Qin Nan saw Ye Sibei off, then drove back home. At that time, Zhang Yong was sitting in Yang Qiyu's house. Mrs. Yang had taken the children out for a walk on the playground, while Yang Qiyu kept his head lowered.
"Back then, I had just started teaching, and Qin Nan was in my first class. He was a left-behind child, raised by his grandfather since childhood. He fooled around in school and failed to get into high school, so his father spent all their savings to buy him a spot in one. I remember he was very thin back then, quiet, hanging out with a group of city boys in class—sleeping during lessons or skipping school to play games. At first, I really disliked this kid and often lectured him. Several times I considered expelling him, but his father and grandfather would come to the school to plead, even kneeling before me once. My heart softened, so I let him stay. Then one day, he suddenly came to ask me if there was still hope for him to study. I told him no one is without hope, and that he could come to my house for tutoring."
"At the time, I agreed mainly out of pity for his father and because he seemed earnest about studying. His foundation was terrible—he’d barely studied growing up, and his mind worked slowly. No matter how hard he tried, his grades didn’t improve much. When he came to my place for lessons, he was often covered in bruises. Later, I realized he’d stopped running with his old friends, and they beat him for it."
"Honestly, I don’t understand," Yang Qiyu shook his head. "What goes through these kids' heads?"
"What happened next?"
"Later, we got closer, and I took extra care of him. I asked why he’d suddenly changed. He said everyone had always told him they were trash, destined to end up like their fathers—bad at school, with education being useless, just killing time until they could go out and work. But he didn’t really believe that. Part of him always wondered if he could try, but he was too afraid of failing, so he never did."
"But then he noticed a girl from the class next door. He’d seen her parents scold her at the school gate and heard others mock her, yet she kept studying, never letting anything distract her. So he thought, maybe he could try too."
"Was that girl Ye Sibei?"
Zhang Yong asked. Yang Qiyu nodded. "Ye Sibei was in the honors class back then, right across from Qin Nan’s classroom. Qin Nan sat by the window, and so did she. I often saw him watching her."
Hearing this, Zhang Yong frowned. "I thought they weren’t close. I’ve known Qin Nan for three years, and I’ve barely heard him mention Ye Sibei. The first time I heard about her was when they divorced."
"So you’re curious?"
Yang Qiyu poured tea for Zhang Yong, who nodded and joked, "If he’s hiding something about his past, what if it’s a criminal record? I’m a detective—I’ve got to stay alert."
"Don’t worry, Qin Nan has no criminal record. And what he felt for Sibei... wasn’t love."Zhang Yong paused as he held his teacup, while Yang Qiyu continued calmly, "He hadn't interacted with Sibei many times, hardly even spoken to her directly. I asked him if he liked the girl Ye Sibei, and he told me it wasn't about liking her. It was because there was something he couldn't achieve, and Ye Sibei gave him hope. So he really wanted her to live well, because if she could live well, it would prove to him that this world truly allows change through effort—that he, too, had the ability to live well in this world."
"By the end of his second year of high school, his grades had improved somewhat. If he kept working hard, he might have gotten into a third-tier college, or even a lower-tier second-tier one."
"But then?" Zhang Yong pressed. Yang Qiyu fell silent, cradling his cup as he recalled something. "His father died."
"No recording."
Ye Nianwen placed his phone face-up on the table, turned on the screen, and emptied his pockets thoroughly to reassure Zhao Chuchu, who sat across from him. "Don't worry."
Zhao Chuchu glanced at his actions, then at the still-warm honey pomelo tea on the table—a drink she used to always order. Every time, Ye Nianwen would have it ready for her in advance.
This detail made her pause. She lowered her gaze, reached out to hold the teacup, and felt its warmth seep into her cold palms. Her voice was soft. "Here to ask about your sister?"
"Here to ask about you."
Ye Nianwen looked at her calmly. Compared to before, Zhao Chuchu looked much more haggard. His heart ached slightly as he took a sip of water. "Before, I only ever asked you about my sister. I wanted to ask—how have you been lately?"
Zhao Chuchu gripped the cup, unable to speak. She kept her head down for a long while. "That question comes too late. You know," she finally lifted her head to meet his gaze, "I waited so long to hear that. But when it should have come, it didn’t. Now, whether it comes or not doesn’t matter anymore."
"I don’t trust you, and you don’t trust me," Zhao Chuchu controlled her tone. "Don’t ask me anything else."
"On one side is kindness, on the other is evil. Where she ultimately falls depends on how this world pushes her."
"How do you want to push her?"
Zhang Yong’s words echoed in Ye Nianwen’s ears as he stared at the person before him. Finally, he spoke. "Chuchu, are you a good person or a bad one?"
"You can think of me as a bad person."
Zhao Chuchu answered decisively. Ye Nianwen pondered for a moment before pulling the listening device from his pocket and slapping it onto the table. Zhao Chuchu looked at it calmly, unsurprised.
"Bad people don’t call themselves bad. If someone calls themselves bad, it’s because their conscience is condemning them."
Hearing this, Zhao Chuchu’s eyes reddened. Ye Nianwen turned off the listening device in front of her.
