Chapter Sixty-Six
“Actually, you didn’t have to go this far. You could have just made a show of it and let it go. Why make such a big deal out of it? In the future…” He Ru stopped mid-sentence and handed Yu Xi a card.
“Besides that house, I’ve found a way to liquidate all your other assets for you. Are you sure you don’t want to come back?”
“Yu Xi.” He Ru frowned, her face full of worry. “I know I have no right to say anything more to you. No matter what the process or the outcome, our initial contact was a carefully designed scheme for you, so I have no face to say anything more. But, after all these years, I really hope you are doing well.”
Yu Xi, who had shaved his head, leaned against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers, the bluish smoke rising and gradually covering his slightly haggard and tired face.
Yu Xi remained silent. He simply took the card He Ru handed him, waved the cigarette between his fingers at He Ru, and then turned and left Ming An alone.
He stood there for a long time, then looked back at the prison gate behind him.
Finally, there's a picture that can replace the amazement of seeing that photo in front of the wall of awards.
He Ru closed his eyes, and the scene of that day gradually appeared before his pitch-black eyes. Yu Xi stood in the center of the room, half of his body covered in blood. At his feet lay a disheveled man with a knife wound in his chest. He didn't have time to panic. His first reaction was to pull Yu Xi away from there.
"You go quickly, I'll clean up this mess."
Yu Xi pulled out the last cigarette from his pocket, slowly put it in his mouth without lighting it, and slowly swallowed the cigarette. He Ru couldn't stand it anymore and pushed Yu Xi hard, "What the hell are you standing there for?! Let's go!"
There's another one inside.
Upon hearing this, He Ru went into the house without thinking. After seeing who was lying in the house, He Ru calmed down completely. He first straightened his clothes, then bent down and smeared some blood on Ning Xuzhi's wound. The warm, moist blood thoroughly stimulated He Ru's adrenaline, and he calmly smeared the blood on his own body.
After finishing, he went out and said, "Let's go, Yu Xi."
"I will do my best to pave a way out for you."
Yu Xi's mouth was full of bitterness. The taste of tobacco was not pleasant, and there were still small bits of residue left in his mouth. Only by cleaning it thoroughly could his mouth be restored to its original state, and his teeth and tongue would feel uncomfortable because of the foreign object.
"What are you thinking? Would I kill someone?" Yu Xi walked over and patted He Ru's shoulder. He forcefully wiped the blood off He Ru's face. "I just told Yu Songjing that I was willing to kill them both according to his wishes, as long as Yu Songjing could bring Ning Xuzhi out."
"Do you know what I was thinking when I saw Ning Xuzhi here?"
"I'm actually blaming Yu Songjing. I'm blaming him for not being like other fathers and killing the demon who has been bullying his son for the sake of his child!"
Yu Xi licked her lips and smiled, "But then I thought about it, and Yu Songjing is just that kind of person. He's selfish, cowardly, and incompetent. The best thing he ever did in his life was to run away. Unfortunately, he wasn't capable enough to escape, so he just became someone else's most convenient tool."
He Ru had never seen Yu Xi like this before, so bewildered, manic, yet rational.
"Yu Xi, you can't explain this clearly here."
Do you know why I brought you here?
Yu Xi interrupted He Ru, "I wrote an ending for Zhou Mo and me, and I want to write an ending for you too. Call the police, He Ru, and remember to pick me up when I get out of prison."
He Ru was shocked. "What the hell are you saying? How could I betray my brothers?!"
“Like you were when you were a child, like you were when you were a child.” Yu Xi looked at He Ru coldly. “This is your only chance to make amends.”
The two stood facing each other beside the corpse. He Ru's lips unconsciously curled up, but he restrained himself. Memories of the past surfaced one by one: as long as you obeyed, you would get food; as long as you smiled, you would get praise; as long as you did it, you would get money. It was just deceiving a child, not a big mistake.
His naive childhood thoughts were like a deadly dart that had now struck him squarely in the heart. He knew perfectly well that no matter how he laughed, begged for mercy, or obeyed, he couldn't change his fate.
He Ru listened to Yu Xi and called the police.
When the call ended, He Ru deflated like a punctured balloon, collapsing to the ground with a sob escaping her lips. Yu Xi didn't say anything, only glancing out the window.
Today is the day he and Zhou Mo have agreed to get married.
"It's a pity the Civil Affairs Bureau is closed on weekends," Yu Xi muttered to herself.
The police arrived quickly after receiving the report. The officer in charge was Xing Ling. After taking a clear look at the situation inside the house, she quickly subdued Yu Xi. The interrogation went very smoothly, and Yu Xi confessed everything with almost no resistance.
He initially confessed to killing Yu Songjing and Ning Xuzhi, but just before the court was about to pronounce its verdict, Yu Xi suddenly recanted his confession and produced video recordings that could prove his innocence.
