Wang Yifei was browsing online comments.
Shen Wenzheng’s public relations team responded swiftly.
After the morning video sparked heated discussions among netizens, Shen Wenzheng immediately issued a clarification statement, claiming that the video was part of a premeditated plot by the kidnappers and that none of it was real. He also expressed disbelief that Tao Siyue would fabricate such a dramatic lie to frame him. He added that he had reported the matter to the police and was awaiting the results of their investigation.
The statement was presented with an air of calm and fairness, and it even seemed to defend Tao Siyue, which confused many netizens. A significant number of people were swayed by Shen Wenzheng's explanation.
After Tao Siyue’s second video was released, Shen Wenzheng also appeared in a response video, which was posted on their company’s official account.
Wang Yifei didn’t dare to play the video but was relieved to find that a considerate netizen had created a text version.
The content was brief, just over a hundred words, mainly scolding Tao Siyue for her reckless behavior and advising her not to test the limits of the law. He also stated that he had contacted legal counsel to file a lawsuit against her, urging her to be prepared to face the legal consequences.
Shen Wenzheng’s facial features weren't particularly striking; his drooping, slack eyelids made his eyes look less sharp, and his sparse, faded eyebrows softened his expression. Altogether, his appearance lacked the uprightness one might expect but conveyed a gentle, cultured demeanor. Compared to the emotionally volatile Tao Siyue and the menacing Wang Yifei brandishing a knife in the earlier scene, Shen Wenzheng seemed far more trustworthy.
Especially when he spoke with apparent anguish, his facial muscles tensing and the redness creeping up his neck, he performed the role of a distressed individual perfectly.
Wang Yifei repeatedly watched the video with the sound off and couldn’t help but almost believe Shen Wenzheng himself. How much more convincing would it be to netizens who didn’t know the whole story?
Compared to the worldly and experienced Shen Wenzheng, they were far too clumsy and powerless.
As Wang Yifei watched the chaotic and noisy online discussions, where different people, wearing different masks, confidently refuted them, he sighed quietly and slid down the wall a bit.
The second video wasn’t supposed to be released so early. According to their original plan, they were to wait at least another day or two for the first stage of the kidnapping incident to further ferment online before introducing a twist.
However, the account was blocked faster than he had anticipated, and Tao Siyue’s mental state also worried him.
All Tao Siyue could think about was life and death, like a matchstick that had to burn itself to ashes to fully realize its value.
She had told Wang Yifei more than once that if Shen Wenzheng sent someone to silence them, Wang Yifei should escape first and let her die there alone.
If the police arrived first, she would wait for a few days, and if they decided not to press charges against Shen Wenzheng, she would write a suicide note and end her life, ensuring that netizens would believe her accusations.
Wang Yifei was unnerved by her words and felt compelled to stay by her side.
On this point, he couldn’t agree with Tao Siyue. For him, even though he was sick, suicide was absolutely out of the question.
Public sympathy, while overwhelming at first, could quickly dissipate like a landslide, and a desperate person's suicide wouldn't bring true justice, it would leave only a faint trace in the vast database.
Unfortunately, his advice fell on deaf ears. Perhaps for Tao Siyue, her biggest regret was surviving in the first place, and only by sacrificing herself could she find peace.
Wang Yifei didn’t know what to do next.
He had acted rashly without considering an exit strategy, believing at the time that he had no other options.
However, the situation had changed several times, leaving him deeply confused and lost.
Wang Yifei was tempted to take Tao Siyue back, but he doubted she would agree, and he couldn’t leave her here alone.
Reflecting on his youth and naivety, he wondered how furious He Chuan Zhou must be at this moment and how utterly disappointed Wang Gaozhan must feel.
Lost in his thoughts, he absentmindedly scrolled through his phone, and when he noticed Tao Siyue sitting up and slowly moving closer to him, he quickly closed the social media app and switched to his gallery.
Tao Siyue glanced at his phone screen. Most of the images in the gallery were his earlier drawings. In the early days, his skills were undeveloped, and he had limited tools, so the drawings were very rough, merely meant as mementos, never intended for public viewing.
Some depicted dishes, while others showed a table or a sunlit window.
Wang Yifei was flipping through them casually, and after viewing a few, he couldn’t help but recall his time living at He Xu’s house, feeling a mix of emotions, though a warm sense of nostalgia gradually took over.
The memories, after all, were mostly pleasant.
He tilted the screen towards Tao Siyue, showing her a picture of a blackened fish, saying, “I didn’t draw it wrong; Sister Chuan Zhou really doesn’t know how to cook.”
Then, realizing how that sounded, he quickly added, “She can cook, it’s just really bad. But it’s not dangerous, we never had to go to the hospital because of it.”
Tao Siyue smiled slightly.