"Tell me the truth, just once."
"What truth do you want?"
"That day," Ye Nianwen said steadily, "what really happened?"
Zhao Chuchu turned her head away, unwilling to look at him. "Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand."
Ye Nianwen didn’t respond. He studied her intently—really looked at her for the first time. In that moment, he saw her fear, her struggle, her hesitation.
"I might not understand," his voice was hoarse, "but I know you’re a good person."
Zhao Chuchu froze. Ye Nianwen had repeated the words she once asked him to say."Ye Nianwen, I will always love Zhao Chuchu."
Zhao Chuchu bit her lip tightly, tears suddenly falling as she looked at Ye Nianwen.
"That night," she involuntarily raised her hand, hugging herself tightly, digging her fingers into her arms as if confessing an unspeakable scandal, "I was taking care of your sister. When the drinking gathering was almost over, Fan Jiancheng said he'd fetch water for me and her. Then he went to the private room."
Ye Nianwen wasn't surprised—he'd heard this detail from other witnesses. He watched Zhao Chuchu: "And then?"
"He was gone for a while. I felt thirsty, so I went after him. Then I saw him holding a bottle of pills next to the poured water. I asked him what it was, and he told me it was sober-up medicine."
As these words came out, Zhao Chuchu's fingers gradually relaxed. She lowered her eyes: "I didn't think much of it. I just walked over, took the medicine, and said I'd feed it to her. Fan Jiancheng seemed like he wanted to say something, but I didn't give him the chance. I just took the water and left."
"So you were the one who fed her the medicine?"
Ye Nianwen restrained his emotions, careful not to startle Zhao Chuchu. He faintly understood why she had been afraid to speak up.
Large teardrops rolled down Zhao Chuchu's face as she looked at Ye Nianwen, suppressing sobs, trembling: "I fed the medicine to your sister."
Ye Nianwen watched her. Every word seemed excruciating for Zhao Chuchu: "Then... I sent her off. I told her to call me when she got home. Around midnight, she texted me, and I went to sleep."
"Why didn't you say anything at first?"
Ye Nianwen lowered his gaze to his clasped hands. Zhao Chuchu kept her head down: "If I'd spoken up, could I have gone on living normally?"
"I killed her. I was scared, guilty, full of remorse," Zhao Chuchu paused, "but I didn't want to ruin my life."
"So at the time, I thought of a perfect solution."
Zhao Chuchu raised her head to look at Ye Nianwen: "I wouldn't reveal the truth, but since I was the last person who saw her, I'd lie for her. I'd help send Fan Jiancheng to prison. This way, I could cover my own crime while helping her."
"I just never thought," Zhao Chuchu forced a smile, "no matter how I cover it up or explain, that day... as long as the victim wasn't me, it was already my sin."
"I saw everything people online accused me of—my clothes, my appearance, my past relationships, everything about me."
"Ye Nianwen, do you know? I've always doubted myself," Zhao Chuchu raised her hand, pointing at herself, "I didn't know if being in sales was right, if how I dressed was right, or if dating in middle school was some unforgivable crime. Everyone said I was wrong, but I thought I wasn't, so I kept fighting. Yet deep inside, there was always this voice telling me I was wrong, that I shouldn't have."
"I've already made so many mistakes. If people found out I was the one who gave your sister that medicine—"
Zhao Chuchu's lips trembled: "I was terrified."
"No one would believe me. No one would think it wasn't intentional. Look, they're already tearing me apart just for carelessly leaving her in the car. If they knew I did this... I can't imagine what they'd say.""But," Ye Nianwen's voice was strained, "you were the one who gave her the medicine. You really were careless."
"So I should just die?!" Zhao Chuchu suddenly raised her voice, screaming, "I gave her the medicine, I didn’t mean to, does that make me unforgivable?!" "You should have testified!" Ye Nianwen stared at her, struggling to control his emotions. "You shouldn’t have hidden this. If you had testified, this case wouldn’t have been lost!"
Hearing this, Zhao Chuchu looked at Ye Nianwen. After a moment, she let out a bitter laugh. "Do you know why I never wanted to tell you any of this?"
Ye Nianwen froze. Zhao Chuchu’s voice was calm. "Because I already knew you’d say these things."
"I’ve heard this too many times. Yes, I didn’t testify at first—I was scared. Later, when I saw how even just leaving Sister Ye in the car made people curse me like this, do you know how I felt inside?"
Zhao Chuchu raised her hand and pointed at her chest. "I was relieved."
"If being a good person means living a more miserable life than being a bad one, then I’d rather be the bad person."
"Zhao Chuchu," Ye Nianwen said, disbelieving, "don’t you feel any guilt?"
"I do," Zhao Chuchu looked at him, tears falling. "So do you know how long I’ve waited for you? How long I’ve waited for you to just say to me, 'Chuchu, I believe in you,' 'Chuchu, you’re a good person.' Just one word from you, and maybe I could have kept going. But you didn’t."
"Countless times, I thought about standing up, testifying for Sister Ye," Zhao Chuchu said through tears, gripping her clothes tightly. "But every time, you, the people around me, the internet—all made me feel like testifying would ruin me. The only time I ever felt I could stand up was when Sister Ye said I was a good person."
