When the Dolphin Sinks | Chapter 24 | A Bitter Confession | Novela.app

Six hours after the incident, Wei Zhi finally stepped out of the interrogation room. On a bench near the service window sat Wei Shan, his head buried in his hands, looking utterly defeated. On another bench sat Ji Qikun, his expression as composed as ever. She noticed he was no longer wearing the loungewear he’d had on when she left the house; instead, he wore a crisp, tailored casual suit. The image of him receiving the police notification and unhurriedly changing his clothes before coming out flashed involuntarily across her mind. "Xiao Zhi." He stood up and walked toward her, a flicker of concern in his eyes. A faster figure beat him to it, lunging at her like a beast seeing red. Two police officers reacted instantly, grabbing Wei Shan’s arms from both sides. "You useless girl! You jinx! Why wasn't it you who died—why wasn't it you?!" Wei Shan roared, his emotions spiraling out of control. "Enough! This is a police station, what do you think you're doing?!" Officer Chen barked. "My son! My only son!" Wei Shan slapped his thighs and collapsed into a squat, wailing. "The only one to carry on the Wei family name! Officer, please, have a heart, you have to find my son—" Tears streamed down Wei Zhi’s face. She knelt down, trying to soothe him. "Dad, I’m sorry..." "Get away!" Wei Shan shoved her hand aside, his bloodshot, teary eyes glaring at her with uncontrollable rage. "It’s your fault your brother is dead!" Officer Chen couldn't stand it any longer. "How can you be so biased? Your son was extorting money from your daughter—why don't you mention that?" "She’s the older sister! It’s only natural for her to look after her brother! Besides, she—" Wei Shan’s eyes darted around, suddenly realizing Ji Qikun was standing nearby. "Qikun, you tell me if I'm right. She’s living the high life; helping her brother out is just common sense, isn't it?" Wei Shan cried out toward the standing Ji Qikun: "But look at her! So cold-hearted! She never helps the family. I only ask her for a little money when we can't even put food on the table. And even then—she makes every excuse. This time too! If she hadn't been so malicious, why would she insist on meeting on a night with rain and thunder?! If I’d known she was this heartless, I never would have let her go to university! All that studying just washed away her conscience!" Wei Zhi didn't defend herself; she simply watched Wei Shan, her tears falling continuously. "Your son set the time, not your daughter!" Officer Chen said, indignant. "How can you be like this? Your daughter is the victim here!" "What did you say?! Is my son not a victim then? Does my son deserve to die?!" Wei Shan scrambled up, grabbing Officer Chen’s pant leg and screaming. Zhang Kaiyang stepped in to restrain the hot-headed young officer and pulled the hysterical Wei Shan away. He said in a heavy voice, "The rescue operation isn't over yet. Family members shouldn't be too pessimistic. We will do our best. If there’s nothing else, you can go home and wait for news." Ji Qikun helped Wei Zhi up, gently wiping the endless tears from her cheeks. He turned to Zhang Kaiyang and said: "Then we’ll leave it in your hands, Officer Zhang. Please contact us immediately if there is any news of Wei Lai." Zhang Kaiyang nodded silently. His gaze fell on Wei Zhi’s face, a flash of worry in his eyes. However, his professional discipline forced him to remain silent. "Contact the police immediately if anything happens," he said, looking Wei Zhi in the eye. "...Alright." Wei Zhi snapped out of her daze, realizing she was still draped in a police blanket. She hurried to return it. Zhang Kaiyang shook his head. "Your clothes are wet. Keep it on." Wei Zhi watched him turn and walk away. That tall, lean silhouette overlapped perfectly with the figure she had noticed at the Mental Health Center. "Let's go," Ji Qikun said softly, placing an arm around her shoulder. She pulled herself together and followed Ji Qikun out of the station. *** Inside their brightly lit home, Wei Zhi had already showered and changed into clean clothes. She sat under the dim, warm light of the dining room, watching Ji Qikun busy himself in the open kitchen. The thick aroma of rice drifted through the quiet air. Outside the vast floor-to-ceiling windows, the torrential rain made the boundary between light and shadow a chaotic blur. After a long while, Ji Qikun returned carrying a small clay pot. He placed it gently on a heat-resistant mat and lifted the lid, revealing a fragrant pot of seafood porridge. Soft, pearly white grains of rice surrounded bright red shrimp. Steam rose steadily, swirling beneath the overhead light. "...I don't have an appetite," Wei Zhi said. "You have to eat something even if you don't feel like it," Ji Qikun replied. "The real battle is yet to come." "What do you mean?" She looked up. "Today was only the first day. Over the next few days, there will be even more intense questioning." Ji Qikun calmly picked up a ladle and served a bowl of porridge for Wei Zhi. "Aren't you going to ask me what happened?" He countered, "Do you want to talk about it now?" Wei Zhi was silent for a long moment. "I want to tell you before I eat." "Go ahead." Ji Qikun took her hand across the table, gazing at her with deep affection. "I'm listening." "Tonight... I lied to you," she said. "I didn't go out to buy wiring. I