On the eighth day after Wei Lai fell into the well, the police concluded their tedious investigation, ruling it an accident.
Following her final questioning, Wei Zhi was escorted to the gates of the police station.
By now, she knew the name of the middle-aged officer before her—Zhang Kaiyang. He was the same man she had seen at the Mental Health Center.
Was he there to pick up a prescription? Or to investigate a case?
Wei Zhi was tactful enough not to pry.
"When do you plan on getting married?" Zhang Kaiyang asked, his tone seemingly casual.
"Likely in the latter half of the year. The exact date hasn't been set yet... because so much has happened recently," Wei Zhi replied with a forced smile.
Wei Lai still hadn't been found, but everyone knew in their hearts that there was no hope of survival. Even recovering the body had become a distant wish. He, his phone, and everything he carried had vanished into the vast subterranean world of the city.
"So, you'll be getting married soon," Zhang Kaiyang said thoughtfully.
"Is there a problem?"
"…Take down my number." Zhang Kaiyang didn't answer her question, choosing instead to say, "Contact me immediately if you encounter any danger."
Zhang Kaiyang looked at her intently. Wei Zhi sensed a flicker of determination and urgency in his gaze. She hadn't intended to maintain contact with the police, but under his steady watch, her resolve wavered.
"Write the number down for me," she said.
He didn't ask why she wouldn't save it in her phone, but instead reached for paper and pen. It was as if he already knew she couldn't leave any traces of other people on her device.
Zhang Kaiyang borrowed a pen and paper from the security guard, scribbled a string of digits, tore the slip off, and handed it to her.
Wei Zhi took the paper and carefully folded it into a small square.
As Zhang Kaiyang watched her, she suddenly spoke in a low, steady voice.
"Officer Zhang, did you also participate in the investigation of my former fiancé's case years ago?"
Wei Zhi tucked the folded square into a compartment in her handbag and looked up at the startled Zhang Kaiyang.
"Just a guess." She smiled faintly. "It seems I guessed right."
"Thank you for all your hard work regarding my brother's matter, Officer Zhang. I’d like to say 'goodbye,' but that doesn't seem very auspicious," she said. "Let's meet again somewhere else, Officer Zhang."
The early September sun still retained the arrogant heat of midsummer.
The blinding white light washed over Wei Zhi’s pale face, making the capillaries beneath her skin almost visible. Her eyes were still red and swollen, as if she had yet to emerge from the grief of losing a loved one.
Zhang Kaiyang couldn't help but recall Ji Qikun’s appearance when he was being questioned at the station eight years ago.
He had looked just as devastated.
"Since you know, why are you still..." Zhang Kaiyang trailed off.
From his position, there were many things he couldn't say. Just as he wouldn't tell Ji Qikun about Wei Zhi’s debts even if she hadn't asked him to keep them secret, he was bound by duty.
The police had an obligation and a responsibility to protect personal privacy outside the scope of a case.
"Because I love him, of course." Wei Zhi let out a soft, hollow laugh, as if he had asked an obvious question. "Officer Zhang, would you marry someone you didn't love?"
She gave him a polite nod, turned, and walked out the gate.
A black Bentley Bentayga was waiting for her a short distance away.
She opened the door and sat in the passenger seat. Both windows were rolled down, and the right side-mirror reflected the entrance of the police station. Ji Qikun was busy replying to work messages.
As Wei Zhi buckled her seatbelt, he put down his phone and started the car.
"Did you know your father is causing a scene at Blue Sky Apartments?" he asked.
"…I heard something about it."
"Tell him to keep a low profile. I heard he even called several media outlets," Ji Qikun said, frowning. "If this makes the papers, my uncle will be very angry."
Wei Zhi understood his concerns. Ji Zhongyong was a well-known entrepreneur in the city; he couldn't have a scoundrel among his public relations.
"Take me to Blue Sky Apartments."
As before, Ji Qikun parked outside the complex to wait while Wei Zhi entered Blue Sky Apartments alone.
Following Wei Lai’s fall, the complex had installed a new access control system. Residents needed to swipe a card to enter, and outsiders were required to undergo strict registration.
"What are you here for?" the security guard asked, eyeing her sideways while holding a registration log.
"I'm looking for my father," Wei Zhi said. "He's causing trouble inside. I'm here to talk him down."
Upon hearing this, the guard immediately closed the log and led Wei Zhi into the complex without a moment's delay.
