Chapter 286

Chapter 286: 279: The ultimate hunt, evil gets its just deserts Chapter 286: 279: The ultimate hunt, evil gets its just deserts On Xiao Nian Ye, Xie Shang was going to spend it at the Su Family, but Wen Changling didn’t go with him. Su Nanzhi had a show in the evening, and by the time she got home, dinner was already over.

In the yard of the Su Residence stood a tall Chinese Toon Tree. Its trunk was very high, and because it wasn’t deliberately pruned, its branches grew wildly. Chinese toon wasn’t particularly ornamental and seemed somewhat out of place with the landscaping inside and outside the villa.

This tree was planted the year Xie Shang was born. Chinese toon symbolizes longevity and is said to protect the household and bring blessings.

Xie Shang had been standing under the tree for a while.

Su Nanzhi approached, “Have you been drinking?”

“Just a little.”

Xie Shang didn’t turn red when he drank, but his tolerance was really quite low; even a little alcohol made his eyes look moist and slightly inebriated.

“Happy New Year.”

Xie Shang looked at Su Nanzhi, “Happy New Year.”

West Mountain Capital allowed fireworks but only in designated areas and according to regulations. Just past dinner time, the nearby Banbiantian started to light up with fireworks. As the fireworks exploded, thousands of sparks formed bright blooms above the branches of the Chinese Toon Tree, like stars falling to earth.

Xie Shang checked the time, “I’m leaving.”

“Going to be with Miss Wen?”

“Mhm.”

A couple of days ago, a lady had mentioned to Su Nanzhi that Xie Shang was too indulgent and elevated the status of his lover, a person who wasn’t yet part of the family, too high. She said this wasn’t good and that as elders, they should discipline him sooner rather than later, otherwise, by the time the lover became part of the family, the mother-in-law wouldn’t have any say.

The lady didn’t mean any harm; it was just that her own household had a forceful daughter-in-law, she herself wasn’t very broad-

minded, and there were many conflicts within her family.

As for Xie Shang’s marital issues, Su Nanzhi was quite open-minded. Xie Shang was first and foremost himself, and only secondarily her son. In choosing a partner, he was the sole decision-maker. She herself was the same—an independent individual. Whether she retired, made a comeback, divorced, or remarried, all her decisions were made for herself, not for the role of a mother. She respected Xie Shang’s choices just as he respected hers at every stage of her life.

“Xingxing,” Su Nanzhi called out to Xie Shang, “How are you going? Haven’t you been drinking?”

“Liang Shuchuan didn’t drink.”

“That’s your stepfather, show some respect.”

That’s right, Su Nanzhi and Liang Shuchuan had already registered their marriage, without any prior signs—it was just a couple of days ago when Su Nanzhi got up and saw the weather was nice, she suggested they go take ID photos and ended up getting their marriage certificate.

To welcome the New Year, red plastic firecrackers lined all of Lotus Pond Street. Many shops along the street set up small stalls, selling New Year scrolls and goods. In the capital city, a steel forest, only the old streets and alleys had a bit more of the New Year spirit.

The cell phone rang.

Xie Shang stopped at the entrance to the courtyard to answer the call.

“The ones in prison have started talking.”

“I know, thank you.”

Xie Shang ended the call, pushed open the courtyard gate, and a cluster of fireworks caught his eye, then gradually dispersed, the lights scattering from dense to sparse, and Wen Changling’s face became clearer in the bright light.

This must be the “Peacock Opening Its Tail” which the fireworks stall owner had extravagantly praised just a few days before.

“Xie Shang.”

Wen Changling spotted him and waved him over.

“The shop owner said it would last three minutes, but it didn’t, look, so short,” she complained while holding onto Xie Shang’s arm, “Why is he making false advertisements?”

She was a science genius after all, good at chemistry and physics.

She bent down to soothe Tongtong, who hadn’t seen enough fireworks, “Wait, later on, big sister will make you some, pretty and big ones.”

Tongtong happily agreed.

This morning, Gu Yihuan insisted on playing a game in the small group chat where everyone made a New Year wish. Then they’d roll dice and draw lots, whoever’s lot it was had to help fulfill that wish.

Xie Shang didn’t participate.

He wished for Wen Changling’s future to be very long.

*****

The climate in the capital was truly not comfortable, with continuous cold and damp days.

