Chapter 15: Call the Police

Qiong Cang sat in the brightly lit hospital receiving an IV drip. Watching the nurses pass by from time to time, she had finally regained her previous cold, unapproachable aura.

But He Jueyun felt that Qiong Cang was not in a very good state. Or rather, she no longer seemed as in control of everything as she had been at the start. She seemed to be brooding over something unknown to him.

He Jueyun gripped the medical record book, pushed off with his feet to slide his chair over, and sat shoulder-to-shoulder with her. He smiled and asked, “Do you know what my character description said when I loaded into the game?”

“Hmm?” Qiong Cang played along and asked, “What?”

He Jueyun crossed his arms and said, “The prototype for this NPC was one of the police officers responsible for investigating the suicide case back then. After Wang Dongyan committed suicide, they conducted a detailed investigation of all the students at First High School. They used the most basic screening methods, trying to find the connection between the three suicide victims. Unfortunately, because the evidence was too scattered, the students kept quiet, and the school administration muddied the waters by giving a lot of misleading clues, making their investigation very convoluted. At one point, they even thought it really was just a coincidence. Because of this, the other side gained the upper hand in public opinion. Many negative voices emerged during the investigation, which contributed to the deaths of the latter two students.”

Qiong Cang looked thoughtful. “I see…”

He Jueyun rubbed his face hard. “Every time they thought about how these students hid things, afraid to tell anyone, anxiously suffering alone until they finally felt they had no choice but to commit suicide, they felt heartbroken. It wasn’t just helplessness, but also the disappointment of not being trusted.”

His expression turned solemn, and his tone was very grave. “People like them work and improve themselves so hard to maintain social stability just to protect more people like Tian Yun, who don’t have the ability to resist yet. They don’t think their ideals are particularly noble, and they understand that this society has many shortcomings. But they really want to tell everyone to call the police. As long as you call the police, no matter how incompetent they might be, they will do their best to help. This society hasn’t reached the point where these girls have to bear everything on their own. Even if it’s just a game, they hope these young people can have a chance to live in this world.”

He Jueyun placed his large hand on Qiong Cang’s head, carefully avoiding her wound as he gave it a gentle rub. He smiled and said, “So, you staying alive is my victory.”

Qiong Cang looked at him seriously, reached up to pull his hand down, and said with the certainty of someone who had thought it over, “Thanks. Your comfort was pretty clumsy, but it was quite sincere.”

He Jueyun: “…”

“But victory is victory. Staying alive isn’t called victory; it’s called a game state. This kind of spiritual victory method of yours is very Ah Q¹,” Qiong Cang said. “Brother Q.”

He Jueyun: “…”

There was no other way to put it-he just felt like punching someone after hearing that.

He took a deep breath and resigned himself to his fate. “Fine. Brother Q it is. It’s much better than ‘weird middle-aged uncle.’ At least it lowers my generation rank a bit.”

“Much better.” Qiong Cang rummaged around and pulled a piece of candy from her pocket. In a weak voice, she said, “Pretty cool.”

He Jueyun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you, little fairy.”

Qiong Cang tried to unwrap the candy. Her fingers, which had been scratched by tools from digging all night, were not very nimble, and she failed to tear open the tough plastic wrapper after several attempts.

He Jueyun watched for a moment, unable to bear it any longer. He took the hard candy from her hand, tore open the wrapper, and fed it to her.

Qiong Cang stared at him for a long time, making He Jueyun feel a bit uneasy, before she finally took the candy into her mouth.

A sweet orange flavor rippled across her tongue, then spread throughout her mouth.

Qiong Cang couldn’t even eat hard candy quietly; she liked to crunch and bite it.

He Jueyun looked away, glancing at the sky outside as he sighed, “It’s already dawn. What a night.”

Qiong Cang looked up. “I’m having my IV removed. Go get the scans, and I’ll wait for you at the entrance.”

He Jueyun: “Sure.”

By the time He Jueyun got the scans and walked out of the hospital, he saw Qiong Cang squatting by the roadside, holding a piece of bread and feeding stray cats.

Since there was a mountain behind the hospital and the area had high foot traffic, many stray cats would pass by during spring and summer looking for food.

They weren’t very afraid of strangers, burying their heads to eat the food before them obediently. Their mouths moved rhythmically as they chewed. Their fur was glossy, and they were quite heavy, carrying the imposing presence of hefty orange cats².

He Jueyun squatted down beside Qiong Cang, holding his jacket. He reached out to pet one of the cats, but the fat feline nimbly dodged him. Pulling his hand back, he smiled and said, “You’re in quite a relaxed mood.”

