#56: Prickling Cheng Mi’s Mind

Before Cheng Mi went to find Li Chu tonight, she had called Si Huiru beforehand.

This time, she didn’t hide it from the adults. On the phone, she was honest with Si Huiru about Li Chu being in danger.

At the time, Si Huiru was so anxious that she wanted to go with Cheng Mi.

But because she was at her company and it would take time for her to get back, Cheng Mi couldn’t delay. She told Si Huiru not to worry too much and that if anything happened, she would watch and call the police.

But in case the two of them didn’t come back before midnight, she should remember to call the police.

Cheng Mi and Li Chu returned just before midnight. The clock on the wall upstairs showed a little past ten.

Si Huiru had been waiting for them. She was so worried that she couldn’t eat. The dishes on the table hadn’t been touched with chopsticks. The colors had dimmed a lot, and they were already cold.

As soon as Cheng Mi and Li Chu entered the door, Si Huiru, who had been sitting restlessly on the sofa, immediately got up and went to the entryway. She pulled the two of them and looked them over. She was greatly relieved only after she confirmed they were okay.

As soon as Cheng Mi came in, she glanced at Si Tingyan’s room.

The door was closed.

Si Huiru went to the cabinet drawer to find some ointment. She pulled Li Chu over to the sofa to sit down and used a cotton swab to apply it to the ligature marks on her wrists.

Cheng Mi’s right hand was also scratched with a thin bloody cut by the broken window glass. Si Huiru helped her disinfect it.

Si Huiru asked them: “What happened? What’s going on?”

Cheng Mi originally wanted to tell her the truth. It was good to talk to an elder about something like this.

But Li Chu cut her off and said to Si Huiru: “It’s nothing. We had a small conflict with a classmate, and it’s resolved.”

If Si Huiru knew about this, Li Yeheng would naturally know as well. Li Yeheng had dealt with their mess with his own hands back then and was also familiar with this guy, Chen Zhaochi.

If Li Yeheng knew that she was with Chen Zhaochi, Li Yeheng was a seasoned veteran of social interactions. He would see through her immature plans to get close to Chen Zhaochi, and the father and daughter would definitely have another big argument.

Li Chu didn’t want to be controlled by Li Yeheng.

But after Li Chu spoke, Si Huiru said: “I called your dad this afternoon.”

Li Chu was speechless for a moment. The situation was urgent this afternoon. When the news reached Li Yeheng’s ears, he must have been very nervous.

How could Cheng Mi not know what Li Chu was thinking? She watched the drama unfold from the side.

In fact, Cheng Mi also hoped that Li Chu could be controlled more by Li Yeheng.

Although Li Yeheng had been absent from Li Chu’s childhood, he was good to his daughter, Li Chu.

Li Yeheng and Li Chu’s mother were a couple for many years, but they broke up due to incompatible personalities.

It so happened that Li Chu’s mother got pregnant unexpectedly. Due to her health, the doctor did not recommend an abortion. In the end, Li Chu’s mother gave birth to her, but her pride prevented her from ever humbling herself to find Li Yeheng.

Li Chu’s mother and Cheng Mi’s mother, Cheng Zi, were friends. When Li Chu’s mother was pregnant that year, Cheng Mi’s mother took care of her.

Later, when Li Chu was eight, her mother became seriously ill and was one step away from death’s door. Cheng Mi’s mother originally wanted to raise Li Chu but was stopped by Li Chu’s mother, who said to send Li Chu to an orphanage, inform her father, and let her father come and take the child back himself.

She told Cheng Mi’s mother that she believed he could raise the child well and would give the child the best life, but the pressure was too great, and she just wanted Cheng Mi’s mother to be better off.

Li Yeheng might not have been a good husband whose personality was compatible with her, but he would be a good father. It was good to send Li Chu back to him. Not only that, Cheng Mi could also be taken care of together.

Given Li Yeheng’s character, as long as she mentioned it, he would do his best to take care of the two children.

For the sake of her child, Li Chu’s mother finally humbled herself at the last moment of her death.

Li Yeheng did indeed take good care of the two of them afterward.

It’s just that Li Chu was never close to him and didn’t like being controlled by him. The father and daughter’s conversations never exceeded five sentences.

Li Chu didn’t want Li Yeheng to know about this matter with Chen Zhaochi.

Although Li Chu didn’t show it on her face, Si Huiru had a kind and cautious nature. She saw through her thoughts and had a little apology on her face, but she still said.

“This is not a small matter. We have to tell your dad. Your dad actually cares about you a lot.”

Although Li Chu could be difficult at times, she wouldn’t deliberately make things hard for others. She knew right from wrong and didn’t blame Si Huiru.

