Su Yue stood by the bridge, a sense of bewilderment washing over her as she watched the river flow beneath. It appeared calm, yet it was incredibly perilous.
Just like her life.
Suddenly, she felt an urge to jump.
But then she thought of her mother, and of all her own efforts over the years. She couldn't bear to believe that everything was now insurmountable.
Then, Chen Ziming appeared in her mind.
Her hands trembled as she picked up her phone, opened the search engine, and typed in "Chen Ziming."
There were many people with the same name, but she still managed to find some information about him, such as the announcement of outstanding graduates from the Public Security University, and scenes of awards being presented after case resolutions...
No other useful information.
What was his background? What made Su Minghua afraid of him?
The flash of inspiration she’d had earlier in the study was now rapidly weaving itself in her mind...
But she had said those things this morning.
She hit her head in regret, yet a sliver of hope ignited within her.
It didn't matter, she could brazenly go find him again. She didn't even care about being kept as a mistress, she didn't want his money. As long as she could be with him and keep Su Minghua away from her, she would accept any condition.
But... would he agree?
Would Su Minghua truly stop bothering her because of his involvement?
Su Yue stood by the bridge for a very long time, until the sky turned dark, before she hailed a taxi and left.
She had no other choice.
Chen Ziming was her last straw.
If she still couldn't escape Su Minghua then, she could come back here and jump. It wouldn't be too late.
Even if it meant death, she refused to remain shrouded in his shadow.
Upon returning to the dormitory, the other three were not there, which was just as well. She took a shower, put on a high-necked vest that covered the mark on her neck, and then lay down on the bed.
She picked up her phone and opened the chat dialogue with Chen Ziming.
She pondered for a long time, typing and deleting, deleting and typing. In the end, she only sent a greeting emoji.
After sending it, she shamefully tossed her phone aside, even switching it to silent. Yet, her heart was pounding.
Within a minute, she picked up her phone to check.
No reply.
He was probably busy. Police officers were always busy.
She comforted herself this way.
But she waited and waited. By the time the other three returned, and everyone had fallen asleep, there was still no message.
She finally couldn't lie still. Holding her phone, she quietly tiptoed to the balcony, taking a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart.
Then, she found his phone number.
After a long internal struggle, she dialed it.
No answer.
Her heart sank to the bottom. Had she said something too outrageous? Was that why he no longer wanted any contact with her?
That was probably it. A child raised by parents who made Su Minghua afraid, someone who could casually give fifty thousand yuan, what kind of woman hadn't he seen?
His novelty with her must have worn off long ago.
She cried sadly, the small flame of hope that had ignited extinguished once more.
But she couldn't give up.
She had no classes on Monday afternoon. She was supposed to go for tennis training, but she decided to go later.
First, she would go to the Yuluo Street police station to find him.
Even if there was no hope, she would wait until he clearly told her so, before jumping off the bridge.
Monday afternoon, Yuluo Street Police Station.
After entering the compound, Su Yue didn't see Chen Ziming's car. But she still walked slowly towards the lobby. Currently, someone was causing a disturbance.
She sidestepped them and went around to the reception desk.
A police officer looked up at her and asked, "Reporting a case?"
"No... I wanted to ask if Officer Chen Ziming is here," she asked politely in a small voice.
"What is it regarding him?"
"Um... it's something..." she tried to get by.
However, a police officer beside her suddenly glanced at her and then said, "You girls, always coming here to bother him. He's not dating. You're such a beautiful girl, why not find someone who cherishes you? Go back now."
Su Yue was momentarily taken aback.
These young girls?
"Is that you?" A female police officer, who happened to be bringing documents to the front desk, saw Su Yue and greeted her curiously.
Su Yue was still a bit dazed and looked at her. It was Lin Xiaoman.
Seeing that Su Yue seemed upset, she took her to the lounge.
"Chen Ziming is on a business trip," she told Su Yue.
"When will he be back?" Su Yue's heart ignited with hope again, and she quickly asked.
"It's not certain..." she shook her head. Then, she asked curiously, "You're looking for him so urgently, is something wrong?"