Li Yunmo quickly slipped into the passenger seat, sourly watching Zhang Jingchan shift gears, step on the gas, and skillfully control the steering wheel. He muttered, “What first time? Your first time isn’t its first time. I’ve been driving it for three days already, and you didn’t say anything about it.”

Zhang Jingchan: “What three days? Didn’t this car just arrive today?”

Li Yunmo reached out to touch his forehead, but Zhang Jingchan tilted his head to dodge. Li Yunmo said, “Are you still running a fever? Are you dizzy? This car arrived several days ago. Yesterday I even helped you drive it back from school.”

Zhang Jingchan furrowed his brow slightly, finally realizing what he had missed. The last memory in his mind was from last Friday evening—he had jumped into water to save a girl. He’d caught a bit of chill at the time, went home, showered, and slept.

Now it was Tuesday.

Zhang Jingchan drove in silence for a while, then suddenly asked, “What else did I do these three days? Tell me one by one.”

After arriving at the classroom and sitting down, Zhang Jingchan was still lost in thought.

Until the study committee member, face slightly flushed, placed a stack of photocopied materials in front of him and said, “Zhang Jingchan, are you feeling better? Did you make up yesterday’s homework?”

Zhang Jingchan glanced at the study committee member. She was interested in him—he knew that. But he had always thought the rejection signals he gave were clear enough.

“What’s this?”

Study committee member: “…The review materials we talked about yesterday. You said you wanted a copy too, so I photocopied them for you.”

Zhang Jingchan extended his slender, pale fingers and rubbed his temple, saying, “Thanks. I won’t dare trouble you in the future.”

The study committee member’s face darkened. “Then hand in your homework to me.”

Zhang Jingchan’s body stiffened slightly. His hand slowly reached into his backpack and pulled out his homework notebook. He didn’t remember doing homework, but possessed by some strange impulse, he flipped it open to look—

Completely unfamiliar, delicate handwriting filled two full pages. With just a brief glance, he could tell at least half of it was wrong.

Zhang Jingchan quickly closed the homework notebook. “The homework isn’t finished. I’ll turn it in tomorrow.”

He pressed his chest—his heart was pounding wildly. He had encountered a ghost in the water! And it was a poor-student female ghost!

——

2022.

Li Weiyi exited Chenshi bus station, hailed a taxi, and rushed like the wind to the outside of her sister’s residential complex. Two police cars were parked there. Her heart sank as she ran toward the complex.

From afar, she could see a small circle of people gathered downstairs from the building where her sister lived. She rushed over. They were discussing:

“…Lives in 2203… Parents called the police…”

“Said their daughter was going to commit suicide, won’t open the door…”

“The police and parents are all upstairs…”

“Don’t know if they’ve pried the door open…”

Li Weiyi rushed toward the building entrance but was stopped by police at the cordon.

“My sister is Li Xiaoyi who lives in 2203. I’m her younger sister—let me go up!”

“No. Your parents have already gone up, and the police have gone up too. We still don’t know what the situation is upstairs. No more people can go up. Wait here for now.”

“But…”

Li Weiyi was about to argue further when suddenly her whole body turned cold, as if struck by an icy wind from nowhere that chilled her to the bone. She turned her head and saw a figure rapidly falling from high above. There was a loud “bang,” and everyone present let out a scream and retreated several steps.

Li Weiyi’s legs felt like they were filled with lead. She walked over step by step and crouched down in front of her sister. Her sister’s eyes were still open, dying with eyes wide open. Blood was spreading beneath her body. In a daze, Li Weiyi heard her parents’ cries coming from far away. She stared blankly at her sister and said, “Sis, I came too late… too late… It’s because I’m useless, I’m too useless… Sister, don’t die, don’t die…”

Li Weiyi collapsed to the ground beside the pool of blood, flesh, and bones, crying her heart out.

At the same time, at Xiangcheng Xianghui Third Affiliated Hospital, emergency room.

The light went out. A doctor came out and said to Zhang Jingchan, “I’m sorry. The patient took too large an amount of pesticide. The toxicity was high, and he was discovered too late. Multiple organs failed. We couldn’t save him. Please accept our condolences.”

Zhang Jingchan had rushed over from outside, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, as if covered in a layer of frost. He stood motionless and said, “Thank you for your efforts.” Wu Xinhui beside him had already collapsed to the ground crying. Li Yunmo, who had come with Zhang Jingchan, quickly helped support Wu Xinhui, consoling her with red eyes, “Auntie, please accept our condolences.” But he couldn’t say much more.

Zhang Jingchan had already walked alone into the emergency room.

But he seemed to have only made a quick circle inside. Li Yunmo had just reached the doorway supporting Wu Xinhui when he turned and came back out. Aside from reddened eyes, no emotional fluctuation could be seen.

He glanced at Li Yunmo and said, “Call the secretary to bring a few people over to help handle the funeral arrangements. When they arrive, come find me at the World Trade Center office building. The appointment with Hongyun Capital this afternoon is at 1:30. I’ll head over first.”

Li Yunmo opened his mouth, then closed it.

Wu Xinhui grabbed Zhang Jingchan’s arm and shrieked, “Your father just died and you’re going to work? You’re not human! You’re not human! Do you have no heart? You beast!”

Zhang Jingchan pulled his arm from his mother’s grasp, his expression fierce as he roared, “He’s dead, but the money still needs to be repaid! I still owe seven hundred million—I could pay it off in five years! But he gave up, he committed suicide! Did he think that would set me free? You don’t understand anything. All these years, what he endured, what I endured—you don’t understand any of it!”

Zhang Jingchan strode away.

——

Chenshi.

Li Xiaoyi’s body had been covered with a white cloth, awaiting police transport.

Nearly half the residential complex was watching. Mother Li had cried herself unconscious and been taken away in an ambulance. Father Li, tears streaming down his face, was like a walking corpse.

Zhou Zhihao’s parents and sisters also rushed over. Upon learning their son had been stabbed to death by his wife, they let out earth-shattering wails and rushed forward to attack the Li family, but were stopped by police.

Li Weiyi had been crouching beside Li Xiaoyi’s body the whole time. No one could pull her away. After a while, she suddenly stood up and said to Father Li, “Dad, you need to hold on. Take care of Mom and Niuniu. I’m leaving.”

Father Li looked at her in disbelief. “Where are you going?”

The sky’s light was blinding, buildings towered all around, everyone nearby was making noise. Li Weiyi said softly, “I’m going to save my sister. I will definitely bring her back.”

Li Weiyi returned to Xiangcheng. On her taxi ride to that section of riverbank, she received a call from Sister Zhou: “Weiyi, let me tell you, you need to prepare yourself mentally. I received inside information—you… you’re on the list.”

This time, Sister Zhou notified her earlier than last time. Probably because she wasn’t at the company during the day.

Night shrouded the riverbank. Dark clouds gathered—wind and rain were imminent.

Li Weiyi walked to the waterside wooden steps from last time, the exact same position, and sat down. This time she didn’t cry—her tears had already dried up the last time.

She had to get into Zhang Jingchan’s car at the same time.

Say the same words as that day, do the same things.

Everything had to be exactly the same, down to the smallest detail.

She didn’t know how long she waited. The rain was already pouring down.

Until a black umbrella blocked the rain overhead.

Li Weiyi looked up. He looked exactly the same as last time.

Overcoat and suit, imposing bearing, slightly furrowed brow, dark eyes.

But in Li Weiyi’s mind appeared the image from eight years ago—that wanton youth with refined brow bones.

Her tears fell without warning.