“Are you sure?” Qiong Cang said. “Everything I do might have a purpose you’d never think of.”

He Jueyun found it funny. “Then what is your purpose right now?”

Qiong Cang thought for a moment. “To show off my kindness?”

He Jueyun nodded. “Well, I think that’s pretty good. You can keep it up.”

Qiong Cang put down the rest of the food, clapped her hands, stood up, and said, “Let’s go back.”

He Jueyun asked, “Should I take you home?”

“No. Wang Dongyan’s mother didn’t approve of her actions. Going back would just lead to an argument,” Qiong Cang said. “Let’s go back to school instead.”

He Jueyun was startled. “Is it really appropriate for you to go to school right now?”

Qiong Cang asked, “Why wouldn’t it be?”

He Jueyun hesitated. “It might not be very safe, right?”

“Wow…” Qiong Cang opened her mouth and said dramatically, “Can someone like me, who’s bent on suicide, even have something as safe as safety?”

He Jueyun: “…”

Qiong Cang waved her hand and urged, “Let’s go. Follow the boss, and I’ll carry you through this level.”

Listening to the conversation between the two, the viewers in the Live Stream Room were instantly distracted from the main point. The atmosphere had lightened up, but the conversation had completely derailed.

“Why does the vibe turn into a comedy duo the moment it gets to these two? Did they consider the audience’s feelings when they automatically tuned to their own channel?”

“Doesn’t stop me from enjoying it. “

“I don’t dare to ship this CP. It’s mainly because both of their character models are just… too mismatched. My imagination won’t allow it.”

“Maybe their ages are reversed in real life? I feel like the big boss must be an old expert with tons of experience, while the young cop’s eyes and energy make him seem like a youth. Is an older woman/younger man romance possible?”

“Can the big boss still carry us to a win? It’d probably be easier to let the police handle the rest, right? Her suicide level is already at 99%, wouldn’t it be better for her to find a quiet place to lie down and rest?”

“What Xiang Qingxi did just now really scared me to death. Damn, is Sanyao making a horror movie? I still haven’t recovered. And why isn’t anyone discussing the plot anymore?”

“The plot is clearly at a dead end now. My IQ has already been ground into the dirt, and I have some self-awareness. I’ve decided to just let the big boss carry me to a win. What is there to be nervous about?”

·

He Jueyun also really wanted to know what Qiong Cang was going to do next.

Ever since she left the hospital, she had behaved very calmly. She didn’t look like she was troubled by the lost evidence, nor did she mention her next plan. Instead, she kept holding her phone, never putting it down, though he didn’t know what she was looking up.

Seeing her busy the entire way, He Jueyun finally couldn’t help but ask, “What are you looking at?”

Qiong Cang kept turning her phone around, taking a moment to reply, “Identifying people by their watches.”

He Jueyun said, “Huh?”

“Watches,” Qiong Cang said. “These are luxury watches, you know. They’re much more recognizable than those ugly faces. They might as well have their names written on them.”

As Qiong Cang spoke, her phone vibrated. She straightened it, opened the text message, and after reading it, said, “Xu Manyan asked me to meet her at her dorm.”

He Jueyun instinctively slowed the car down and frowned. “Xu Manyan?”

Qiong Cang’s fingers tapped quickly as she replied, “I said okay.”

“What does she want?” He Jueyun said seriously. “I suspect Tian Yun’s death is related to the two of them. They aren’t innocent.”

“It doesn’t matter what she wants,” Qiong Cang said. “Aren’t you coming with me anyway?”

Hearing this, He Jueyun actually felt a bit pleased. He nodded and said, “Of course.”

He Jueyun parked the car outside the school and walked in with Qiong Cang.

Classes were in session, and the campus was quiet. Xu Manyan’s old dormitory building was even more deserted; they didn’t see a single soul along the way.

Qiong Cang stopped outside Xu Manyan’s room and knocked on the door.

The person inside seemed to be waiting right by the door, quickly pulling the handle to open it.

The four of them, inside and out, looked at each other.

Qiong Cang hadn’t expected Xiang Qingxi to be there too. Xu Manyan hadn’t expected her to bring a middle-aged man.

Xu Manyan asked, “Dongyan, are you okay?”

He Jueyun stepped in front of Qiong Cang, forcing Xu Manyan back half a step.

Qiong Cang pushed him aside and said, “I’m fine. He’s a police officer.”

Xu Manyan looked at He Jueyun, showing hesitation.

He Jueyun asked, “Is it inconvenient?”

Xu Manyan pondered for a long time, then as if making up her mind, she stepped back and said, “It’s fine. Come in first.”

