I would never say no to her, but at that moment, my mind went blank, and I completely forgot how to respond to her.

All I remember is mechanically downing the glass of wine in front of me, trying to numb the chaos and pain in my heart with alcohol.

Just as I raised my glass, I caught a glimpse of a tear that silently slid down her cheek as she drank with me.

Immediately afterwards, her figure suddenly lost its support and collapsed helplessly in front of me.

I frantically tried to reach out to help, but all my strength seemed to have been drained from my body. Everything went black, and I was plunged into endless darkness.

When I opened my eyes again, I was greeted by a scene of paleness and silence.

The three of them told me that she had left this world and gone to a distant place that we could never reach again.

She... is dead?

At that moment, my heart felt as if it were being torn apart, and the pain was so intense that I couldn't breathe.

I don't understand why fate treats us so cruelly, I don't understand why.

Her smile, her voice, her warmth—everything is still so vivid in my mind. How could it all vanish in the blink of an eye?

I don't even have the ability to cry my heart out for her in front of everyone.

You broke up with me for my own good, right? Because you love me and don't want me to suffer so much pain and burden, right?

You managed to persuade your boss, such a wicked person, to support us. If you can overcome such a difficult hurdle, what obstacle can't you overcome?

What can't be resolved? Why don't you talk to me?

I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so busy with work all day and neglected to care about you.

I was wrong. I questioned your kindness towards me and hurt you so much.

I was wrong. I should have saved you from that hellish place sooner.

I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong...

Please come back.

I silently call your name in my heart; I will never forget you.

Don't worry, you will be the last woman I will ever love in this life.

In this world, there is no one left who can move me, and no one left who knows about the relationship between us.

I still remember the excited look on your face when you were promoted, holding up the card and telling me about it. It seems like nothing can move you except me.

I want to see your smile again, is that okay?

If I give you the cards I've collected, will you smile at me again?

I burned my card for you, did you see it?

I saw it.

I saw you smile.

——

Having read this far, Chuanliu basically understands Lao Feng's emotional journey from meeting Wang Qiao to the end.

This couple, who seemed to be truly in love, also experienced a passionate period of romance just like any other couple.

Old Feng truly loves Wang Qiao.

As for whether Wang Qiao truly loves Lao Feng, that's hard to say.

From Chuanliu's perspective, after learning of "Little Devil's" existence, Wang Qiao meticulously planned to casually step into Lao Feng's world, each step purposeful. After confirming Lao Feng's true identity, she became even more determined to weave this web to get closer to him.

Feng Mi, a seemingly clear-headed man with an inappropriate obsession, gradually lowered his guard under Wang Qiao's gentle advances. He thought he had found solace, unaware that this was merely a carefully orchestrated scheme by Wang Qiao.

Beneath the sweet exterior, undercurrents are surging.

As the investigation deepened, Wang Qiao discovered that Lao Feng was not the person she was looking for. So when the time was right, she decided to abandon Lao Feng as a pawn.

Perhaps Wang Qiao did love Lao Feng, and she hoped that he would always remember her as a perfect image. Therefore, she used a specially developed Alzheimer's drug from Plum Blossom City. However, she didn't expect that the drug's efficacy was unstable, causing Lao Feng to frequently remain normal for a long period afterward.

Meanwhile, she quietly withdrew, leaving everyone in a fog.

The other three thought Wang Qiao had betrayed them and, not wanting to upset Old Feng, who was already somewhat mentally unstable, vaguely told him that Wang Qiao was dead.

Chuanliu repeatedly considered this conjecture in his mind and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

She knew her speculation might be too conspiracy-themed, but whenever she thought about how all of this was related to Plum Blossom City, she simply couldn't regard Wang Qiao as the "pure white flower" untouched by the dust in Lao Feng's notes.

In the game of power, everyone is both a pawn and a player.

Wang Qiao has clearly played a key role in this game.

If Wang Qiao is indeed as Chuanliu speculates, then an even bolder conjecture arises in Chuanliu's mind.

—Wang Qiao may also be searching for traces of "Joker".

Wu Lide, Wang Qiao, Zhou Zheng, Liu Xingxing...

Are these people all looking for "Joker"?

Chuanliu rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of a headache. Could it be that even in such a niche track, there were so many people competing with her?

How much has the WD Investigation Bureau been hiding from her?

Having confirmed her suspicions about Lao Feng and Wang Qiao's experiences, the girl walked home without saying a word.

On the road, a familiar figure ran towards them from not far away.

It's Gillian Chung.

Chuanliu was somewhat surprised. She went up to him and saw that Xiong Ajiao was covered in sweat, and he was out of breath from running.

"What's wrong?" Chuanliu asked.

She steadied Xiong Ajiao and helped him catch his breath.

Xiong Ajiao coughed a few times and said with a hint of anxiety, "Your phone is ringing in your room."

Chuanliu nodded. "Who called?"

It's not surprising that someone would contact her at a time like this.

Xiong Ajiao shook her head, "I...I don't know either."

Chuanliu frowned slightly and said, "Explain in detail."

Xiong Ajiao said, "When the phone rang the first time, I wanted to answer it and tell the caller that you weren't there, but after I went upstairs, the call was disconnected. I thought maybe someone had dialed the wrong number. But two hours later, the phone rang again, and I quickly answered it, but as soon as they heard me, they hung up again. I felt something was wrong, so I rushed over to find you. Do you think it could be a threatening call from those people in Plum Blossom City?"

By the time Xiong Ajiao finished speaking, Chuanliu already knew who had called.

It wasn't a threatening or prank call.

It was a call from the WD Investigation Bureau that required a code!

Prior to this, the WD Investigation Bureau had never proactively called Kawakami.

The WD investigator had told her before that he would consult with his superiors to determine whether to provide her with more clues.

Upon receiving their message again, Chuanliu suppressed his joy and asked casually, "When was the last time you called?"

“An hour ago,” Xiong Ajiao replied.

In other words, the next one will be in an hour.

Chuanliu immediately followed Xiong Ajiao home.