"My youth, my love, my lover, everything—I've lost it all. Go back? There's no going back." Xu Wen turned to look at the old man and smiled. Then, under everyone's gaze, the terrible thing still happened.
Xu Wen held the glass bottle high, tilting her head slightly upwards, and the clear liquid inside flowed into her body through her throat. Almost everyone could hear the sound of the strong acid corroding her skin.
The glass bottle fell to the ground, shards of glass scattering everywhere, the liquid on the ground churning and emitting wisps of white smoke. Everything happened in the blink of an eye; no one had time to stop it, and no one could look away. Looking at Xu Wen now, she was writhing on the ground, clutching her throat in agony. The bottle had slipped from her grasp due to the intense pain she felt while ingesting the acid. As it fell, some of the acid spilled onto her face. At that moment, she was truly gone: her face scorched beyond recognition by the acid, her throat and internal organs completely corroded by it.
Xu Wen still had a faint trace of life, but it only brought her pain. She writhed and rolled on the ground, the residual acid on the ground touching her skin, causing her excruciating pain time and time again.
Everyone else was stunned by the scene before them, staring blankly as Xu Wen's life came to an end. However, even if they wanted to do something, it was futile. The elderly man who witnessed everything fainted, and a young policeman immediately helped him up, finding a chair for him to sit down. The older policeman immediately took out his phone and dialed for emergency medical assistance. Wang Shen examined Xu Wen's condition; she was completely covered in a highly acidic liquid. Wang Shen looked around the office, quickly found a long blanket, rushed to Xu Wen's side, wrapped her in it, and pulled her away from the corrosive liquid.
Xu Wen's body writhed a few times on the ground before gradually calming down. This time, it was complete calm; she had returned herself to the world. Looking at Xu Wen's miserable state, Wang Shen felt a strange sadness welling up inside him. Even the most beautiful things in the world can become the most tormenting weapons. Wang Shen picked up the phone and notified the police station.
After Wang Shen finished the phone call, the old man sat in a chair, still in a semi-conscious state. Wang Shen and the other two each pulled up a chair and sat down. The four chairs were arranged in a semi-circle. In the center of the semi-circle lay Xu Wen, lifeless. The blanket Wang Shen had just found covered her. Everyone stared silently at the body, not uttering a word. It was as if they were performing a farewell ceremony. Although, no one knew what they were saying goodbye to.
Finally, the sound of police sirens blared downstairs. However, the first to rush up were doctors in white coats. The deathly silence was broken, and the psychological clinic instantly became noisy again.
"Take the old lady home first." Wang Shen was the first to stand up from his chair, looking coldly at the young policeman, and gave the order. Upon hearing the instruction, the young policeman immediately stood up from his chair, walked to the old woman's side, and helped her up.
"Grandma, I'm so sorry to have frightened you. Don't worry, we'll handle everything." Wang Shen walked to the old woman's side, held her hand, and gently comforted her. The old woman's eyes were vacant, and she didn't respond to Wang Shen. However, she was still conscious. She heard Wang Shen's words and nodded slightly. Wang Shen watched the old woman's departing figure and sighed.
"Old Li," Wang Shen called out to the older policeman.
"Captain Wang," the older policeman responded.
"Find a psychologist in our team to monitor this elderly woman's condition and provide her with psychological counseling for a period of time. Otherwise, I'm worried that something might happen to her."
"Okay, don't worry, I'll take care of it tomorrow."
While Wang Shen and his group were talking, the doctor had finished examining Xu Wen. The result was obvious: she was dead. The police officers who arrived later greeted Wang Shen and then continued collecting evidence at the psychological clinic. Wang Shen stood at the doorway, watching the "spectacle" unfolding before him, lost in thought. After today, this place would likely be quiet for quite some time.
"Captain Wang, look at this." A policeman handed a letter to Wang Shen.
As usual, Wang Shen asked the person next to him for a pair of plastic gloves and then took the letter. There was no writing or signature on the envelope. "Where was this letter found?" Wang Shen asked the policeman beside him.
"It was found on that desk." The police officer pointed to Xu Wen's desk.
Wang Shen nodded, opened the envelope, and found a piece of paper inside. He guessed it was Xu Wen's notebook. Wang Shen carefully took the paper out; it read:
As I write these words, I know I've lost the possibility of starting over. Back in school, our homeroom teacher always nagged us about how time is irreversible and that once it's gone, it can never be undone. At the time, I thought those words were annoying and corny, but now, after experiencing them firsthand, I realize they are profound truths.
I was born into a rural family, with a younger brother. As you know, rural areas often have outdated ideas and a strong preference for sons. From a young age, my parents poured all their love and attention into my brother, while I received only scattered, peripheral affection. When I was sick as a child, I dared not utter a sound, afraid of seeing my parents' reproachful eyes. When I saw meat in the food, even if I really wanted it, I dared not touch it. Because I knew these things were not meant for me. Occasionally, if I received a piece of meat as a gift, I would immediately devour it, afraid someone else would take it from me. But I don't resent any of this, because it's my fate.
But I refused to accept my fate. I wanted to change my destiny and escape this backward place. So, no matter how difficult it was, I studied hard. Finally, after more than ten years of hard work, an admission certificate was enough for me to leave that place.
During my university years, I had very few friends, perhaps because my upbringing made me lose the ability to trust others. Loneliness, ironically, made me feel safer. Until I met senior Song Mu. He was the one I fell for at first sight, the one who made me feel I could love freely and boldly. But only today do I realize that I was wrong, utterly wrong.
The moment my senior stopped breathing, my heart seemed to stop beating too. In that instant, I understood how selfish and narrow-minded the love I had given him from beginning to end had been. I looked at his body, hating myself for finding out so late.
I'm leaving this letter as a farewell to this world. I hope that in my next life, I can live a warmer existence.
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