unscrupulous businessman Chen Sizhe
The new evidence needed to be submitted. Wen Dai received the news in the middle of the night and, with her eyes aching, carefully organized the evidence. The written materials still needed to be printed at the print shop the next day.
Originally, restarting the case would have taken three months or even longer just for the initial hearing stage. However, with her father's help, the district chief Li Chengjian's connections, and He Shaoyang, whom Chen Wenkang found for her, being a key witness, the combined evidence could have shortened the trial time. With this approach, the case could be restarted within a month.
Wen Dai, who had fallen into a peaceful sleep, was awakened by one of the three urgent needs when it was broad daylight. Her sleepy eyes didn't want to open, and she groggily got out of bed and left the room. After using the toilet and washing her hands, she sniffed the air—why did she smell food? Had the Snail Fairy come to her house?
After a long pause, her brain started working again. Wen Dai suddenly remembered that Qian Yan was currently staying at her house. Her eyes, which she wanted to close again, and her body, which was trying to return to the warmth of her bed, were forced to wake up. She retreated to the bathroom to wash up quickly, and then ran to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Qian Yan, wearing an apron, stood in front of the stove. On a white plate beside her lay a poached egg and a fried sausage. Her thin arms were wrapped in an undershirt as she held a spatula and stirred something in the pan.
Her legs moved forward involuntarily, and Wen Dai stood next to Qian Yan. Her gaze slowly shifted to the pot, where she saw that it contained a thick porridge with vegetables, mushrooms, and shrimp.
Noticing Wen Dai approaching, Qian Yan turned her head and glanced at her, then smiled and said, "I got up early and couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd go to the market to buy some fresh vegetables to make breakfast."
The question that Wen Dai hadn't asked aloud was answered by Qian Yan herself: "Over the years, I've saved a lot of money, by being frugal... I used to think that part of that money would go towards Xiao Tong's education, and part would be saved up for his future wife. Actually, if you include the money his father left behind, and the money I've saved over the years, it's almost a million."
"There's still some compensation left over, not all of it," she said in a relaxed, laughing tone.
Her heart ached at her words. Wen Dai pursed her lips, the aroma of food filling her nostrils.
Qian Yan had been thinking about Qian Tong's future.
With a muffled thud, the spatula hit the edge of the pot. Qian Yan, having released the spatula, went to the dish rack and grabbed a bowl. She ladled out porridge from the bowl, and a small dish containing poached eggs and fried ham was handed to Wen Dai along with it.
"Mr. Chen is right. People shouldn't dwell too much on those who have passed away. They should live for themselves and live in the present."
As Wen Dai took the bowl and plate, her warm fingertips brushed against hers.
Seeing her lower her head, a bitter smile appeared on her face again.
"After all, if you're saving money and refusing to spend it, always thinking about the future... but never considering whether there will even be a future, then saving money like that is pointless."
Wen Dai's lips moved; she wanted to offer comfort, but words, no matter how many, couldn't change the fact that they were futile. What was the point of saying so much? Besides, Qian Yan wasn't wrong.
She changed the subject: "Sister Qian Yan, why don't you fry yourself an egg and a sausage?"
"You can eat it. I don't like these things. This porridge has vegetables and shrimp in it, so it's enough." Qian Yan had a faint smile on her face, but her eyes didn't smile, as if she were dead there alone.
While eating breakfast together at the table, Wen Dai cut off half of a fried egg and half of a sausage, saying with difficulty, "Actually, I have a small appetite. Let's each have half. This porridge is nutritious enough. It would be a waste if we couldn't finish it."
As it turns out, the "waste theory" was a precise blow to Qian Yan.
"I have to go out for a bit later, and I probably won't be back until quite late at noon. I might not even be back. Qian Yan, you can just make yourself something to eat." She lowered her head and drank her porridge, the taste of which was indeed much better than what she made herself.
Living alone here had long since made her forget what it felt like to have someone else prepare hot meals and share them with her. The feeling of eating with others in someone else's home couldn't compare to her current situation—someone else's home was someone else's. But Qian Yan, who was eating at the same table with her, was also someone else.
"It's okay. A lot of food outside isn't clean, and clean food isn't cheap. It's more economical to eat at home. Is there anything I can do for you since you're coming back late? I'll prepare the food, and you can just heat it up when you get back."
