Wei Zhi opened the door to her home and saw Ji Qikun, who was supposed to be at the art expo.
He was leaning against the leather sofa in the living room with his back to her, facing a wide expanse of floor-to-ceiling windows. Mist-like, elusive white clouds swirled outside. The setting sun filtered through the spotless glass, casting mottled shadows across his body. Hearing the door open, he turned around and offered her a temperatureless smile, his composure unshaken.
"…You’re back so early? I thought the expo would last a long time." Wei Zhi composed herself quickly and smiled. "Have you eaten?"
"Not yet. And you?"
"I haven't either. Let's eat together then." Wei Zhi set her handbag down and walked toward the kitchen island. "I'll see what's in the fridge and whip something up."
"Don't you have anything to say to me?"
Wei Zhi stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Ji Qikun.
He stepped out from behind the sofa and walked slowly toward her.
Today, Ji Qikun wore a well-tailored dark plaid suit jacket over a simple black V-neck shirt. The skin of his neck and chest beneath the V-neck was fair and delicate. The matching suit trousers made his legs appear even more straight and slender. On his wrist was an exquisite watch, its metallic luster shimmering faintly in the sunset.
He looked like a gentleman stepped out of a classical oil painting, possessing both the grace of a bygone era and the flair of the modern age. Every movement, every detail, radiated a unique charm sufficient to make anyone unversed in the ways of the world lose their heart to him.
"…I do." After a brief moment of consideration, Wei Zhi decided to be honest. "I left work early this afternoon."
As expected, Ji Qikun didn't show the slightest hint of surprise.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You were at the expo. I was worried about disturbing you, so…"
Ji Qikun had reached her, yet he did not stop. Wei Zhi was forced to step back until the small of her back hit the cold kitchen island.
"So you could lie to me?" he whispered, gazing at her.
"How is that lying? I—"
"You *were* lying to me!"
The unheralded shout left Wei Zhi stunned. She looked at Ji Qikun in astonishment; after a momentary flash of anger, his face returned to that temperatureless calm.
"I don't want to hear your excuses, Xiao Zhi. It is impossible to do something wrong without facing punishment," he said softly.
Wei Zhi didn't want to dwell on the issue any longer, and since she still needed a favor from him, she spoke submissively:
"…How do you want to punish me?"
"Let me think. Then I'll punish you by… asking Xiao Cai if the Starbucks she drinks every day is actually filled with plain boiled water." A malicious smile played on Ji Qikun's lips.
Wei Zhi stared at him for a long time without moving. The smile on his face gradually morphed into a colder sneer.
"You deceived me, yet you aren't even willing to do such a small thing," he said. "Wei Zhi, do you really love me?"
"Is there no other punishment to choose from?"
"Then kneel down and apologize to me. Swear a blood oath to prove you will never lie to me again," he said with a half-smile.
"…And if I choose neither?"
Ji Qikun placed his cold palm against her face. He looked pityingly into her flickering eyes and whispered, "If you can't even make me believe in your love, is there still a need for us to get married?"
At that moment, Wei Zhi believed he had long since seen through her desperate heart, which yearned to marry him. It wasn't about the details; it was the arrogance Ji Qikun had maintained over the years. He knew where his advantages lay—money, looks, charisma—he lacked none of them. To him, it didn't matter whether someone loved him for his wealth or his appearance.
Either way, they were bargaining chips he used to control others.
Under Ji Qikun’s expectant smile, she dialed Xiao Cai’s number and asked the question he wanted her to ask.
Xiao Cai flew into a rage over the phone and unleashed a torrent of abuse.
"If there's something wrong with your brain, go to a hospital!"
The call ended. Wei Zhi looked at Ji Qikun; he was wearing a satisfied smile.
"Well done." He patted her head affectionately. "I forgive you for lying to me this time. But you must promise me: you are not allowed to deceive me again."
"…Alright," Wei Zhi said.
"What's for dinner? I'll help you." Ji Qikun opened the refrigerator naturally, as if nothing had just happened.
"Qikun, I have a favor to ask," Wei Zhi took the opportunity to speak.
