After a long pause, she said blankly to the girl’s retreating back, “It’s alright.”
Having finally pushed her way to the front, she was stopped by security again.
Shen Yue could now clearly see the girl standing at the edge of the railing.
It was Zhuang Wan’er.
Nobody knew what she had been through during this time. Zhuang Wan’er, who was usually pure and cute, now looked like an empty shell, thin as if there was nothing left but bone. Her face was as pale as a corpse.
The police had also arrived, coaxing her gently.
They tried to approach, but every time a police officer took a step forward, Zhuang Wan’er would retreat a step, forcing the officers to stand still.
The students were being evacuated by the security guards. Shen Yue seized an opportunity when the guards weren’t paying attention. Just as the guards were about to apprehend her, Shen Yue quickly called out.
“Zhuang Wan’er!”
Zhuang Wan’er, who had been listlessly following her lowered eyelashes, was startled by the familiar voice. She slowly raised her eyes and saw the girl not far away.
She was so anxious and worried. Her beautiful, fair face was slightly pale, and her pure, clear eyes were filled with pure concern.
The world was monochrome, and only that girl had color.
Zhuang Wan’er offered the girl a smile. It wasn't quite a smile, as only her flesh was pulled, and her eyes were hollow and full of despair.
“Yueyue.”
Her voice was so faint that it was soon carried away by the breeze.
However, Shen Yue could read her lips and knew that Zhuang Wan’er was calling her name.
The police also noticed and understood that Shen Yue might have a deep emotional connection with the girl who was about to jump. They instructed the security guards to stop pulling at her.
Shen Yue slowly and cautiously walked closer. Zhuang Wan’er watched her with a smile, no longer retreating.
Until Shen Yue’s trembling hand grasped hers, Zhuang Wan’er made no aggressive moves.
This floor was very high, and Shen Yue dared not look down. She held Zhuang Wan’er’s icy hand, her delicate features softening, and her clean, clear eyes reflecting Zhuang Wan’er’s image.
Her tone was soft, like coaxing a child.
“It’s too dangerous here, shall we go down?”
Zhuang Wan’er, who had been calm and smiling, said no for the first time.
This confused Shen Yue. Cold sweat broke out on her palms, and she asked in the gentlest tone, “Why not?”
Zhuang Wan’er tightened her grip on the girl’s soft hand, a strange smile appearing on her pale face.
“I have nothing left. I thought… I thought…”
I thought you were different…
But you don’t want me anymore either…
Zhuang Wan’er suddenly let out a low laugh, trembling all over. There was nothing to shield her from behind, and Shen Yue, holding her with a pounding heart, was terrified she would fall while laughing.
The wind at the top of the building was strong, and Zhuang Wan’er was so thin that she looked like a mere skeleton, as if a slightly stronger gust could blow her away.
In the middle of winter, Zhuang Wan’er was only wearing a white shirt. As Shen Yue drew closer, she saw that her exposed neck was covered in bruises and even had ligature marks!
Shen Yue frantically rolled up her sleeves. Her fair arms were covered with scars, both from cuts and cigarette burns.
Without needing to look, Shen Yue knew that the skin hidden beneath her clothes likely bore even more wounds.
A surge of anger washed over her. Shen Yue, her eyes red, gritted her teeth and asked, “Who did this! Why didn’t you tell me?”
Zhuang Wan’er simply stared at the girl, her expression wronged, muttering erratically, “I’m so dirty, so very dirty, I can’t wash it clean…”
She was like a child who had suffered many grievances outside and was now complaining to her parent. Her eyes were devoid of any spirit, dark and abysmal, and she looked so pale as if she could disappear at any moment.
Shen Yue didn’t know that Zhuang Wan’er had suffered so much in places she couldn’t see, and she hadn’t known anything about it. She didn’t even know how she got the injuries on her body.
Shen Yue only knew that Zhuang Wan’er’s nude photos would be posted online, but she didn’t know she would also endure such cruel torture.
Such a bright, blossoming young girl had been tortured to the point of mental instability.
Shen Yue moved a step closer, endless warmth flowing in her eyes. Her fair face turned even paler, and she coaxed, “You’re not dirty, not dirty at all. Shall I take you home? We’ll catch those bad people and make them pay for what they did.”
But Zhuang Wan’er shook her head, touching the girl’s delicate face with fascination. She innocently made a request, “Die with me. This building is so high, I’m so scared.”
She uttered this sentence in an extremely calm, even cheerful voice, as if she were inviting Shen Yue to play, not to die.
Shen Yue froze, looking at her in silence.
Zhuang Wan’er’s nerves were now extremely sensitive, and the girl’s slowness was magnified in her heart. Her expression became agitated, and she grabbed the girl’s slender shoulders, shaking her uncontrollably, her face contorted.
“Didn’t you say… didn’t you say you would always be by my side? Are you lying to me too?”
Zhuang Wan’er, though seemingly a thin girl, possessed surprising strength. Shen Yue’s shoulders hurt from being grabbed, and she stumbled from the shaking.
The police seized the opportunity to advance a few steps, but before they could get close to Zhuang Wan’er, she seemed to sense them and looked over, her eyes bloodshot and filled with capillaries.
Her voice was sharp and piercing.
“Don’t come over! Don’t come over!”
She screamed hoarsely and leaned back again, scaring the police into freezing instantly.
Shen Yue was also pulled closer to the edge of the rooftop. The extreme height made her face turn paler, and she felt dizzy.
“…Wan’er, calm down.”
Shen Yue tried to soothe her.
But Zhuang Wan’er had long lost her reason. She sobbed uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.
She said, “I’m a little scared. With you here, I’m not afraid.”
After saying this, she tightened her grip on Shen Yue’s hand, one foot already stepping into the air, teetering precariously, as if about to be blown away at any moment.
Shen Yue was also pulled forward a few steps.
Everyone held their breath, and the police slowly advanced.
The cold wind stung Shen Yue’s face, and her heart tightened.
“Shen Yue!”
A man’s roar reached Shen Yue’s ears. She instinctively turned her head to look.
The man’s hair, which had been fixed with hairspray, was now messy. His handsome face was etched with the most extreme panic, his eyes wide with horror.
Only those standing close could feel that this man, over 1.9 meters tall, was trembling imperceptibly from sheer terror.
This clearly stimulated Zhuang Wan’er, who was on the verge of losing all reason. She clung to the girl like a vengeful spirit.
She whispered in her ear.