I sat beside Master Rong’s bed and gently patted him.

He slowly opened his eyes and asked in a low voice, “A’Jin? What’s wrong?”

“Master Rong, come out for a moment.” I glanced at the sister-in-law sleeping beside him and also spoke in a low voice. “I have something I want to ask you.”

Walking into the living room, I was about to go out when I suddenly remembered something.

It was cold on the rooftop. I needed to put on my shirt.

I clearly remembered hanging my shirt on the coat rack, but I found it on the sofa instead.

But clothes didn’t really matter to me. Even if they were gone, it wouldn’t matter.

I put on my shirt and went to the rooftop to wait for Master Rong.

Master Rong delayed for a while before coming up. He looked like he hadn’t fully woken up.

“What’s wrong, A’Jin? It’s so late.” He wrapped himself in a bathrobe and sniffed. “Did you run into some difficult problem?”

“Yes, I ran into a very, very difficult problem.” I bit my teeth and asked, “Master Rong, why do you need money?”

Master Rong paused for a moment and said, “I already told you. I want to wash my hands of this business, so I need to save some money for my coffin.”

“Then why did you borrow money from Master Tong? Your own savings should be enough for retirement.”

He fell silent again before saying, “At this point, I’m not afraid to tell you. A’Jin, I took money from the gang to Macau and lost over eight hundred thousand.”

“I see…” I quietly lowered my head.

The last time Master Rong lost money and got chopped by over thirty people, I was the one who settled it for him.

This time I wasn’t there. Who could settle it for him?

“Before this matter was exposed, I had to find a way to fill the funding gap in the gang.” Master Rong said calmly. “I couldn’t pay back money borrowed from anyone, so I could only choose Fat Tong, who I’d had conflicts with before.”

“You stole the gang’s money to gamble. Didn’t Jiu Zi try to stop you?” I asked.

“A’Jiu…” Master Rong’s eyes were evasive. “If it weren’t for A’Jiu… I would have made it all back that day in Macau sooner or later! He’s the one who wouldn’t let me gamble! What the hell is he anyway?”

My heart ached fiercely.

What was he?

He was my brother.

“A’Jin, A’Jiu was definitely bought off by Fat Tong!” Master Rong said through gritted teeth. “When I was borrowing money, he kept obstructing me. After I borrowed it, he kept telling me to return it as soon as possible. Why did I raise such a traitor? If it weren’t for me, could he have lived until now?”

I nodded and asked, “You said Jiu Zi kept trying to persuade you to return the money. Did he persuade you on the rooftop or at home?”

“That woman is at home. I told him not to talk about this sort of thing there! So it could only be on the roof—”

He choked on his words.

My eyes felt terrible, as if something was about to flow out.

“Master Rong, Jiu Zi was hacked to death by Master Tong on the road fleeing to Guangdong, yet he came here to persuade you to return the money.”

I covered my forehead, feeling extremely sorrowful.

Every single day of these four years, I had fantasized about reuniting with Master Rong and Jiu Zi.

I had never imagined that this would be the ending waiting for me.

Before I could say anything else, I suddenly felt something ice-cold in my lower abdomen.

Something had pierced into my belly.

By reflex, I reached out my right hand to grip the other person’s Adam’s apple, and pressed down with my left hand to restrain their wrist.

But who else was here?

The only one who could stab me was Master Rong.

Master Rong’s eyes were wide open. He looked very angry.

But he had stabbed me—why would he be angry?

And my fingers gripping his Adam’s apple were also trembling.

Why was all of this happening?

Master Rong slowly pulled something out of his pocket.

It was a necklace with a copper tag that had the character “Tong” written on it.

“Jinglan was right… A’Jin, even you’re selling me out?”

I stared at that copper tag for several seconds before I finally recognized what it was.

“You’re carrying Fat Tong’s token. Did you come this time to take my head?!”

All the strength left my body, and both my hands gradually let go.

This life belonged to Master Rong. If he wanted it, I would return it to him.

I slowly moved Master Rong’s hand that was gripping the dagger, then used my clothes to wipe the fingerprints off the dagger, and finally pulled out the dagger and threw it on the ground.

I didn’t look at Master Rong again. Instead, I walked step by step to the edge of the rooftop.

Jiu Zi’s shadow appeared again. He stood shoulder to shoulder with me.

“A’Jin, won’t you live on carrying my smile?” he asked.

“I feel terrible. I can’t smile.” Something kept flowing out of my eyes. “Jiu Zi, if there’s a next life, I’ll smile then.”

Before I could jump, the entire rooftop suddenly began to shake violently.

I wanted to steady myself, but after careful thought, there was no need. So I leaped forward and jumped down.

Just then, Master Rong ran over and grabbed my wrist.

I swung in midair like a swing, then looked up at Master Rong in confusion.

He was crying.

“A’Jin… why… why are you all selling me out?!” His tears fell on my face, making me feel very uncomfortable.

I didn’t want to answer this question.

I thought I had come to repay a debt of gratitude, but I was too stupid and made Master Rong misunderstand.

“Master Rong, let go. This way I’ll have fallen to my death, and it won’t have anything to do with you.”

Master Rong gripped my hand and wailed. I didn’t know what he was thinking.

“Master Rong, I’ve repaid your kindness.”

Amid the violent shaking, Master Rong finally let go.

I only felt myself crash into a huge billboard, and all the bones in my body seemed to break.

If there really was a next life, I wanted to find Jiu Zi first, then go back and say thank you to Master Tong.

I thought I had misunderstood Master Tong.

If I could choose again, I probably wouldn’t take the fall for Master Rong.

That way Jiu Zi wouldn’t die.

And I wouldn’t die either.

No, if I could really choose again, I wanted to go back to when I was eleven years old.

I would snatch away Jiu Zi’s knife and teach him not to kill that local gang leader.

That way we could have had normal lives, right?

…

When I woke up again, I still couldn’t understand the situation before me.

What was all this?

Filming a movie?

Those men and women dressed too fashionably.

That man wearing a mask and a suit.

“Good morning, Nine,” the masked man spoke. “I’m very pleased to meet you all here. You’ve been asleep before me for twelve hours now.”

If this really was filming a movie, they should learn from “The Terminator.” His costumes and props were really a bit shabby.

But what should I do next?

I was too stupid. I couldn’t understand this place.

I couldn’t understand what he was saying, and I couldn’t understand everyone’s questions either.

“A’Jin, learn from me—say ‘I throw’! It sounds more imposing when you say it like that. ‘I throw’! You don’t like it? Then how about ‘whole family shovel’?”

“A’Jin, if one day I’m not around anymore, find yourself another ‘Brain.'”

“A’Jin, if you can’t find a ‘Brain,’ then just smile more. At least be a laughing ghost.”

Right, at critical moments I should still listen to Jiu Zi. His strategies had never been wrong.

To make myself seem more imposing, what about adding Master Tong’s catchphrase?

“Whole family shovel, I don’t care how many people are here…” I slammed the table and pointed at the masked man, saying viciously, “Intestine, I advise you to wise up. You might not know how serious the consequences of provoking me are. I really will take your life.”

Fortunately they didn’t know me, or they would see through the deception at a glance.

I had never said “whole family shovel” or “intestine” before. I also never wanted to kill anyone.

Until I found my new “Brain,” I would just keep pretending like this.

I am Qiao Jiajin.

I’m about to start lying.