"Go ahead."
"I want to bring my mom here to stay for a while. Once I find a house, she’ll move out."
Wei Zhi watched Ji Qikun’s expression. He showed no obvious signs of distaste, only confusion. "Why does your mother want to live on her own?"
"She’s decided to get a divorce."
"Sure." After a moment's thought, Ji Qikun easily agreed to her request. "And don't bother having the elderly lady move back and forth. Let her stay with us permanently. Do I not have enough rooms for her? It’ll be easier for you to take care of her if we live together."
The repulsion and disgust that had just risen in Wei Zhi’s heart nearly vanished because of those words.
"Qikun… thank you."
"We’re family, don't be so formal." He smiled at her. "You know how much I love you, right?"
"I know," Wei Zhi said.
What she knew even better was how lethal love could be.
***
Early the next morning, accompanied by Ji Qikun, Wei Zhi headed to the alley where the Wei family lived.
The alleyway was narrow, but considering they had to move Wang Lin’s luggage, Wei Zhi had Ji Qikun drive the Bentley Bentayga inside.
Once they entered the alley, the urbanized streets were left behind. The further they drove, the more palpable the dampness in the air became. The Bentayga jolted and shuddered along the path; occasionally, the sound of floor tiles being crushed and muddy water splashing upward could be heard.
On the stone walls on either side, Boston ivy climbed wantonly. From a distance, the occasional crow of a rooster made the scene appear ordinary and tranquil.
When the Bentayga turned the final corner, the sight that greeted them caught both occupants off guard.
The crowds who usually lived silently within the alleyways seemed to have surged up from underground, surrounding the grocery store in an unprecedented, dense mass. The cacophony of voices intertwined into a chaotic symphony.
Amidst the confusion, several police cars were parked to the side. Their blue and red lights flashed incessantly, like a raging fire in the daylight, painting the area in ominous colors. Officers in uniform moved through the crowd like silent guardians.
"Back up, back up! Take another route!" a police officer in a local station uniform shouted toward them.
Ignoring Ji Qikun beside her, Wei Zhi was the first to open the door and hop out, walking toward the grocery store.
"What are you doing? Don't block the way, get the car out of here!" the officer said again.
"What happened here?" Wei Zhi asked, her gaze jumping over the officer’s shoulder to look inside the grocery store, which was swarming with police.
"Who are you?"
"I'm the daughter of this family. What happened?"
Caught off guard, the officer hesitated. Wei Zhi’s question seemed like an unsolved mystery for which there was no answer yet. In that moment of his hesitation, Wei Zhi had already pushed past him into the crowd.
"Finally, someone’s back…"
"Looks like the daughter of the house…"
Familiar neighbors recognized her and proactively made a path. This conscious gesture only deepened the unease in her heart. Every step felt exceptionally difficult, as if she were traversing a maze shrouded in thick fog.
She first noticed the police; their figures became more prominent once she cleared the crowd. They stood before the grocery store, which was cordoned off with caution tape and warning signs, acting as an insurmountable barrier.
Wei Zhi’s eyes searched between them, hoping to find a clue, but she saw only solemn faces, like the frozen surface of a lake in winter—cold and hard.
Then, her ears caught more of the onlookers' chatter:
"So pitiful, why couldn't she just see a way out…"
"I heard she was sick, and her man was always beating her…"
These words pierced Wei Zhi’s heart like icicles, sending waves of cold through her. She didn't dare believe her ears, much less the reality toward which everything pointed.
Hearing that a family member had arrived, a police officer in front of her brought a non-woven cap for her to wear and gave her a pair of shoe covers. After repeatedly instructing her not to disturb the scene, he led her into the grocery store.
The light inside was dim, and the air was thick with a suffocating atmosphere. The calendar hanging on the wall was stuck on yesterday; time seemed to have stagnated here.
The shop looked exactly as it had when she visited yesterday. That can of Coke that Wang Lin had offered her—the one she hadn't taken—sat quietly on the counter.
The only difference was the spot where Wang Lin usually sat to look at her phone. The chair was gone. Wang Lin was kneeling before a five-foot-high shelf, a linen-colored hemp rope looped around her neck.