The video clearly recorded what happened at Yu Songjing's home in Huyang District that day. Due to the excessive content of the video, the police station chose not to conduct a public hearing. With the cooperation of internal staff and the participation of various media outlets, a media storm was gradually simplified and eventually disappeared from public view.
Although Yu Xi did not commit murder, she was imprisoned for a period of time for obstructing official duties, firstly because of the crime and secondly because Yu Xi was required to cooperate with law enforcement.
When He Ru learned that Yu Xi had only served three months in prison, she was completely bewildered and shocked.
He didn't tell anyone about this and planned to quietly go pick up Yu Xi. Before he went to pick up Yu Xi, he received a message from Xing Ling saying that Yu Xi wanted him to help deal with her property, and she emphasized that the small courtyard should not be touched.
He Ru knew immediately that the small courtyard was left to Zhou Mo by Yu Xi.
He thought their meeting would be filled with explosive passion or calm reconciliation, but he didn't expect Yu Xi to not say a single word to him.
He Ru smiled bitterly, "Serves you right, He Ru."
No one knows where Yu Xi went. He left nothing behind this time—no message, no thought, no relationship, nothing. It was as if he had suddenly appeared in their sight a long, long time ago, and then suddenly disappeared from their lives.
Four years have passed in the blink of an eye.
After four years, He Ru completely laundered the assets under his control, then chose the most profitable company and stepped down as chairman. He distributed the rest of his assets as he saw fit. These days, there are fewer and fewer people who can get by. At the last meeting, the hall was not even full; it was mostly elderly people, and some acquaintances who weren't elderly.
He pointed out a few people. He looked them over and recognized them as the thugs who used to bully Yu Xi. He had warned them a few times, but Yu Xi always said it didn't matter, so he didn't bother with them.
"It's you guys."
"Hello, Mr. He." The group nodded and bowed.
"Don't call me 'boss,' call me 'Chairman'!"
"Yes, yes, Chairman He."
“I remember you guys always bullied…” That name became a taboo in He Ru’s heart. Even if he didn’t say it, everyone else knew who He Ru was talking about.
But the name wasn't taboo for He Ru; he just didn't know how to bring it up.
The group of people looked at each other, hesitant to speak, stammering. Finally, under He Ru's intimidating gaze, they told the truth: "Chairman He, it wasn't that we really wanted to bully him. He came to us and asked if we were bored and wanted to beat someone up for fun. At first, we really didn't know about his relationship with you. Later, when we found out, we didn't dare to do it. But if we didn't beat him, he would beat us."
This sounds unbelievable and absurd.
But thinking the protagonist was Yu Xi, He Ru accepted the matter in just 0.0001 seconds.
He stopped thinking about or trying to figure out why Yu Xi was doing these things. Why should he think about it? He just needed to stand firmly by Yu Xi's side.
Unfortunately, he realized this too late.
"You may leave."
"I'm leaving too..."
He got up and left the place that had trapped him for twenty years.
In fact, he could have left long ago. Zhou Zheng was purged because of Ning Xuzhi's affair, and he could no longer retire in Ming'an, which he loved.
On the day Zhou Zheng was executed, he deliberately found a place where he could hear the gunshots.
Logically speaking, nowadays most executions are carried out using drugs, and there aren't many cases like Zhou Zheng's death anymore. He Ru didn't think too much about it; anyway, someone like Zhou Zheng deserved to die like that.
On the day Zhou Zheng died, everyone was unusually present: Qi Kai, Qi Xiao, Wei Huai, Fan Nannan, Li Zhenliang, Xiao Enke, and he. It was a rare occasion for them to have a meal together.
At the large round table, they each drank in silence. The delicacies on the table became mere decorations; no one wanted to touch a single bite. It wasn't that they were mourning Zhou Zheng; they simply didn't know how to face the life ahead.
A group of cowards sat around a table, their liberation solely due to the injustice they had caused Yu Xi when they were children.
How ironic, how ridiculous.
They didn't even dare to raise their glasses and say a word of thanks to Yu Xi.
Look, that's the kind of people they are, from childhood to adulthood.
"Can I change my name now? I don't have to be Li Zhenliang anymore."
"How do I change my name? Count me in, I want to change mine too."
Shawn rubbed his forehead. Years ago, after witnessing his mother's prostitution, he had a big fight with her and was abandoned. Later, when Zhou Zheng asked him what his name was, the little boy, without any brains, said his name was Shawn. It was truly ridiculous.
Because someone was speaking, the atmosphere on the field wasn't so awkward anymore.
Qi Xiao suddenly stood up and raised his glass, "Whenever the name is changed, I want to go too."
Qi Kai grabbed Qi Xiao's sleeve, his face full of displeasure, "Why are you meddling in this?"
Qi Xiao flung Qi Kai's hand away, "What do you know? My name is Qi Xiao? My surname is Qi?! My surname is Zhou!"
Qi Xiao flipped the table, and everyone was unable to eat. The meal ended abruptly.
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