Wen Changling, wrapped in a thick coat, sat in front of her computer with a small heating stove Granny Zhu had bought her beside it. Jiang Chengxue had received two phone calls this morning.

The person on the line didn’t speak during the first call, and Jiang Chengxue hung up.

Less than ten minutes later, the same number called again.

This time, the caller spoke, “Before Jiang Rucai jumped from the building, he left a recording.”

“So?”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll hand the recording over to the police?”

This was a threatening phone call.

Jiang Chengxue was not the least bit flustered, “If you wanted to hand it over to the police, you wouldn’t be making this call.”

“I want five million, the day after tomorrow at four in the afternoon, Building 7 of Blue Feather Bay Industrial Park.”

The call ended there.

Wen Changling stared at the computer screen, lost in thought for a long time, until the heat from the fireplace made her legs feel a tad too warm, and then she picked up her cell phone to make a call.

“Doctor Tao.”

Doctor Tao and Wen Changling’s mentor, Mr. Meng, were old friends. In her first half-year in the capital, she had been receiving psychological therapy at Doctor Tao’s.

“Sorry, I need to cancel my appointment for Saturday.”

On Saturday afternoon, Xie Shang went to the prison, and Wen Changling also left the house. She didn’t return until after dark, when a misty drizzle hung in the air.

Her clothes looked dry but felt damp.

Xie Shang fetched a coat from the coat rack, “Granny Zhu said you went out for fun, where did you go?”

Wen Changling, while changing coats, said, “I went to see a clown performance.”

A wooden plaque fell out of her coat pocket.

Xie Shang picked it up, “What is this?”

The wishing plaque was made of oak, inscribed with: May evil be met with evil.

Six years ago, she had made a wish under the oak tree at Lantu University of Science and Technology and hung the wishing plaque on the tree herself.

“I found it on the road and kept it because it had a good meaning.”

Jiang Chengxue had intentionally let her see the photo of the oak tree on the second floor of the clinic, and he had intentionally let her eavesdrop on his phone call.

Two hours before, she had gone to Blue Feather Bay Industrial Park.

Building 7 of the Industrial Park was a sand-making site, with large machines inside. As it was the end of the year, the workers had stopped, leaving the place deserted. At the back, a small office stood with its door closed.

Wen Changling approached cautiously.

“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

Someone inside spoke, and the next second, called out her name, “Wen Changling.”

Just as she suspected, Jiang Chengxue had known all along that his phone was tapped.

She pushed open the door and took in the office’s furnishings at a glance. Jiang Chengxue sat on the worn-out sofa that clashed sharply with his aura, his left hand casually draped over the back of the chair.

“You don’t seem the least bit surprised,” he said with a tone of regret, “That’s no fun.”

Wen Changling sat down opposite him, “I have a few questions to ask.”

“Ask away.”

“Did you know from the start that I was Wen Zhaoyang’s sister?”

He nodded, smiling.

Wen Changling was much calmer than he anticipated.

“So, was it you who made Zheng Lvhong confess to your identity?”

He admitted it openly, “Yes.”

The hunt was on, and of course, bait needed to be laid.

“You considered me a clown too, luring me to seek revenge, watching me step by step as I walked into the trap.” Like a cat that caught a mouse, it wouldn’t eat it right away; it would tease it first, play with it, relish the thrill of the catch over and over.

He shook his head innocently, “You’re not a clown, how could they compare to you, you are my kind.”

Wen Changling watched him.

He drew his lazily stretched legs back in, hands on his knees leaning towards her, “Do you want to kill me right now?” His expression was tender, as if filled with deep emotion, “That’s the look, the first time I saw you, that was how you looked.”

He had a heart condition from a young age.

His mother always cautioned him not to be happy, not to be angry, to live emotionlessly like a dead person. Yet his heart wasn’t so fragile; Jiang Wangtu would even dress those women in red dresses right in front of him.

He had always felt he was dead, dead since the night his mother pointed at him, drunk, calling him a monster, saying he carried the blood of a perverted murderer and should burn to death with her. It was only when Wen Changling appeared at the masquerade party of the four clowns that he realized his heart was still vigorously pumping.

The monster revived.

“I’ve been waiting for you to come for revenge, but you’ve been so slow; Xie Shang has tripped you up, making me wait for so long.”

He reached out to touch her.

She stepped back, avoiding him.

He would never be angry with her, not ever, “But it doesn’t matter, you still came looking for me.”