After returning home together, on Monday morning, Ye Sibei took Qin Nan to visit her grandma and other relatives.
In the afternoon, Qin Nan brought Ye Sibei to his hometown to pay respects at the graves.
His hometown wasn’t far from Nancheng—just over an hour’s drive. They arrived in the afternoon, but Qin Nan didn’t introduce her to the villagers. After parking the car, they went straight up the mountain.
His father and grandfather were both buried there. His grandfather’s grave was newer, inscribed with Qin Gang’s name, while the one beside it, marked with Qin Fu’s name, had clearly been there much longer.
Qin Nan had brought liquor and some fruit. He poured the newly bought Wuliangye on the ground and said quietly to Ye Sibei, “My dad and grandpa didn’t have many hobbies—just loved drinking. But back then, they were poor and never got to enjoy good liquor. If they hadn’t passed early, they might’ve been ruined by it later.”
Ye Sibei stared at the lonely inscriptions on the tombstones—"Grandson, Qin Nan" and "Son, Qin Nan"—and couldn’t help asking, “Did your dad pass away at a construction site?”
“Yeah,” Qin Nan replied, arranging the fruit as he lowered his head. “Heard something fell on him, and that was it.”
“Did they compensate you?” Ye Sibei glanced at him. Qin Nan lit incense. “At first, they said it was his own fault. Then came the back-and-forth. In the end, my uncle gathered some villagers, carried my dad’s coffin to the site, and left the body there exposed for days until they got fifty thousand.”
“Fifty thousand?”
A decade ago, that wasn’t a small sum.
Qin Nan nodded. “Uncles and elders all helped out. People don’t do things for free, so the village elders decided to split the money. Most of it went to our family, but my mom took it and left.”
“Your mom—?” Ye Sibei was slightly shocked. Qin Nan shook his head. “She had it hard too. Forget it.”
Then he handed her incense. “Here, pay your respects.”
Ye Sibei took it and bowed.
According to Nancheng customs, when kneeling before the graves of the deceased, silently making a wish might allow the departed to hear and bless their descendants.
Qin Nan watched as Ye Sibei knelt on the ground, hands pressed together. She wore a brown trench coat, and the autumn sunlight made the color seem especially warm.
After she finished, Qin Nan stepped forward and kowtowed as well. Once done, they packed up their things. Qin Nan let her go first, then checked carefully to ensure no embers remained before turning back to the two tombstones. He paused for a moment, then walked up to Qin Fu’s grave and gently placed a hand on it.
“Dad,” he murmured softly before looking at Qin Gang’s tombstone beside it. “Grandpa, this is Sibei.”
With that, he smiled faintly, picked up their things, and left.
Back home, they reheated some leftovers for dinner. That night, Ye Sibei repeated her trick—slipping sleeping pills into Qin Nan’s milk. Once he was asleep, she sneaked out again in the middle of the night.
Qin Nan followed her and saw her take a backpack from the house. Near the gambling den, she hid it in a corner of an unfinished building, covering it with leftover wood and tattered sacks before leaving.
After she was gone, Qin Nan stepped forward and uncovered the items. Inside, he found gloves, a knife, pepper spray, and a series of other things.He looked down at these items for a while before finally taking the backpack and riding his motorcycle back. Along the way, he scattered the items into different trash bins.
Ye Sibei didn't know many people. Most of these things were bought online and would leave records. The scene couldn't have any connection to her, so he had to dispose of everything.
After throwing everything away, Qin Nan returned home. As before, he put on his disguise and lay back in bed.
Not long after, Ye Sibei also returned to the room. She quietly slipped under the covers and, after a moment, reached out to embrace Qin Nan.
The next day, October 19th, Tuesday.
The weather was nice that day. When dawn broke, the city looked freshly washed. The air carried a biting chill mixed with moisture. The streets of Nancheng were bustling with people, everyone sensing that winter was approaching and late autumn would soon depart.
Ye Sibei got up early to make breakfast for Qin Nan. When he woke up and saw her busy in the kitchen, he couldn't help but laugh. "I'm getting special treatment today?"
"It's your birthday," Ye Sibei turned to look at him. "Making you something nice."
"Your mom called earlier. She said there are still some of your middle school things there and asked if you want to take them."
"Have her pack them up for me," Ye Sibei said, lowering her head to chop vegetables. "We'll take them when we move."
Qin Nan leaned against the doorway watching her, smiling without saying much.
After a while, Qin Nan turned and told her, "I'm going out for a smoke."
With that, he slipped on his slippers and went outside.
He walked up the stairs to the landing. Staring at his phone, he hesitated for a long time before finally calling Lin Feng.
"Officer Lin," Qin Nan lowered his gaze. "There's something I need to report."
After finishing the call on the rooftop and arranging to meet Lin Feng that afternoon, Qin Nan returned to the apartment.
Ye Sibei finished cooking, and the two had breakfast together.
At noon, Ye Sibei ordered a cake. When the delivery person arrived at their building, she volunteered to go down and get it. As she signed for the cake, the delivery person couldn't help but stare at her. Pretending not to notice, Ye Sibei kept her head down while signing. As she turned to carry the cake upstairs, she overheard the delivery person excitedly telling a friend on the phone: "Holy shit, guess who I just saw? Immortal Ye! First time seeing her in person!"
Ye Sibei paused mid-step, gripping the cake box tightly. After a moment, she cheerfully ran upstairs calling out, "The cake's here!"
The two prepared a lavish lunch together, even pouring some wine for atmosphere.
The wine was a last-minute purchase—nothing fancy—and they didn't have proper wine glasses, so they used two regular tumblers instead. Looking at the red wine in the mismatched glasses, they both found it amusing. Seeing Qin Nan examining the wine, Ye Sibei cleared her throat and raised her glass with sincerity: "Here's to you," she said, "Happy birthday."
While Ye Sibei and Qin Nan celebrated his birthday, the Ye household was busy packing.
The elderly ate early, finishing lunch before noon. They began taking out Ye Sibei's old belongings to air in the sun, organizing them as she'd requested for easy transport.
They were all old items—workbooks, textbooks, photo albums...
Huang Guifen had stored these things in corners where they'd gathered dust. When Ye Nianwen carried them out, the dust made everyone cough uncontrollably.Ye Nianwen turned around with a hint of complaint: "Mom, why did you put things so high up? The dust is thicker than the books."
"If I didn’t put them up high, where else would we have space in this house?" Huang Guifen’s voice came from inside the room. "We finally managed to buy an apartment, and then you sold it. If you hadn’t sold it, we could’ve borrowed some money—now the housing prices are rising..."
Huang Guifen’s words always had a way of instantly dampening the mood. Ye Nianwen didn’t want to engage. He carried the items to the doorway, where a long photograph lay atop the books. He bent down to dust it off, watching as the grime fluttered away. Just then, footsteps approached, and when he looked up, he saw Zhang Yong.
"Team Leader Zhang?"
Seeing Zhang Yong, Ye Nianwen’s heart skipped a beat. Zhang Yong glanced at the photo in his hands. "Got a minute?"
Hearing this, Ye Nianwen knew Zhang Yong had something to discuss. He glanced inside the house and quickly replied, "Let me change my clothes. I’ll be right out."
With that, he set the photo down and went back inside to change.
Left with nothing to do, Zhang Yong picked up the long photograph. It was labeled "Class of 2006, Nan City No. 2 High School, Freshman Year Group Photo." He guessed it was Ye Sibei’s high school picture and casually skimmed over it.
Though teenage faces had changed slightly, Zhang Yong’s sharp observation quickly located Ye Sibei in the crowd. The girl in the photo was beaming, a stark contrast to her current lifeless demeanor. Zhang Yong studied it for a moment, then chuckled to himself. Just as he was about to look away, his eyes caught a slightly taller boy standing behind Ye Sibei.
Despite it being a group photo, the boy wasn’t looking at the camera. Instead, his profile was tilted downward, his gaze fixed on Ye Sibei in the row below. The boy was thin, dressed in a school uniform, looking nothing like the robust man he was now—but Zhang Yong still recognized him from his features.
Qin Nan.
Suddenly, Zhang Yong recalled the question he had asked Qin Nan during the first trial.
"You didn’t know each other before, did you?"
"No. Never met."
"Never met? Which high school did you go to?"
"No. 7 High."
He had clearly attended No. 2 High, yet he claimed it was No. 7.
He had clearly seen Ye Sibei, known her—even seemed to harbor feelings for her back then, judging by that expression—yet he said they’d never met.
Why?
Doubt flooded Zhang Yong’s mind. His instincts told him this was something worth digging into.
Ye Nianwen emerged from the room, now changed. "Team Leader Zhang, let’s go."
Zhang Yong smiled, set the photo down, and followed him out. Casually, he asked, "By the way, how did your brother-in-law and your sister meet?"
"Through a blind date," Ye Nianwen explained as they walked. "I heard my sister went on one, but it didn’t work out. Then she happened to run into my brother-in-law. They talked, hit it off, and that was that. My dad actually objected at first—he thought my brother-in-law’s education level was too low—but my sister insisted on him."
"Love at first sight?"
"Probably?" Ye Nianwen assumed Zhang Yong was referring to Ye Sibei. "Back then, my sister had seen enough ‘unimpressive’ suitors. My mom nagged her nonstop at home—she was terrified of it."
"I remember Qin Nan is from Nan City. Which high school did he go to?"
"No idea," Ye Nianwen said as they entered a café and found a private booth. He walked ahead. "Never heard him mention it."Zhang Yong didn't speak at first. He glanced around the café as they sat down. Ye Nianwen nervously ordered some drinks, hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Is it... about my sister's case... any progress?"
Zhang Yong looked up at him. He'd heard that Ye Nianwen had been persistently tracking down everyone present during the incident—from cleaning staff to Fuqiang Real Estate employees. Several times, people had called the police on him. After being warned, Ye Nianwen would just continue his pursuit.
Some said Ye Nianwen had gone mad.
No job, no future—his entire being was consumed by this case.
The window for appeal had passed. Only new evidence could reopen the case now.
So his only hope lay in uncovering fresh proof.
Zhang Yong studied him, lit a cigarette, and spoke softly, "Your sister has given up. Why are you still clinging to this?"
"I don't know."
Ye Nianwen shook his head. "If I don't pursue this, it haunts me every time I close my eyes. This thing," his eyes reddened as he met Zhang Yong's gaze, struggling to contain his emotions, "destroyed my mother, my sister, and Chuchu. Everything I had was ruined because of this. If justice isn't served for my sister," his nose stung with unshed tears, "I can't move on."
"If public justice fails," Ye Nianwen looked straight at Zhang Yong, "private justice will run rampant."
Zhang Yong paused mid-motion. Ye Nianwen gave a bitter smile. "Only today do I finally understand what my teacher meant by those words."
"Is it appropriate to say such things to a police officer?"
"By telling you, I'm showing I know private justice shouldn't be used." Ye Nianwen steered the conversation back. "Why did you ask to meet, Team Leader Zhang?"
"About your sister's case," Zhang Yong tapped his cigarette, "I've found a lead."
"What lead?"
"If what Zhao Chuchu said was true," Zhang Yong considered his words, "meaning your sister's account might not reflect what actually happened."
"You think my sister lied?"
Ye Nianwen frowned. Zhang Yong shook his head. "What if your sister misremembered?"
Ye Nianwen froze. Zhang Yong produced photos of several medications. "I've been considering this possibility. If your sister had taken certain psychiatric drugs, it could cause memory loss or distortion. Objectively speaking, Meng Xin was right—with that amount of alcohol, Ye Sibei likely wouldn't have reached complete unconsciousness."
Ye Nianwen stared at the medication photos spread across the table.
"We missed the blood test window for your sister, but fortunately Qin Nan identified Fan Jiancheng as the primary suspect early on. We immediately detained him, interviewed all witnesses, searched every location he'd been, traced all financial transactions—even WeChat red packets—but found no evidence. Zhao Chuchu's initial statement said your sister was already disoriented when they parted, so we took her word that Ye Sibei was simply emotionally distressed and drunk."
"Have you found evidence now?"Ye Nianwen looked up at him. Zhang Yong pondered for a moment: "For the past month, I've been investigating the illegal sale of controlled substances in Nancheng. Together with the Huaishui police, we raided a drug dealer den. We'll check every name on the buyer list provided by these dealers. As long as one of them implicates Fan Jiancheng, we can establish his criminal intent."
"That's not enough," Ye Nianwen said decisively. "To make this case ironclad, you need to prove not only that he had the drugs but also that he gave them to my sister that day."
"So I need your help with something."
Zhang Yong looked at him seriously. Ye Nianwen frowned: "What?"
Instead of answering, Zhang Yong pulled a small listening device from his pocket, slid it across the table, and calmly met his gaze: "Go find Zhao Chuchu."
"Ask her what?"
"Ask her what really happened."
"She won't talk."
Ye Nianwen shook his head firmly: "I've already asked her. If she wanted to say anything, she would have."
"Did you really ask?" Zhang Yong studied Ye Nianwen, then reminded him pointedly: "Did you ask what happened to your sister, or what happened?"
"Ye Nianwen," Zhang Yong hesitated before continuing, "Most people walk a tightrope between good and evil. Where they ultimately fall depends on how the world pushes them."
"How do you want to push her?"
Ye Nianwen fell silent. After a moment, he grabbed the listening device and strode out.
Zhang Yong put on an earpiece, adjusting the device while calling Lin Feng.
"Hello, Captain?"
"Call Nancheng No. 2 High School for me," Zhang Yong said casually as he listened to the sounds from Ye Nianwen's end. "Ask if they had a student named Qin Nan in the 2006 graduating class."
"Got it," Lin Feng replied. "Oh, and Captain, I need to take the afternoon off."
"What for?"
"Qin Nan called this morning. Said Ye Sibei seems off—she bought a train ticket to G City, but also used someone else's ID to purchase tickets to Huaishui and Yunwen as intermediate stops. Qin Nan's worried she might do something. I want to check on her."
"I see."
Zhang Yong rubbed the bridge of his nose: "Fine, consider it personal time."
After hanging up, Zhang Yong waited briefly before receiving contact details from Lin Feng, along with confirmation: "Yes, there was. Yang Qiyu was Qin Nan's homeroom teacher back then."
Looking at the number, Zhang Yong decided to indulge his own curiosity and take some personal time too.
When Zhang Yong went to find Yang Qiyu, Ye Sibei was having a meal with Qin Nan. Sitting at the table afterward, Qin Nan smiled: "Can't eat any more cake."
"I'll start packing then."
"And I'll clean up."
As one began organizing and the other tidying, the autumn sunlight streaming into the bedroom felt unseasonably warm. Ye Sibei watched Qin Nan moving about the room, an inexplicable pang of reluctance surfacing.
But she quickly suppressed it.
She couldn't go back to that muddled, painful existence.
Her decision was made—no hesitation remained.She quickly lowered her head, packed her things, and checked the time—it was almost four o'clock.
Ye Sibei thought for a moment, then turned to call Qin Nan outside the door: "Qin Nan, let's have the cake. After that, I need to go."
Qin Nan responded. He rinsed the cloth in his hands under running water, wrung it out, and placed it on the counter.
Then he washed his hands and took the cake out of the fridge.
The two sat at the dining table. Ye Sibei carefully inserted the candles one by one, then went to draw the curtains. The room instantly darkened. Qin Nan stood by the table, lighting the candles with a lighter as he bent his head.
"This is my first time celebrating a birthday."
He turned to glance at her with a smile. Ye Sibei walked over to stand beside him. "Then I'll celebrate with you every year from now on."
As she spoke, she clapped her hands and began singing "Happy Birthday": "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."
Qin Nan gazed down at the gently flickering candles. When she finished singing, he closed his eyes and silently made a wish.
Ye Sibei watched his profile—his smooth, handsome features—as he made his wish.
When Qin Nan opened his eyes, she tilted her chin up. "Blow out the candles."
Qin Nan blew them out. The two shared the cake, and then Qin Nan escorted Ye Sibei to the train station.
At around 4:45, he walked her to the ticket gate.
"You can stop here," Ye Sibei said, adjusting her backpack. "I'll be back soon."
"Alright," Qin Nan nodded. They stood in silence for a moment before Ye Sibei suddenly chuckled. "It suddenly feels like I’ll be gone for a long time."
"That’s just an illusion."
"Fine. I’ll go ahead then. Since you’re not in a hurry, take your time."
"Bei," Qin Nan suddenly grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Do you know what I wished for just now?"
"What?"
"I wished that Ye Sibei would live a lifetime of safety, happiness, and fulfillment."
Ye Sibei froze. A strange unease settled in her heart, but she forced a smile. "Why not add 'wealthy' to that?"
"Go on."
Qin Nan released her hand, slowly slipping his own into his pocket. He looked at her and added, "On your way to G City, don’t miss me too much. And don’t look back."
For a fleeting moment, Ye Sibei felt he was hinting at something. But she told herself he couldn’t possibly know.
If he knew anything, he would have stopped her from leaving right then.
She smiled, tightened her grip on her backpack, and fought back the sting in her eyes. With firm resolve, she said, "Don’t worry. I won’t look back."
This was the path she had chosen. She wouldn’t turn back.
Qin Nan smiled.
"Go ahead."
This time, Ye Sibei didn’t say more. Clutching her backpack, she turned and walked away.
Qin Nan watched as she entered the station. In the distance, he saw Lin Feng, dressed in a cap, follow her inside. Lin Feng glanced back at Qin Nan, who nodded at him in silent gratitude.
Meanwhile, Ye Nianwen sat in a private room at a teahouse. Hearing the door open, he looked up to see Zhao Chuchu standing at the entrance, her gaze calm and indifferent.
"I'm here."
At the same time, Zhang Yong stepped into Yang Qiyu’s home. He looked up at the framed photo on the wall—"Class of 2006, Nan City High School Freshmen Group Photo"—where two young boys smiled brightly. Behind him, Yang Qiyu sighed and spoke.
"Honestly, ever since the day they got married, I’ve wanted to tell Bei about this."
"But Qin Nan wouldn’t allow it," Yang Qiyu shook his head with another sigh. "He said what’s past is past, and to him, it didn’t matter anymore.""I hope that no matter what happens, Ye Sibei," Yang Qiyu turned to look at the two people on the wall, "can live peacefully and complete this life well."
OpenNovel