"In that moment, I finally felt just a little bit of courage to admit what I’d done. And then, just now, when you said you liked me, that I was a good person."
Zhao Chuchu smiled, but soon, her expression dimmed. "Too bad you were lying to me."
"Why do you need someone else’s approval to do the right thing?" Ye Nianwen asked, unable to understand. "You made a mistake—shouldn’t you make up for it and accept the consequences?!"
Hearing this, Zhao Chuchu slowly calmed down.
She looked at Ye Nianwen with a numb, resigned expression.
"Ye Nianwen," Zhao Chuchu said softly, "treat me like a human being."
"Not everything that 'should' be done, gets done. You preach so beautifully, but back then," she leaned closer to him, "your sister should have reported it to the police. Why didn’t you let her?"
"You’re human too, aren’t you?"
"Back then, just after sophomore year ended, he did pretty well on his exams," Yang Qiyu said, watching the birds perched on the windowsill outside as Ye Nianwen’s voice cut off in Zhang Yong’s earpiece.
Zhang Yong understood that Ye Nianwen didn’t want him to hear that part of the conversation, so he simply relaxed and waited for Ye Nianwen to return and discuss things.
After all, this was Ye Sibei’s case—Ye Nianwen wouldn’t do anything to harm her.
He picked up his teacup, leaned back on the sofa, and listened to Yang Qiyu recount the past."Before the holiday, I told him to take his report card home to show his father. He told me his dad wouldn’t care, that as long as he didn’t bother his parents, they wouldn’t pay him any attention."
"Then, during that summer break, he suddenly called me in the middle of the night. He didn’t say anything on the phone, just cried and sobbed until finally, between sobs, he told me he had let his father down and that he deserved to die."
"I went to see his grandfather and only then learned about his father’s death," Yang Qiyu recalled with a touch of sorrow. "Later, I heard things got really ugly in their village. They blocked the construction site for a long time, and his father’s coffin was left at the site entrance. He wanted to carry the coffin back, thinking that no matter how much they protested, at least his father should be laid to rest. But he failed. His mother hit him, and his uncles dragged him back and locked him up."
"That’s too much," Zhang Yong frowned. "He was just a kid back then, wasn’t he?"
"Seventeen or eighteen," Yang Qiyu took a sip of tea. "He grew up neglected. His mother didn’t have much affection for him—only his grandfather cared. But his grandfather was old and couldn’t protect him much under those circumstances."
"Did they get compensation later?"
"Yes, 500,000 yuan," Yang Qiyu smiled mockingly. "I heard the village even held a special meeting to divide the money. In the end, less than 100,000 made it to him and his mother. When his father was buried, I went to see him. He knelt by the grave, refusing to leave. It was heartbreaking. Then, right after the start of senior year, I heard his mother ran away. He just sat in the classroom day after day, staring blankly, not studying, not doing anything. A few days later, he came to ask me why Ye Sibei hadn’t come to school. I looked into it and heard her parents wouldn’t let her—they wanted her to go work instead."
Zhang Yong paused mid-sip, his brow furrowing. "How could the Ye family do that?"
"Not enough money at home," Yang Qiyu shook his head. "I’ve seen it often—it’s nothing unusual."
"What happened after that?"
"Later, Qin Nan went home that same day. The next day, he came to tell me he was dropping out. He said his grandfather was getting old, and even if he got into college, it would cost money, and he wouldn’t get into a good one anyway. He wanted to learn a trade so he could take care of his grandfather sooner."
"His mother left him 20,000 yuan, but he refused it. He asked me to persuade Ye Sibei’s family—he wanted to donate all of that money to her."
Zhang Yong stared at Yang Qiyu in disbelief. "Didn’t he regret doing that later?"
Yang Qiyu chuckled. "Oh, he did."
He poured himself more tea. "When he left the money on my desk and walked out of the school with his backpack, I tried to stop him. I chased after him, telling him he’d regret it, but he didn’t even look back."
"Years later, he came to visit me one day. He placed some tea on the table and said, 'Teacher Yang, I saw Ye Sibei.'"
Yang Qiyu looked up at Zhang Yong, then turned to the photos on the wall. "He said, 'I regret it.'"
"What did he regret?" Zhang Yong frowned. "Not finishing school?"
"Officer Zhang, did you think Qin Nan gave Ye Sibei the money because he liked her?"
Zhang Yong didn’t answer. That was exactly what he’d assumed, but now, with Yang Qiyu’s question hanging in the air, he hesitated to say it aloud.Yang Qiyu shook his head: "Actually, after Qin Nan gave her the money, for many years he only called Ye Sibei a few times. Every call was made when he couldn't hold on any longer."
"Qin Nan has harbored deep self-loathing since childhood. Do you know about that group suicide case involving left-behind children in Nan City's suburbs over a decade ago? Where an older child led two younger ones to hang themselves at home?"
Zhang Yong nodded: "I remember that."
"One of those children was Qin Nan's older brother. He wasn't an only child - he became one after his brother died."