As soon as they entered, Wei Zhi saw Wei Shan breaking through the blockade of several property management staff, charging toward the main gate.
The guard quickly abandoned Wei Zhi and intercepted Wei Shan before he could reach the gate.
"What do you think you're doing!"
Wei Shan struggled to poke his head through the guard's arms, screaming at the top of his lungs toward the iron gates:
"There's no justice! My son was killed by this black-hearted property management! A father shouldn't have to bury his son! You'ai Property, give me back my son! I don't want to live anymore, I might as well die too! Everyone, remember this—You'ai Property is a heartless company that devours people whole—"
The faces of the guards and the property staff paled instantly.
"Mr. Wei, please calm down..."
"Mr. Wei, let's go to the office and sit down to talk..."
The scene was a chaotic mess.
"Dad." Wei Zhi walked up to him. "I have something to say to you."
"What is it?" Wei Shan had seen Wei Zhi long ago, but only now did he bother to look her in the eye.
"Everyone, please step back for a moment. I need to speak with him," Wei Zhi said to the staff and guards.
They looked at each other, and after a moment, led by a man who looked like a manager, they moved a short distance away to wait.
"You don't need to throw a tantrum here. We live in a society ruled by law. If you want compensation, you can hire a lawyer," Wei Zhi told Wei Shan. "Qikun said he can introduce you to a lawyer who specializes in these kinds of lawsuits. The lawyer will handle the negotiations with the property management. You won't have to pay the legal fees. If you keep making a scene and the media gets involved, it will damage the Ji family's reputation."
Before Wei Shan could bulge his eyes in protest, Wei Zhi continued:
"You might not care about me, but you should consider what happens if you don't get the compensation, or what happens after the money is gone."
"Can you survive on your own?"
Wei Shan’s bravado began to wither. He was intoxicated by the thought of that million yuan, but he couldn't entirely forget the reality that he only had a few hundred in his pocket.
Wei Zhi took several hundred-yuan bills from her bag and stuffed them into Wei Shan’s hand.
"Go get a meal and fill your stomach. The lawyer will contact you."
With a few words, Wei Zhi pacified Wei Shan and returned to the car.
"Is it settled?" Ji Qikun asked.
"We've reached an understanding."
Ji Qikun gave a brief acknowledgment and prepared to drive home. His phone rang at that moment. He answered via Bluetooth, so Wei Zhi could only hear his side of the conversation.
"Hello? I'm just about to drive home."
"I understand."
"Alright, Uncle."
After hanging up, he said to Wei Zhi, "Uncle wants us to go back to the house."
Wei Zhi had a bad premonition.
"…Does Uncle have a problem with me now?"
"No, he already agreed to our marriage," Ji Qikun reassured her.
*That was before two people in the Wei family died within a single month,* Wei Zhi thought to herself.
She worried this would affect Ji Zhongyong’s view of their marriage, and she wasn't confident she could convince Ji Qikun to choose her over his family inheritance.
Filled with heavy anxiety, Wei Zhi stared out the window for the rest of the drive.
The only sound in the car was the faint hum of the air conditioning.
Half an hour later, Wei Zhi and Ji Qikun entered the Ji residence.
Xi Manjing came to open the door. Her expression was normal, but the atmosphere in the house was unusually somber. Even the servants, who were usually everywhere, were nowhere to be seen.
The two changed their shoes and entered the living room, where they found Ji Zhongyong already seated and waiting.
"Sit down." He nodded to them, his expression grave.
Xi Manjing brought over tea, placing a cup before each of them.
Once Xi Manjing had also taken a seat, Ji Zhongyong finally spoke.
"This year, a lot has happened to the Wei family. One incident would be one thing, but now there have been two, both involving loss of life. Young people today don't look at the Ba Zi anymore; they call it feudal superstition. But given how things have developed, even without looking at your horoscopes, one can see that the two of you are clashing." He looked at Ji Qikun and Wei Zhi. "What are your thoughts? Do you still intend to marry?"
Wei Zhi’s greatest fear had come to pass.
Just as she was about to speak instinctively, Ji Qikun’s voice rang out first.
"Uncle, you said it yourself—it's feudal superstition. So what is there to discuss?" He smiled. "Besides, looking at the way things are, even if there is a clash, it's me clashing with the Wei family. As long as Xiao Zhi is willing, I still intend to marry her."
"…I don't agree." Ji Zhongyong’s face darkened. "Marriage is a serious matter; you can't treat it so lightly."