The door closed, and the four of them stood in their respective corners, maintaining a psychological safe distance.

Qiong Cang looked around.

It was indeed an old dormitory building. The walls were peeling and mottled, and the stone tiles on the floor had discolored.

Xu Manyan whispered, “I just wanted Xiaoxi to apologize to you. She was out of her mind when she hit you. I only found out this morning that she didn’t mean to.”

Xiang Qingxi stood to the side, her clasped hands still trembling. Her gaze was fixed on He Jueyun.

Xu Manyan pleaded with He Jueyun, “Please don’t arrest her, it has nothing to do with her! I beg you.”

He Jueyun scanned their faces and put on a friendly expression.

“Don’t be so nervous. Do I look that scary?” He Jueyun took out his badge, pinned it to his chest, and pointed the emblem on the wallet toward them. “Does this make you feel safer? The radiance of socialism³.”

Qiong Cang shivered. “So cold…”

Xu Manyan twitched the corners of her mouth, but she really couldn’t laugh. In the end, she only managed a grimace that looked worse than crying.

He Jueyun asked about the main issue, “Are the photos still there?”

“They’re still here. I didn’t let her delete them.” Xu Manyan turned around and took a camera out of the desk, cradling it in her hands. She was highly unstable, her fingers turning white from gripping the edges too hard.

Qiong Cang asked, “Who are those people?”

In a daze, Xu Manyan rattled off a few names, then added, “The Principal doesn’t actually come often, but he occasionally participates and even helps select the girls. Two of them are investors in the school.”

Qiong Cang walked over and pressed her hands down to help her relax. She said, “I can let this matter go. What I want to know more is, why are you so afraid? Is it because of the photos, or because… you’re afraid someone will investigate the cause of Tian Yun’s death? She definitely went to find you before she died. At the time, she went with Xiang Qingxi.”

Xiang Qingxi finally spoke, her voice flat. “It was me. I accidentally pushed her off the rooftop.”

“No, it was me!” Xu Manyan cried out, her body going limp as tears poured down. “It was me… The photos she got had me in them. After Xiaoxi told me, I wanted to talk to Tian Yun.”

Xiang Qingxi cried, “Yanzi!”

“Shut up!” Xu Manyan yelled. “I’m tired, I’m really tired! I can’t take responsibility for you guys anymore, I just can’t!”

Xiang Qingxi froze.

“When Tian Yun came to see me, I was very worked up, and so was she. I told her not to do it, but she refused. She said if she couldn’t go to college, she’d be ruined, and even if she did, she wouldn’t have any money. I said I could give her money, but she wouldn’t listen.”

Xu Manyan spoke incoherently, rambling back and forth, her words rapid and slurred.

“I ran to the edge and said I would jump. She told me not to force her, and then she ran over too. I went to grab her phone, and by the time I snapped out of it, she had already fallen. I didn’t mean to… I didn’t want to kill her, but I was so scared, so I went to them and asked what I should do.”

Xu Manyan could barely catch her breath. She gasped out a couple of sharp sobs before continuing, “They said they would handle it for me, told me to be good and keep quiet. But in the end, Zhou Nansong still found out. I didn’t mean to drive her to her death! I thought it was already over.”

Xu Manyan looked up, her eyes bloodshot, and dropped straight to her knees in front of them.

Startled, He Jueyun reached out to help her up, but Xu Manyan jerked her hand away in agitation.

“Why? I don’t understand. I just wanted to study in peace. But that beast, he tricked me into going out, drugged me, and took photos to threaten me!” Xu Manyan cried. “He didn’t just harass me, he wanted to go after Xiaoxi too. I had no choice. They made the rules, and I had no power to choose. I had to do it. And since I did, why shouldn’t I get something out of them? I just wanted everyone to have an easier time.”

She pounded her fists against the ground to vent. “I finally made it to my senior year! I was so close to leaving! Why did he have to make things hard for me again? That beast will never stop. He went and ruined other girls, and that’s why all of this happened!”

Xiang Qingxi stepped forward to hug her. Leaning against Xiang Qingxi’s shoulder, Xu Manyan wept uncontrollably. “I want to grow up, I want to graduate, I want to go to A Medical University, I want to be a respected person… not… not become a murderer because of a piece of trash! Where did I go wrong? How did it turn out like this…”

Qiong Cang pulled a few tissues from the box on the table and placed them in front of Xu Manyan. Xiang Qingxi patted her back, gently soothing her.

No one else in the room spoke, letting her vent her emotions.

Once Xu Manyan finally calmed down, He Jueyun said, “I want to go up to the rooftop to take a look.”

Choking back her tears, Xu Manyan nodded.