“It’s fine.”

What could her dad do to her?

With the two of them being okay, Si Huiru’s mind relaxed, and she finally remembered dinner.

She walked toward the kitchen: “I’ll go heat up the food. You two can watch TV. Dinner will be ready soon. Xiaoyan should be home soon.”

Cheng Mi was just about to go to the room to find Si Tingyan. Hearing this, her footsteps paused. She looked back at Si Huiru and asked with a hint of confusion.

“Where did Si Tingyan go?”

Si Huiru had just reached the kitchen door: “He’s at school. The teacher kept him in the lab again today.”

This afternoon, the two of them clearly came home together.

Cheng Mi frowned slightly. Her nerves, which had just relaxed, became alert again: “He said that?”

“Xiaoyan called me and told me.”

The thin scar on the back of Cheng Mi’s hand was cool from the ointment. The coolness now crept up her arm for no reason, chilling her all the way to her heart.

Countless things flashed through her mind in just a few seconds.

She told Si Tingyan that she was going to find Chen Zhaochi and Zheng Hongkai and use herself to catch them committing a crime. Si Tingyan didn’t forbid her at the time. He didn’t argue with her. Instead, he was strangely calm.

Including when he heard her talk about the dirty tricks that Chen Zhaochi and Zheng Hongkai would use against her, Si Tingyan was also extremely calm. He didn’t show any terrifying gloominess.

He was so calm that Cheng Mi felt a hint of surprise in her heart when she was discussing it with him in the classroom this afternoon.

But at that time, Cheng Mi didn’t think much of it because calmness was Si Tingyan’s usual state. He acted it out so well that she believed him, believed that he would let her go face Chen Zhaochi and his friends.

And for the past few days, Si Tingyan hadn’t come home on time after school, saying he was staying in the school’s physics lab.

If she and Si Huiru hadn’t accidentally exposed his casual lie tonight, Cheng Mi would have been kept in the dark by him forever.

Those actions that usually seemed so normal were now full of flaws, laid out in front of Cheng Mi.

They were like tiny, invisible needles, densely pricking at Cheng Mi’s mind.

Finally, all the needles pointed to one answer.

Si Tingyan went to find Chen Zhaochi.

Realizing this answer, Cheng Mi’s fingertips trembled for a moment.

He was just angered by her this afternoon.

Cheng Mi met Li Chu’s eyes, which were looking at her.

Cheng Mi knew that Li Chu had also realized it because Si Tingyan, like her, had also acted before Chen Zhaochi could make a move on her.

In fact, Cheng Mi should have known a long time ago. Before Chen Zhaochi even tried to make a move on Cheng Mi, just choking her neck was enough to make Si Tingyan want to kill him, let alone those dirty tricks.

Cheng Mi knew that she couldn’t panic now. She still had to find Si Tingyan. She steadied her mind and asked Li Chu: “What places does Chen Zhaochi usually go to at this time?”

Li Chu was with Chen Zhaochi every day, so she answered without thinking much: “The bar where he works as a DJ, the pool hall, and his rented room.”

“He probably won’t go back to the hospital tonight?”

Li Chu said: “No. The police were there today. He’ll go tomorrow.”

After thinking for a bit, Li Chu added: “But usually at this time, he goes to the bar more often.”

Cheng Mi, however, said: “He’ll probably go back early tonight.”

Li Chu understood what Cheng Mi meant by that.

She was locked in the rented room by Chen Zhaochi, and Chen Zhaochi would definitely go back.

Si Huiru, who hadn’t entered the kitchen yet, didn’t understand their conversation but had already sensed the tension.

She walked over a little shakily, her hands instinctively grabbing at her apron: “What’s wrong?”

Time was of the essence. There was no time for Cheng Mi to be subtle.

She said to Si Huiru: “Auntie, we have to go find Si Tingyan now.”

Her tone was not as casual as usual. It was more serious.

Si Huiru knew the situation was bad. Her face instantly turned pale: “Wh-what happened to Xiaoyan?”

“Auntie, don’t worry. It’s possible that he’s fine. Let’s split up and look for him.”

Si Huiru managed to hold on to her rationality and nodded.

Li Chu also got up from the sofa and prepared to go out.

Cheng Mi said: “I’ll go to the shanty town in the east of the city. Li Chu, you go to the bar. Auntie, I’ll have to trouble you to go to the pool hall.”

At this crucial moment, Si Huiru could still think about their safety: “No. It’s messy over at the shanty town. I’ll go.”

Cheng Mi had been dialing Si Tingyan’s number on her phone since before. Without waiting for Si Huiru to finish speaking, she quickly walked toward the entryway: “I’m a little more familiar with the shanty town. I’ll go.”

