"Do you think I'm afraid? So what if I did it? Do you really think you can put me in jail just like that? You're too naive. Even if I go to jail, so what? The Tang family will find a way to get me out. I'm telling you, I'm not afraid at all."
Lin Xiaojun, ignoring the wind ruffling her hair, glared at the girl with reddened eyes.
The closer Shen Yue got, the more excited Lin Xiaojun's expression became.
Shen Yue stopped when they were only an arm's length apart. Her pale pink lips curved gently, like delicate flower petals, revealing dimples that enchanted the moment.
She glanced at Lin Xiaojun's trembling arm hidden in her pocket and spoke with a tone that piqued curiosity.
"Is that so? Are you really not afraid? If you're not afraid, then why did you call me over?"
The girl's smile pierced Lin Xiaojun's eyes. Unable to bear it any longer, she pulled out the small knife hidden in her pocket and, without blinking, lunged towards the girl.
However, Shen Yue, who was already on guard, easily dodged. Lin Xiaojun, failing to land a blow, tried to attack again. Shen Yue grabbed her wrists with both hands, and in the struggle, the knife fell to the ground.
Seizing the opportunity, Lin Xiaojun yanked the girl's hair. Her scalp stung violently as Lin Xiaojun suddenly choked her and shoved her against the railing.
The old railing, showing signs of age, couldn't bear even the slightest weight and wobbled precariously.
"Since I called you here, I never intended to let you go. Shen Yue, tell me, what gives you the right? Is it just because of your face? Because of this vixen-like face, you've snatched away everything I haven't obtained in years. What gives you the right? What gives you the right?!"
Shen Yue struggled to pry Lin Xiaojun's hands away, managing to gasp for breath. "But Zhuang Wan'er is innocent. If you have a grievance, take it out on me. Why did you harm her?"
Lin Xiaojun tightened her grip, a satisfied smile spreading across her face as she saw the girl's complexion turn pale. "She's not innocent at all. Who told her to covet what doesn't belong to her? She deserved to die. This was all her own doing. I hadn't even come to find you yet, and you came to my doorstep yourself. Shen Yue, there are no cameras here. Even if you die here, no one will ever find out."
Shen Yue gasped for air, breathing becoming difficult. "Is that so? You might not know this, but before I came, I called Tang Zhe and shared my location with him. He'll be here any moment."
Lin Xiaojun, who had been smiling all along, froze. She was indeed starting to panic. Shen Yue seized the opportunity, kicking her away and creating some distance.
She tossed her phone, intending to call Tang Zhe, but a string of unfamiliar numbers popped up. Shen Yue recognized it as Wei Jingzhou's number; he had called her before.
Lin Xiaojun mistook it for Tang Zhe calling and dared not move. She just glared fiercely at Shen Yue with reddened eyes, her threat undisguised.
Shen Yue hesitated for a moment before answering, but remained silent. On the other end, Wei Jingzhou's heavy breathing and a seemingly calm question could be heard.
"Where are you right now?"
Shen Yue remained silent. She heard car horns from the other end of the line. He was likely driving. His voice sounded calm, but his rapid breathing betrayed his urgency and anxiety.
"Shen Yue, I know you can hear me. I also know you must still be angry with me. It's okay, really it's okay. Please don't hang up. Just let me finish speaking, alright?" Wei Jingzhou spoke rapidly, as if fearing the girl would hang up mercilessly the next second. His words were disjointed, and despite his efforts to control his emotions, it was no use.
Shen Yue glanced at the menacing Lin Xiaojun. The man's words on the phone reached her clearly.
"I've thought a lot. I know I'm petty and I never trusted you. I even thought about keeping you locked up at home, not letting you go out. I arrogantly believed you liked that kind of life. I thought it was enough if I was the only one who treated you well, but I later realized I wasn't treating you well..."
"I, I shouldn't have given you milk. I shouldn't have locked you up at home alone. And I definitely shouldn't have been absent when you needed me the most. I know I was wrong. You can punish me however you want. I'll willingly accept any scolding or hitting..."
"I really, I will never lock you up again. Wherever you want to go, I'll go with you. I promise to listen to your explanations carefully and never throw tantrums again. So, could you..."
"Could you wait for me... Could you not leave me?"
"Could you not abandon me alone."
Wei Jingzhou's voice began to tremble towards the end, his voice growing more nasal, and a choked sound escaped his throat.
He was begging, having completely abandoned all self-respect and dignity. Only now did he realize how terribly he had erred, mishandling a winning hand due to excessive greed, overwhelming jealousy, and arrogant pride.
Shen Yue clenched her phone, her expression unchanged.
Lin Xiaojun, sensing something was amiss in the girl's silence, casually walked towards the knife that had fallen on the ground.
"Shen Yue... I'm begging you. I really can't live without you. Please, give me another chance. Don't, don't leave me alone. But if you don't want to see me, then I'll disappear. Anything is fine. I beg you, Yueyue..."
"Don't leave me..."
Shen Yue didn't know if she was hearing things or if it was the phone, but she thought she heard the man's suppressed sobs, small, as if squeezed from his throat.
Shen Yue's continuous silence made Wei Jingzhou increasingly panicked. He was practically groveling in his pleas, his words becoming more jumbled and flustered. It was clear that the girl's silence terrified him.
Lin Xiaojun, having swiftly picked up the knife, charged forward. Shen Yue, hanging up the phone, intended to dodge to the side, but a sudden pain in her abdomen slowed her movements by half a beat, and her arm was slashed.
Lin Xiaojun seemed like a wolf that had caught the scent of blood, her strength amplified far beyond its usual. Shen Yue's abdomen continued to ache, her dodging movements growing slower. Eventually, she was stabbed in the shoulder.
Her entire body was then pressed against the railing.
The piercing cold wind whistled past. The railing tilted backward, and half of Shen Yue's body dangled over it, as if she could fall at any moment.
Lin Xiaojun's face contorted with rage. She twisted her wrist, the searing pain in her shoulder turning the girl's face as pale as paper.
"Die!"
With that, she forcefully pushed.
The railing, unable to withstand the strain, suddenly collapsed. Shen Yue, as if she had anticipated this, grabbed the unsuspecting Lin Xiaojun and pulled her down with her.