Jian Mengyan placed the pink gift box on the passenger seat. After a moment’s thought, she felt it wasn’t secure enough. She opened the box, revealing a smaller, nested box inside, like Russian dolls.
Pressing her lips together, Jian Mengyan stuffed the smaller box under the backseat and pulled down the cover beneath the seat to make sure the contents couldn’t be seen.
Her sixth sense had always been sharp.
From Ding Jing’s incident to Shen Tinglan’s misfortune.
The moment she got in the car, Jian Mengyan had felt a vague sense of unease, like something bad was about to happen.
Glancing at the now-empty box, Jian Mengyan rummaged through the car and finally found the paper roses that Zou Shuyang, clueless as ever, had given her when they first started dating, following a coworker’s suggestion.
“Didn’t expect these would come in handy now.”
Smiling to herself, Jian Mengyan placed the roses in the box, then added her lipstick. At last, the box looked somewhat like a gift for a girl.
After confirming everything was in order, Jian Mengyan sent a text message to Zou Shuyang before cautiously starting the car.
It was still early, and the streets were relatively busy with pedestrians. There weren’t any deserted roads along her route, which made Jian Mengyan feel a bit more at ease.
However, just as she was nearing her community, a sudden force struck her car from behind. Instinctively, she hit the brakes.
She had been rear-ended.
This realization caused her unease to resurface. Glancing again at the box on the passenger seat, Jian Mengyan pursed her lips and got out of the car.
As expected, people’s natural curiosity drew a crowd around the scene of the accident.
The vehicle that hit her was a small Wuling van, and several dark-skinned men in construction worker outfits stepped out. The leader had a decent attitude, smiling apologetically at Jian Mengyan. “Sorry, miss. Our van’s pretty old, and the brakes failed. We’ll make sure to cover any damages.”
Jian Mengyan nodded. “The damage isn’t too bad. Let’s just go through insurance.”
“Oh, thank you so much, miss.” The man bent over, bowing his head in gratitude, the deep lines on his weathered face forming a smile. “We’ll wait then.”
The accident wasn’t serious, and since neither side was making a fuss, the crowd quickly dispersed.
Jian Mengyan sat on a nearby bus stop bench, waiting for the insurance company or Zou Shuyang to arrive.
“Miss, are you crying?” One of the hunched-over old men from the van sat down beside her, kindly asking, “Did something happen? If you need someone to talk to, you can tell me. We met by chance, so think of me as an uncle who can listen…”
Jian Mengyan shook her head, cutting off the old man’s rambling.
“Huh?”
“Nothing much. I just realized that the boy I liked in high school might have liked me too.”
Forcing a smile, Jian Mengyan half-joked, “But unfortunately, time has passed. I have my own life now, and he has his. It’s a bit bittersweet.”
“…”
The old man clearly hadn’t expected such a response. He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.
But Jian Mengyan didn’t seem to need a response. It was as if she was lost in her own world. “I just picked up a gift he left for me. He said he wanted to give it to me when we graduated, but I went abroad right after graduation. We missed each other, and now, here we are.”
The old man’s mouth slowly closed as he scratched the back of his head. “Is that so?”
While Jian Mengyan wasn’t paying attention, the old man exchanged a glance with his companions. One of them nodded, and the old man settled back into his seat, no longer trying to distract Jian Mengyan.
She was content to wait quietly for the insurance adjuster.
After about an hour, everything was finally resolved. The insurance representative left with the van, and Jian Mengyan got back into her car.
Her intuition had been correct.
Smelling the unfamiliar scent inside the car, Jian Mengyan let out a cold laugh.
Someone had been inside. The position of the pink box on the passenger seat had changed.
She picked it up and gave it a shake. It was light—clearly, someone had swapped it.
Without giving the box another glance, Jian Mengyan slowly drove home.
At the same time, the men in the van hurried away with the pink box in hand.
“Our boss sure planned this out well. He bought an identical box early on, then swapped it out. We got the goods without any problems.”
The driver, however, wasn’t as impressed. “Why go through all that trouble? She’s just a young girl. We could’ve just snatched it from her directly.”