The police stopped Wei Zhi as she tried to move forward.
"Has your mother shown any abnormalities recently?"
"When was the last time you saw her?"
"Did she say anything to you?"
Wei Zhi stared blankly at Wang Lin. Her eyes were tightly shut, her expression peaceful. If not for the deathly pallor of her face, she would have looked as if she were merely asleep.
The officer’s voice seemed to come from very far away, blurred and chaotic, overlapping with the ringing in her ears.
"Is she dead?"
Wei Zhi’s calm question gave the officer pause.
"…When we found her, her body was already cold," he said tactfully.
Wei Zhi’s heart felt as though it were being squeezed by an invisible hand. Every beat was accompanied by pain, like being pierced by countless fine needles.
That thread of pain punctured her dissociation from reality.
"Impossible… she can't be dead," Wei Zhi murmured to herself. "She promised me yesterday that we would leave this place together. She promised me—she clearly promised me!"
The police held back Wei Zhi as she tried to lung toward Wang Lin. She reached out her hands toward her untouchable mother, but felt only cold air.
Ji Qikun, dressed in the same protective gear, rushed over. He took Wei Zhi from the police and held her from behind, preventing her from throwing herself toward her mother, who was being moved.
She screamed, struggled, and wept in Ji Qikun’s arms, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Wang Lin’s body—that figure that should have been familiar, yet now appeared so strange and cold. A white sheet covered her body, leaving only a pair of feet that no longer held any warmth exposed. They lay there quietly, like withered vines, motionless.
She cried out, but received no response. The crowd of onlookers remained noisy, but those sounds would never penetrate the despair and sorrow within her.
Her home, which had existed only in form, was utterly destroyed at this moment. Even the hypocritical facade was gone.
"What's going on? What happened?!"
Wei Shan and Wei Lai, who had been out all night, finally arrived late. One had just come from the mahjong table, the other from an internet cafe; both carried a heavy stench of stale smoke.
An officer stepped forward, and after confirming Wei Shan’s identity, said to him: "We received a report from a citizen who suspected something had happened to the proprietress of this shop. When we arrived, we saw her kneeling through the gap in the rolling shutter, so we broke in. But she was already gone. The scene investigation is complete. The cause of death is mechanical asphyxiation. If the family has no objections, we won't perform an autopsy."
"What mechanical… how did she die?!" Wei Shan shouted.
"She died by hanging," the officer was forced to use more common language. "We just took her down. Do you want to go see?"
Wei Shan looked into the shop hesitantly. Hearing that they could enter, Wei Lai immediately rushed in. When he saw the figure lying on the ground, his entire body went limp.
"Mom—!" he let out a piercing wail.
Outside, the officer continued talking to Wei Shan.
"Based on our findings at the scene, it was a suicide by hanging. Does the family have any objections?"
"If… if there are objections, what happens?"
"If there are objections, we’ll send her to the forensic center for an autopsy to further determine the cause of death."
Wei Shan shuddered. "Forget it, forget it…"
In the end, he never took a single step into the shop.
***
A day later, the funeral was held at the city’s largest funeral parlor. Ji Qikun covered all the expenses.
After the initial disbelief, Wei Shan recovered quickly. He stayed in the funeral hall, playing mahjong loudly with the guests who came to pay their respects, playing from dawn until dusk. If his chest hurt, he would take a painkiller and keep playing.
Most of the mourners were neighbors who had often received kindness from Wang Lin.
Wei Zhi’s maternal grandparents only showed their faces on the first day before hurrying away. Her grandfather held Wei Shan’s hand and said guiltily, "Wang Lin was senseless. Our family has failed you."
Wei Lai cried constantly, his eyes swollen every day. Every time his gaze met Wei Zhi’s, his eyes would shoot arrows of hatred.
But Wei Zhi, aside from crying on the first day, never shed another tear.
The wake lasted three days. On the final day, Ji Qikun appeared at the funeral hall with Ji Zhongyong.
Wei Shan, who had been busy moving between mahjong tables, even abandoned his game and rushed forward to greet them enthusiastically.