________________________________________

The shanty town in the east of the city.

The buildings were once crowded, and the neighborhood was lively. Now, there were groups of empty houses, and the population was sparse.

It was dark everywhere. The streetlights had been in disrepair for a long time, standing on the side of the road with rust all over them.

Next to them was a row of tiled houses. The one closest to the streetlight used to be a convenience store. There was an old, yellowing security camera on the wall.

This camera had never captured Si Tingyan recently.

Not only this one, but the cameras at a nearby construction site and the cameras on the street outside also never showed Si Tingyan’s figure.

But in fact, he had been coming here for the past few days.

Si Tingyan knew exactly where the cameras were, where there were no cameras, and where the blind spots were.

He was also familiar with every building, every road, and every object in this area.

Over the past few days of monotony, Si Tingyan was very clear about any slight changes.

Every night, around eight o’clock, a man who collected trash from the nearby residents would pass through the alley slope leading to Chen Zhaochi’s rented room with a trash cart. Si Tingyan even knew this.

He was even more familiar with Chen Zhaochi’s routine after he came back from the bar every day.

Si Tingyan was more familiar with which roads, which rooms, and which narrow alleyways Chen Zhaochi would take than the often drunk and stumbling Chen Zhaochi himself.

Si Tingyan had endless patience for hunting his prey.

Today was no different.

Si Tingyan came here after he left home and stayed until the night was thick.

Tonight was extremely wicked and full of evil.

He precisely calculated every second, manipulating the last few seconds of someone’s life.

Around eight o’clock in the evening, the screeching sound of a trash cart’s wheels came from not far away, extremely harsh in the hazy, dim night.

The sound got closer and closer until it reached the front of the alley.

Si Tingyan also appeared at this time. He was going to pass here to go to the garbage dump.

The man had a sweat-wiping towel draped over his shoulder. He looked up at him.

Even though he couldn’t see anything, there was just a blurry figure.

No one would pay attention to a stranger passing by. The man didn’t pay attention to him. He dragged the trash cart, which was as tall as a person, into the alley.

The narrow alley was on a slope. The man’s trash cart wheels were clearly struggling to go up the slope.

The trash was piled high on the cart. It was obviously much heavier than usual today. The man pulled it twice and then fell back.

Just as he was about to use all his strength to pull again, a force suddenly came from behind the cart.

Si Tingyan was lending a hand.

The man turned his head to look, saw half of Si Tingyan’s face, and immediately said thank you: “Thank you, little brother.”

Si Tingyan didn’t say anything.

With Si Tingyan’s help, the cart quickly rolled up the slope and went all the way up.

However, after climbing about a meter or two, the hand that Si Tingyan was using to push the cart from behind loosened its grip.

The man in front, who was caught off guard by the suddenness, lost his grip on the trash cart due to his lack of arm strength.

Then the trash cart slid backward and then crashed to the side.

There was a lot of trash today. When it fell, it all spilled out of the cart. The cart was full of dirty, wet garbage that instantly spilled all over the ground.

Sour food, dirty cloth, unrecognizable things—all sorts of things mixed on the ground, giving off a foul smell that reached the sky.

The man also fell to the ground. He cursed under his breath as he looked at the trash all over the ground.

The alley was not wide. Some of the trash was piled as high as his knees. The ground was overflowing with foul-smelling trash.

There were no streetlights here. He was fumbling in the dark. Moreover, he didn’t have any cleaning tools with him, so the man had no way to start.

But almost no one came here. This pile of trash wouldn’t block anyone. The man decided to come back and clean it up tomorrow.

The man was covered in filth and foul smells. He limped away, dragging the trash cart.

Si Tingyan, on the other hand, was not stained with any filth. His eyes were cold in the chaotic, dim light.

He ignored the pile of trash on the ground. Without a moment’s pause, he turned and left.

About fifty meters away, there was an unfinished building that had been abandoned for several years. The green safety net that surrounded it had been torn and faded by the wind and rain.

The night wind was getting stronger, whooshing through the rooms and alleys.

Si Tingyan knew that in one minute, a certain green net that had been hanging on the edge of the unfinished building for years would be blown down by the wind.

When he walked to the small path next to the unfinished building, the green safety net was still hooked on the edge of the building, half-hanging.

There was a manhole cover on the path.

Three days ago, a homeless man who lived in this broken building pried off the manhole cover and sold it for money. It was empty now.

After a few more gusts of wind, the broken green safety net that had been hanging on the unfinished building for several years finally couldn’t bear the weight and was blown down by the wind.

Just as the data in Si Tingyan’s mind had predicted, the green safety net fell from the building and landed precisely on the manhole without a cover.