Zhang Yong was stunned. Yang Qiyu continued: "I once thought he loved Ye Sibei. But later he told me he'd never felt true happiness in his life. Whenever he looked to the future, he saw no hope. Living like his father seemed meaningless, yet not living that way felt impossible deep down. It was Ye Sibei who gave him the courage to struggle."
"Those twenty thousand yuan were his education fund, his future. When he gave that money to Ye Sibei, he was subconsciously projecting himself onto her - what he couldn't achieve, he hoped she could. Her success indirectly encouraged him, making him believe there was new hope in this world. That's why he got Ye Sibei's number from me. All these years, he's only called her four times. He told me hearing Ye Sibei studying, hearing her voice, made him believe if she could persevere, so could he."
"Was it love for Ye Sibei?" Yang Qiyu smiled and shook his head. "If you interpret it that way, you'll struggle to understand his actions."
"His feelings for Ye Sibei weren't love," Yang Qiyu stated firmly. "What he felt for Ye Sibei was... faith."
Zhang Yong froze. In that moment, he recalled what Lin Feng had told him that afternoon.
Qin Nan had reported Ye Sibei's unusual behavior - buying three train tickets - fearing she might do something drastic, asking Lin Feng to follow her.
If in Qin Nan's heart, Ye Sibei was the faith he'd clung to for so many years, the hope that kept him alive, his projection of hope onto this world... would he stand idly by when this very hope was being driven to such desperation by the world?
Would he let Ye Sibei suffer such humiliation?
Zhang Yong suddenly understood. He immediately stood up and called Lin Feng.
But five minutes before Zhang Yong's call to Lin Feng, Ye Sibei had already received a call from Qin Nan.
Watching the train enter the city and begin slowing down, Ye Sibei stood up to gather her belongings when her phone rang. Seeing Qin Nan's name, she hesitated briefly before putting on her Bluetooth earpiece, answering while continuing to pack.
"Hello?"
"Don't get off at this station."
Qin Nan's voice was calm. Ye Sibei froze. He continued evenly: "Lin Feng is following you to G City. Don't stop here."
"What do you mean?" The realization hit her suddenly. "You know what I'm planning to do?"
"Everything I want to say is in the letter I placed in your backpack. Read it and burn it - leave no traces."
"Qin Nan," Ye Sibei's voice trembled with fear, "don't do anything reckless.""Si Bei," Qin Nan lowered his head, "Don't come back. Don't get involved in this matter. You promised me—"
"Go to G City and don't look back."
After saying this, Qin Nan hung up the phone. Ye Sibei took a moment to compose herself, then immediately grabbed her bag and frantically searched through it. Finally, in a hidden compartment, she found a letter.
She quickly unfolded it and saw Qin Nan's handwriting.
Qin Nan's writing wasn't particularly elegant, but it was neat and orderly—every character clearly legible.
"Si Bei, I hope this letter finds you well."
"By the time you read this, you should already be on the train, perhaps nearing Huaishui. This decision was very difficult for me. I don't understand what love is, and I don't like entrusting my life to others. So, whether or not I should kill Fan Jiancheng for you—I've thought about it for a long time."
But as we stood together on the rooftop of No. 2 High School, looking down at the entire campus, I suddenly made a decision. In this world, your life holds far greater significance than mine.
"I'm sorry for deceiving you. The truth is, we were actually schoolmates. Twelve years ago, we both attended No. 2 High School—you were in Class 1, and I was in Class 17, at opposite ends, yet somehow neighbors.
You sat in the third row of the fourth group in Class 1, while I sat in the very last row of Class 17. The first time we met, it was pouring rain, and I hadn’t brought an umbrella. You saw me in my school uniform, walked over, and asked if I needed one.
From then on, I began noticing you. I often watched you study, saw how you stayed behind after school to solve problems instead of going to eat. I even saw your mother scolding you at the school gate and heard other classmates mock you as a bookworm—yet you never wavered.
I was born in a village. To my parents, my existence seemed more like an obligation, an instinct. From birth, what I heard most was that kids like us were just meant to drift along until we reached a certain age, then go out to work, earn money, and get married.
That kind of life left me feeling hopeless, yet I lacked the courage to resist. Then I met you—it was as if someone had suddenly given me a voice of affirmation. And so, I thought, maybe I could try.
From then on, I always wished for your happiness. It was as if, without realizing it, I had placed all my hopes for this world onto you."
"Later, when my father left, I belatedly understood his struggles and sacrifices. It only deepened my guilt. I dropped out of school to work, dreaming of making something of myself. But once I stepped outside those school gates, I realized how vast the world was—and how insignificant I was.
I yielded to this world, to its rules. Years later, when we met again, I was saddened at first. I regretted seeing you like this, but I also thought it was only natural. After all, I had become a walking corpse myself—how could I demand anything of you?
So I settled for us. You were the best within my limited choices, and since we were compatible, it was time to marry at our age.
But after marriage, I saw your weakness—like a thorn lodged in my heart. I began to realize that you were always the exception in this world for me. I could accept others yielding to fate, but not you.