"In-law! I’m so sorry, you’re so busy, yet you took the time to attend such an affair—"
"I heard from Qikun. I wanted to come on the first day, but I truly couldn't find an opening. I finally managed to push back a meeting to come here today." Ji Zhongyong wore a look of deep sorrow. "The world is unpredictable. Please accept my condolences."
"Yes, yes." To Wei Shan, these words were like heavenly music. He nodded repeatedly. "You must take care of your health as well, In-law."
"This is a small token of my regard. Please accept it." Ji Zhongyong gestured, and his driver immediately pulled a white envelope filled with cash from his coat, handing it to Wei Shan with both hands.
Wei Shan almost couldn't stop himself from grinning, but suddenly remembering his current role, he immediately suppressed the corners of his mouth and put on a show of grief.
"You’re too kind, In-law…" He took the white envelope impatiently and then said, "I couldn't be more at ease leaving Wei Zhi in your family’s hands. Although Xiao Zhi’s mother is gone, what she wanted most in life was to see the children’s wedding. You must not delay the wedding because of this."
A flash of disgust crossed Ji Zhongyong’s eyes. He brushed past Wei Shan and walked to Wei Zhi. He patted her shoulder, which was draped in mourning white, and said earnestly, "Accept your grief and move on. If you have any difficulties, tell Qikun or me. We’ll all be family soon; don't be a stranger."
"That's right! See how well your father-in-law treats you! Many people couldn't ask for this if they tried!" Wei Shan, completely oblivious to Ji Zhongyong’s distaste, chimed in brazenly.
After paying his respects, Ji Zhongyong left with his driver. Ji Qikun stayed behind and said to Wei Zhi, "Do you want me to stay and keep you company?"
Wei Zhi faithfully played the role of a considerate fiancée, forcing a smile. "It’s fine, don't worry about me. Go tend to your work."
Ji Qikun squeezed her hand, then turned and walked out of the funeral hall.
Three days later, Wang Lin was taken to the crematorium. Wei Zhi saw Wang Lin for the last time in the viewing hall. She was wearing the same outfit she had worn the last time she visited Wei Zhi at the gallery—the clothes Wei Zhi had bought for her, which she was always reluctant to wear. Her face was painted with heavy makeup she would never normally wear. She lay there so strangely, never again to ask cautiously, "Shall Mom cook a bowl of noodles for you?"
A person’s heartbeat only stops at the moment of death, but a person’s soul must die countless times throughout a lifetime.
She was a vengeful spirit who had died again and again, only to crawl back out of hell each time.
When Wang Lin’s body was pushed into the furnace and the roar of the flames erupted, Wei Lai’s heartbroken sobbing echoed through the viewing hall. Because she could hear that his grief was genuine, she found it all the more ridiculous. Even Wei Shan was secretly wiping away tears.
It was exactly this kind of absurdity.
Wei Zhi didn't shed a single tear. She felt as though the person being pushed into the furnace was someone else, someone unrelated to her.
Her true mother, the real Wang Lin, had taken flight on that final night, leaving this turbid, filthy world forever. She had taken her cage with her—the cage that had trapped her for twenty-six years, which had grown firmly into her flesh and blood.
It was a mother’s helpless yet resolute love. It wasn't the kind of love she had hoped for… but it was love nonetheless. Out of love for her, Wang Lin had chosen this path.
She hated love so much. Love made people unrecognizable; love left people bruised and battered; love made people self-righteous. She loved Wang Lin more than anyone, and she hated her more than anyone.
The fire raged inside the furnace. Even through the glass, she could hear the sound of the cage melting and shattering.
Once again, she was drenched in blood, but she would eventually find new life.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 添越 | Bentley Bentayga | A luxury SUV model. |
| 机械性窒息 | Mechanical asphyxiation | A medical/forensic term for death by hanging, strangulation, etc. |
| 亲家 | In-laws | Specifically the relationship between the parents of a married or engaged couple. |
| 缟白 | Mourning white | A stark, plain white associated with traditional Chinese funeral attire. |
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