The man arrived in his car, gesturing for Tao Siyue to get in.
Pretending not to see him, Tao Siyue continued walking aimlessly along the roadside.
The man, indifferent to potential fines, parked his car at the curb and quickly caught up to her, blocking her path. "Do you want to discuss this here on the street, or would you prefer somewhere more comfortable?" he asked, his smile not reaching his eyes as he gestured to the passing pedestrians. His voice was cold. "I don't want to stand out here in the cold wind."
Next to them was a café, nearly empty at this hour, with a sign indicating it would close in half an hour.
After a moment's hesitation, Tao Siyue pointed to the café door.
Once they had ordered and the waiter had left, the man's expression turned angry and contemptuous. “Tao Siyue, you're bold. I thought you were smarter than this.”
Tao Siyue, not adept at sarcasm, remained silent, urging him to get to the point.
“What do you think you're doing? Are you planning something stupid?” The man sneered. “If so, I almost pity you. You're even dumber than your father says, completely unaware of your own situation. Do you think you can overturn everything? You're dreaming.”
Tao Siyue looked up at him, trying to stay calm. “Are you scared?”
“Scared? No, I'm just losing interest in you.” He shrugged. “If I were you, I'd be the one trembling in fear.”
The man started picking at the decorative plant on the table, tearing off leaves and breaking the branches, all the while speaking nonchalantly. “I've bought you so many things. Clothes and shoes alone must have cost thousands. Not much for me, but a lot for a student like you. You accepted my gifts willingly.”
“I never took anything from you,” Tao Siyue quickly retorted.
“Can you prove that? Do you think I keep all those young girls' clothes for myself?” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “Remember the first time I took you shopping? The salespeople would remember me.”
“I said I didn't want them!” Tao Siyue emphasized.
“Playing hard to get, huh? Isn't that what girls do? Say no but take it anyway.” He stretched his neck casually. “Try telling that to someone else and see who believes you.”
The waiter brought their coffee, and the man fell silent, humming along to the café's background music. Neither had any interest in drinking the coffee.
After the waiter left, he continued. “Let’s forget about your father for a moment and focus on you. You're an adult now. Our relationship, at most, is an improper one based on financial exchange. If you report this, and the police find evidence, it would be a case of solicitation at worst. But you? That would make you a seller. You think you can handle the social backlash?”
Tao Siyue picked up her coffee cup, but the man quickly pressed his hand over it, preventing her from throwing the coffee at him. Some of the liquid spilled, scalding his hand, making him pull back with a hiss.
Grimacing, he wiped his hand with a napkin, his smile chilling. “Don’t get mad. I'm just explaining things to you.”
Tossing the napkin aside, he continued, “You don't understand the value of money yet, but let me tell you, I have plenty of ways to make you regret this for life, and it won’t affect me much. The whole society will judge you. That’s what it means to be an adult, not just turning 18. Do you dare to take that gamble?”
Tao Siyue glared at him, her anger barely contained.
The man seemed pleased by her reaction. “I don’t want things to get ugly. Your father was quite agreeable. Besides being incompetent, he was obedient and flattering. I tossed him a bone, and he was happy to serve me. I’d hate to lose such a useful dog.”
His tone was dripping with sarcasm and contempt, his seemingly kind demeanor now fully stripped away. This was his true face.
“Do you know how much your father invested following me? If I decide to cut him off, he'll be left with nothing. You and your brother would lose your home. Your whole family would suffer because of your mistake. Do you think your father would forgive you?”
Tao Siyue knew exactly how her father would react. He could be violent with his wife, smashing things in a rage. His only concern was Tao Ruiming, who lived a blissful, ignorant life, sometimes making her wildly jealous.
The man, perhaps sensing her fear, continued his threats and false promises until the café manager reminded them of closing time. He sipped the now lukewarm coffee, left a hundred yuan bill on the table, and left.
“Living feels meaningless,” Tao Siyue said flatly. “What's the point of living when it's just endless suffering?”
Blood had dried at the corner of her mouth, turning dark red.
“I don’t know how to analyze things or understand adults' shifting thoughts. I can't predict what will happen next, so I don’t know what to do. Reality gave me no choices. The hardest problem I’d faced before was a calculus question on a math test. In reality, I can only avoid and avoid, but there's no way to escape. Everyone has a knife to my back, telling me what I can't do.”
“I wandered the streets until dark. The wind was so strong that night, I could hardly move. I thought, since I was going to die anyway, why not end it sooner?” Her voice grew quieter, tears welling up in her bloodshot eyes. She sniffled softly, and the tears fell.
“It was Uncle He who pulled me back up.”
Everyone in the office turned to look at He Chuan Zhou, as her fingers twitched slightly as she crossed her arms.
She seemed to have a faint recollection of the event.
That day, she almost fought with a classmate at school. Zhou Tuoxing stuck to her like glue, worried sick. The impact of the news was too severe, and it was hard to distinguish the truth. The homeroom teacher, fearing her personality might cause trouble, sent her home early to talk with her parents.
When He Chuan Zhou got home, she didn't mention anything, had dinner with He Xu, and later, while doing homework, He Xu mentioned that someone had gone missing. The police station was short-staffed, and he had to help out.
The missing person was eventually found on the cross-river bridge.
He Xu didn't say it was Tao Siyue, but he seemed down for several days and took more than a week off work.
Tao Siyue, her voice trembling, said, "When I stood on the bridge, I didn't have the courage to jump. The water was so dark, with only a few reflections. I climbed over the railing, my legs shaking, and slowly moved to the edge. I sat there for over an hour."