Every day with you was a double torment. Not only did I endure the trivialities of mundane life, but I also suffered the crushing disappointment of watching the youthful hopes I once held for you vanish completely. After countless arguments, when I saw you recklessly borrowing money for Ye Nianwen without a care for the future, I impulsively chose divorce, desperate to escape that life.
Until something happened to you."
"At first, maybe it was out of duty—or perhaps, deep down, I simply couldn’t bear to see you humiliated. But slowly, I realized my feelings were far more complicated than that."
"I’ve asked myself countless times at night—why am I really staying with you? Is it because you’re the embodiment of my hopes for this world?""But later, when you asked me if I loved you, I suddenly realized in that moment—from the time I began accepting your vulnerabilities, getting to know you, living with you, hearing you shout from the back of my motorcycle, watching the city lights with you—you weren’t just my faith. You were a living, breathing person. Someone I’ve poured all my emotions into, whether love or anything else."
"I want you to live well. I want you to enjoy all the happiness I never had, to gain everything I never received. I don’t know when it started, but I began hoping for a future with you. Yet deep down, I know someone like me shouldn’t have a future with you."
"Sibei, many people think you’re the weak one, but the truth is, I’m the one who’s truly weak."
"I’ve surrendered to fate countless times, accepted the future it handed me. But you—whether in the past or now—have never once yielded to it in the depths of your soul."
"That’s what I admire and love most about you. And I hope that for the rest of your life, you’ll carry the world I could never have and live happily."
"This long-overdue love letter is for you, because I want you to know."
"Ye Sibei, no matter when, whether you know it or not, please believe this: there will always be someone in this world who loves you."
"For example, Qin Nan."
Ye Sibei read the letter, her mind swirling with confusion, yet tears fell without her knowing why.
The train pulled into the station, and outside the window, the sign "Huaishui" came into view. Blinking through her tears, Sibei glanced toward the platform.
As the train slowed to a stop, passengers around her began pushing toward the doors before they even opened. A woman suddenly grabbed Sibei’s arm, pulling down her mask to reveal Lin Feng’s face.
"Team Leader Zhang is looking for you."
Lin Feng quickly pressed an earpiece into Sibei’s ear, and Zhang Yong’s urgent voice crackled through: "Were you planning to kill Fan Jiancheng today?"
Sibei froze. Zhang Yong rushed on, "Qin Nan went in your place. Tell me your plan—where did he go?!"
Sibei couldn’t speak.
The train doors opened, and a flood of passengers surged out. Over the station’s loudspeaker, an announcement echoed: "Huaishui Station. Passengers disembarking, please exit promptly. Let others off before boarding!"
"Huaishui Station. Passengers disembarking, please exit promptly. Let others off before boarding!"
Zhang Yong, hearing Sibei’s silence, grew furious. "Are you still afraid of being implicated now?! Ye Sibei, do you even know that the 20,000 yuan you got in your senior year was from Qin Nan? That was his father’s compensation money—meant for his education! He’s already given you his past. Do you want him to sacrifice his future for you too?!"
Sibei stared blankly, tears streaming down her face.
"The outskirts. At the foot of Suming Mountain."
Struggling to steady her voice, she replied, "I’ll send you the location. Find Fan Jiancheng—tell him not to go to the casino tonight."
With that, Sibei snapped back to reality. She grabbed her bag, pushing through the crowd to disembark, even as she sent the message to Zhang Yong.After sending the message, she and Lin Feng had just gotten off the train. The moment they stepped onto the platform, she clutched her bag tightly and sprinted toward the unlicensed taxi she had prearranged. Running at full speed, she reached the meeting point only to find no sign of the driver.
She frantically called the driver, but each attempt was met with a busy signal. Lin Feng caught up to her, panting heavily. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"The driver I booked is gone."
Ye Sibei was anxious. "I need to go back and stop him."
"If he sent me to follow you, he must have found a way to cancel your driver," Lin Feng reasoned. After a pause, he added, "Let’s grab a taxi. Hurry."
Ye Sibei nodded. After a brief wait, they managed to hail an overpriced cab and rushed toward the gambling den.
Once inside the taxi, Lin Feng asked nervously, "Do you think he’ll follow your plan?"
"I don’t know."
Ye Sibei clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay calm. After a moment, she sent her location to Ye Nianwen and called him.
Ye Nianwen and Zhao Chuchu were sitting quietly when his phone suddenly rang. Seeing Ye Sibei’s name, both he and Zhao Chuchu froze. Zhao Chuchu leaned back and gestured. "Answer it."
Ye Nianwen composed himself and picked up. Ye Sibei’s hoarse voice came through: "I sent you a location. Go there immediately and find Qin Nan."
"What’s wrong with him?"
Ye Nianwen’s instincts screamed trouble. Ye Sibei steadied her voice before answering, "He’s going to kill Fan Jiancheng for me."
Ye Nianwen’s eyes widened. He shot to his feet. "I... I’ll go right now."
Hanging up, he turned and bolted outside. Zhao Chuchu hesitated for a second before chasing after him. "What’s going on? What happened?"
"My brother-in-law..." Ye Nianwen’s voice trembled. "My brother-in-law... is going to kill Fan Jiancheng."
Zhao Chuchu was stunned but quickly regained her composure. "Don’t panic. I’ll go with you."
