playing cards

"Alright then, can you tell me why you want to resign?" Yu Zou fastened his seatbelt and started the car.

"Isn't it nice that I play for you alone?"

"That's great, but they said you're one award away from a Grand Slam. What award is it?"

"Best soprano".

Du Pianjian leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest. Yu Zou pulled out his seatbelt and fastened it for him, then laughed: "Seriously."

"This is the piece I'm using to compete for the composition award. When I give my acceptance speech, I will say, 'Thank you to my husband, Yu Zou, for his support.'"

"I would be honored to do so. Will you resign after that?"

"You don't want me to quit my job?"

"Yes, I do have my own selfish motives, but it's still your decision. Whether you want to work or rest, I support you. You don't need to consider me at all. If we can't make each other better, then this relationship should be ended."

Du Pianjian opened her eyes, tilted her head to look at Yu Zou, and said, "Cut off? Does that mean you'll divorce me if I resign?"

“No, how could that be? What I’m trying to say is that if anything, anyone, or any relationship is harmful to you, you must bravely cut it off, even if it’s something you’re already very used to,” Yu Zou said. “I’ll take you home first, then I’ll go talk to Li Kuo, and then I’ll come pick you up. I can’t let them get away with this.”

One lucky escape doesn't guarantee a lucky escape every time. The car accident in Aspen couldn't be traced back to its perpetrator, the laboratory explosion had no culprit, Fang Bu died far from home, and Fang Jin died unjustly. Each and every one of these incidents is simply too outrageous!

Du Pianjian didn't ask who they were, only saying, "Okay, I'll wait for you."

The roads are bustling with traffic, while the high-rise buildings remain silent.

Yu Zou read Fang Bu's autopsy report word by word, while Li Kuo sat opposite him like a statue, and Zhao Junjie stood under the glass window gazing into the distance.

"Have you reviewed the complete surveillance footage?" Yu Zou put down the light, almost weightless paper. The cause of death was as expected: an overdose of addictive substances.

Li Kuo did not answer immediately. He retrieved the complete surveillance footage from the Sixth Hospital, which matched the extracted video perfectly. At the same time, he retrieved the surveillance footage from Shoushu University to track Du Pianjian's whereabouts. An unexpected alibi was found: he got into Chi Hengxun's car.

Now he would rather have never seen the surveillance footage; choosing whether to keep the secret is more difficult than keeping it. Li Kuo said, "I saw it. You're right, that person isn't Du Pianjian."

"Have you found out who it is?"

"No. Look at this first."

Li Kuo turned on the light screen. From the camera's perspective, at the mall's anniversary celebration, a giant confetti canister hanging from the ceiling exploded amidst cheers, and countless red confetti rained down. One large clump landed on the central stage. After the confetti had settled, a corpse appeared on the long table where the golden egg had been. It was Fang Jin, dressed in a white hospital gown, his face pale and serene as if he were asleep.

Just when people thought it was still part of the performance, the paper melted into blood and poured down, the stench driving everyone away. The camera also began to shake from side to side, and a playing card fell from the sky, flying straight towards the camera as if attracted by a magnet, finally sticking to the lens, its value magnified to the extreme.

“King of Diamonds.” Yu Zou read out the card number subconsciously.

Another video, from a surveillance camera's perspective, shows a highly skilled individual in the darkness who single-handedly takes down a whole corridor of people without even showing his face. He's wearing a black shirt, black pants, and a black baseball cap, standing among his defeated opponents. He extends two fingers to trace the brim of his cap, makes a semi-circle, then extends his index and middle fingers perpendicularly, pressing his thumb on the knuckle of his middle finger. After pausing for a second, he leaves the surveillance area.

Li Kuo said, "Sign language, King of Spades."

The final video clip is from a drone's perspective. A senator is giving a passionate speech when one of the drones, which were originally positioned, suddenly flies directly above the podium and drops a projectile. A small explosion occurs, and the flames cause those present to scatter in panic. Amidst the billowing black smoke and distorted air, a playing card is embedded in the wall. The camera slowly pans in, and the card begins to spontaneously combust until the last number is reduced to ashes.

"King of Clubs," Li Kuo said, "resulting in one death and three injuries."

One dead and three injured—Yu Zou felt a heavy blow to his heart. It was retaliation for the lab accident, and a purposeful, organized act by a team. But if the other party's purpose in impersonating Du Pianjian was to exploit Fang Bu's trust in Du Pianjian to lure him into the St. Hele Sanatorium, why make such a big fuss about announcing Fang Jin's unnatural death?

Yu Zou felt he had found an answer, but this answer led to even more difficult questions. The most crucial one was: "What do they want to do?"

"The King of Diamonds revealed Fang Jin's body. The King of Spades attacked a factory that manufactures addictive substances, and this factory is owned by the councilor's brother-in-law. As for the rest, it's still under investigation." Li Kuo closed the video.

“They seem like a group of righteous people. They’re methodically bringing addiction to the forefront, and they have more information than we do,” Zhao Junjie said, finally moving to sit on the sofa not too far from the two of them. He pointed to himself and then to the two of them. “Won’t they come after us one day?”

"If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear," Li Kuo said coldly.

"Hahahaha." Zhao Junjie laughed unusually. "Haven't we done enough bad things?"

Li Kuo said impatiently, "Stop being sarcastic. If you can't wait, then get lost."

"Li Kuo, your sign language is really good. How did you learn it?" Zhao Junjie maintained the smile on his lips, but his eyes quickly turned cold. "Why do you have so many secrets from me? Aren't we best friends?"

