“…Based on the live broadcasts the deceased watched before and during his suicide, combined with the blurry footage from the street store surveillance cameras, after a detailed investigation, it can be confirmed that the deceased did commit suicide. The reason for the suicide is speculated to be that the deceased depended on his son and lived only for his son. He committed suicide after seeing the news of his son’s death.”
"After hanging himself, he struggled harder than most people because he heard that his son was not dead." Hanging is the oldest method of suicide. As death is extremely painful and ugly, few people choose it anymore.
Song Xi's mother, Song Ma, struggled so hard and wanted to live so much that her death was even more tragic. Her eyes bulged out, almost popping out of their sockets, her tongue stretched out long, and the bruises on her neck and the wounds from grabbing the rope with her hands made her look so terrifying that it was impossible to look at her directly.
Song Ma's unwillingness, her determination when committing suicide, her determination to live after hanging herself, and her final death with her eyes open were all vividly displayed on her corpse.
The police officers who arrived at the scene were both old and young. The old police officers who had seen countless deaths couldn't help but shake their heads when they saw Song Ma, not to mention the new police officers who didn't even dare to look.
Song Xi's face was pale and his eyes were dull. When he staggered into the house and saw Song Ma, the police had already simply cleaned her up. But no matter how they cleaned her up, they still couldn't cover up the tragedy.
Song Xi stared blankly at Song Ma, whose face was disfigured beyond recognition, and fell backwards.
After waking up and knowing the truth, Song Xi was stunned for a few minutes in the unspeakable silence. He looked at Zhang Qi, whose face changed drastically, with empty eyes for a few seconds, then got off the stretcher and left.
Finally, an ambulance took him home.
Song Xi fell into a coma, a coma controlled by his own subconscious. He did not want to wake up and accept this reality. Perhaps what he longed for deep in his heart was for his fake death to become real death.
In Song Xi's endless coma, Zhang Qi, who dreamed of a brilliant comeback and vowed to take responsibility, became the target of public criticism. Her previous reports were dug up one by one. After Song Xi left school, she was thrown things by angry students. She fled the school amid the angry scolding, but she could not escape the media and the Internet's pervasive scolding.
Discussions and reflections on journalists also began, and Zhu Jin's warning to Zhang Qi led to countless journalist codes of conduct.
In an age where the market is dominated by specious news, such discussions and criticisms will never end.
Zhu Jin, however, did not pay attention to the excitement, because she knew that it was only temporary. When the heat passed, everything would return to normal, and there would be a second, third, and countless Song Xi and Song Ma who would follow this path.
Amid the heated discussion on the profession of journalist, Zhu Jin received an invitation from Shang Lu. He was going to remarry... no, he was going to get married for real.
Shanglu's wedding came earlier than expected, but it seemed natural.
Shang Lu personally delivered the invitation, and there was a petite, round-faced woman, beautiful and innocent, just like Helian Zhen in the past.
Shanglu and his fiancée came to the school to give the invitation to Zhu Jin, and then walked away, determined to leave a good memory on campus.
Zhu Jin was looking at Shang Lu, who was dispensable and followed Shang Lu. He hadn't seen him for a long time, or rather, he hadn't noticed him for a long time. Compared to the hatred or trance he used to be in, he was now much calmer.
Shang Lu and his fiancée left, but he followed Zhu Jin, nagging her every word.
"I have nowhere to go. I don't want to see Zhenzhen, nor do I want to see 'myself'."
"…I feel like I'm crazy. I actually envy you. You said you came here with your uncle. You can accompany your uncle, but I can't even accompany my father."
"I have nothing to do all day, just like this... Time passes so slowly, I thought many years have passed, but in fact it has only been more than a year..."
"Why can't I die..."
In the end, Zhu Jin thought he talked too much, so he silently said "disappear" and made him disappear.
Zhu Jin did not attend Shanglu's wedding.
Unexpectedly, within two days, Zhu Jin received another wedding invitation, from Helian Zhen.
The groom is the son of a cabinet member. It is a political marriage that benefits both parties. Helian Zhen has not really fulfilled her duties as a queen, but has been doing charity work in the image of a commoner queen, and her image is gradually improving.
Zhu Jin didn't pay much attention to it, and focused most of his attention on Song Xi. After 20 days, when the heat of the crusade had passed, Song Xi suddenly woke up in the news that Helian Zhen was about to hold a wedding.
The wound had already healed, and Song Xi was able to be discharged from the hospital on the day he woke up.
Song Xi was in a coma for twenty days. When he woke up, his eyes looked as if twenty years had passed. Song Xi's body was still young, but his eyes could not become younger.
Zhu Jin was standing at the door of the ward and saw Song Xi, and couldn't help but be stunned.
"Doctor Zhu Jin, please come in and sit down." When Song Xi saw Zhu Jin, he greeted him first, "Thank you for coming to see me."
"You're welcome." Zhu Jin entered the ward and suddenly didn't know what to say.
"Doctor Zhu Jin, have some water." Song Xi poured water for Zhu Jin and thanked him with a smile that didn't match his age. "I haven't thanked you for saving me yet. Thank you, doctor."
“…You’re welcome.” Zhu Jin was in a heavy mood, not feeling at all relieved for having saved someone.
"Of course I have to thank you. You saved me so that I could bury my mother alive." Song Xi picked up his cup and took a sip of water. "I will bury my mother the day after tomorrow after I am discharged from the hospital. The police have been waiting for me to wake up, so I have to go and thank them."
Zhu Jin looked at Song Xi who was chatting with him with a gentle smile, and it felt unreal. The real Song Xi had not woken up.
Zhu Jin did not attend Song Ma's funeral.