Ye Nianwen nodded, hastily paid the bill, and Zhao Chuchu rushed to hail a cab. The two sped toward the location.
As Ye Nianwen and Ye Sibei raced toward the gambling den, Zhang Yong bid farewell to Yang Qiyu and dashed out while calling the police. After briefly explaining the situation, he tried calling Fan Jiancheng.
Fan Jiancheng was already on the road with friends, the car filled with loud music as they excitedly discussed their gambling plans for the night.
This was Fan Jiancheng’s time to unwind, and he ignored the calls, silencing his phone. It continued to light up unnoticed as he swayed to the music, singing off-key Cantonese lyrics: "Time turns possessions into losses, weary eyes filled with hope~"
After several failed attempts, Zhang Yong got into his car and sped toward the gambling den, calling everyone connected to Fan Jiancheng along the way.
His office said he’d gone home.
Zhao Shuhui claimed he was at work.
Frustrated, Zhang Yong gripped the steering wheel tighter and accelerated.
Every second counted. Meanwhile, Qin Nan crouched in the abandoned building, chewing on a piece of bread.
A dagger was tucked into his waistband, a metal rod in his hand, and a newly purchased pepper spray set beside him.It was almost seven o'clock, and the sky had darkened completely as a light drizzle began to fall. Fan Jiancheng's car cut through the night, its headlights illuminating the uneven ground before coming to a stop not far from the abandoned building.
The driver turned off the engine and silenced the music. Fan Jiancheng, sitting in the passenger seat, stretched lazily. The driver chuckled, "Let's go, Brother Fan."
With that, he pushed open the door, unfurled an umbrella, and stepped out. The moment his foot touched the ground, an iron rod came swinging through the air!
The rod gleamed faintly in the darkness. The driver reacted swiftly, dodging to the side, but the rod still struck him hard, sending him sprawling into the mud.
"Brother Fan!" the driver cried out in pain, rolling in the dirt. In that instant, Fan Jiancheng snapped into action. He flung open the car door and bolted in the opposite direction.
"Call for backup!" Fan Jiancheng shouted frantically. "Quick, call for help!"
Qin Nan ignored the commotion behind him and chased Fan Jiancheng straight into the abandoned building. Fan Jiancheng seemed familiar with the area, hurling objects at Qin Nan as he ran. Qin Nan blocked them with ease but momentarily lost sight of his target. He pursued Fan Jiancheng up to the third floor, where the space was eerily empty, save for a few walls. A quick glance told Qin Nan that Fan Jiancheng was hiding behind one of them. Dragging the steel pipe behind him, Qin Nan advanced.
Fan Jiancheng trembled behind the wall, too terrified to make a sound. He grabbed a handful of cement dust from the ground, listening as Qin Nan's footsteps drew nearer. Just as Qin Nan reached him, Fan Jiancheng flung the dust into the air. Qin Nan, anticipating the move, held his breath and shut his eyes, swinging the pipe with full force. A sharp cry of pain confirmed his strike.
Qin Nan stepped back, shaking his head to clear his vision. When he opened his eyes, he saw Fan Jiancheng staggering toward the upper floors. Qin Nan tightened his grip on the pipe and gave chase. Fan Jiancheng, panting heavily and on the verge of tears, realized Qin Nan was closing in.
He knew all too well—Qin Nan wasn’t here to beat him up or seek petty revenge.
He was here to kill him.
Darkness enveloped the desolate outskirts, and Fan Jiancheng, trapped in the skeletal structure of the abandoned building, was consumed by terror and regret.
He shouldn’t have messed with Ye Sibei.
He’d picked the wrong person. He should’ve targeted someone weaker, someone more compliant, someone no one would miss.
Maybe even Zhao Chuchu would’ve been easier to control than Ye Sibei.
Qin Nan closed the distance in a few strides. The sound of approaching voices spurred Fan Jiancheng on. "Over here! I'm here!" he screamed.
Hearing the shouts, Qin Nan quickened his pace. Fan Jiancheng, now at a higher level, hurled debris down at him, slowing Qin Nan just enough for the others to catch up. Desperate, Fan Jiancheng fled toward the rooftop. The moment he reached it, Qin Nan seized him by the hair. Fan Jiancheng howled in pain—just as an iron rod smashed into Qin Nan’s back!
The blow sent Qin Nan stumbling forward. Fan Jiancheng kicked out, but Qin Nan retaliated with a swing of his pipe, sending Fan Jiancheng flying. By the time Qin Nan steadied himself, a dozen men had swarmed in, surrounding him.
At their forefront stood a bald man with a thick gold chain around his neck, gripping a steel pipe. He eyed Qin Nan coldly. "You’ve got some nerve causing trouble on my turf, kid. Looking to die?"
"I’m here for Fan Jiancheng," Qin Nan replied calmly, his gaze shifting to the battered man being helped up behind the bald leader. "Step aside, if you don’t mind."
The bald man studied Qin Nan for a moment before breaking into a grin. "I think I know you. You’re the one whose wife got fucked, right?"Hearing this, the crowd burst into laughter. Qin Nan didn’t speak. He slipped his left hand into his pocket and took a step forward. Immediately, everyone tensed up, steel pipes swinging down toward him. Qin Nan sprayed pepper spray wildly around him while swinging his own steel pipe with frenzied force.
