Chapter 9

But this is not just a dream; it is a painful reality.

Even years later, it remains so vivid. What one wishes to forget becomes forcibly imprinted in memory.

“Zina, let me run some water for you… Why don’t you sit down for a bit? Come, sit down.” Inside the room, Yixuan helped Zina to sit on Ye Chen’s bed. Ye Chen and Mingzi sat on Cai Erman’s bed, while Cai Erman stood in front of the television, gazing out the window, lost in thought.

“Okay.” Zina looked at Yixuan with tear-filled eyes, and gave a faint smile. Such a beautiful gaze, such a beautiful nod…

“Hey, come here.” Yixuan gently tugged on Cai Erman’s sleeve. Puzzled, Cai Erman followed Yixuan towards the bathroom.

“How do you run the water?” Yixuan asked Cai Erman, pointing at the faucet, her tone very natural. Cai Erman, wide-eyed, looked at Yixuan and started to turn the faucet.

After adjusting the water temperature, Cai Erman looked at Yixuan with his palm facing up and fingers pointing at the faucet to indicate: That’s how you do it.

Cai Erman left the bathroom, thinking to himself that someone could still joke at a time like this. Yet, looking at her, she seemed quite serious.

“What did she want from you?” Ye Chen asked Cai Erman.

“Uh… nothing.” For Cai Erman to say Yixuan didn’t know how to run water would be an international joke. Better to stay silent.

“I’m going out for a bit.” Mingzi suddenly stood up, already opening the door as he spoke.

“Where are you going?” Cai Erman asked.

“Just for a walk.”

Cai Erman wanted to say something, but Mingzi had already left.

Ye Chen and Zina watched as Mingzi walked out, saying nothing. Cai Erman turned to look at Zina and Ye Chen and remained silent too.

“Hey! Let’s watch TV! Zina, you like cartoons, right? Hold on a sec.” Cai Erman didn’t know where the inspiration came from, and picked up the remote control, turning on the TV and flipping through the channels.

“Zina, the water’s ready. Go take a bath,” Yixuan said to Zina as she exited the bathroom after about five minutes.

Zina, sitting on Ye Chen’s bed, was hiding something in her sleeve. Yixuan’s call made her jump with fright.

The TV was on, but Zina didn’t glance at it. The person she adored was right in front of her, but still, she kept her head down, silent.

With her head lowered, Zina was fidgeting with something in her hands in small, subtle movements that went unnoticed. Who would be watching her at a moment like this? Yixuan noticed her odd behavior and lightly furrowed her brow. Hearing Yixuan’s call, Zina quickly stashed whatever she was fidgeting with into her sleeve.

It was early summer, and the earth was already a tapestry of flowers in full bloom. From the thirteenth floor, looking down at Shengze College’s campus, everything was lush green, dotted with colors-white, pink, yellow, and purple. The campus was a world of green willows and vibrant blossoms. The weather wasn’t hot that day, and a gentle breeze was blowing, giving off a feeling of being softly caressed by the wind. However, as Cai Erman gazed out the window, his heart felt like a drifting boat on a shallow sea represented by the wind, unable to find a place to anchor. His ship was loaded with relentless anxiety and helplessness that couldn’t be blown away by the breeze.

Yixuan’s call was like a lifeline for Zina; avoiding everyone else was a comfort to her troubled heart. It wasn’t Ye Chen and Cai Erman’s fault; they were too young and faced with an incomprehensible situation. Even rational thinking didn’t cover how to handle something like this.

Zina headed towards the bathroom, and Yixuan moved to sit on Ye Chen’s bed.

“Are you okay?” Ye Chen asked Yixuan, his eyes showing a mix of warmth and confusion, shadowed by unspoken gloom. Yixuan looked at him and smiled, “I’m fine.” Ye Chen’s gaze lingered on Yixuan’s face. Feeling self-conscious, Yixuan looked away towards the TV. Her eyes darted around, wanting to see if Ye Chen was still watching her but not daring to meet his gaze. Her eyes lingered at the corners, hesitating.

“By the way, there’s some apples here, Yixuan. Have a taste,” Cai Erman said, having somehow moved next to the door. He picked up a bag, took out an apple, and handed it to Yixuan. She instinctively accepted it, perhaps not even realizing how quickly she took it. Cai Erman offered one to Ye Chen, but Ye Chen declined.

In the bathroom, Zina slowly undressed, rolling her hair up. On the right side of her neck, there was a small black mark about the size of a thumbnail, which upon closer inspection seemed to be more of a tattoo than a birthmark.

She stepped into the bathtub, gently placing something beside it. Half-sitting in the tub, she scrubbed her body vigorously, scrubbing every area of her skin until the foam from the body wash evaporated, and her skin turned red and nearly raw. Only then would she move on to another spot, continuing to wash and scrub… She repeatedly covered herself in body wash, rinsing off once she was covered in foam, then started again. From her neck down, her skin was reddened from her own scrubbing, yet she persisted.

Finally, she half-sat, picked up the item she’d placed beside the bathtub, held it protectively with both hands, and slowly moved it towards her chest.

Yixuan held the large apple in both hands, watching TV. Cai Erman took an apple and moved to the window to eat it.

Ye Chen lowered his gaze to the floor, lost in thought.