The old man who had talked to Jian Mengyan sneered, “That’s why I didn’t want to bring you along. You’re too reckless. We’re talking about something worth hundreds of thousands. One little mistake, and the money’s gone.”
The driver grumbled under his breath, possibly cursing.
“Alright, let’s see what’s inside that’s worth so much money.”
Rubbing his hands together, the old man opened the box under the eager gazes of the others.
And then he froze.
“Huh?”
Inside the box were a few dusty paper roses, with a lipstick nestled in the middle.
“This… this is what’s worth hundreds of thousands?” The old man held up the lipstick, staring at it for a long moment.
The driver glanced through the rearview mirror, then snickered. “Rich people sure have strange tastes.”
When Jian Mengyan arrived home, the nanny, Sister Lin, had already gone out shopping.
With no one home, Jian Mengyan felt safe placing the box on the bedroom carpet. She sat cross-legged beside it.
Now that she was safe, she could finally focus on what was inside.
But that only made her more… anxious.
Yes, anxious.
Her heart was beating faster and faster, almost as if it were about to leap out of her chest.
She opened the box, revealing… another box inside.
Jian Mengyan: …
The tension she had built up was instantly shattered. Resting her face in her hands, she opened the inner box, revealing… yet another box.
Jian Mengyan: “…Lin Shaohuai, you’re such a pain.”
She opened the next box, revealing another box and a note.
The note was scrawled in wild handwriting: “Hahaha, Jian Mengyan, are you mad now? Don’t worry, this is it. Inside is what I really want to give you. Oh, by the way, I did this just to prank you. You know, I always wanted to tease you in high school, but you never paid attention to me.”
???
Although she didn’t quite understand the message, Jian Mengyan didn’t dwell on it. She simply opened the final box.
Inside was a charger and an old Nokia flip phone.
The phone was clearly outdated. Jian Mengyan tried turning it on, but it immediately displayed a low battery warning and shut off.
Hurriedly, she plugged in the charger, managing to connect it just before the battery died.
The phone must have been one Lin Shaohuai used in high school, as it had plenty of usage marks. Many apps were outdated and unusable.
The photo album contained pictures of stray cats and dogs, as well as photos of a young Lin Shaohuai with those animals.
There was nothing unusual in the text messages either—just regular conversations with classmates.
“So what exactly am I supposed to find?” Jian Mengyan pondered for a moment. “Call records?”
She opened the call history and narrowed her eyes.
The last contact Lin Shaohuai had on this phone was none other than Hao Yiming.
“Call records… Hao Yiming…”
Almost instinctively, Jian Mengyan opened the voice recordings. Sure enough, she found an audio file recorded on the afternoon of June 4, 2012.
“Did you find it?”
June 4, 2012.
Lin Shaohuai walked out of the West Suburban Police Station, drenched in rain, without an umbrella.
His new friend, Hao Yiming, was waiting in a car outside. When he saw Lin Shaohuai soaked to the bone, he quickly grabbed an umbrella from the driver and rushed into the rain.
“Why didn’t you use an umbrella? It’s pouring! Do you want to get sick and miss the college entrance exam?”
Hao Yiming’s words didn’t reach Lin Shaohuai’s ears. His mind was filled with images of last night.
The torrential rain, and Jian Mengyan, repeatedly falling in the downpour.
“Hao Yiming.”
Lin Shaohuai’s sudden words caught Hao Yiming’s attention.
The next thing Lin Shaohuai said made Hao Yiming’s eyes widen in shock.
“Do you think Ding Jing is still alive?”
Hao Yiming quickly looked around, making sure no one else was nearby before grabbing Lin Shaohuai’s sleeve and hissing, “Are you crazy? Talking about that girl here?”
Lin Shaohuai’s eyes were vacant, but he stubbornly repeated, “Do you think she’s still alive?”
Was the good student feeling guilty?
Holding the umbrella, Hao Yiming stared at Lin Shaohuai for a moment before suddenly sneering. “Are you scared now, Lin Shaohuai?”
When Lin Shaohuai looked up at him, Hao Yiming continued, “It’s too late. The deed is done, the consequences are real, and the lies have been told. Don’t even think about regret.”
Seeing the warning in Hao Yiming’s eyes grow more intense, Lin Shaohuai shivered, his muddled mind suddenly clearing.
