Zhong Langming sat in the hospital room, tilting his head to gaze at the gloomy sky outside.
He had indeed been clever. With just a few words, he had managed to cover up what had happened to Shen Tinglan.
Back then, the only person who knew was Chen Fang.
And since Chen Fang had taken his money, she wouldn’t dare betray him.
Years of being in a high position had made Zhong Langming aloof, unable to empathize with ordinary people anymore.
As he leaned against the headboard, he couldn’t help but wonder what someone like Chen Fang could even want. Wasn’t it just about a stranger? As long as they didn’t speak, no one would ever find out. Why should she be too guilty to enter the operating room again?
Look at her now—what kind of life was she leading?
Just as Zhong Langming was feeling smug, the hospital room door suddenly opened.
He was about to scold the person for being rude, but when he saw the two troublesome police officers walk in, his demeanor instantly changed. He put on a look of being lost in the past, unable to escape his memories. “Officers, is there something else?”
Zou Shuyang glanced at him casually and sat down in the chair he had occupied earlier. “Director Zhong, I was planning to leave, but just before I did, I met someone who told me some things. Would you like to hear about it?”
Alarm bells rang in Zhong Langming’s mind, his fingers trembling, but he forced a curious expression. “Oh? What things?”
Zou Shuyang nodded toward the door, “Come in.”
As soon as Chen Fang appeared in front of him, cold sweat began to break out all over Zhong Langming’s body.
Why was she here?
What had she told these two police officers?
Countless thoughts flashed through Zhong Langming’s mind, but he found himself speechless, his teeth chattering as he stared venomously at Chen Fang.
“It seems Director Zhong still remembers what happened back then.” Zou Shuyang said with a smile. “Why don’t you tell me the truth?”
“I…” Zhong Langming’s throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and it took him a long time to struggle out, “I’ve already told you the truth. Chen Fang, I’ve treated you well over the years, so what lies did you tell Officer Zou?”
Zou Shuyang took the phone, now sealed in an evidence bag, from Xiao Tang’s hand. Through the plastic, he pressed play.
“Just let me perform the craniotomy on Shen Tinglan, and as long as you don’t tell anyone, I’ll pay for your daughter’s surgery.”
Listening to his own voice play from the phone, Zhong Langming’s entire body slumped. He knew it was over for him.
“Do you want to confess here, or do you prefer to come down to the station with us?”
Seeing the layers of cold sweat on Zhong Langming’s face, Zou Shuyang suddenly asked, “Who made you do this? Where did the money come from? And over the years, who’s been backing you?”
After a long pause, Zhong Langming, exhausted, finally spoke, “It was a short man with glasses. His name is Lin Shaohuai.”
——
“Xiao Meng, over here.”
As soon as Jian Mengyan entered the café, she heard someone calling her. She turned to see a man in a suit sitting by the window, smiling and waving at her.
She waved back and walked over to sit across from him.
“Class monitor, long time no see.”
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jian Mengyan asked, “Why did you suddenly ask me to meet?”
The class monitor smiled, propping his chin on his hand as he rested his elbow on the table, a teasing tone in his voice. “Don’t be like that, Mengmeng. We’re old classmates, isn’t it normal to meet up and catch up?”
His behavior made Jian Mengyan feel inexplicably disgusted, but she forced herself to remain composed. “If I remember correctly, we weren’t that close during school.”
The class monitor raised an eyebrow, dropping the pretense. He waved over a waiter, ordered two coffees and a slice of cake, then spoke more seriously, “Alright, I won’t beat around the bush.”
“After the last class reunion, everyone felt it was a pity that Teacher Shen wasn’t with us anymore. So we’ve been discussing organizing a time to visit his grave.” the class monitor glanced at Jian Mengyan’s expression before adding, “And maybe visit Mrs. Shen too. She’s been alone for years now—it’s a bit lonely.”
Jian Mengyan’s expression remained calm as she lightly responded with an “Mm.” “Just let me know the date once you’ve decided. My class will soon be taking the college entrance exams, so I’ll have some free time over the next few months.”
Her calm reaction left the class monitor somewhat dissatisfied.
His eyes flickered, and he added, “Sure, I’ll let you know in advance.”
As the coffee was served, the class monitor took a sip and remarked meaningfully, “It’s such a shame that Ding Jing still hasn’t been found. We don’t even know if she’s alive or dead.”
While he spoke, he watched Jian Mengyan closely.
However, she only sipped her coffee with her head down, seemingly indifferent to the mention of Ding Jing.
After wiping her mouth, Jian Mengyan finally responded, though not directly answering his remark. “How come it seemed like none of our classmates were willing to talk about Ding Jing at the reunion? Was she not well-liked?”
The class monitor didn’t respond immediately, instead scrutinizing Jian Mengyan, as if trying to gauge how much of her words were true and how much were false.
After a long pause, he pushed the cake toward her, “Girls usually love sweets. Why not give it a try?”
