The number Weng Xiuyue had left at the gallery under the name "Zheng Tianxin" had already been deactivated. Zhang Kaiyang had also contacted the gallery employees who were once on good terms with "Zheng Tianxin," only to learn that she hadn't reached out to any of them.
Without an official case file, he couldn't authorize the use of the "Sky Eye" surveillance system to track Weng Xiuyue. Relying on his strength alone to find a woman skilled in concealment and disguise among a sea of people was nothing short of a pipe dream.
Weng Xiuyue had vanished again, but Wei Zhi had not.
He still remembered Ji Qikun’s working hours. After enduring a sleepless night, he dialed Wei Zhi’s number at nine in the morning.
The phone rang for a long time, as if the owner on the other end was debating whether to answer. A split second before the call would have timed out, the ringing stopped, and Wei Zhi’s calm voice came through the receiver.
"Hello, Officer Zhang."
"I want to meet and talk," Zhang Kaiyang said, getting straight to the point. "About you and Mei Man."
A silence longer than the one before the call was answered followed.
Wei Zhi lay half-reclined on the sofa, her gaze fixed on a sliver of golden morning light piercing through the heavy clouds outside the floor-to-ceiling window. The faint golden glow spilled over her; the ignorant, youthful morning sun danced among her ink-black strands of hair. At her feet lay the remains of the prenuptial agreement, burned to ash in a pot.
"Three in the afternoon," she said.
"Fine," Zhang Kaiyang replied immediately.
After hanging up, Zhang Kaiyang grabbed his jacket, threw it on, and strode out of the Dashanguan Police Station.
The appointment was for three, and though it was still early, he felt an urgent need to see the location first. The meeting spot Wei Zhi had proposed was an abandoned, unfinished building near the outskirts, just beyond the Third Ring Road.
This location surely held its own significance.
He drove to Shuiling Street, parked, and stepped out. The vast, hulking shell of the unfinished building stood out starkly amidst the surrounding low-rise houses. It was cordoned off by a mottled blue construction fence that, left untended, was now overgrown with lush green vines.
Zhang Kaiyang walked around the perimeter until he found an opening in the fence.
A small blue gate stood ajar, a rusted iron chain draped loosely around it.
Zhang Kaiyang tossed the rusted chain to the ground and stepped into the wasteland without hesitation.
In the open space within the walls, weeds grew unchecked, a waist-high sea of green in the wilderness, swaying gently with the wind. A few tall reeds stood out like cranes among a flock of chickens, their slender leaves rustling in the breeze. Scattered among the grass were discarded construction materials: broken bricks, rusted nails, and battered hard hats.
The five-story derelict building stood silent, like an unfinished monument. Rebar protruded from its concrete body like rust-colored thorns, stretching toward the sky. The empty window frames between floors were like hollowed-out eyes, staring blankly into the distance.
He walked slowly into the building. The cavernous first floor held nothing but support pillars and scattered plastic trash. He climbed the stairs floor by floor until he reached the fifth-floor rooftop.
Standing at the edge of the roof, Zhang Kaiyang surveyed the surroundings once more.
There was no clamor of people here. The muffled noise from the distant city edge felt as far away as another world. The piercing afternoon sun broke through the gray clouds, leaving only a fleeting shimmer on the tips of the grass before being swallowed by the building’s shadow.
Gazing at the distant cityscape, he suddenly realized why their previous investigation had failed to find an intersection between Wei Zhi and Mei Man’s lives. Their usual haunts were too far apart. But if this building was the starting point, it was only a twenty-minute walk to either the Jiangdu Academy of Fine Arts or the Wei family home.
He hadn't found any record of Wei Zhi in the national database of charitable organizations.
Mei Man’s financial support for her must have been unofficial. How did two people—one living in the east of the city and the other in the north—ever cross paths?
The answer likely lay within this building.
He took several photos of the site and then sat in the building's shadow to wait. At exactly three o'clock, leaning against the cold, hard concrete wall, he heard the distinct sound of footsteps echoing through the stairwell.