went to see my brother. I was afraid you wouldn't approve, so I lied. I'm sorry..." Ji Qikun’s expression didn't change as he continued to watch her. "After my mother died, he kept demanding I give him her treatment funds. Otherwise, he threatened to come here and make a scene to ruin our wedding." Wei Zhi looked at him piteously, tears falling once more from her swollen eyes. She gripped Ji Qikun’s hand, her voice breaking with sobs as she pleaded: "I was so afraid of losing you. I can't imagine life without you... To stay with you, I had no choice but to find a way to get the money to satisfy him... I'm sorry, Qikun. I know I was wrong... Can you forgive me?" Ji Qikun squeezed her hand and sighed. "You're too foolish," he said. "If something like this happens again, you should tell me." The guillotine blade in Wei Zhi’s heart fell, striking an empty wooden post. She nodded through her tears, as submissive and obedient as ever. "Eat," Ji Qikun said, patting her head. Wei Zhi picked up her spoon and blew on the scalding porridge. She asked, seemingly at random, "How did you know there would be more questioning?" Ji Qikun looked at her, not answering immediately. After a moment, he leaned back against his chair, and the hand holding her left one naturally withdrew. "I've been through it too." "...What?" "I've been through something like this. Being treated as a suspect, the endless questioning," he said. Wei Zhi watched him, motionless. "It was a long time ago," Ji Qikun said. "Back when I was in university, I had a girlfriend. We often practiced painting in the same studio. Later, she ran for a position in the student union while I was the president. Although she lost the election, we still ended up together. In the beginning, I loved her very much." "...But she soon showed her true colors." "She was unfaithful everywhere. She played games online with strangers and called them 'husband' in chat logs. In real life, she was constantly physical with other boys. I expressed my dissatisfaction many times, but she always said it was just 'pure friendship.' So, I suppose I was the only one who wasn't pure." Ji Qikun gave a bitter smile. "I know I should trust you completely, but I still installed tracking software on your phone. It’s because of that failed relationship. I'm sorry, Xiao Zhi." "Qikun..." Wei Zhi’s face was full of sympathy. "What happened to you two?" "Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore and broke up with her. But she refused to accept it. She even used self-harm to threaten me, saying she’d rather die than break up." "I was afraid she’d actually do something stupid, so I softened and got back together with her. But before long, she reverted to her old ways. Finally, I broke up with her for good. I didn't expect... I didn't expect her to actually jump from the roof... right before my eyes." Ji Qikun paused for a moment, seemingly composed himself. "Then the police came. They asked me so many things. Her mother believed I had pushed her off the building, but the forensic investigation couldn't find any evidence to support that. Even the court didn't support her claims and ruled against her. But she wouldn't give up. She repeatedly came to my university to cause trouble and spread rumors and lies about me online, inciting a cyber-witch hunt. I had no choice but to go abroad." "For six whole years, I couldn't come home. It wasn't until two years ago, when I heard she had left Jiangdu City, that I returned to my hometown and opened this gallery." "I understand the feeling of being groundlessly suspected, Xiao Zhi." He took her hand again, looking earnestly into her eyes. "Looking at you now, it’s like seeing myself back then." "What... was her name?" Wei Zhi asked. "The mother?" "Your ex-girlfriend who jumped. What was her name?" "Mei Man. 'Mei' as in plum blossom, 'Man' as in complete." Ji Qikun said. Wei Zhi looked into his eyes. "The painting in your study—did she paint it?" "...It was her final work." Ji Qikun paused. "I couldn't bear to let her last piece drift aimlessly through the world, so I kept it in the study for safekeeping. You aren't angry, are you?" Wei Zhi shook her head. "She painted very well," she whispered. "I can feel the emotion in the painting." "It is indeed a rare, excellent painting." A flash of pity appeared in Ji Qikun’s eyes as he said softly, "The artist poured all of her emotions into it." Wei Zhi lowered her head and put a spoonful of the now-cooled seafood porridge into her mouth. The corpses of the rice grains and shrimp were slowly crushed by her teeth, releasing the last of the juices remaining in their dead bodies. The dining room was deathly silent, the sound of Wei Zhi’s chewing rhythmically hitting her eardrums. Outside, the storm continued to batter the windows. The night was as thick as ink, without a single ray of light penetrating the heavy darkness. Rainwater slid down the glass, leaving distorted trails behind. The dim yellow light cast two mottled shadows across the table, and the shadows in the corner of the room seemed to crawl quietly. "There's a Mercedes in the garage we don't usually drive. I'll find the keys in a bit and leave them on the entryway table. It'll save you the trouble of going out when I'm not around." "Okay." Ji Qikun watched Wei Zhi as she ate with her head down. Wei Zhi stared at the corpses in her bowl. Neither could see the other's expression.