared her for this answer. She just felt that, rather than dragging things out for months and feeling uneasy every day, it was better to face the truth sooner.
She was Jiang Xiaosi. She always pursued what she liked and fought hard for it. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t let go or admit defeat. She wouldn’t just sit around waiting foolishly.
But Shen Mo’s indifferent words made everything she had done meaningless. She felt embarrassed because she now seemed like a joke.
“I…”
Jiang Xiaosi clutched her shirt tightly, trying to summon some courage. But just then, the door to Shen Mo’s bedroom upstairs opened, and Yu Shuixin walked out wrapped in a towel, leaning on the railing as she looked down at them. Her long, wet hair dripped water that just so happened to fall on Jiang Xiaosi’s cheek.
“You’re still talking? Shen Mo, I’m hungry. I want dumplings today! Xiaosi, are you staying for dinner?”
Jiang Xiaosi was surprised she still had the strength to respond, “No, thank you. I just had baozi.”
She wiped the water off her face and walked out of the house, feeling the muscles around her eyes strain with exhaustion.
A gust of wind blew as she stepped outside, making her shiver. As she walked out of the school gates, she suddenly remembered that she had left her certificates behind at Shen Mo’s house. But it didn’t matter anymore—those things no longer meant anything to her. She had fought so hard for two years, thinking she had earned a ticket to happiness, only to find out it was a death sentence.
Back at Tuoguxiang, Yuchen and Difan were untangling some red string, their hands intertwined as they occasionally glanced up and smiled at each other. Jiang Xiaosi thought it was beautiful. She went to the kitchen and made two glasses of juice for them and poured herself a glass of thick blood. As she drank, she felt her fangs slowly elongate. She missed the scent of Shen Mo’s RH blood. She used to think that her zombie nature would be the biggest obstacle between them, but now she realized she was wrong. It didn’t matter what she was—Shen Mo just didn’t like her.
She wasn’t someone who gave up easily, but for the moment, she didn’t know what else to do. Whatever happened between Shen Mo and Yu Shuixin last night—or maybe had always been happening—she had no right to care. Maybe she had always been the third party, showing up too late.
Feeling her stomach churn, Jiang Xiaosi rushed to the bathroom and threw up all the blood she had just drunk, her head covered in sweat, feeling completely drained. Her father would be home soon, and while she could keep herself together in front of others, she knew she would break down in front of him.
She wrapped herself in a thick woolen shawl, bundling up tightly, and left.
By evening, the bar street was bustling. Jiang Xiaosi strolled along the riverbank, the streetlights flickering on one by one. It was already spring, and the willow trees by the water swayed gently in the breeze, their tender green branches drifting in the wind.
She just kept walking, not feeling tired, until she found herself out late into the night, around three or four in the morning. There was no one else on the street. Suddenly, she realized that the scenery looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, she recognized the spot—it was where she had sat in the snow that Christmas Eve, heartbroken, when Shen Mo found her and took her home.
She suddenly felt all her strength leave her, and she slumped down against a streetlamp. Maybe she was too slow, but now the feeling of heartache came crashing over her in waves. Thinking back on the days she had spent with Shen Mo, she had been so happy. She just didn’t understand—if Shen Mo didn’t like her, why had he been so kind to her?
Hugging her knees, she began to cry softly. This heartbreak hurt so much more than the last time, and this time, there was no one to pick her up and take her home. Just as she was thinking that, she suddenly felt someone nearby. Looking up, she saw a cotton candy stick floating in midair, slowly drifting toward her.
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