17
For a moment, the thought of running away did cross Zhuang Xiaodie's mind. Life is full of disappointments, and tonight's incident was one of the worst. But this was self-defense, and she was confident it was. But she couldn't call the police.
Because there is a past.
When she told Shentu Hai that she was not a good person, she was not trying to be cool or for any other reason. She was simply expressing a fact about herself: I am not a good person.
Now that Wei Dahao is dead, it would be too selfish to say that one of them killed him. It should be said that the three of them worked together, and one of them dealt the final blow to Wei Dahao.
This is to survive. Zhuang Xiaodie thought, I am doing this to survive.
She walked up the stairs, her footsteps stomping loudly to call for light. The voice-activated lights came on reluctantly, and the darkness was utterly dim, each step shrouded in shadow. Coffins are generally rectangular, but with sharp corners. She felt like she was treading on a coffin with every step. She had even paved this path herself.
Originally, she'd just wanted to lie down at the bottom of the bridge and die one day. Why had this happened? Zhuang Xiaodie walked out of the stairwell, realizing belatedly that she wasn't wearing a hat. She should have gone back to get it, but she didn't. The light in front of the elevator was a bit glaring, so she raised her hand to block it. As she walked out, the square dancing was just dispersing. With any luck, the blaring music would drown out the recent commotion.
A red car was parked tonight in the parking space on the side of the road that had been empty for a long time. Zhuang Xiaodie didn't go to see it deliberately, but just in case, she wrote down the license plate number.
Zhuang Xiaodie scanned the code and rented an electric bike. The wind blew her hair. The summer night was hot and the whole world seemed to be melting. The parking place was not too far away. In less than ten minutes, she jumped off the electric bike, walked a distance, walked to the front of the car and pressed the key - no response. Only then did her heart seem to come alive and began to beat violently. Zhuang Xiaodie subconsciously wanted to open the car door, but immediately retracted her hand. No, she couldn't alarm anyone around. She checked the car key with the help of the garage light and didn't see any cracks, at most a few scratches. Don't let it break down at this time, don't let it break down at this time. Zhuang Xiaodie muttered to herself as she walked around the car and continued to press the key. In just a few minutes, she was covered in cold sweat. After walking three circles, the car seemed to wake up suddenly and made two noises. Zhuang Xiaodie breathed a sigh of relief and immediately got in and started the car.
The streetlights flashed briefly, yellow lights like cordons, and she crossed one cordon after another, breaking through them, and they gathered behind her into a net, ready to trap her in an instant.
Catch a glimpse of the police station flashing by, Zhuang Xiaodie slammed on the brakes and turned back to look at the small blue box, still lit. If she walked over now, if she opened the glass door now, it would be like opening Pandora's box. Goose bumps suddenly spread all over her body, waving from head to toe.
Just as Zhuang Xiaodie was about to open the car door, her phone, pressed against her thigh, vibrated. She paused, glanced reluctantly at the police station gate, and pulled out her phone.
——As expected, it was Nian Jinsi.
"Where have you been?" Nian Jinsi asked.
"It'll take another five minutes." Zhuang Xiaodie said, "Are you ready?"
"It's almost there, come back and give me a hand. The car is parked downstairs."
Zhuang Xiaodie hung up the phone, started the car again and drove back.
She knew she couldn't turn back. Not just tonight, but since many years ago, there was no turning back.
-
As they drove downstairs, passing the red car parked on the curb, Zhuang Xiaodie had a vague feeling that this time there seemed to be someone inside. She only took a quick glance and didn't pay much attention.
The living room was filled with the smell of blood, the bathroom door was closed, and faint voices of voices could be heard. Zhuang Xiaodie, panting, ran to the door and knocked on it for some unknown reason.
Nian Jinsi opened the door and the smell of rust hit her in the face. Zhuang Xiaodie saw the mess inside and covered her mouth suddenly. Nian Jinsi pushed a basin over to her. She hurriedly took it and vomited after taking only two steps.
Nian Jinsi leaned against the door and stared at her without saying a word. After Zhuang Xiaodie paused briefly, she asked, "What should we do after we transport the body?"
"What should I do?" Zhuang Xiaodie wiped her mouth with a few tissues, her mind replaying the severed limbs she had just seen. She blinked hard, trying to clear the image away.
"Are you going to come back and live here?" Nian Jinsi asked. "Sell this house and move somewhere else."
"Sell? What if there are traces found?"
"I've already cleaned it."
"Did you see the blood splatter under the sofa?"
Nian Jinsi didn't answer.
Zhuang Xiaodie shook her head, slowly stood up, walked to the sofa, pushed it aside, and the blood spots underneath were exposed under the light.
"It's impossible to clean it up completely," Zhuang Xiaodie said. "It's impossible. There will always be another suspicious point."
Nian Jinsi sneered: "Oh, if you are so good at it, why are you still working in a dumpling shop? Why don't you go to the police station? Why bother?"
Zhuang Xiaodie said nothing, dipped some water on the paper and started to wipe it.
"Does that girl have a grudge against this guy?" Nian Jinsi changed the subject. "I think she's not only not afraid, but also very happy that he's dead. Does she have any idea about her own future?"
"This man killed her friend," Zhuang Xiaodie said. "He's her friend's biological father."
"Oh." Nian Jinsi said, "Then why don't you just find a staircase and push him over instead of making so many fuss?"
Zhuang Xiaodie flung the paper in her hand, stood up, and slapped her. Nian Jinsi's face was slapped sideways, and she smiled, stood up straight, and said, "Why, are you scared now?"
Zhuang Xiaodie's eyes were filled with disbelief: "What do you want to do by bringing this up?"
"It's just to remind you, don't forget the way you came."
The bathroom door suddenly opened, and Shentu Hai's face was covered in blood. He was very dissatisfied with them for being outside all the time: "Don't be lazy."
Once everything was ready, they rested for a few minutes, eating and drinking to regain their strength. Zhuang Xiaodie had no appetite, but she forced herself to eat some noodles and a fried egg. Meanwhile, she texted Old Man Liao, claiming a family emergency and needing to borrow his car. It was a plausible excuse. Nian Jinsi sat expressionless, seemingly without much appetite, but she finished her bowl. Shentu Hai buried his face in his noodles, his emotions invisible.
It was very quiet, all around, except for the clinking of chopsticks and bowls and the sounds of chewing, there was no other sound. Wei Dahe was divided into several bags and backpacks, and his mobile phone and other belongings were packed in separate small bags, and all were placed by the door.
It was as if they were simply getting ready to travel somewhere. The bathroom was clean, and the dishes in the kitchen were washed. Before leaving, Zhuang Xiaodie glanced back at the living room. It felt like only yesterday that she had first stepped into this place, yet she was leaving with this outcome.
The hearse's rear compartment was spacious. Several people boarded in silence. Zhuang Xiaodie drove out of the residential complex and headed for the suburbs. A few minutes later, she glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed a small red car following closely behind.
Zhuang Xiaodie turned a corner, and a few seconds later, she saw the car reappear in her rearview mirror. It seemed to be the car parked in the residential complex.
Could it be——
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