Supporting each other, she and Xiang Qingxi walked up the side stairs to the rooftop.

Pushing open the iron door to the rooftop, Xu Manyan stopped at the threshold, unwilling to go any further. Xiang Qingxi led the way instead, guiding the other two to the edge.

Xiang Qingxi pointed to a spot ahead and said softly, “Yanzi struggled with her here. Both of them were very worked up, but she really just wanted to get her phone back.”

Qiong Cang looked down at the spot, her voice sounding a bit faint in the wind. “Are you sure it was here?”

“Yes,” Xiang Qingxi nodded. “The phone flew out, landing in the middle of the roof. Yanzi and I ran to grab it, so we weren’t looking. Then we heard a loud thud. When we turned around, Tian Yun was gone.”

Xiang Qingxi covered her face and said hoarsely, “We didn’t mean to do it.”

He Jueyun listened to her, standing at the edge of the rooftop for a long time before saying, “The surface isn’t smooth. At this distance, and with a short railing at the edge acting as a barrier, it would be impossible for a high school student to accidentally push someone over.”

Xiang Qingxi said frantically, “It’s true! I’m not lying to you! It was just an accident. Yanzi… Yanzi…”

As she spoke, the truth suddenly dawned on her. Her chest, which had been heaving violently, stilled as she held her breath. Her gaze drifted toward the distance, growing unfocused.

“Tian Yun…” Xiang Qingxi’s lips trembled. “So…”

Qiong Cang finished her sentence. “So, she jumped on her own.”

He Jueyun said, “According to the photos taken at the scene, there were no scuff marks near the edge of the roof. If she had slipped, the forensics experts wouldn’t have missed the footprints. Moreover, when she died, she was wearing a pair of old shoes. The soles of those shoes were dirty, so any scuff marks would have been very obvious. That is why the police closed the case as a suicide.”

Qiong Cang stepped onto the raised platform at the edge and looked down, standing right in the path of the wind.

Below lay a vast emptiness. Everything in sight looked tiny, and standing in this spot, one could feel an unprecedented sense of peace.

“She must have felt so tired. Her family, the school she grew up in, none of it gave her peace. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake off those burdens. The worst criminals go unpunished, and the only way to get revenge required sacrificing other innocent girls, including her own friends. She probably didn’t want to see you suffer like her, either.” Qiong Cang lowered her head. Her words sounded emotionless, yet they carried an undercurrent of endless sorrow.

“Maybe for just a second or two, she suddenly realized that if she jumped from here, she could escape the crushing pain. It was only a step away. And then her mind went blank, she forgot about everything else, and she just did it.”

Hearing this from a distance, Xu Manyan swayed and collapsed to the ground. Xiang Qingxi walked over to her side, and the two looked at each other before breaking down in tears, holding each other.

A mixture of relief, release, and a lingering sadness washed over them.

Although they still felt guilty toward Tian Yun, at this moment, the heavy shackles on them were mostly lifted, giving them a brief respite from their constant self-condemnation.

Qiong Cang stepped forward a bit more. The sensation of the wind brushing against her felt almost addictive, cooling the physical and mental feverishness within her.

A pair of hands suddenly grabbed her clothes tightly and yanked her back.

Qiong Cang turned around and asked blankly, “What are you doing?”

He Jueyun said, “I was worried you’d jump.”

“I told you, I wouldn’t choose to jump. Even if I were to commit suicide,” Qiong Cang paused for a long breath, “I would choose a method where I wouldn’t actually die.”

He Jueyun asked, “Can that even be called suicide?”

Qiong Cang looked puzzled. “Why not?”

He Jueyun was left speechless for a moment. He pulled her along as he walked back toward Xu Manyan.

Xu Manyan kept wiping her tears with her sleeve, murmuring, “I’m sorry. If only I had been braver back then, Zhou Nansong wouldn’t have died.”

Qiong Cang and He Jueyun exchanged a look, neither of them quite knowing how to comfort the girl.

They had no doubt that of the latter two who had committed suicide, one would have been Xu Manyan.

Qiong Cang knelt on one knee in front of her, cupped her face, and forced her to look up. Word by word, she said, “You did nothing wrong. From now on, you can live your life with a clean conscience and hold your head high. Even if we are assigning blame, there is a long line of people ahead of you. It is nowhere near your turn.”

Xu Manyan gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Me? Clean and innocent?”

He Jueyun spoke up loudly, “How are you not? They’re the dirty ones, which is why they spend all day trying to whitewash themselves.”

Xu Manyan shifted her gaze to look at him again.

Aside from Xiang Qingxi’s comfort, no one had ever told her so solemnly that it wasn’t her fault. Those people would only tell her, “You’re finished,” “You won’t have a good life either,” “You’re just someone who sells her body,” and “Your past is too shameful to look at.”

Xu Manyan sobbed, her body trembling, but it was as if she had grabbed onto a lifesaving piece of driftwood.

He Jueyun took off his coat and handed it to them, patting their shoulders in encouragement. “The wind is strong on the rooftop. Xiang Qingxi, help your friend downstairs. Let’s rest for a bit, then we’ll take the physical evidence to the station to make a detailed statement. We’ll go over everything carefully and see how to bring them to justice. It’s going to be fine. Trust me, we won’t reveal the witnesses’ identities to anyone.”

Xiang Qingxi asked, “Those photos…”

“Law enforcement agencies will keep the victims’ information confidential,” He Jueyun said. “Especially for minors and students. The public won’t know who you are.”

“In sexual assault cases, witnesses don’t have to appear in court. Even if they do, it won’t be a public trial. The audio can also be voice-altered,” Qiong Cang said. “And even in the worst-case scenario, if the public does find out, the victim is still the victim. The one who should feel ashamed is not the victim. People aren’t as harsh as you think.”

Xiang Qingxi murmured, “Really?”

“Really.” Qiong Cang nodded. “Negative emotions can drive people to make extreme choices and poor judgments. But in reality, once some time has passed, you’ll look back and realize it was no big deal. The two of you are currently under the influence of negative emotions and aren’t in the right state of mind to make decisions. Leave the rest to the police.”

Xu Manyan nodded.

The group went back down the stairs, their steps much lighter this time.

When they reached the corner of the third floor, Xiang Qingxi and Xu Manyan returned to their dorm, but Qiong Cang didn’t stop, continuing onward.

Noticing this, He Jueyun quickly called out, “Wang Dongyan.”

Qiong Cang stopped.

Resting his hand on the banister, He Jueyun looked down at her and asked, “Where are you going?”

Qiong Cang made a gesture. “To find a soft persimmon and test my grip.”

“Huh?” He Jueyun said. “Are there even persimmons in this season?”

Qiong Cang only asked, “Do you have a high-definition pinhole camera?”

“If it’s high-def, it’s not pinhole; if it’s pinhole, it’s not high-def,” He Jueyun said. “It’ll definitely be possible in a couple of years, but this Instance doesn’t provide it.”

“Then I’ll choose pinhole,” Qiong Cang said.

“Sure, I’ll request one from the station when I get back,” He Jueyun said. “What reason should I use?”

Qiong Cang said with a look of distaste, “…Too troublesome, forget it. I’ll just use my phone.”

She continued downstairs, and He Jueyun followed closely behind.

Qiong Cang stopped again and waved her hand. “My friend, don’t follow me, seriously. Go comfort Xiang Qingxi and Xu Manyan, show them more of the light of humanity in our country, and while you’re at it, boost the audience’s spirits and spread some legal awareness. How meaningful is that? You’ll have plenty to keep you busy later.”

He Jueyun cast a suspicious look at her and asked, “What is your Suicide Progress at?”

Qiong Cang held up one finger. “Maybe Wang Dongyan already knew about this, so it only went up by one percent this time.”

“So it’s ninety-six percent now?” He Jueyun said. “Be careful, that value is very dangerous.”

“Wow,” Qiong Cang said. “Everything I do next will only make me feel exceptionally happy.”

He Jueyun laughed, thinking that made sense.

Xu Manyan and Xiang Qingxi’s willingness to testify was already a major breakthrough for the investigation. The truth could be revealed, and Wang Dongyan should be able to rest easy.

“What happy thing are you planning to do?” He Jueyun asked. “Share it. The police and the public are one big family, after all.”

Qiong Cang stopped and thought for a moment. “I just think that the media always loves to dig into the victim’s past, especially in sexual assault cases. It’s as if finding the victim’s faults and labeling them with all kinds of dirty tags can prove the perpetrator was right. Don’t those people pride themselves on being successful and having the most say? They aren’t likely to accept their failure so easily.”

He Jueyun nodded. “Yes, they are very good at guiding public opinion and exploiting legal loopholes.”

“I’m just going to add some fuel to the fire,” Qiong Cang said. “I’m past the age where I need others to worry about me.”

He Jueyun smiled. “That has nothing to do with age. People who care about you will always worry about you.”

Although he said this, he didn’t press further, only waving his hand. “Go and come back quickly. Keep in touch.”

“Mm,” Qiong Cang replied.

The author has something to say:

Qiong Cang: Let my performance begin.

Translator’s Notes