The area of the green net was too large. It didn’t fall into the sewer and was covered on top.

The sound of water was faintly heard but was not clear, covered by the construction noise coming from the construction site not far away.

Si Tingyan walked away as if he were just passing by.

________________________________________

The bar was filled with colorful lights, and the speakers were deafening.

Chen Zhaochi didn’t bring Li Chu with him tonight. His friends who were drinking with him on the side teased: “How come you didn’t bring the beautiful Li over tonight?”

Chen Zhaochi just drank with a heavy look in his eyes and ignored them.

Zheng Hongkai also came. After he started drinking, he boldly put his arm on Chen Zhaochi’s shoulder and clinked his glass with Chen Zhaochi’s: “Isn’t that girl pretty loyal to you?”

Zheng Hongkai had no idea that a certain word in his sentence had pricked Chen Zhaochi.

He also didn’t notice that after Chen Zhaochi heard him say this, his face became grim and terrifying.

Zheng Hongkai continued to speak: “I think she’s very clingy to you. She follows you wherever you go, almost sticking to you.”

Someone chimed in: “Last time I went to Brother Zhao’s house, things were smashed all over the room. I was so scared I didn’t dare to breathe. That girl was fearless and even dared to rush over and hug Brother Zhao to comfort him.”

“Damn, that’s awesome.” A guy gave a thumbs up.

Zheng Hongkai asked Chen Zhaochi: “Brother Zhao, is this girl so devoted that you dumped her?”

Chen Zhaochi’s face already looked like he wanted to kill someone.

Zheng Hongkai drank his wine and bumped his shoulder: “Want me to introduce you to one?”

“Her figure is so fucking good—”

Suddenly, Chen Zhaochi slammed his wine glass on the ground.

With a loud crash, the glass shattered into pieces on the ground, and the wine splashed out.

Chen Zhaochi was scary when he was angry. The group of people was instantly scared speechless.

Chen Zhaochi had a good tolerance for alcohol and was often not drunk.

Tonight, when he stood up from the sofa, his body was swaying slightly. His face was grim. He kicked Zheng Hongkai viciously.

Zheng Hongkai was kicked off the sofa and fell to the ground.

Chen Zhaochi didn’t even look at him. He stepped over him and left.

________________________________________

After leaving the bar, Chen Zhaochi’s vision was full of swaying shadows.

The streetlights were glaring, stabbing at his eyes like knives.

The knife that Li Chu had held in her hand for two years was tonight, without hesitation, plunged into him.

Thinking of this, Chen Zhaochi wished he could kill her, make her die by his own hand.

Anger grew in his chest, almost tearing and incinerating the name Li Chu.

Chen Zhaochi, with a body full of alcohol, stumbled into the shanty town area. The self-built houses and metal sheds were chaotically intertwined. It was pitch black everywhere.

Walking through the roads and alleys, this area was not big. After a few turns, he saw his broken rented building.

The alley slope went straight in, and his building was at the end.

But now the alley was not unobstructed. It was full of trash. The foul smell was overwhelming even from a distance.

Chen Zhaochi was already unhappy. His anger was burning. He kicked the wall and cursed the eighteen generations of this bastard’s ancestors.

The alcohol made him unable to stand steadily. After swaying a few times, he stood up straight. His body followed the simplest command and turned to take the long way.

The unfinished building’s path was dark and quiet. It was not quiet. The nearby construction site was still under construction in the middle of the night.

He walked straight in. The surroundings were pitch black, but he could vaguely see shadows in the night.

There was a pile of something on the ground. If he looked closely, he could see that it was a broken safety net.

Chen Zhaochi didn’t pay any attention to it until he took a step.

His foot suddenly stepped into nothing. His body’s weight went down. In the first second that he reacted, he had already fallen two meters.

Chen Zhaochi reacted extremely quickly and grabbed the edge of the manhole. His arm was pulled so hard that it almost broke. His whole body was violently pulled in the air.

Chen Zhaochi frowned slightly and cursed. His eyes were bloodshot, tinged with alcohol, and filled with a fierce look.

But because his injuries from the fight with Li Zhiyu hadn’t healed yet, his arm started to ooze blood continuously again.

Before Chen Zhaochi could use his strength to climb up, his arm couldn’t bear the weight, and his whole body completely fell.

There were dangers under the manhole cover. The water was deep and flowed rapidly. Steel bars were faintly visible. Whatever went down would be washed away toward the sewage treatment plant.

…

In the darkness, Si Tingyan watched this scene. A few seconds later, he turned and left indifferently.

He had quietly schemed and calculated to get the person into his trap, but not a single drop of blood had been splashed on him.