He forced a dry laugh. “I’m not regretting anything.”
Under Hao Yiming’s scrutinizing gaze, Lin Shaohuai gritted his teeth and added, “I’m just a little worried. You’re sure no one saw, right?”
Hao Yiming’s gaze turned cold, and just as he was about to speak, Lin Shaohuai quickly added, “If anyone found out, we’d have to kill them too.”
Seventeen or eighteen years old, caught between maturity and immaturity, they understood right from wrong, but understanding was one thing, and following through was another.
They preferred to act according to their own moral compass, as long as circumstances allowed.
Hearing Lin Shaohuai’s suggestion, Hao Yiming’s hand holding the umbrella froze for a moment.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Shaohuai feigned confusion. “Shouldn’t we eliminate any threats before they grow?”
Hao Yiming nodded. “Yes, we should.”
Once he was sure that Hao Yiming no longer suspected him, Lin Shaohuai let out a silent sigh of relief. Just moments ago, Hao Yiming had felt so dangerous, like he was capable of anything.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”
Before Hao Yiming could finish his sentence, Lin Shaohuai’s phone rang. He picked it up, then quickly put it down again.
“Hmm?”
Lin Shaohuai explained, “Our homeroom teacher asked me to go to the school. He needs to see me. But… what does he want?”
June 4, 2012.
Stumbling out of the school, Lin Shaohuai stood there for a long time before finally remembering to wipe the rain from his face.
Shen Tinglan’s words echoed in his mind.
“You’re a good student. The teacher knows that, and your classmates see it too.”
“But this time, you’ve made a real mistake.”
“Yes, I know you were coerced. Hao Yiming’s family is rich and powerful, and you couldn’t resist when he wanted to be friends with Ding Jing. But wrong is wrong.”
Leaning weakly against the school gate, Lin Shaohuai’s thin frame collided with the metal, producing a loud “bang.”
“You’re both underage. I spoke to a friend who’s a detective. He said you might get a reduced sentence. Trust me, I’ll help you.”
Looking down at his hands, Lin Shaohuai was overwhelmed with fear.
Would the teacher tell others about this?
Then, he’d be arrested.
Hao Yiming might not suffer much—his family had money—but Lin Shaohuai could end up being the scapegoat.
If that happened…
Terrified by the future he had imagined, Lin Shaohuai felt like he could barely stand.
“What are you still doing at the school?” The security guard uncle walked out of his office, clutching his chest. “That bang from the gate gave me a scare. I thought something had happened, but it’s just you.”
When the security guard uncle saw Lin Shaohuai’s face, his words got stuck in his throat.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice dry. “So… did you forget something at the school?”
Lin Shaohuai glanced at the guard, then turned and left.
The security guard clutched his chest and took a step back.
The look in Lin Shaohuai’s eyes… It was like he was staring at a mortal enemy, full of darkness and malice.
“No… it can’t be. I didn’t make any noise last night.”
Trembling, the security guard returned to his office, more determined than ever to keep what he had seen last night to himself.
He couldn’t afford to cause trouble. Absolutely not.
Leaving the school, Lin Shaohuai’s first instinct was to find Hao Yiming, but after some thought, he found a quiet place and called him instead. The moment the call connected, Lin Shaohuai decided to record it.
He couldn’t be the scapegoat. Even if something happened, he wouldn’t let Hao Yiming get off scot-free.
Hao Yiming sounded a bit confused when he answered the call. “What’s up? We live so close—why call instead of meeting in person?”
Lin Shaohuai said, “Shen Tinglan knows.”
“What?” Hao Yiming rubbed his ear. “Who’s Shen Tinglan?”
“Shen Tinglan, my homeroom teacher. He just called me to the school because he knows… that you assaulted Ding Jing yesterday. I was the one who set it up between you and her. He’s going to report us.”
On the other end of the line, Hao Yiming’s voice suddenly rose. “What are you talking about? How does he know? Report us? Did you admit to it? You idiot!”
Though Hao Yiming’s scolding was harsh, Lin Shaohuai wasn’t angry. He glanced at his recording phone and continued, “Of course I didn’t admit it, but Shen Tinglan seems pretty sure about it. I don’t know how he found out.”
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