When He Xu appeared, Tao Siyue broke down. She slid down, but He Xu and his colleagues managed to grab her in time.
A crowd gathered, pulling her up, but the railing made it difficult, and Tao Siyue kept struggling.
A colleague tried to comfort her, saying, "Think about the good things, girl. It’s not worth it. Life's different now; this isn’t an insurmountable obstacle."
Through tears, Tao Siyue cried, "Uncle He, I'm sorry! I'm sorry..."
He Xu, lips pressed tightly, seemed to understand what she was apologizing for and nodded. "It's okay."
"I'm sorry, I don't understand," she said incoherently. "Why? I don't understand... I'm sorry."
"I understand, I understand," He Xu said, holding her hand tightly. "It's okay."
Tao Siyue cried even harder.
They managed to pull her up. Kneeling on the ground, she shook all over, muttering indistinctly.
He Xu fetched a blanket from the car, draped it over her, and knelt before her, silently watching for a moment before instructing his colleagues to take her home. He then walked to the bridge, leaning against the railing.
A friend followed, sitting next to him, and asked softly, "What did she mean by saying sorry to you? Her parents caused a scene at the station today, and she didn't say a word?"
He Xu looked up, sighed deeply, and said, "I've done nothing wrong. I'm not afraid of an investigation. It’s the adults’ fault. Should we really pressure her?"
The friend opened his mouth but could only sigh, "What a mess."
Tao Siyue felt a mix of admiration, gratitude, reliance, and deep guilt toward He Xu. He had saved her twice, offering her understanding and forgiveness she desperately sought, but it couldn't change her life.
She was constantly entangled in her own fate, making circles in a maze of difficult choices, unable to muster the courage to make a decisive change. She could only comfort herself, counting the days, hoping everything would eventually pass.
She naively believed everything could be covered up and forgotten, like an old calendar.
He Xu's kindness reassured her, allowing her a brief respite from her anxiety.
Her voice grew steadier, "Because of the public outcry and the hospital’s report, the district began investigating the case. I didn't dare reveal his identity, only gave them a timeframe. Back then, the newly imported body cameras had limited functions, but they clearly recorded the conversation. The investigation quickly confirmed He Xu's innocence."
"Han Songshan, however, was working for that man, persistently pushing from behind. My father, Tao Xianyong, refused to admit the truth, insisting the police were colluding and fabricating evidence. Han Songshan spread various rumors. Information was limited then, people only saw his articles, not the police statements. Even if they did, they might not believe them. My mom was misled by others’ discussions. When I told her it wasn’t He Xu, she refused to believe me."
"Later, my father, realizing I hadn’t exposed that man, decided to drop the matter. I thought it was finally over," Tao Siyue said, pausing. Each time she reached this part of the story, she felt a surge of unvented resentment. "I always thought it was over, but it only got worse."
The third video ended here.
He Chuan Zhou clicked on the last video, already anticipating its contents.
Li Lan threatened suicide to get He Xu to negotiate. During their argument, He Xu fell while trying to save her.
If Tao Siyue was confused about the source of her suffering, He Chuan Zhou also had many unanswered questions.
Even with all the facts, complete self-healing remained elusive. Often, even knowing a path leads to ruin, people can't resist looking back.
Pain and suffering, no matter how illusory, were easier to bear than facing a world without He Xu.
It took He Chuan Zhou ten years to move on, but Tao Siyue was still trapped in the past.
He Chuan Zhou’s attention drifted, not paying close attention until near the end when Tao Siyue’s face showed less pain and regret. Her tear-streaked face looked pale as she explained her actions over the years.
"He Xu is dead. What difference does the truth make now? Our family’s life would be destroyed, and I can't bear that. Besides, it was an accident. My mother hasn’t left our hometown for ten years. She’s been repenting."
Wang Yifei’s knife cut her skin, a thin line of blood running down the blade. Frustrated by Tao Siyue’s calm attitude, he angrily demanded, “How can you say that so casually? Who is that man? Don’t tell me you don’t know!”
“Do you think I don’t hate him? I wanted to kill him too. But what’s the point? Even if I had presented the evidence then, how many years would he get for rape?” Tao Siyue closed her eyes, a sense of resignation in her voice. “His name is Shen Wenzheng. Now that you know, what can you do?”
“Why should he get away with it?” Wang Yifei shouted at the camera, “I want the police to reveal the truth! The truth!”
Once the videos finished, everyone finally exhaled, discussing Wang Yifei’s motives and the current whereabouts of the two.
Brother Huang decided to rewatch it, moving the mouse to the title, when he noticed He Chuan Zhou had already stood up. He wanted to ask her opinion.
Just then, someone outside announced, "Captain He, Jiang Zhaolin insists on seeing you. He says it’s urgent."
Brother Huang answered, "We’re searching and investigating. Tell him not to rush us!"
The young man replied, “I told him, but he said it’s related to the case!”
He Chuan Zhou decided to meet Jiang Zhaolin. He knew Tao Siyue best and might provide useful information.
Brother Huang dropped the mouse and quickly followed.
Jiang Zhaolin was waiting in the hallway, gripping his phone. Seeing He Chuan Zhou, he wiped his face and approached her.
“Sis,” he croaked, struggling to find the right words. “I watched the videos too.”
He Chuan Zhou got straight to the point, “What do you think of her state? Both she and Wang Yifei seemed unnatural.”
Jiang Zhaolin shook his head, not answering directly. “I don’t know if you believe this... Things didn’t exactly happen as she said. Siyue was supposed to tell the truth. She promised me…”