Sensing the unspoken meaning in Qian Yan's words, Wen Dai keenly looked up at Qian Yan and asked casually, "Sister Qian Yan, do you have something to do and need to go out later? Or are you going out at noon or in the afternoon?"
Qian Yan ate her porridge in large gulps, quickly finishing the remaining food in her bowl. She then looked up at Wen Dai with her usual faint smile. "I'll be working part-time during the day, and I'll come back to cook lunch for you. Then I'll go to the funeral home in the afternoon. I can't just ignore the car you bought me, so I still need to go back there. I didn't remember yesterday, but there are still some materials left in that room. I'll set up my stall there tonight."
I almost wanted to ask—why make yourself work so hard?
The words retreated from her teeth, Wen Dai gripped the spoon handle tightly, and lowered her eyelids.
What else could it be? He's just trying to numb himself by being busy.
After Wen Dai finished breakfast, Qian Yan reached out and snatched the bowl from her without warning. Wen Dai, who was wiping her mouth, watched helplessly as Qian Yan took her bowl to wash it and put it back on the dish rack.
She didn't even get a second glance during that time. Qian Yan only whispered quickly before taking the bowl away, "I'll take it to wash it and then I'll leave."
Wen Dai handed over the spare key to the house before Qian Yan left. After the door was closed, Wen Dai remained standing in the same spot.
From helping me organize my belongings when I moved in yesterday, to cooking and washing dishes today... Qian Yan has clearly begun to repay me; she is treating me like her maid.
Wen Dai had a shallow mark on her forehead, and she pursed her lips tightly.
It seems I'll have to wait until Qian Yan comes back tonight to have a proper talk with her about her identity.
All that remained of the house was a sigh. After sighing, Wen Dai had no time to stay any longer. She changed her clothes, packed some things she might need, and left.
-
After submitting the supplementary materials, witness testimonies, video evidence, and audio materials provided by He Shaoyang, Wen Dai left the place where only people made it feel alive.
Was it a relief? It seems not.
Before leaving, Lai's father reviewed the documents, stood in front of her, and smiled reassuringly: "Don't worry, there's basically no suspense in your case. The case will definitely be overturned. It would be a major dereliction of duty to hastily conclude that the murder was an accidental death. None of the people involved back then can escape. And with the strong crackdown on organized crime in recent years... the murderer who harmed your parents will definitely not have the chance to get away with it again."
The sunlight outside the window was so bright it was almost blinding, shining into his eyes, onto his face, and onto the evidence materials in his hands, including several stacks of photographs—
He Shaoyang, as one of the insiders involved in this shady bidding process, is far more important than Cui Lin and Qian Yan, and his evidence carries more weight; because he cleverly took photos during the negotiations. But cleverness is essential; when a pawn becomes useless, it should be destroyed.
Pulling herself out of her memories, Wen Dai stood at the courthouse entrance. Spring seemed poised to take over from summer; as she pulled her phone from her pocket, she caught a sliver of warmth falling from the sky.
He tapped the dial pad a few times—he needed to ask Li Chengjian when he was free, he should treat him to a meal, and give him some gifts to express his gratitude.
However, Li Chengjian didn't have time for her to express her gratitude; as the domain chief, and a responsible one at that, he claimed to be busy with work while also stating that providing support for the people's needs was within the scope of his duties.
But Li Chengjian, in his personal capacity outside of being the district head, revealed to her a hidden, unspoken rule—
"The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves, and the front waves die on the beach. If those who have lost power did anything shady while in power, the new rulers will turn on all the lights and try to dig them out one by one; especially if the new rulers have no connection or entanglement with those who have lost power."
"In any society, people in a certain environment will form a structure of complicity to protect themselves, but they completely forget that there will always be new climbers who do not enter their structure, but destroy it."
The voice coming through the receiver was different from what she heard face-to-face in real life; it was somewhat distorted, making Wen Dai feel as if the person on the phone wasn't Li Chengjian. But he insisted that he was speaking in his personal capacity.
Indeed, in any field, those without the means will only end up as one of the many corpses strewn across the battlefield in close combat or even covert battles.