Wang Yifei continued scrolling through the pictures, muttering, “That’s why both my brother and I learned to cook.”
Tao Siyue’s gaze slowly shifted to his hands, noticing the scars left by repeated cuts on his knuckles, which had thickened the skin and made it appear pale.
The clothes and shoes he was wearing now were the same old items that had appeared in his drawings from years ago.
Over the past decade, everyone’s lives had been marked by hardship and disorder. Beneath the illusion of peace, each person carried their own scars.
“I’m sorry,” Tao Siyue murmured, almost to herself, “I wish I could end all of this.”
She was speaking that way again, and Wang Yifei responded helplessly, “You can’t end it on your own. No matter what, it won’t work.”
Tao Siyue mumbled, “Anyway, Jiang Zhaolin will leave me too…”
“I don’t think he’d leave you,” Wang Yifei said sincerely, not just to comfort her. “After all… you mean the most to him.”
As they spoke, a rhythmic knock suddenly came from outside.
Wang Yifei held his breath, not responding, and then heard the sound of a lock being picked.
Wang Yifei didn’t think the police could find them this quickly since he hadn’t left many clues. Given what Tao Siyue had mentioned, his first thought was that Shen Wenzheng had sent someone to silence them.
He grabbed Tao Siyue with one hand and picked up the phone tripod with the other—the only thing in the room that could be used as a weapon—then immediately moved towards the window, intending to climb out.
He pushed Tao Siyue to go first, but before he could even get one leg out, the old door was violently kicked open, and a loud shout made him freeze in place.
“Wang Yifei! Stay where you are!”
Wang Yifei was stunned, and as he turned around, He Chuan Zhou was already striding towards him. She grabbed Wang Yifei by the collar, yanking him forward, forcing him to lower his head, and, in a tone almost seething with anger, scolded him through gritted teeth, “Wang Yifei, are you even thinking? Did you let your brains get fried to grow such a big nerve? You still want to run? Where do you think you’re going?”
He Chuan Zhou hesitated for just a moment before deciding not to hit him, but Wang Yifei suddenly hugged her and began wailing.
“Sis—” he cried out as if he had been wronged, bawling uncontrollably, “You finally came!”
He Chuan Zhou, caught off guard by his unexpected reaction, was left speechless with her reprimands stuck in her throat. She slapped him on the back and sneered, “Did I lock you here?
Why are you crying to me? You’re the one with all the ideas, daring to do whatever you want.”
Wang Yifei sniffled, his quickness to admit fault was impressive, and his sincerity was evident. Before he could even catch his breath, he choked out, “I’m sorry.”
He took a deep breath and, looking pitiful, added, “I thought I’d never see you again, Sis.”
He Chuan Zhou felt a surge of frustration that stuck in her chest, unable to rise or fall. She shoved Wang Yifei away, watching as he continued to cry, both nose and eyes streaming. Despite herself, she found the situation a bit amusing—how could anyone be so unlucky?
Xu Yu adjusted the camera, capturing every corner of the room. After making a round, she saw that Wang Yifei was still wiping away tears, even though He Chuan Zhou had calmed him down significantly. Xu Yu couldn’t help but give Wang Yifei a thumbs up.
“Little Brother Wang,” Xu Yu praised him sincerely, “you’re something else! You nearly turned the entire City A police system upside down.”
Wang Yifei, feeling guilty, took the tissues from Xu Yu, wiped his face, and muttered quietly, “I didn’t plan to stay in City A.”
He hadn’t wanted to trouble He Chuan Zhou or face her disappointment. It was Tao Siyue who suggested that He Chuan Zhou might want to personally investigate Shen Wenzheng’s case. Wang Yifei thought she had a point, so he stayed.
“That’s not the point,” Xu Yu waved her hand dismissively, giving up. “Forget it, just keep crying for now.”
She walked over to check on Tao Siyue’s condition. The small wound on her neck had already scabbed over, and there were no other visible injuries. Xu Yu asked her a few questions in a low voice before escorting her to the police car, sitting with her inside.
The other officers stayed outside the yard, waiting for instructions before entering to seal off the area and search the house thoroughly.
Apart from a few personal items left by the two, the house was mostly empty even the bed had been removed, so they’d been sleeping on the floor these past few days.
Shao Zhixin came downstairs and gestured to He Chuan Zhou, “There’s probably no evidence here. No one’s lived here for years. The dust on the floor is this thick.”
He Chuan Zhou told him to take Wang Yifei to the car, then reported through her earpiece, “We’ve found both of them safe. We’re preparing to bring them back now.”
Brother Huang let out a long sigh of relief, slumping in his chair with limbs weak from the tension. Not missing a beat, he quipped, “Watch how you speak! Show some respect and call them ‘little ancestors.’ I’ll order some takeout right now to welcome you back.”