Zhang Kaiyang stood up and watched the exit of the stairs until Wei Zhi’s figure finally appeared.
She looked the same as always, her black hair falling naturally over her shoulders, her clothing simple and plain. On that face that symbolized purity and harmless fragility, a pair of dark eyes quietly met his gaze.
He had once thought those were the eyes of a deer, eyes that inspired a desire to protect.
But he had forgotten that the eyes of a dolphin were equally docile and gentle.
Wei Zhi walked to the edge of the roof, her gaze sweeping over the scene below. Whether it was the overgrown weeds or the puddles reflecting the gray sky, everything filled her with nostalgia. The autumn wind brushed her long hair; black hair and black eyes merged into a deeper darkness.
"I came out on the pretext of running errands, so I don't have much time. Ask what you want to ask," she said nonchalantly.
"Does this place have any special meaning to you?"
"No meaning. I just wanted to choose a place away from prying eyes," she said. "After all, if my husband found out I was meeting a policeman in private, it would be hard to explain."
Zhang Kaiyang was silent for a moment. "What exactly are you and Weng Xiuyue planning?"
Wei Zhi let out a short laugh. "...You really do just ask whatever is on your mind."
Zhang Kaiyang considered this a serious topic. He didn't join in her levity, instead watching her in silence.
"It seems you already know Sister Tianxin’s true identity. I only found out recently myself—that she is Mei Man’s mother, Weng Xiuyue," Wei Zhi said. "All she wants is for Ji Qikun to face legal punishment. That’s why she approached me after I married him, hoping I would obtain evidence of domestic abuse."
She paused, a mocking smile touching her lips, and added:
"Mei Man was abused, but because she wasn't a family member, Ji Qikun escaped legal consequences. This has become Weng Xiuyue’s obsession."
"And you agreed?" Zhang Kaiyang asked.
"I agreed at first, but later, I refused her. So as for what she plans to do now, I truly have no idea."
"Why did you change your mind halfway through?"
"Agreeing to her was probably just a momentary lapse in judgment, don't you think?" Wei Zhi countered. "Officer Zhang, even if Ji Qikun did things wrong in the past, he has changed. Why would I help an outsider move against my own husband?"
"Because you also want to avenge Mei Man." Zhang Kaiyang looked steadily into her eyes, trying to catch any minute emotional shift.
However, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
In those dark eyes, there was only his own face, wearing a mask of feigned certainty.
"...What era are we in, Officer Zhang? Revenge?" Wei Zhi laughed softly, as if she had heard an absurd joke. "Weng Xiuyue is a stranger to me. Isn't Mei Man one as well?"
"I already know that Mei Man supported you for years. Even your freshman tuition was transferred to your card by her the day before she jumped. You two were certainly not strangers."
"So what?"
"What...?" Zhang Kaiyang was stunned by her blunt question.
"I said, she sponsored me. So what?" Wei Zhi said. "She sponsored me, and I am very grateful to her. But she’s dead. Even if I wanted to bring gifts to her door during the holidays to thank her, she’s not there. Beyond that, what else am I supposed to do for someone who sponsored me?"
"You aren't suggesting revenge, are you? Do you think that's realistic, Officer Zhang? She sponsored me, yes, but she *only* sponsored me."
Wei Zhi’s smile held a touch of derision.
"When you applied to the OCEAN Art Center, did you know Ji Qikun was Mei Man’s ex-boyfriend?" Zhang Kaiyang asked.
"I didn't," she said. "I only found out later when Ji Qikun told me himself."
"Weren't you bothered at all? That your boyfriend was your benefactor's ex—"
"Is being bothered useful?" Wei Zhi interrupted him rudely. "Would being bothered solve my debt problems? Would being bothered help me escape my family? Everything you're saying is useless fluff. Ji Qikun, on the other hand, truly changed my life."
"He saved me," she said decisively.
It felt as though a heavy weight was lodged in Zhang Kaiyang’s throat.
She was lying. He knew it, but he couldn't refute her lies. Because a lie itself is not a crime. Until actual harm was done, he could do nothing but listen to her falsehoods and try to find that one-in-a-ten-thousand grain of truth within them.
