The girl looked as if she were best at playing the victim. With her love for crying and selfishness, how could someone who loved herself so much possibly commit suicide?
Moreover, he hadn't even seen the girl for the last time.
Upon receiving the news, Song Yan still felt a sense of unreality, as if he were lost in a fog. It was impossible; how could Shen Yue have committed suicide?
Such self-consolation helped Song Yan clear his head a little.
He went to find Bai Yanzhe.
Bai Yanzhe had lost a lot of weight, his eyes shadowed with gloom, dressed in a black suit, thin and sharp like a sword.
He had also aged considerably, with strands of silver now woven into his black hair, and finer lines around his eyes becoming more pronounced, yet he remained handsome and refined.
Song Yan rushed to the building where Bai Yanzhe's company was located and asked, "Where is Shen Yue?"
Bai Yanzhe had just emerged from the building opposite. His dark eyes were indifferent, his lips thin and tightly pressed, as if unwilling to answer. He walked past Song Yan, intending to get into his car.
However, Song Yan stopped him.
His voice could not help but rise. Song Yan felt as if an invisible hand had seized his heart, causing it intense pain.
"Where is Shen Yue?"
Bai Yanzhe looked at him calmly, without any expression. "She's at my place."
Looking at Bai Yanzhe's expression, Song Yan felt that his current state was very wrong; he seemed mentally unstable.
An unshakeable sense of panic and anxiety settled in his heart.
It was a strong palpitation, and an answer surfaced in his mind.
"She's dead, isn't she?"
His voice was incredibly dry.
Bai Yanzhe smiled, a gentle smile. "She's at my place."
As if that weren't enough, he added, "It's *our* home."
Bai Yanzhe pushed Song Yan aside, got into the car, and sped away.
Song Yan stood frozen on the spot, his usually steady gaze unable to focus.
---
Song Yan's recent state had been very off. Those around him had noticed, and he often spaced out even during class, frequently being called to the office for talks.
His classmates had always found Song Yan to be a very approachable person; he was gentle and polite, making him pleasant to be around.
But these past few days, Song Yan had seemed strange, even a bit neurotic. The slightest thing seemed to trigger his sensitive nerves.
Yet, Song Yan himself seemed completely unaware of it.
Bai Qingzhen was discharged from the hospital, and Song Yan helped her with the discharge procedures.
Bai Qingzhen sat in the car, while Song Yan sat beside her, looking out the window, deeply silent.
Bai Qingzhen also didn't notice Song Yan's unusual state. She was very nervous. "Song Yan, do you remember what happened at the swimming pool before?"
Song Yan replied indifferently, "I remember."
Bai Qingzhen looked down, appearing embarrassed and guilty. "Actually, Shen Yue didn't push me."
A ripple finally appeared in Song Yan's placid eyes.
"I staged it all myself. Honestly, now that I think about it, I realize how foolish I was. You might not know this, but Shen Yue liked you. At the time, I was... my mind just snapped, and I did a lot of foolish things, and hurt Shen Yue a lot. I'm almost afraid to see her..."
Bai Qingzhen became increasingly self-reproachful. She had long since come to her senses. At the time, she had been so enraged that she'd done foolish things without any regard for the consequences. Looking back now, she wished she could strike her past self dead.
Song Yan seemed to hear everything Bai Qingzhen said, yet at the same time, it was as if he heard nothing. His mind was blank, his body stiff and unmoving, as if all his strength had been drained away.
A mist of blood-red gradually began to cloud his vision. Song Yan squeezed his eyes shut tightly, and with great difficulty, managed to say, "Why didn't you say so back then?"
Seeing Song Yan's reaction, Bai Qingzhen looked confused and stammered, "I... isn't it okay that I'm saying it now?"
"No..." Song Yan opened his mouth, as if wanting to say more. He raised his hand and covered his eyes tightly, his hand pressing down on his brow bone, veins bulging. His voice was hoarse, as if scraped by sharp pebbles. "It's too late. She, she..."
"She's dead..."
His eyes, now a violent red, shed dry tears. His voice trembled uncontrollably.
---
Later, Song Yan returned to his normal school life, devoting all his energy to his studies, as if that were the only way to numb himself.
But he always felt as if a piece of his heart were missing. When the cold wind howled, it felt like a layer of frost had settled within him.
At night, he would lie in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
He replayed the words he had spoken to the girl last time, over and over again.
Cruel and indifferent.
How desperate and hurt must the girl have been then?
He felt as if he himself were the murderer of Shen Yue.
Song Yan stared blankly at the ceiling, inexplicably shedding tears.
His heart ached fiercely, as if he were dying.
---
Today was Jiang Wei's birthday. They had booked a private room. He felt it was rather meaningless, but he still sent Shen Yue a message.
The last time they had messaged each other was half a month ago. Jiang Wei felt a flicker of anticipation in his heart, but he didn't show it.
Jiang Wei was the center of attention in their social circle. The private room was incredibly lively, yet he sat on the sofa, speaking very little.
"What's the point of just sitting here? Come and have some fun," someone beside him invited.
Jiang Wei showed no reaction. He took out his phone to check the time. It was already past midnight. Shen Yue hadn't come, nor had she replied to his message.
He exuded an oppressive aura. He picked up the glass of wine from the table and drank it down without a word.
By midnight, the atmosphere in the private room had reached its peak. After several rounds of drinks, many people started speaking incoherently.
Suddenly, one of the guys spoke nonsensically, "Shen Yue, you all know Shen Yue, right?"
"Know her? Someone with money can get anyone."
Another guy said with a wide grin.
The atmosphere paused for a moment.
The guy seemed to realize he had said something wrong. He turned his head and saw Jiang Wei's expression, which was terrifyingly fierce.
His dark eyes held no warmth whatsoever, staring directly at the speaker. Within them, a storm of chilling intensity was brewing.
"Say that again?" His voice was soft, but it carried a bone-chilling coldness.
The guy's drunkenness subsided significantly. He turned pale with fear and hastily tried to salvage the situation. "Jiang, Brother Jiang, I, I was just talking nonsense. I didn't mean anything by it. Just pretend I'm talking rubbish..."
Jiang Wei's expression was icy. "Get out."
The guy's legs trembled. "Brother Jiang..."
Jiang Wei slammed the wine glass onto the floor, his demeanor erupting with rage. "Get out!"
The guy dared not say another word. Trembling, he bolted out.
The once boisterous private room fell into a stunned silence. No one dared to make a peep.
They looked at Jiang Wei sitting on the sofa, wondering why he had suddenly thrown such a tantrum.
But it was clear it was because of Shen Yue.
Could it be that Jiang Wei liked Shen Yue?
The moment this thought crossed their minds, it made everyone even more hesitant to speak.