"It's precisely because it's serious that I must stand by my decision," Ji Qikun said earnestly. "Uncle, when you first told me to get married, you said I must find someone I truly love. Now that I've found her, since I truly love her, it's impossible for me to abandon her over some metaphysical nonsense. How would that make me any different from the irresponsible men you despise most?"
"This is different. It hasn't been that long, and two people from the Wei family are already gone..."
"Those were accidents. The world is never short of accidents; they just happened to occur around Xiao Zhi and me," Ji Qikun said calmly. "I know what it feels like to be unfairly implicated, so I will never abandon Xiao Zhi. I love her, and I believe in her."
Wei Zhi couldn't help but glance at Ji Qikun. His steadfastness far exceeded her expectations.
"Why are you meddling in the affairs of the young?"
Xi Manjing spoke up, contrary to her usual behavior. Before her sat the only cup of coffee on the table. She used her well-manicured right hand to hold a small coffee spoon, gently stirring the dark liquid. The black coffee rippled in the cup, contrasting with her bright red nails.
"What do you mean 'meddling'? I'm doing this for their own good—" Ji Zhongyong frowned, sounding indignant.
"Xiao Zhi has suffered enough misfortune. Forcing them to break up now—isn't that just kicking her while she's down and making matters worse?" Xi Manjing said.
Ji Zhongyong’s eyes widened as he looked at Xi Manjing in disbelief. Aside from matters concerning Ji Teng, she never voiced an opinion on outside affairs. It was as if, after Ji Teng fell into a coma, she had become indifferent to everything.
"Xiao Zhi is very good to Teng-teng." Xi Manjing picked up her coffee cup, took a small sip, and said nonchalantly, "Think it through for yourself."
After setting down the cup, without waiting for Ji Zhongyong’s reply, Xi Manjing rose and left the living room, heading toward the stairs.
Striking while the iron was hot, Ji Qikun spoke again: "Uncle—"
"Fine, fine. As long as you've thought it through yourselves." Ji Zhongyong frowned deeply and waved them off. "Just don't come blaming me later for not warning you if you regret it."
The matter concluded faster than Wei Zhi had imagined. Ji Zhongyong stopped mentioning the breakup and instead called Ji Qikun into the study alone.
It would be too obvious if Wei Zhi followed them now. She also wanted to know why Xi Manjing had spoken up for her, so she went to the care room on the second floor.
As she stepped onto the second floor, the scent of disinfectant began to fill the air. Inside the snow-white care room, the central air conditioning hummed softly, continuously outputting cold air. Several medical instruments were neatly lined up on one side of the room, their silver-white metal casings glinting under the lights. The screen of the heart monitor displayed steady waveforms, occasionally emitting a soft "beep."
Xi Manjing was by the bed, helping Ji Teng turn over. Wei Zhi hurried forward to take over the task.
Due to years of paralysis, Ji Teng’s muscles had almost entirely atrophied. Although he was an adult male, he weighed only forty kilograms. Wei Zhi couldn't imagine the feeling of a mother watching her son gradually deform in his sleep, day after day, for ten years.
After turning Ji Teng over, Xi Manjing sat by the bed. Wei Zhi also found a chair and sat down.
"Auntie, thank you for speaking up for me just now..." Wei Zhi initiated the conversation.
Xi Manjing’s gaze was fixed intently on her son in the hospital bed. It was a long while before she answered.
"I just don't feel comfortable entrusting Teng-teng to anyone else."
Wei Zhi reciprocated the sentiment, stating she would do her best to take care of Ji Teng.
"…You should worry about taking care of yourself."
Xi Manjing’s cold laugh made Wei Zhi freeze.
"Do you know how my son ended up like this?" She looked up, staring directly at the surprised Wei Zhi.
"I heard... Big Brother accidentally fell from the third floor."
"Some slips are real, and some are fake. Aside from the victim and the culprit, who can say for sure?" Xi Manjing said tonelessly. "Ji Qikun was very lucky. He was the only eyewitness at the scene, and my Teng-teng has been comatose ever since."
"Auntie, do you mean you suspect..."
"It's not suspicion," Xi Manjing interrupted with a cold smile. "It's certainty."
Wei Zhi remained silent for a moment.
"So, I'm telling you to take care of yourself." Xi Manjing stood up and whispered into Wei Zhi’s ear, "Don't become the next person lying here."
***