"...Is this your own thought, or a thought Ji Qikun forced upon you?"
"Every decision I make is of my own volition."
Her gaze held an indescribable power—it neither flickered nor showed fear. Even in the darkest moments, it was like an unquenchable lighthouse, radiating an unquestionable determination.
Only this sentence came from the heart. He was finally certain: her applying to OCEAN, becoming Ji Qikun’s girlfriend, and eventually his wife—every step was taken according to her own will.
"Officer Zhang, you’re a good cop, which is why I agreed to meet you today. But this is also the last time I will meet you privately," Wei Zhi said. "If there’s anything else in the future, I will only accept an official summons."
the casual air of chatting with a friend vanished from her face, replaced by a cold, distant calm.
Having said her piece, she didn't care for Zhang Kaiyang’s reaction. She turned and began walking downstairs.
*Tap, tap, tap—*
The sound of her footsteps echoed through the empty, derelict building.
*Click, click, click—*
Mei Man had to flick the lighter several times before a pale orange flame finally appeared. She carefully brought the lighter to the candles on the cake. The flame gradually transferred to the sixteen colored candles, and a ring of warm fire flickered around the six-inch cake.
The tiny flames illuminated the dim, unfinished building. It was no longer eerie or cold; the weak glow of the candlelight warmed the entire vast, frigid structure.
"Let's make a bet—see if you can blow them all out in one breath!" Mei Man held up the cake, smiling brightly at her, who was wearing a paper crown.
She took a deep breath and blew hard. The sixteen candles went out one by one.
"Wow! Amazing!"
Mei Man’s smile grew even warmer. That attitude of hers—treating her like something precious and fragile—made Wei Zhi’s heart ache. She had never been treated this way. She didn't take the cake from Mei Man’s hands; instead, she couldn't help but bury her face in her hands and weep.
She heard the sound of the cake being set down, and then a gentle embrace pulled her in. A soft, warm hand slowly patted her back.
Mei Man said nothing, but Wei Zhi’s tears only fell faster.
That day was her sixteenth birthday. Two hours earlier, Mei Man had dragged her back from the edge of the roof.
*What is the point of living?*
At some unknown point, this thought had begun to echo constantly in her mind.
If people have the right to live, do they also have the right to give up on living?
When life is nothing but endless pain and oppression, what is the point of enduring? For oneself? Or for the onlookers who say "suicide is an irresponsible act"?
It was her birthday. Wang Lin had cooked longevity noodles for her and bought McDonald's for the two siblings to eat.
A small Spicy McChicken Wing meal—she shared it with her brother. Wang Lin didn't eat a single bite, only saying "Mom’s not hungry" while watching the two of them wolf it down with a smile.
That day, she also received a birthday gift from her brother: a little paper person with moving parts, colored with blue crayon to represent her favorite blue dress.
"In a few years, when I can work, I'll buy you a real dress," Wei Lai said, turning his head toward the wall as if embarrassed, his voice small.
She had actually felt happy.
But when Wei Shan returned late that night from gambling and smelled the lingering scent of McDonald's in the air, his frustration over losing money exploded into a rage.
He didn't care why Wang Lin had bought McDonald's; he only cared that his already meager gambling funds had been further depleted.
The dim light flickered. Wei Shan’s shadow on the wall looked even more twisted and terrifying. He repeatedly kicked and punched Wang Lin, who had curled into a ball after falling. Wei Zhi threw herself forward with a cry, trying to protect her mother with her own body, but she was immediately kicked in the abdomen by Wei Shan and forced to double over in pain.
"You money-losing brat! You know we have no money, yet you still spend it recklessly! I’m telling you, I’m not paying your tuition anymore! Don't go to school starting tomorrow; find a factory to work in! Look at other fifteen or sixteen-year-olds earning money to support their families—what about you?! You've eaten and drunk for free for sixteen years and you're still ungrateful!"
"Get out! Take off the clothes I bought you and get out of my house!"