"I only want Fan Jiancheng dead!"
Qin Nan roared as pipes struck his body and head. Like a madman, he swung his own pipe, charging straight at Fan Jiancheng.
"Move!"
"Fuck!"
The faint sound of police sirens rose from downstairs, but Qin Nan couldn’t hear them. He couldn’t see the people around him, couldn’t even feel the pain from the metal rods slamming into him. His vision was filled with Fan Jiancheng, retreating step by step under his relentless advance.
He was going to kill him.
No matter what, he was going to kill him.
Blood streamed from his head, bruises covered his body. The others, hearing the sirens, all turned to look at the bald man. The bald man hesitated, then gritted his teeth. "Let’s go."
With that, everyone scattered. Qin Nan kept his eyes locked on Fan Jiancheng, who trembled as he backed away.
"Qin Nan, I was wrong, I was wrong," Fan Jiancheng pleaded, realizing there was nowhere left to run. He dropped to his knees, kowtowing desperately. "I’ll apologize to you, to Ye Sibei. I’ll turn myself in, I’ll give you money—I’m sorry, I’m sorry..."
Qin Nan didn’t respond. Standing in the rain, his blood mixed with the falling droplets.
Slowly, he drew a dagger from his waist, his voice eerily calm. "I don’t trust you."
"I don’t trust the law."
"I," Qin Nan stopped in front of Fan Jiancheng, who looked up in shock at the young man drenched in rain and blood, looming over him, "only trust myself."
Trembling, Qin Nan pulled out his phone. The screen was filled with missed calls from Ye Sibei. He smiled faintly.
Opening the camera, he tapped the video recording button and crouched in front of Fan Jiancheng, raising the phone. "Say sorry to Ye Sibei."
"I’m sorry," Fan Jiancheng nodded frantically. "I’m sorry, Ye Sibei. I’m worse than an animal, I’m a monster. I ruined you, ruined myself, ruined my whole family."
"Say it—Ye Sibei didn’t frame you. You raped her."
"Yes, yes," Fan Jiancheng nodded. "That day, I drugged her. I knew she was short on money, knew she was having problems with you. I thought she was weak, thought she wouldn’t dare speak up even if something happened. Even if she did, for the sake of her loans, for her reputation, for you—she’d have to listen to me."
Qin Nan listened, his gaze cold. "You deserve to die."
"No, no," Fan Jiancheng shook his head. "I don’t deserve death, Qin Nan. Please, calm down. I’ll compensate you, I’ll give you money, I’ll turn myself in, I’ll apologize—I just lost control, I didn’t mean to—"
"Couldn’t control yourself?" Qin Nan laughed. "Even animals have some restraint. You’re worse than an animal."
"Yes, yes," Fan Jiancheng nodded. "I’m an animal, I’m scum. Qin Nan, I have kids, a mother, a wife—they all depend on me. Please don’t kill me, I’m begging you—"
"Too bad," Qin Nan stopped the recording, sent it to Ye Sibei via WeChat, then tossed the phone aside. Standing up, he looked down at Fan Jiancheng. "I don’t."
The moment the words left his mouth, he swung the dagger down at Fan Jiancheng!Fan Jiancheng hastily dodged to the side, but Qin Nan grabbed him by the neck and yanked him back. Fan Jiancheng mustered all his strength, kicking out at Qin Nan before rolling away to escape. Qin Nan leaped forward, pressing Fan Jiancheng’s neck down and slamming him into the ground, then raised his hand to strike!
At that very moment, Zhang Yong shouted, “Qin Nan!”
Qin Nan turned his head and saw the rooftop swarming with police officers, several of them aiming guns at him. Still gripping Fan Jiancheng’s neck, Qin Nan pressed a knife against his throat.
He calmly met Zhang Yong’s gaze. “You got here fast.”
“Ye Sibei asked me to bring you a message!”
Seeing Qin Nan about to act, Zhang Yong urgently called out to him. At the mention of Ye Sibei’s name, Qin Nan’s hand hesitated. Fan Jiancheng trembled uncontrollably, not daring to move. Both he and Qin Nan were at the edge of the rooftop—just a little further, and they would both fall.
Fan Jiancheng looked at Zhang Yong pleadingly. Zhang Yong, panting heavily, said, “I went to see Yang Qiyu today. I know everything about your past—I told her about your feelings for Ye Sibei.”
Zhang Yong was deliberately stalling for time.
Just then, Ye Sibei and Lin Feng finally arrived downstairs. Seeing the ground littered with police cars, Ye Sibei sprinted upstairs like a madwoman.
As she ran, she noticed reporters already arriving, along with people carrying cameras rushing toward other buildings.
Her heart pounded wildly. Lin Feng chased after her, gasping as he warned, “Sibei, you need to hurry. The police have snipers ready as a last resort—”
“There won’t be a last resort!” Ye Sibei roared back before continuing her frantic climb.