"So what if it is? Am I supposed to report every little detail to you? How childish." Li Kuo frowned, as if even expressing his dissatisfaction was a waste of energy. "Are you done yet? Is this some big deal? Even Yu Zou doesn't know, and he's not like you."

Zhao Junjie nodded stiffly, said "okay" twice, and then rushed out the door.

Yu Zou watched Zhao Junjie walk away with a puzzled look and asked, "What happened to him? What don't I know?"

“It’s acting up!” Li Kuo said through gritted teeth, pulling up a photo from his bracelet to show Yu Zou. “I’m getting engaged. This is my fiancée.”

Yu Zou stared in surprise at the photo of the Omega girl, sitting quietly and obediently in a wheelchair, a breathing aid attached to her chest. A sudden thought struck him, and he said, "Is this... uh, a reptile..."

When he was a child, he went to see Li Kuo and saw a girl in the yard surrounded by strange lizards. The ferocious beasts were crawling on her thin arms. The scene was incredibly shocking.

Li Kuo nodded: "Her father is my father's right-hand man. She was kidnapped by her enemies and her trachea was slit. She will only be able to speak and eat with the help of a ventilator. My father has always felt guilty towards her and wanted me to marry her. I always thought there were many ways to repay a debt of gratitude, and it didn't have to be this way. I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just suddenly changed my mind, and Zhao Junjie has been holding onto it."

"Oh, I thought it was something good," Yu Zou said.

Li Kuo accepted the photos, a slight smile appearing on his face. "This is why I'm willing to stay with you. Everything is for the best. How about we get married?"

"Great!" Yu Zou laughed. "This is going to be very interesting."

“If you like him, you’d better keep a close eye on him.” Li Kuo gave up on subtle hints. “Chi Hengxun hasn’t given up on him yet.”

Yu Zou raised an eyebrow and nodded: "I know."

You know?

"I know." It was he who interfered in their relationship. If it weren't for him and this engagement, they would be fine. "I can't do it, and I don't want to do that kind of thing. I want my free spirit to stay with me willingly. From now on, it's up to each of us to see who can keep the other. If you can keep them, that's a skill. If you can't, then you have to leave."

"It's spacious enough," Li Kuo praised him.

“But it’s easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. What I have to protect is a life that is even more precious. To be able to imitate Du Pianjian so well, one must have been observing him for a long time, and he might even be someone close to me. Perhaps.” Yu Zou paused, “There’s another one, the King of Hearts.”

Pixiu suddenly appeared from nowhere, meowing as he jumped onto Li Kuo's lap and rubbed against his clothes. Li Kuo purred him and said, "So, all we can do now is wait."

Waiting for someone to urge things forward, waiting for someone to obstruct things forward, waiting for someone to disrupt things forward.

While waiting, the King of Hearts did not appear, and even the other three cards disappeared without a trace. Only a little gossip circulated among the dust, while those who were truly racing ahead remained silent, only focused on catching up.

The project agenda for Xiyanba is accelerating, thanks in no small part to Du Junchang's efforts.

Yu Zou complied with Du Pianjian's numerous requests, and the score was gradually completed amidst his increasingly demanding demands. Finally, the day of the orchestra's performance arrived, and Yu Zou sat down in the family section with the ticket Du Pianjian had given him in advance.

Half an hour before the show was scheduled to begin, the theater was already packed. Behind the red curtain, the chaotic notes buzzed like a swarm of bees, then abruptly fell silent.

As the curtain slowly rose, the conductor moved, and in an instant, all the sounds burst forth, like an unstoppable wave washing away the audience's heartbeats. Their minds were filled only with the resonance of the powerful sounds, and their bodies became an inseparable instrument in this magnificent concert hall, working together to produce a grand sound.

When Du Pianjian's solo moment arrived, all the instruments humbly yielded, notes flowed like silk, technique shone like jewels, and emotion erupted like fire, instantly captivating the hearts of everyone present. The musicians' peripheral vision and the audience's gaze were filled with awe when directed at him. Within this vast and precise musical instrument, he was the indispensable, flawless heart, his surging blood colliding and surging throughout the hall, making the word "life" clearer and clearer.

The lights were dazzling, casting a golden sheen on him as if a layer of gold dust had been molten onto his body. His fingers moved so fast they left afterimages, his expression calm and collected. He glanced at Yu Zou's seat, and as expected, they bumped into each other.

This would be the perfect ending, he thought.

The conductor raised his hand again, squeezing out all his strength. The music surged forward, dancing in his veins and pushing further into the distance, creating a brighter sound through resonance, until the last note dissipated where it was meant to go.

The concert hall was filled with an absolute, otherworldly silence. These three seconds of silence were a state of suspension where emotions reached their peak, a state that no one wanted to break, and no one dared to break.

Thunderous applause erupted in the concert hall only after all the musicians stood up to express their gratitude, and it continued for a long time until the red curtain slowly fell.

Yu Zou was so immersed in this pinnacle of art that he couldn't come back to his senses for a long time. It wasn't until almost everyone had left that he got up to congratulate Du Pianjian. In the same row as him, two seats away, a middle-aged man in a suit sat upright, his thin face showing even more melancholy. Behind his glasses were a pair of clear and calm eyes, still looking at the stage, but not at Du Pianjian's position.

Yu Zou walked over and greeted him: "Father-in-law, you've come to listen to Pianjian's concert too."