“I have what…” Shu Nian instinctively continued his sentence, but before she could finish, her expression froze, and she stared at him blankly. “You, you can speak?”

Xie Ruhe withdrew his gaze and said nothing more.

After realizing what had happened, Shu Nian’s heart filled with irritation at being tricked. Perhaps because she rarely encountered such situations, her entire face turned red with anger, leaving her speechless.

After a while, Shu Nian sullenly managed to say, “How could you do this… you lied.”

Xie Ruhe frowned. “I never said so.”

“Exactly.” His response made Shu Nian even angrier. “You never said anything. When I asked if you couldn’t speak, you said nothing. Now you’re telling me you never said you couldn’t speak. You’re too much!”

Shu Nian couldn’t think of any harsh words to say and couldn’t bring herself to curse. Her speech became incoherent.

Her string of words sounded like a tongue twister.

Xie Ruhe didn’t catch everything, only hearing the last five words she said. When she stopped, he lifted his eyelids and calmly asked, “Done scolding?”

Shu Nian was stunned and immediately protested, “I wasn’t scolding you.”

Hearing this, Xie Ruhe’s demeanor remained casual. “Then I guess not.”

“…”

This attitude was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire.

Shu Nian’s eyes were round and large, naturally somewhat downturned, making her look inexplicably pitiful at this moment. She took a deep breath and said stiffly, “Just now I defended you, and you turned around and said I also have a defect.”

Xie Ruhe’s lips moved, but he hadn’t said anything yet.

Shu Nian quickly continued, “Is this because I wrongly accused you that day?”

“…”

“Then I’m sorry!” Her tone was fierce, yet she was like a small kitten trying to scratch with clawless paws. “I’ve been trying to apologize to you all this time, but you wouldn’t listen.”

“I didn’t have time.”

“You’re lying.” Shu Nian bluntly exposed him. “You just wanted to hold a grudge against me. But I’m still so young, it’s perfectly normal that I didn’t think things through completely. And I’m willing to correct my mistakes, which is a noble virtue.”

“…”

“I lent you an umbrella, I did a good deed. Because of that, I was even scolded by my mother, and yet you treat me this way. You’re too, too… not…” Shu Nian couldn’t bring herself to curse, so she changed her words. “You’re too much!”

Xie Ruhe, twice labeled as “too much,” found it amusing. “You came to apologize?”

“Yes.” Shu Nian immediately suppressed her anger, her voice becoming subdued, not forgetting her original intention, though she felt stifled. She took a deep breath and after a moment said, “I’m sorry, I was too subjective that day. I said the wrong thing and wrongfully accused you.”

Xie Ruhe gave a light “mm” in response.

Shu Nian said, “Since you acknowledged it, that means you accept my apology, right?”

But he had no further reaction.

Shu Nian didn’t want to speak with him anymore either. She pressed her lips together and walked toward the staircase.

“Goodbye then.”

For a long time after that, Shu Nian didn’t see Xie Ruhe again. He was on the third floor, she was on the second; unless deliberately seeking each other out, they wouldn’t coincidentally meet.

Shu Nian gradually put this little episode, as well as this person, out of her mind.

In the blink of an eye, half a semester passed, and they welcomed the midterm exams. After the results came out, the school arranged a parent-teacher meeting.

Then, something happened at the school.

A big incident.

Just two days after the parent-teacher meeting.

Chen Xiang from Class 5, Grade 2 of Shiyan Junior High School didn’t return home after school. Her parents called the homeroom teacher at ten o’clock that night. The teacher immediately contacted a girl who was close to Chen Xiang, only to learn that she had been picked up by her father after school and had not gone home with Chen Xiang as usual.

Chen Xiang’s parents immediately realized the seriousness of the problem and reported it to the police station.

The small town’s facilities were outdated, with most areas lacking surveillance cameras. After two days of investigation, the police still couldn’t find any trace of Chen Xiang. They only knew that the last place she was seen was at a convenience store near the school.

Shu Nian learned this news from Chen Hanzheng.

During lunchtime, with no air conditioning in the classroom and old fans that had little effect when turned on, Shu Nian went with a group of classmates she got along with to eat lunch at the stairway entrance.

It was well-ventilated there, much better than the stuffy classroom.

Five or six people were chattering away.

Adhering to the principle of not talking while eating, Shu Nian hadn’t spoken, but she was listening carefully to what they were saying.

After quite a while, Chen Hanzheng suddenly lowered his voice and said mysteriously, “Hey, have you heard? Chen Xiang from Class 5 has been missing for two days.”

Hearing this, the others immediately fell silent.

Shortly after, a boy said with a grin, “Maybe she ran away from home? Probably staying at a friend’s place.”

“They’ve already reported it to the police, so it’s not that.”

One of the girls spoke up, seemingly incredulous, her voice stuttering, “H-how could she go missing?”

“Chen Xiang…” He Xiaoying recalled, “Isn’t she the girl the principal mentioned during the flag-raising ceremony?”

“That’s right.”

None of them were from Class 5, so they only remembered Chen Xiang because of last week’s event.

Two weeks ago, Chen Xiang participated in a youth violin competition in the city and won first prize. During Monday’s flag-raising ceremony, the principal had repeatedly praised her several times on stage.

It hadn’t been long, so everyone still remembered it quite clearly.

“Anyway, they still haven’t found her.” Chen Hanzheng suddenly looked at Shu Nian. “And also, do you know that Xie Ruhe’s father came to the parent-teacher meeting this time.”

It had been a long time since she had heard this name.

Shu Nian’s expression was still blank as if trying to remember who that was.

Another boy found his sudden remark strange. “Isn’t a parent-teacher meeting for parents to attend? What’s so strange about Xie Ruhe’s father coming?”

“My family lives near Xie Ruhe’s.” Chen Hanzheng’s eyes flashed with disgust. “His father is a drunkard who always beats him and his mother.”

Hearing this, Shu Nian stopped using her chopsticks and looked at Chen Hanzheng.

“I heard it from a friend in Class 5. That day when Xie Ruhe’s father came, Chen Xiang was a class monitor, and when she was pouring water for the parents, she accidentally spilled water on Xie Ruhe’s father.”

“Did he hit Chen Xiang then?”

“No, he didn’t.” Chen Hanzheng said, “But don’t you think it’s a bit coincidental? She didn’t go missing earlier or later, but right after Chen Xiang spilled water on Xie Ruhe’s father, she disappeared.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Shu Nian immediately understood what Chen Hanzheng was implying.

The others also instantly considered that possibility and were frightened. “No way…”

Although Shu Nian had no good feelings toward Xie Ruhe, she still felt that what Chen Hanzheng was saying was very inappropriate. “Chen Hanzheng, this is a serious matter. It hasn’t been confirmed, so you shouldn’t spread rumors.”

Chen Hanzheng had been particularly upset about Shu Nian constantly going to find Xie Ruhe for some time.

If it had been before, Chen Hanzheng would have shut up by now. But hearing her words at this moment, he inexplicably became even more angry. “Why do you always defend Xie Ruhe? Do you like him or something?”

Shu Nian didn’t understand how he could reach such a conclusion.

She explained good-naturedly, “I’m not defending Xie Ruhe, nor am I speaking for his father. I just think we shouldn’t jump to conclusions rashly. This accusation is serious, and no one should bear it lightly.”

“Shu Nian, who are you lecturing with all these principles? Isn’t it annoying?” Chen Hanzheng’s expression was cold, completely disregarding her words. “And you’re blind. Let me tell you in advance, that domestic violence is hereditary.”

“…”

The other classmates seemed to find a point of humor and burst into laughter.

Shu Nian gripped her chopsticks tightly and lowered her eyes to close her lunchbox. She stood up, hugging her lunchbox, and walked downstairs, quietly, without making a sound.

Someone called from behind, “Shu Nian, where are you going? Are you angry already?”

Shu Nian didn’t respond, not even slowing her steps.

They had originally been sitting on the staircase at the lower part of the second floor. Going down another flight would lead to the first floor.

Shu Nian planned to find a random place to finish her lunch. She looked around, wondering whether to simply return to the classroom when she suddenly noticed someone emerging from the triangular space beneath the first-floor staircase.

Shu Nian looked over and froze.

Compared to two months ago, the boy’s hair had grown a bit longer over his forehead. His pupils were pitch-black and calm, with an intense darkness about him. Despite wearing a clean school uniform and standing in bright light, he seemed to exist in darkness.

Xie Ruhe looked at Shu Nian, his eyes filled with an indiscernible emotion.

Shu Nian lowered her eyes in thought, her soft hair falling to her shoulders, her fair fingers fidgeting with the lunchbox. She was almost certain he had heard what they had said. She freed one hand and rummaged in her pocket for a while, pulling out a mango candy.

Just like their first meeting.

She walked over and placed the candy in his hand.

“Have a candy.”

Another week passed.

Chen Xiang was found. But she was no longer a vibrant life; she had become a cold corpse. Lying alone, she had died in the bushes beside Culture Street.

In this small town of Shiyan, this was the biggest and most serious incident that had occurred in recent years.

Chen Xiang’s relatives couldn’t accept this reality and came to the school every day to cause a commotion, crying until they nearly fainted. Sitting in the classroom, Shu Nian could hear the heart-wrenching sounds from outside.

This incident made headlines.

The police paid special attention to this case, sending many officers from the city. They investigated starting with Chen Xiang, then her parents and their surroundings, considering all possibilities, yet still couldn’t capture any trace of the murderer.

In this peaceful and stable small town, there was suddenly a killer.

A killer who couldn’t be seen or caught.

It caused widespread panic.

No one dared to let their children stay outside alone anymore.

During that period, parents personally escorted their children to and from school.

Even Shu Nian—though Deng Qingyu was busy with work—was taken to school by her mother every day, who also arranged for a friend to pick up Shu Nian when picking up her child.

As time passed, the incident gradually faded.

Some speculated that the killer had likely already fled, leaving the small town. After the winter break ended and some time had passed, most families returned to letting their children go to school on their own and then return home together with friends.

Later on.

Shu Nian suddenly discovered that every day, going to and from school,

There was someone who had been silently following her.

She gripped her backpack straps and looked back.

The boy’s figure was slender yet tall. Despite the cold weather, he only wore a school uniform jacket over his clothes, never zipping it up. His skin was sickly pale, and his lips had a purple tinge.

His almond eyes were pitch-black yet bright, tinged with a few points of gentleness.

Standing three meters away from her.

No closer, no further.