The living are always far more terrifying than the dead.
How terrifying are ghosts? Rather, the most terrifying thing is always the human heart—when two or more are fighting, is the dead more terrifying? Are you more afraid of a living person standing in front of you, or a corpse at your feet?
"well."
"Why are you sighing?"
"Damn it!" Wen Dai was startled by the sudden appearance of the person and clutched her heart, looking back at the person behind her with a look of horror. She hadn't even had a chance to feel wistful by herself.
Chen Sizhe, who appeared out of nowhere and at what time, looked completely innocent. He had one hand in his suit trouser pocket, and his raised chin meant that Wen Dai could only look at his nostrils.
"Don't look at me like I've seen a ghost—you've been standing here for a long time, and I've been watching you from behind for a long time." The implication is: you didn't notice me, so it's not my fault.
Rubbing her chest, Wen Dai rolled her eyes at him and snorted, "Couldn't you at least come up and say hello? Just standing there staring at me like that, what? Are you planning to break the law and murder me in front of the courthouse?"
Having temporarily won with her sharp tongue, Wen Dai had no idea that she would be switching places with him the next second.
"Ha, I have no obligation to greet you, do I? It's one o'clock in the afternoon, let me pass, the restaurant I booked is waiting for me." His polite words and actions were worlds apart. The rude Mr. Chen didn't take the main road, but childishly bumped her shoulder before heading to the parking lot not far away.
Wen Dai, who was originally planning to take a taxi home, came up with a money-saving trick.
She silently followed Chen Sizhe into the parking lot, like a wandering soul.
When the man opened the driver's side door, Wen Dai, who was only a few steps away from him, tried to sneak into the back seat. However, as soon as she opened the back door and was about to get in, the man, who was supposed to be in the driver's seat, grabbed the back of her collar.
Wen Dai staggered a few steps after being pulled out. Chen Sizhe closed the back door of the car expressionlessly. He released his hand from the back of Wen Dai's collar, moved his eyelids and turned his gaze to the passenger seat opposite him. He looked at her again with his eyes, "Go sit over there."
Thinking she was about to be rejected, Wen Dai straightened up again after hearing this roundabout agreement. She jogged around to the opposite passenger seat and got in. As she fastened her seatbelt, she muttered, with a rather arrogant air, "What's the difference between the back seat and the front passenger seat... I have to go around to the other side to sit here."
The man, who had fastened his seatbelt, glanced at her upon hearing this, gripped the gearshift with one hand, and said indifferently, "There's a big difference. If you sit in the back, it'll make me look like your driver." His sarcastic tone made one suspect that he was a cunning and sarcastic persona.
Holding onto her seatbelt, Wen Dai leaned slightly towards Chen Sizhe, looked up at him, and said, "There's some food that Sister Qian Yan left for me at home. Could you take it back to me first?" Her attitude softened because she needed his help.
“I don’t drive. My hourly rate is 8,000. Taking a detour to your house would delay my journey to the restaurant. I can drive you there, but you have to pay me.”
"...Why haven't you asked me for money before?"
"I can take it if I want."
Feeling a pang of regret, Wen Dai considered unbuckle her seatbelt and jumping out of the car. She'd rather have taken a taxi; running into a heartless businessman like Chen Sizhe was just her bad luck.
She turned to face the car window by the door, sighed desolately, and said, "Why don't you stop and throw me out? I think I'll just walk home, consider it exercise."
Unfortunately, Chen Sizhe seemed to be on a different wavelength from her: "Why are you always sighing? You still haven't answered the questions I asked you at the courthouse. Why are you sighing? Is there a problem with the case?"
"No, the case should be won very easily." With several influential figures paving the way for him, he's not afraid of being cheated on halfway through.
She turned around and lay down in the passenger seat. After a moment of silence, Xiao Xi finally spoke: "Well... it just feels like the world is very complicated, society is very complicated."
"The corrupt officials in the granaries are sitting idly by, their rations dwindling, and the peace they enjoy is only superficial. The poor people cannot see the hidden side of this. Some are sensitive and will sense that they are being exploited, but most still believe they are living in happiness and that what they have now is already abundant enough because it is hard-won."
Her chin was slightly lowered, as if she could tuck it into her neck at any moment.
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