But I heard that many people went to the school, including the principal, many teachers, and many students.
Zhu Jin had been in a very heavy mood, and when Helian Zhen suddenly came, his mood became completely gloomy.
"Sister, Dad is sick, but he won't see me. Come with me to see him. When you go, he will see you." If Helian Zhen is getting married, Sumu must be present, but Sumu has not seen Helian Zhen since she succeeded to the throne as queen.
Sumu moved out of the palace that night and moved back to his previous home, and has not seen anyone since then.
Helian Zhen went to look for him several times but could not see him. Just when he was secretly annoyed, he learned the news that Su Mu was ill and in very poor health.
Helian Zhen was anxious, but Su Mu still didn't see her. Finally, Helian Zhen could only look for Zhu Jin.
"When did it happen? Is the illness serious?" Zhu Jin frowned. After that inappropriate 'threat', Su Mu had no contact with her again.
"I found out yesterday. Uncle Chong said the situation is not very good." Helian Zhen knew Zhu Jin was suspicious of her, so she could only bring up Zhong Haiyang. "Uncle Chong told me the news, but Dad won't see me. If you go with me, he will definitely see you. I want to go tomorrow. Will you go?"
"Let's talk about it later." Zhu Jin didn't agree.
Helian Zhen gritted his teeth as he looked at Zhu Jin's back, but there was nothing he could do. He could only think of waiting for him early the next morning.
Zhu Jin went into the house, thought for a while, and then contacted Chong Haiyang. After she broke up with Chong Lou, she slowly stopped the habit of greeting Chong Haiyang from time to time because she was afraid of his guilty and regretful look.
Chong Haiyang quickly answered the phone. Chong Haiyang, who had lost a lot of weight and looked much older, still had a kind smile on her face when he saw her. His attitude towards her was the same as before. He showed some concern and took the initiative to talk about Su Mu's condition.
Su Mu's condition was indeed not good. Ever since Helian Lan passed away, his health had been getting worse and worse. At this point, it was already very bad.
"It's only been a year or two. Your father...he doesn't want to live anymore." Zhong Haiyang looked at Zhu Jin with a heavy expression and advised, "Come and see him. Not for anything else, but just so that you and your daughter can have fewer regrets after he's gone."
"Okay." Zhu Jin lowered his head and responded.
She couldn't describe her feelings for the moment, but she would go to see Sumu and was willing to accompany him on his final journey.
Her obsession with her father was too strong, which affected her attitude towards Su Mu. She was too eager and too demanding, and could not tolerate any imperfection.
Su Mu used to be partial to Helian Zhen, which was not good, but she had never been fair to him, it was just the same.
When Zhu Jin was sitting on the sofa in a daze, Shi Wei and Shi Shangbai, father and son, came to see Zhu Jin together. Shi Wei was holding an insulated box in his hand, and he came to deliver midnight snacks.
Zhu Jin and Luo Le Shi Su took turns to attend classes. On the night of class, Shi Wei would usually make midnight snacks for her, because she was really hungry after class, and Zhu Jin would not refuse. However, it was the first time that Shi Wei and Shi Shangbai came together.
"What's wrong? Auntie, is there something wrong?" Shi Wei could tell at a glance that Zhu Jin was in a bad mood and asked immediately.
"Hurry up and sit down." Zhu Jin didn't call her aunt. She took the bowl and chopsticks skillfully and handed them to Shi Shangbai. She watched Shi Shangbai and Shi Wei serve the porridge together. "My father is sick. I'm going to see him tomorrow."
"Is it serious?" Ishigami Kashiwa asked immediately.
"Yeah." Zhu Jin nodded, and Shi Shangbai fell silent and handed the bowl to Zhu Jin.
This night's supper was the most unpleasant. I only ate a little bit, and there was still more than half left. Zhu Jin felt a little sorry, adjusted his mood, and broke the silence by asking Shi Wei, "Did your father cook the porridge tonight?"
"How do you know, Auntie?" Shi Wei was surprised.
"Of course I can tell by the taste." Zhu Jin is actually very sensitive to taste. The dishes cooked by Shi Wei and Shi Shangbai have similar tastes, but she can easily tell them apart.
She also knew that half of the food that Shi Wei sent her during this period was made by Shi Shangbai.
Ishigami Bai was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
"Auntie is amazing. I can't even tell the difference myself." Shi Wei gave a thumbs up and said, "I am now on the path of 'the disciple surpasses the master'."
Shi Wei tried to tease Zhu Jin, who started laughing and said a few more words, and the atmosphere gradually became better.
"When it's convenient, I will go with Auntie to see Grandpa Prince, okay?" When they were about to go back, Shi Wei suddenly asked, "I heard from Dad that Grandpa used to be his teacher."
"Okay." Zhu Jin paused and nodded.
"Are you going tomorrow?" Ishigami Kashiwa asked.
"Okay, let's go as soon as we get up in the morning." Zhu Jin nodded.
"Be careful and contact us if anything happens." Ishigami Bai nodded and gave the instructions as usual.
"Okay." Zhu Jin nodded and saw them off through the back door.
The next day, when Zhu Jin went out, he saw Helian Zhen guarding the door.
In the end, the two were together.
Almost ten minutes after they set off, an explosion suddenly occurred in a building in the eastern part of Huadu City.
It was Song Xi who caused this tragedy in which more than a thousand people died and no one survived in the building. Among the more than a thousand people who died, one was Song Xi himself.
After burying Song Ma, Song Xi used all the family savings to buy a bomb, found the building where Zhang Qi worked, went to the building with the bomb, and pressed the switch.
The tragic explosion happened without any warning in such a quiet morning.