Zhang Yong deliberately slowed his speech, recounting the backstory. Qin Nan watched him intently. Zhang Yong glanced around, hearing the voice of another officer in his earpiece: “Sniper in position.”
“She said she’s let it go—that she doesn’t care about this anymore.”
Hearing the words “sniper in position,” Zhang Yong’s heart trembled.
“I don’t believe that.”
Qin Nan seemed oblivious to everything else, his voice steady. “I know her. She hasn’t let it go.”
“I’ve found evidence,” Zhang Yong continued persuasively. “Just give me a little more time, and this case can be reopened. This time, we’ll win. You don’t have to throw away the rest of your life—you still have a good future ahead. Ye Sibei is waiting for you. Have you thought about what will happen to her if you die?”
At this, Qin Nan smiled.
“Zhang Yong, this is just one hurdle in her life. Without Qin Nan, there will be others in Ye Sibei’s life. But without justice, Ye Sibei will spend her whole life questioning this world.”
“The law will give you that justice!” Zhang Yong shouted.
Qin Nan shook his head. “I don’t believe it. What will the court sentence him to? A few years? But how can those few years compare to Sibei’s entire life?”
“Then what do you want? Do you want him dead? Is that the justice you seek?!”
“Yes.”
Qin Nan’s voice remained calm. “If heaven won’t give Sibei justice, then I will.”
“Who asked you to?!”
Ye Sibei burst onto the rooftop, panting heavily. Everyone turned to look. Qin Nan stared at her in shock. Her eyes red, Ye Sibei repeated, “Who asked you to?”
“Come here.”She reached out to him, but Qin Nan didn't move. Ye Sibei looked at him. Though it had only been a day since they last met, for some reason, the person before her felt both strangely unfamiliar and deeply familiar.
She realized that only today had she truly come to understand Qin Nan, even if just a little.
His obsessiveness, his passion, his madness, and even his brokenness.
She looked at the man before her and tentatively stepped forward.
"Qin Nan, one rape won't ruin my entire life."
"One lost lawsuit, one failure, one insult—none of these will ruin my entire life."
"I used to think my pain came from this incident, from being insulted and mocked. But today I finally understand—that's not it."
"The reason I'm afraid, the reason I care, is because deep down, there's no voice affirming me. From childhood till now, I've never received complete love from my parents, never obtained wholehearted affection from anyone in this world. I don't love myself enough, I don't know my own worth."
She stopped before Qin Nan. Zhao Chuchu and Ye Nianwen panted as they caught up, while reporters filmed them from above with drones.
Ye Sibei looked at Qin Nan: "Now I understand. When I saw you fighting so desperately, I suddenly realized—it's not worth it."
"Qin Nan," Ye Sibei said hoarsely, "this incident won't ruin my life. It's just a small episode. In the future, I'll have a good life. I'll have you, I'll learn how to handle my relationship with my mother and our family. I'll know what's right and what's wrong. Where I'm wrong, I'll apologize, but where I'm right, no one can break me."
"Being raped wasn't my fault. The fault lies with the person who raped me."
"What I wear, what job I do, whether I'm careful enough—none of that is wrong. Whoever criticizes me is the one who's out of line."
"If my nude photos or audio are posted online, whoever spreads them, listens to them, or comments on them—they're the trash."
"The wrongdoers don't feel ashamed," Ye Sibei said earnestly, "so why should I?"
"If we lose the case, we'll appeal. If we fail, we'll try again. I'm prepared to fight this battle my whole life, Qin Nan." Ye Sibei raised her hand, her eyes red, her voice hoarse. "Justice shouldn't come at the cost of sacrifice. If justice can only be won by sacrificing you, then it's not justice."
"You've already given me the first half of your life. I can't bear to take the second half."
"Come here."
Ye Sibei looked at him: "No matter what this world is like, no matter how hopeless or dark, we'll change it together."
"Team Leader Zhang," Zhang Yong listened to the voice in his earpiece, "should we shoot?"
"Listen to me," Zhang Yong lowered his voice, "don't act rashly."
All eyes were on Qin Nan. He looked at Ye Sibei, unmoving. She didn't know if he would agree. She wasn't even sure whether Qin Nan wanted to kill Fan Jiancheng for her sake or for his own stubborn obsession.
The drizzle continued to fall. After a long while, Qin Nan slowly smiled.
"There's no suffering that can't be overcome."
His voice was soft, but Ye Sibei heard it.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she smiled back. "There's no despair that can't be endured."
Qin Nan slowly released the knife. Zhao Chuchu covered her mouth, afraid her sobs might startle him.
Qin Nan stood up, raised his hands in surrender, and walked toward Ye Sibei.
The moment he took a step forward, the surrounding police rushed in and pinned him down in the mud.
Ye Sibei collapsed to her knees, watching the young man not far away, pressed down by the crowd, lifting his bruised and muddy face from the ground.
He looked at her, his eyes red, and smiled.
Ye Sibei gazed at his expression, crying and laughing at the same time.
"We made a promise," he said, handcuffed, tilting his head up to keep looking at Ye Sibei. "Together, we'll change the world."
This world may be absurd and unjust, but there is light and love, forever hanging in the sky.
OpenNovel