Wei Shan let go of Wang Lin and lunged toward Wei Zhi, tearing at her clothes. She screamed, her hands desperately clutching her shirt as it was pulled up. The primal fear brought on by Wei Shan’s heavy, rapid breathing overwhelmed everything. She went rigid, unable to move, as terror washed over her like a tide.
It was the bruised and swollen Wang Lin who rushed forward, wrestling with Wei Shan to make him let go of her collar.
Wei Shan punched Wang Lin in the head and, right in front of Wei Zhi, dragged the limp woman into the bedroom.
The door slammed shut. By the time Wei Zhi forced her stiff body to rush forward, the door had been locked from the inside.
Wei Shan’s roars were loud and blatant, while her mother’s stifled sobs were low, weak, and filled with shame.
She pounded on the door with all her might, but it never opened. Even the door to Wei Lai’s room across the hall remained tightly shut and motionless. The silent door conveyed its owner’s fear and unease, as well as the self-deception that everything would disappear if the door stayed closed.
She cried until she was exhausted; her heart was weary.
Her happiness was a fragile bubble on the sea, appearing only to highlight the despair that followed. Once it vanished, it would be shattered by even more intense agony.
She knew that after tomorrow, the sun would rise as usual, and everything would return to the mundane.
Wang Lin was used to it. Wei Lai was used to it. But she could never get used to it. Joy became scarcer, happiness disappeared, and the only thing she could feel was pain, like a rising tide constantly battering her heart.
She abandoned her suffering mother and ran out of the Wei house, heedless of everything.
She ran with her head down, letting the burning pain of breathlessness sear her lungs. How she wished that dog chain were in her hands right now; she would uncontrollably lash her own body, letting her skin tear and blood flow. How she hated this world, how she hated her cowardly mother, her violent father, and her weak brother. But most of all, she hated herself.
Her powerless self.
When she came to her senses, she had reached a secluded path. The unfinished building with its bare concrete walls looked like a monster lurking in the dark, waiting to swallow fresh prey.
She stared blankly at the rooftop visible above the blue fence. After a long time, she pushed open the ajar gate and walked in.
As if possessed, she climbed the stairs to the fifth-floor roof step by step. Standing at the edge of the open roof, she looked down at the hazy night, imagining the ground below was soft grass where all her troubles would vanish if she just lay down.
The thought fascinated her.
She stepped onto the ledge and sat down, her feet dangling in the air, letting the night wind dry the tear tracks on her face.
Gradually, she grew calmer, and the urge became even stronger.
Just as she made up her mind to leap, a pair of strong hands grabbed her from behind and pulled her forcefully back from the ledge.
Due to the momentum, she and the other person tumbled to the ground together. She not only smelled a faint citrus fragrance on the stranger but also heard the violent thumping of a heart from within the other woman's chest.
To think that someone’s heart would race like a drum because of *her* safety.
Even the look of lingering fear and anger on the other woman's face felt miraculous to her.
That was their first meeting.
Opening the door to the study, Wei Zhi stood once again before that massive painting. On the canvas, an angel was falling, the edges of its pure white wings stained with black smoke.
In the corner of the canvas was the artist's signature: "Mei."
She stared at that signature for a long time.
That day, Mei Man—who had been about to return to school after a late-night snack with her roommates—had sent them ahead and stayed behind to give Wei Zhi a special birthday.
Sixteen shimmering candles remained forever in her memory.
Equally engraved were the warm citrus scent and those gentle hands.
Mei Man was a beautiful existence, entirely different from her, once the only brilliance and splendor in her life. Her embracing arms had taken in the tainted girl she was.
When she sought death, it was Mei Man who was anxious and angry.
When she was diagnosed with severe depression, it was Mei Man who was sorrowful and sad.
When she couldn't stop herself from self-harming, it was Mei Man who stroked her scars and wept uncontrollably.
They were so different.
To stand in the same place as her, Wei Zhi had struggled to break free from the darkness and move toward her.
She had arrived at the place where Mei Man once stood, only to find that Mei Man had already fallen into the swamp.
Wei Zhi looked at the painting and whispered softly:
"I miss you so much."
"Sister Cat."
***
Glossary Table:
