Chapter 144: Chapter 127.1

All misfortunes had a cause.

The air was stale, and Jun Zishu didn’t know how she should go about consoling the person in front of her. In reality, though, Liu Qianqian didn’t need any consolation since she had already gotten her revenge.

“You might be sentenced to death for murder or ten years in prison at the very least. Don’t you regret it? Is it worth sacrificing your future for such a person?”

“Of course I regret it. I also feel scared. But at least I get to have a peace of mind. Nobody expects anything from me, anyway, so I might as well die,” Liu Qianqian said in a low voice, her eyes staring at the ground as she let out a sigh.

In reality, she had resented her life many times before. Why did she have to suffer through all these things? Why did her parents not love her? Why couldn’t she live in a happy and fulfilling family like others? Why did she have to be bullied?

Unfortunately, there was no point in asking all these questions. In the former’s case, her family wasn’t something she could choose. In the latter’s case, while she might have been able to do something about it, she lacked the courage to do so at the time.

Back in grade school, had she had the courage to fight back against the girls who isolated and bullied her, lived life a little more boldly, or maybe asked to change classes, she might not have been bullied for six years.

Back in middle school, had she had the courage to argue with the people who spread rumors about her and push away her form teacher’s hand, maybe she wouldn’t have lived such a miserable life.

However, she didn’t have that kind of courage. She didn’t dare to fight back. She simply faced the world with low self-esteem, tormenting herself while others tormented her.

Liu Qianqian loved and hated Chen Yin. She clung to Chen Yin like a vine wrapped around a tree, drawing on the warmth Chen Yin radiated. Yet, at the same time, she also feared Chen Yin’s possessiveness.

Her life was like stagnant water—hopeless. There was only the bad and the worse.

If Sun Chenxin hadn’t appeared, Liu Qianqian felt she might never have taken that final step.

Perhaps she would only live in waiting and begging.

Jun Zishu had an urge to pull out another cigarette from her pocket. However, she quickly pinched herself and resisted the urge.

“Why did you throw the body parts in different locations?”

“So that she wouldn’t be able to come back to me,” Liu Qianqian said in a small voice, her body quivering slightly.

“Where is Chen Yin’s head?”

“It’s in… I want to wait until I receive my sentence. Is that okay?”

“Why didn’t you tell Chen Yin’s parents the truth?”

“It’s better for them to hate me than for them to blame themselves and feel guilty.”

Jun Zishu nodded and walked out of the cell. Then, she let out a depressing sigh as she locked the cell door.

The world wasn’t always fair. That was why people needed to work hard to change this unfairness.

When Liu Qianqian heard Jun Zishu’s footsteps leaving, she buried her face in her knees. Then, in a place where nobody could see, she smiled.

It was a slightly bizarre and satisfied smile.

The truth wasn’t always as it seemed. Oftentimes, the truth one assumed to know might have deeper reasons.

Liu Qianqian closed her eyes and started humming in her heart.

No one would ever know what Chen Yin had said to her on a certain night, just like how nobody would ever know that she sincerely loved Chen Yin.

The sky was hazy as they lay on the same bed that night.

“Qianqian, I’ve thought about it for a long time. I can’t let myself go on like this. I’ll go to the hospital to see a doctor.”

“Qianqian, Sun Chenxin is asking us out tomorrow. What kind of clothes should I wear?”

“Qianqian, I want to change. I won’t touch you anymore. I will also stay away from you after I graduate.”

“I’m sorry for all these years.”

Liu Qianqian remembered all the words Chen Yin said to her that day.

Liu Qianqian said okay to Chen Yin. After Chen Yin fell asleep, Liu Qianqian’s eyes remained open as she stared at Chen Yin’s back.

Am I your toy?

Am I something you can play with and abandon whenever you want?

Sorry? What use is there in saying sorry? Can it make up for all the hurt you’ve done to me?

What right do you have to go back to shore after you’ve dragged me into the water?

When Liu Qianqian heard Sun Chenxin’s proposal to kill Chen Yin, she nearly laughed.

How interesting. The person you like is trying to kill you.

You might have started the game, but I don’t want it to end.

If souls do exist in this world, would you hate me to the core for dismembering your body and discarding it separately?

Liu Qianqian opened her eyes and looked around her prison cell.

Are you here watching me right now?

The corners of Liu Qianqian’s lips lifted slightly as she looked at the light coming in from the high and narrow window. Then, she lovingly fiddled with the anklet on her foot.

This anklet of hers was exactly the same as Chen Yin’s, and nobody would notice even if they were switched.

“Don’t run away from me.”

…

With the case closed, Jun Zishu sat back in her office and began writing a summary report.

Although the original owner detested doing paperwork, Jun Zishu didn’t think much of it. She finished writing the report in the blink of an eye and handed it over to the relevant people.

When the sun started to set, Jun Zishu bought takeout at a small restaurant and returned home.

Everything in the living room remained the same. The only difference was the jacket placed on the sofa.

Jun Zishu didn’t see Jiang Yinsheng in the living room. After searching around, she finally found the little ghost sitting in the corner of her room with her eyes closed.

When Jun Zishu stood in front of Jiang Yinsheng, Jiang Yinsheng opened her eyes.

“Is it getting dark soon?”

“Mhm.”

Jiang Yinsheng floated into the air and followed Jun Zishu, her feet hovering above the ground.

“You’re a police officer,” Jiang Yinsheng said when she saw the police uniform Jun Zishu had taken off and the police ID that was on the table.

“Mhm.”

Jun Zishu nodded and sat down on the living room sofa to have her dinner.

“Jun Lan.”

Jiang Yinsheng read Jun Zishu’s name.

“Jun Lan.”

Jiang Yinsheng recited it again.

Jun Zishu didn’t answer. She had previously closed the living room curtains and turned on the ceiling light, so Jiang Yinsheng could freely sit in the living room without worry.

“This is you,” Jun Zishu said as she put her phone on the coffee table, the screen displaying Jiang Yinsheng’s information. “You’ve been missing for two years already.”

“Is that so”?

Jiang Yinsheng looked at her information with interest. However, the more she read, the more subdued her excitement became.

“Did you think of anything?” Jun Zishu asked.

“No.”

Jiang Yinsheng shook her head and looked at Jun Zishu with innocent eyes.

Jun Zishu’s hand paused for a moment before she continued eating.

After finishing her dinner, Jun Zishu disposed of the trash and wiped her mouth. Then, she turned to stare at Jiang Yinsheng.

Jiang Yinsheng waited for Jun Zishu to say something, but Jun Zishu remained quiet and simply stared at her.

Jun Zishu didn’t know what she should say. Picking up a ghost was a troublesome affair. Picking up a ghost that had amnesia was even more troublesome.

Though, these troubles couldn’t compare to how troublesome it would be to investigate the case of a celebrity who had gone missing for two years but had died in a foreign city in reality. This was because Jun Zishu had no way of proving that Jiang Yinsheng had died. She couldn’t possibly say that she could see Jiang Yinsheng’s ghost, right? Although this was indeed the case, who would possibly believe her?

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Yinsheng asked when she saw the distressed look on Jun Zishu’s face.

“Is your name the only thing you remember?”

“Yes. Maybe I might even forget what my name is down the line. I should’ve remembered more things in the past, but I’ve forgotten them already,” Jiang Yinsheng said as she pressed her temples and frowned.

Jiang Yinsheng’s current appearance looked somewhat cold, and it resembled the first image that popped up when Jun Zishu searched for her on the internet.

Jun Zishu recalled the comments netizens had made about Jiang Yinsheng. They said that Jiang Yinsheng had a somewhat cold personality and wasn’t sociable. Even her roles in movies were typically proud characters who didn’t like smiling very much.

When Jun Zishu met Jiang Yinsheng for the first time, the other party also wore an indifferent expression on her face. Only after noticing that Jun Zishu could see her did Jiang Yinsheng start wearing a fawning smile.

“Are you looking into my death, Officer?”

“Don’t you want to know how you died?”

“I wanted to find out before, but I don’t really care about it now,” Jiang Yinsheng said. Then, she leaned in closer to Jun Zishu and smiled, saying, “You’re a very kind person, Officer.”

Jiang Yinsheng’s voice was soft and carried hints of coldness.

“Do you want to find out about it?”

“You can look into it if you have time, Officer. If not, never mind,” Jiang Yinsheng said nonchalantly. She was already dead, after all. Who knows? Maybe she died of disease? Though, the chances of this happening weren’t great.

“You seem very open-minded.”

“I’m already dead. What’s there to be close-minded about?” Jiang Yinsheng said, shrugging. “By the way, Miss Officer, I made a very important discovery.”

“Hmm?”

“I can…touch you.”

After saying so, Jiang Yinsheng placed her icy-cold hand on Jun Zishu’s neck, causing Jun Zishu to get goosebumps instantly. Then, the defense mechanism of Jun Zishu’s body kicked in, and she instinctively dodged to the side.

“Am I that scary?” Jiang Yinsheng asked, looking a little aggrieved as she looked at her hand that was left to hang.

“Any normal person would move away when touched by a ghost.”

“I’ve never been able to touch anyone before. I couldn’t touch any objects, either. However, you’re different. I can touch you and the objects you’ve touched before,” Jiang Yinsheng said as she looked at Jun Zishu with a confused expression. It looked like she was asking Jun Zishu for an answer.

However, Jun Zishu didn’t know the answer to Jiang Yinsheng’s confusion, either. She didn’t even know how she could see Jiang Yinsheng in the first place.

Unlike Jiang Yinsheng and Jun Zishu, Little Fairy knew the answer—because Lord wished for it. If Lord wanted to let Jun Zishu see her, then Jun Zishu would see her.

Unfortunately, Little Fairy couldn’t reveal this answer to Jun Zishu, so she could only watch on in silence.

Afterward, Jun Zishu stood up and relaxed her body. Then, she made her way to the study, and Jiang Yinsheng followed her.

“You don’t have to follow me around. Do you want to watch the movies you acted in before?”

“Sure.”

Hearing Jiang Yinsheng’s answer, Jun Zishu changed directions and walked to her bedroom. Then, she turned on the internet TV, switched to the relevant channel, and let Jiang Yinsheng watch the movie by herself in the room.

As Jun Zishu was leaving the bedroom, she sensed Jiang Yinsheng’s gaze falling on her back. Then, when she turned around to look at Jiang Yinsheng, the other party beamed a smile at her.

What a silly little ghost, was the first thought that came to Jun Zishu’s mind.

…

When it was time for her evening jog, Jun Zishu returned to her bedroom and started changing without caring about Jiang Yinsheng’s presence. She wasn’t exposing anything important, anyway.

After changing her clothes, Jun Zishu straightened her collar and asked, “I’m going out for a jog. Are you coming with me?”

“Of course.”

Jiang Yinsheng immediately hovered into the air and turned off the TV with the remote controller. Then, she eagerly followed Jun Zishu out of the house.

…

(The following message is from the author, not the translator.)

Author’s Notes: The anklet Jun Zishu discovered on Chen Yin’s foot belongs to Liu Qianqian. Liu Qianqian has switched them.