“Let me help you wash… I’ll peel it for you,” Ye Chen suddenly proposed, his eyes landing on the apple in Yixuan’s hands.

He stood up to find a fruit knife, searching through the room’s three tables and three beds but coming up empty.

“I remember putting it right here,” he muttered, puzzled, as he looked at the table beside his bed.

“No way? No way… Hurry!” As Ye Chen widened his eyes at Cai Erman, Cai Erman did the same back at him. Yixuan, who had already sensed something was off when she saw Zina earlier, involuntarily shouted out upon hearing Ye Chen mention the fruit knife.

“Knock, knock! Zina? Zina? Are you finished?” Yixuan called as she, Ye Chen, and Cai Erman hurried to the bathroom door, with Yixuan gently knocking.

Inside, Zina sat still with her head slightly bowed, holding a white handkerchief embroidered with red flowers. Upon hearing the knock, she suddenly lifted her head.

“I’ll be done in a minute. Is there something you need, Yixuan?” Zina asked.

The three outside breathed a collective sigh of relief.

A simple response dispelled their worries. Zina set down the handkerchief, wrapped a towel around her chest, stepped out of the bathtub, and opened the door just enough to show half her face. “Yixuan, what’s up?” she inquired.

“Oh, nothing. Take your time,” Yixuan replied, blushing. Seeing the door open, Ye Chen and Cai Erman quickly stepped aside.

Suicide isn’t something extraordinary; it isn’t an escape. It’s merely a punishment the deceased metes out to those who are still alive-the ones who care about them. Those who choose to escape by taking their own lives never achieve immortality. While life isn’t necessarily about achieving immortality, it’s important that those around you feel happy when they remember you.

“The fruit knife is right here,” Cai Erman commented, reaching for it behind Ye Chen’s computer speaker.

Ye Chen and Yixuan exchanged smiles with Cai Erman, but their faces soon returned to somber expressions.

After about fifteen minutes, Zina emerged from the bathroom.

Her top was a strikingly vibrant red, with the zipper pulled up so high you couldn’t see the color of the clothing underneath. Her beauty remained unchanged, her heart still kind, and her skin as pale as ever. Yet, her eyes seemed to carry something new-a shadowy, moss-like depth.

“Brother, where did you get into trouble this time? Xiao Fang, hurry and get some tissues,” demanded a man with a bushy beard as he walked into the general manager’s office on the fourth floor of Yutian Business KTV.

“Damn it, don’t even mention it,” the man cursed, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his hand.

“Haven’t you learned anything by now?” Fu Yashan, sitting in her chair, exclaimed with a face full of anger.

“Where did you get that punk around here? Find him for me,” the man said, seemingly ignoring Fu Yashan’s words and becoming increasingly unreasonable.

“You!… Ugh… Seriously, you get beaten up and come here to find someone?” Fu Yashan turned her head, took a deep breath, shook her head, and sighed.

“Brother! Who did this to you? Damn it! Isn’t this like provoking a god?” A young man wearing sunglasses burst in and shouted, acting as if he owned the place.

“A god? It’s more like a tyrant! Focus on your studies instead of hanging around with your brother! Let me be clear, if you get into trouble again, I won’t be bailing you out!” Fu Yashan said angrily.

“Sister, our elder brother… he got beaten up like this, and you don’t even seem worried,” the young man said, scratching his cheek with his slightly bent index and middle fingers-a sign of his wariness of the woman before him.

“I got beaten up right here-three little brats in blue work uniforms. They won’t get away with this,” the bearded man said through gritted teeth, holding his mouth.

“What? Blue work uniforms? Well, you probably deserved it. I can’t believe they’d attack you for no reason,” Fu Yashan replied, frowning. She thought to herself that she’d seen people in blue work uniforms somewhere before.

“Come on, let’s go,” the bearded man said, tugging the young man in sunglasses as they exited Fu Yashan’s office.

Fu Yashan’s father, Fu Zhinan, was the largest real estate developer in Hailing City and held the title of the richest person in Hailing for five consecutive years from 2002 to 2005. According to hospital records, he died three years ago from a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. However, one night, his body mysteriously disappeared from the hospital, prompting a police investigation that eventually went unresolved. His lawyer followed his will and allocated two-thirds of his assets to Fu Yashan, leaving only one-third to her elder brother, Fu Lei. The siblings also took on the responsibility of caring for their younger brother, Fu Cheng. Today, Fu Yashan is the second wealthiest individual in Hailing City. Yutian Business KTV became integrated with entertainment programs under her management, hosting successful events like the “Supergirl” contests twice, turning it into a popular spot in the entertainment world. On the other hand, her brother Fu Lei led an unsteady life, involved in property flipping and loan sharking, and was the boss of Hailing’s “Huaying Gang.” He had been detained several times by the police under suspicion of drug trafficking and smuggling.

“Mr. Sun!”

“Oh, you’re here, brother! Come, take a seat!”

Fu Lei and Fu Cheng walked into the Human Resources Department of Yutian Business KTV, and Mr. Sun greeted them with even more enthusiasm than when he saw Fu Yashan.

“I’m not here to sit. I just want to know if you have three young men in blue work uniforms here.”

“Blue work uniforms? Oh, those are workers we borrowed from Qingong Industrial.”

“Where are they staying?” Fu Lei asked, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.