——
Zhong Langming and Chen Fang had already been taken back to the station, while Zou Shuyang and Xiao Tang slowly drove back.
“Team Leader, isn’t that Sister Meng over there?”
Xiao Tang parked the car, looking at a man and woman seemingly in conversation outside a café.
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Zou Shuyang turned to look and indeed saw Jian Mengyan talking with a man who was slightly shorter than her.
“You wait here. I’ll go check it out.” Zou Shuyang yawned and opened the car door.
“Alright then, it’s settled. I’ll let you know once we decide on the date.”
The class monitor smiled at Jian Mengyan and then turned to leave.
At that moment, Zou Shuyang reached her side, casually slinging an arm over her shoulder. “Mengmeng, who was that?”
Startled at first, Jian Mengyan quickly calmed down and leaned half-leaned against him. “An old high school classmate.”
Zou Shuyang was about to nod when she added, “Lin Shaohuai.”
His nod instantly froze, and he asked in shock, “What did you say his name was?”
“Lin Shaohuai. Why?”
Zou Shuyang didn’t bother answering her question and instead took off after the man, but Lin Shaohuai had already disappeared into the crowd. With so many people walking up and down the street, Zou Shuyang couldn’t find a trace of him.
When Xiao Tang and Jian Mengyan caught up, all they saw was a dejected Zou Shuyang.
“What’s wrong? Did Lin Shaohuai do something? You looked like you’d seen a ghost when you heard his name.” Jian Mengyan said, hands on her hips, breathing heavily with beads of sweat on her forehead.
Zou Shuyang shook his head, “No, nothing.”
He couldn’t bring himself to tell Jian Mengyan that Lin Shaohuai was the real culprit behind Shen Tinglan’s death.
As they got into the car, Jian Mengyan played with Zou Shuyang’s large hand and said, “But honestly, it was kind of strange that Lin Shaohuai asked to meet me today.”
“Strange? How so?”
Thinking for a moment, Jian Mengyan said, “I got the feeling he was deliberately trying to test me.”
She then began counting on her fingers, “First, he talked about our teacher, then brought up Jingjing. And I kept feeling like he was silently observing me.”
Finally, she added bluntly, “It made me feel a bit grossed out.”
“Haha, Sister Meng, maybe he just has a crush on you because you’re pretty.” Xiao Tang laughed, only to realize the atmosphere in the car was off. He quickly shut up, looking sheepish, like a chicken caught by the neck.
——
June 3, 2012
The rain was pouring down harder than ever, and Jian Mengyan had long since lost her umbrella to the wind.
She ran through the streets, drenched, her legs feeling heavy and her throat filling with a metallic taste.
Leaning against a tree for a moment to catch her breath, she wiped her face and continued running, only to fall to the ground after a few steps.
Struggling to get back up, Jian Mengyan’s vision grew darker and darker.
She really needed to exercise more.
After resting for a bit, she prepared to start running again but was suddenly pulled back by someone grabbing her arm.
In the middle of the night, with the torrential rain pouring down, every hair on the back of her neck stood up.
She turned around in a panic and saw the class monitor, Lin Shaohuai, standing behind her, looking at her with concern.
“Jian Mengyan, are you okay? What’s wrong?”
She quickly shook her head, “I’m fine. What are you doing out here?”
Lin Shaohuai adjusted his umbrella, trying to shield her from the rain. “Teacher Shen asked me if I’d seen Ding Jing. I was worried, so I came out to help look for her. You too?”
Before Jian Mengyan could answer, Lin Shaohuai nodded, “Of course, you and Ding Jing were close. You’d definitely come looking for her.”
Then he asked, “Do you know where to find her?”
Jian Mengyan pressed her lips together before saying after a long pause, “I’m going to check the places Jingjing usually likes.”
Lin Shaohuai naturally fell in step beside her. “Alright, I’ll help you look.”
But Jian Mengyan didn’t pay much attention to him, walking forward on her own.
She seemed to have a clear goal in mind as she headed straight for Jiangzhou Bridge. However, her stamina was nearly exhausted, and she stumbled multiple times, barely able to stay on her feet. Fortunately, Lin Shaohuai was there to catch her.
Though Lin Shaohuai was shorter than most, he was still a man and had no trouble supporting a frail girl.
Jiangzhou Bridge was right by the river, and even from a distance, they could hear the roar of the rushing water.
“This rain is getting worse. Do you think there might be a flood?” Lin Shaohuai asked worriedly.
When there was no response, he turned to look at Jian Mengyan, only to see her walking ahead blankly, showing no interest in his concerns.
“Jian Mengyan!”
Lin Shaohuai called out, trying to catch up, but he slipped on something and fell to the ground, his glasses sliding off his nose and shattering.
The dim lighting and his severe nearsightedness made it impossible for him to find them again.
He wanted to call out to Jian Mengyan to wait, but when he looked up, she had already gotten far ahead. His voice was drowned out by the rain, and as his vision blurred, he lost sight of her altogether.
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